Here we go everyone!
The Cleveland Indians will start their quest towards their first World Series title in 70 years tonight in Seattle when they face the Mariners.
There are countless reasons to be optimistic about this team as we begin a new season. Let's lay out the highlights:
- For my money, they have the best manager in baseball in Terry Francona
- They have a terrific starting rotation anchored by two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, with Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer emerging as potential Cy Young candidates in their own right.
- The Indians possess two MVP candidates in Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, along with slugger Edwin Encarnacion to power the lineup.
- Their bullpen features reliable closer Cody Allen and former ALCS MVP Andrew Miller.
Certainly there are other reasons why you should feel good about the Tribe coming off of a 102 win season, but I want to put one thought out there as you watch this team in 2018: Nothing is guaranteed.
For as many reasons as there are to be positive about the Indians, there are some factors that are of concern to me when I look at this team.
1. The American League is really strong
Jim Donovan has said this, and I agree wholeheartedly. The Tribe is just one of four 'superteams' in the American League along with the defending champion Astros, the Yankees, and the Red Sox.
Houston has reigning MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, and Dallas Keuchel, among others.
The Yankees are going to hit a lot of homers this year between Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.
Boston has a rotation of aces with Chris Sale and David Price, plus they went out and got J.D. Martinez to hit in the middle of an already dangerous lineup.
None of these teams are perfect, but you can make a compelling case for all four winning the World Series come October. And as we found out last year, winning 102 games in the regular season means very little once the postseason begins. The bottom line is getting through these American League heavyweights and into the Fall Classic won't be easy.
2. Injuries are unpredictable
I always have a concern about a team when you describe their chances of success with the phrase, "As long as they stay healthy."
The problem with several players on the Tribe roster is that they don't stay healthy. Think Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller, Danny Salazar, Lonnie Chisenhall, and before 2017, Carlos Carrasco. Some players, for whatever reason, just are injury-prone.
Certainly the Indians have proven in the past that they can win with key players missing. Many of the names I mentioned above were on the disabled list when the Tribe reeled off 22 straight wins. The farm system is reasonably strong. But I don't think it's out of line to say that there's a genuine concern about whether this team is too fragile to stand up to a grueling 162-game season followed by multiple playoff series.
3. Most of the core of this roster is intact, for now
The Indians have always been ahead of the game when it comes to identifying and locking up young pieces of their team to long-term deals, a tactic started by former GM John Hart more than 25 years ago. For the most part, that's still the case.
At the end of the season, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Michael Brantley, Josh Tomlin, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Zach McAllister will all be free agents.
My point in that is those are important players not just on the field, but in the clubhouse. Life will go on if most or all of them walk, but you can't guarantee the chemistry will be the same. Maybe it takes a year or more to find the right mix of players again.
Nothing is guaranteed.
PHOTOS: Cleveland Indians set to open 2018 season against Seattle Mariners tonight
I bring all of this up because as much as we loved the 2016 postseason, Rajai Davis' dramatic homer, and Trevor Bauer's drone antics, the Indians didn't win the World Series when they had a golden opportunity up 3-1 on the Cubs.
I bring this up because the 2017 Indians may have been the best team on paper that the Indians have had in my lifetime (yes, I'm including the Jacobs Field era teams in that statement). They won 102 games, but didn't win the Series. In fact, they got bounced in the first round.
Opportunities don't last forever, especially when you're a team with a limited payroll in a sport with no salary cap. You only have precious few chances before free agency, age, and time swallows up your roster.
Everything is in place for the Cleveland Indians to win it all right here, right now. They must find a way to break through and end the 70-year drought.
Because nothing is guaranteed.
Watch Jim Donovan and yours truly talk about this and more on Thursday's Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above.