Indians: Recent signings prove that the team is committed to winning

The Cleveland Indians have landed some major pieces in Cesar Hernandez and Eddie Rosario, which should be seen as a sign of wanting to win.

The Cleveland Indians traded away Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco this offseason as a way to clear up some money to spend on free agents and, presumably, extensions for others. The Indians then turned around and re-signed the team’s Gold Glove second basemen in Cesar Hernandez, as well as poached the former Twins outfielder away from Minnesota in the form of Eddie Rosario.

While some may not agree with this, but this is a sign that the Indians are committed to winning this year.

While some will argue “if they were committed to winning, they wouldn’t have traded Lindor”, understand that’s a flawed point of view. Teams like the Indians just can’t afford the outrageous and outlandish figures some of baseball’s best demand. It’s absurd to pay a position player $30 million a year, and to dedicate a third or quarter of your payroll to one player is poor roster management.

This isn’t basketball, you need 25 players to win a World Series. Not just one. Also, keep in mind that Lindor cut off negotiations last year during spring training. There was only one logical outcome to his tenure in Cleveland.

So if you’re forced to decide between keeping a player like Lindor until he leaves for free agency and get nothing for him, or try and keep your run of being a contender going another five-ten years by acquiring the next crop of potential All-Stars, what would you do?

Great franchises aren’t built to win for just one year or one block of years. The teams that do that are called the Miami Marlins. The Indians are built to win every year. It might be hard to grasp that but they are. There’s a reason why there are three championships (division, league pendant, World Series) a team can win in the season. There is more than one measure of success.

Adding Hernandez and Rosario will help the team continue their success. Not only will they bolster spots in the field of play but at the plate as well. It’s free agents like this, and not the Bryce Harper’s, Manny Machado’s, or Lindor’s that help teams win titles.

It may not seem like it right now but the Indians are clearly still committed to winning, they’re just also committed to not investing all of their finances in one player.