Cleveland Indians 2017 Team Preview

After making a run all the way to Game 7 in one of the most exciting World Series in history, the Cleveland Indians appear loaded to try again in 2017

The Cleveland Indians have long been an organization known for futility. After 2016, the Indians now are the team in the major leagues with the longest run without a World Series title.

The Indians have now gone 68 seasons since winning the 1948 title, which gives them a 12 year longer streak than the next-closest team, the Texas Rangers.

Of course, behind the Indians, the next six teams on the World Series drought list are teams that have not won a World Series in their franchise history. So, they actually have a 31 year longer drought between World Series titles than the second-longest dry streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who last won in 1979.

Many saw the Indians as a team that could be better in 2016, but their win of the AL Central by 8 games with 94 victories was certainly beyond anything anyone would have predicted.

The Indians have worked their way back to the point of a very good team from top to bottom on the strength of excellent analytics, strong scouting, and some strong personnel hires along the way.

While the run of the Indians through the playoffs and to the World Series was exciting, what does 2017 have in store?

We’ll take a look at the team’s 2016-2017 offseason moves, both the key losses and key additions.

Then we’ll take a look at the team’s lineup and bench, followed by the rotation and bullpen.

We’ll follow that up with a run through of the people in charge of the team in the management, coaching, and front office roles.

Finally, you’ll get a prediction of what we at Call To The Pen see as the Indians’ 2017 chances.

Let’s kick it off with the offseason moves…

Next: Offseason Movement