9 moves the Cleveland Indians must make this offseason

Nine moves the Cleveland Indians must make this offseason in order to win the AL Pennant, and to return to the World Series in 2018.

The Cleveland Indians picked by many pundits to win their first World Series championship since 1948, however, the Tribe exited the postseason following a five-game loss to the Yankees in the ALDS.

The Tribe will probably be picked to win the AL Central again, as the core of the Indians’ rotation will return.

However, as always, the Indians will have to watch how they spend their money.

Don’t expect any big signings like last winter, when the organization stunned their fan base, signing free-agent prize Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million contract.

The Tribe had a $95 million payroll in 2016, and increased that total to around $125 million last year. They’re expecting $20 million in increases to keep the talent they already have. For example, Cody Allen is arbitration eligible and could be in line to make $10 million. Trevor Bauer could also see a bump from his $3.5 million salary to upwards of $7 million.

It’s something that comes with success. More money, more problems.

The Dolan family reminded us that they are not cheap, and will pick up the tab on a player if they think it means getting that elusive title. No one else wanted to pay $3.5 million for Jay Bruce, but the Dolans did, and while the team fell short of expectations, the signing was widely applauded.

Here’s the moves the Indians must make to get back to the World Series in 2018.