If there’s a silver lining to the fact that the Cleveland Indians are not one of eight teams vying for a World Series, it’s that the Tribe enters the 2019 offseason with fewer glaring question marks than they had last year at this time.
At least one outfield spot is spoken for by a true everyday player in Oscar Mercado. Mercado’s presence in center field gives the Tribe one mainstay in the grass while the organization figures out what to do with the hodgepodge of Jordan Luplow, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers, and Bradley Zimmer.
The Indians have a young and inexpensive right-handed hitter with 40-homer upside in Franmil Reyes, who will serve as a fixture in the middle of their lineup for years to come.