Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti (left) and manager Terry Francona are preparing for 2019 season. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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The Indians will let their young players play (for the time being)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, forget about it. The Indians may add another reliever -- are you listening, Oliver Perez? -- or kick the tires on a bargain-basement outfielder, but for the most part their business this winter is over.

So the answer is no if you were holding out hope that they were the mystery team in the Bryce Harper or Manny Machado negotiations. The same goes for any other free agent with enough talent to attract a mystery team.

As for trading a starting pitcher for a boatload of help, that ship seems to have sailed into the Lake Erie mist and ice as well. At least for the time being.

The Indians have spent most of the winter trading Edwin Encarnacion, Yonder Alonso, Yan Gomes, Yandy Diaz and Erik Gonzalez. When they weren't trading players, they were watching Michael Brantley, Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis and Josh Donaldson leave through free agency. At this point it must be assumed that their other free agents --- Josh Tomlin, Brandon Guyer, Melky Cabrera, Perez and Adam Rosales -- won't be back as well.

What that means is that Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer (when healthy), Jordan Luplow and Brandon Barnes should get a chance to play in the outfield. It means that Jake Bauers is going to get a long look at first base, DH and maybe left field. It means that Roberto Perez and Kevin Plawecki will get a chance to handle the catching.

In the bullpen it's going to be closer Brad Hand and take your pick among Dan Otero, Tyler Olson, Adam Cimber, Jon Edwards, Nick Goody, Neil Ramirez, Jefry Rodriguez, Justin Grimm, A.J. Cole, Chih-Wei Hu, Cody Anderson, James Hoyt and whoever else wanders out of the Arizona desert once camp opens on Feb. 12 in Goodyear. If that someone is a healthy Danny Salazar, so much the better.

The Indians will enter the regular season still favored to win their fourth straight AL Central title even though they've lost a ton of offense. If they are in contention at the July and August trading deadlines, or have to fortify their lead for the stretch run, they can always make a trade. They've done it for the last three years.

After last season the Indians made the decision to reduce their franchise-record $135 million payroll. Right now they have committed just over $98 million to 15 players. That does not include Trevor Bauer, who is headed to arbitration and will earn $13 million or $11 million depending on the outcome of the hearing.

Now that they've cut payroll they need to find out just what kind of players they have in Allen, Naquin, Bauers, Luplow, Barnes, Zimmer, Perez and all those bullpen arms. They need to find out if there is another Jose Ramirez lurking among them. They feel it's essential for building the roster in 2019 and beyond.

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Greg Allen (right) makes a catch in left center field at Fenway Park last year as Michael Brantley avoids contact. (Michael Dwyer, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play left?

Who did the Indians lose? Brantley, who signed a two-year $32 million deal with Houston, led all Tribe outfielders last year with 134 starts in left field. He hit .309 (176-for-570) with 17 homers, 76 RBI and 12 steals in 15 attempts. He posted an .832 OPS.

Three of the other four players to make starts in left last year are gone as well. Davis signed a minor-league deal with the Mets, while Cabrera and Guyer are still on the open market. Naquin, the only holdover, made four starts in 2019.

Replacements: Look for the switch-hitting Allen to get a chance in left even though he made 65 starts in center last year. Carlos Santana could help out in left -- hey, he did it in the 2016 World Series -- but he's expected to spend most of his time at DH or first base after being re-acquired from Seattle for Encarnacion in December. Bauers appeared in 16 games in left, including 12 starts, last year with Tampa Bay. Luplow, acquired from Pittsburgh, also appeared in 16 games in left, including 12 starts, last season.

What it means: Unless someone wrestles the position to the ground, manager Terry Francona is going to have to do a lot of mixing and matching. But he'll know a lot more about his roster by the end of spring training.

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Who's going to play center field?

Who did the Indians lose? Davis made 33 starts in center last year. But most of the loss the Indians dealt with last year pertaining to center field came through injury. Zimmer (29 starts) went down with right shoulder surgery. Naquin (14 starts) needed right hip surgery. Leonys Martin (four starts) almost died from a bacterial infection.

Replacements: Martin is the only outfielder who has proven he can play every day when healthy. The left-handed hitter received a clean bill of health from Cleveland Clinic in November and is expected to be the starting center fielder. Allen and Naquin can spell him. Zimmer, one of the best defensive center fielders in the AL when healthy, is expected to miss the start of the season. Barnes is coming off a strong season at Class AAA Columbus where he played 55 games in center.

What it means: Is center field turning into the Bermuda Triangle for the Indians? For the last two years, they've entered the postseason with second baseman Jason Kipnis playing the position.

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Tyler Naquin. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play right field?

Who did the Indians lose? Six players made starts in right field last year and the Indians lost three -- Cabrera, Chisenhall and Guyer.

Cabrera, a free agent, led the way with 65 starts. The switch-hitter batted .280 (70-for-250) with six homers, 39 RBI and a .755 OPS. It's still unclear if the Indians will try to re-sign him.

Chisenhall, who signed a one-year deal with the Pirates, made 24 starts in right for the Tribe before his dueling calf injuries shut him down for the year. When he was able to stand, Chisenhall hit .321 in 29 games.

Guyer, still looking for work, made 39 starts. He hit just .205 with seven homers and 27 RBI. Guyer faced mostly lefties, hitting .233 with five homers and 17 RBI.

Replacements: If Naquin can stay healthy, he could have his best chance at regular playing time since he won the center field job as a rookie in 2016 and played 116 games. He was the Tribe's opening day left fielder last year, but spent the majority of his season (29 starts) in right before a stress fracture in his right hip ended his season on July 27. Barnes, Luplow and Allen can also play right.

A name to remember is Trayce Thompson, who played 33 games in right for the White Sox last year. The brother of Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors will go to camp on a minor-league deal.

What it means: When Naquin rejoined the Indians after his season-ending hip surgery last year, he was wearing glasses. He started wearing them in batting practice during his rehab and said he'd never seen the ball better. Hey, it worked for Ricky "Wild Thing' Vaughn, right?

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Catcher Roberto Perez (left) talks to right-hander Trevor Bauer. (Jim Mone, Associated Press)

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Who's going to catch?

Who did the Indians lose? The Indians, in a straight salary dump, traded Gomes to Washington for three young players on Nov. 31. Gomes, who will make $7 million this year, is coming off his best season in four years. He went to his first All-Star Game and finished the year hitting .266 with 16 homers and 46 RBI. He handled the pitching staff well, controlled the running game and framed pitches well.

Replacements: Perez is coming off his worst season in the big leagues. He hit .168 and appeared in just 62 games. After the season, he went to winter ball in the Dominican Republic and hit .333 (23-for-69) for Licey. It helped restore his confidence, but will it carry over to spring training and the regular season?

The Indians made a trade with the Mets to get Plawecki on Jan. 6 because they needed depth after trading Gomes. Plawecki, the Mets' No. 1 pick in 2012, played in 79 games last year, but missed time with a broken left hand.

What it means: Perez has been waiting for a chance to establish himself as a No.1 catcher and this is it. But it's not like he's going to catch 130 games. Plawecki will get a chance to play with Eric Haase waiting at Class AAA Columbus in case he's needed.

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Carlos Santana. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play first base?

What did the Indians lose? When Alonso was traded to the White Sox in December, they lost 23 homers, 83 RBI and a .738 OPS. They also sent Chicago the $9 million left on the two-year $16 million deal he signed with the Tribe before the 2018 season. Alonso faded in the second half, but he provided pop in the middle of the lineup and played a decent first base.

Replacements: Santana and Bauers should give the Tribe plenty of protection at first. By the end of his eight-year stay with the Tribe, Santana had turned himself into a solid first baseman before signing a three-year, $60 million deal with the Phillies after the 2017 season.

Bauers, meanwhile, is said to be a better first baseman than outfielder.

Santana hit .229 with 24 homers and 86 RBI with the Phillies last year. He's never played fewer than 143 games in a full season and remains a walking machine (.363 career on-base percentage). He drew 110 walks compared to 93 strikeouts last year.

Bauers, a rookie last year, hit .201 with 11 homers and 48 RBI. He's a left-handed hitter who appeared in 76 games at first base, including 69 starts with the Rays.

What it means: Francona has a good idea what Santana can do, but he wants to get to know Bauers better and see where he feels most comfortable on the field. More than likely Santana and Bauers will share first base and DH.

Bobby Bradley is waiting in the minors after hitting 27 homers with 83 RBI between Columbus and Class AA Akron.

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Jake Bauers. (Mike Carlson, Associated Press)

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Who's going to be the designated hitter?

Who did the Indians lose? Encarnacion, in his two years with the Indians, hit .252 with 70 homers and 214 RBI in the middle of the lineup. Some say those numbers, offset by 255 strikeouts, should have been better with Francisco Lindor and Ramirez hitting in front of him. But Encarnacion's two-year .848 OPS is going to be hard to replace.

Diaz and Cabrera were the only other players to make more than seven starts at DH. Diaz was traded to the Rays for Bauers. It seemed like the Indians could never find a spot for Diaz. He hit .312 (34-for-109) with one homer and 15 RBI in 39 games last year.

Replacements: Right now it looks like Santana and Bauers will be sharing DH and first base. They could also make the occasional appearance in left field.

What in means: Encarnacion is the classic cleanup hitter. He got paid like one and he did what cleanup hitters are supposed to do -- hit the ball out of the park and drive in runs. The Indians don't have a suitable replacement for him and it's going to hurt.

Santana will help fill the void, but will the power potential Bauer showed in the minors translate to the big leagues?

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Jason Kipnis. (Orlin Wagner, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play second base?

Who did the Indians lose? The Indians didn't really lose anybody. It's just that the last time we saw Kipnis, he was playing center field against the Astros in the ALDS. Kipnis made 129 starts at second and 14 in center field last year.

Replacements: Right now Kipnis appears to be the starting second baseman. Of course, that could change between now and the season opener on March 28.

The Indians have tried to trade him the last two winters, but have found no takers. They came close with the Mets following the 2017 season, but this winter the market was filled with cheaper alternatives.

Kipnis started slowly last season, but still finished with 18 homers and 75 RBI. With all the offense the Indians have lost this winter, they could use those numbers in 2019.

What it means: This is Kipnis' walk year, so he'll be motivated. The Indians have a couple of alternatives if they change directions. They can always move Jose Ramirez from third to second and test Max Moroff or prospect Yu Chang at third. The Indians acquired Moroff, a candidate for the utility job, from the Pirates this winter. Chang, a shortstop by trade, is coming off a big Arizona Fall League season at third base.

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Jose Ramirez. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play third base?

Who did the Indians lose? The Donaldson experiment had so little impact that you may have forgotten he made 12 starts at third base at the end of the season and three more in the ALDS. It didn't work out so well for the Tribe, but it worked just fine for Donaldson. He proved he was healthy and that was good enough for the Braves to sign him to a one-year, $23 million deal.

Replacements: Ramirez, the AL's starting All-Star third baseman the last two years, should open the season at the hot corner again. People contend that second base is Ramirez's best spot, but he looked much more comfortable at third before the Indians acquired Donaldson at the July 31 deadline last year.

What it means: Ramirez has put together two great offensive seasons. The Indians, considering the amount of production that has left the organization, could use a carbon copy of those seasons in 2019. Ramirez's ability to move to second base, shortstop or even the outfield in a pinch plays a big part in how the Indians put together their roster.

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Francisco Lindor. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Who's going to play shortstop?

Who did the Indians lose? The Indians didn't lose anyone and that's a good thing because it means Lindor, a three-time All-Star, is back for his fourth season. The fate of the Tribe's offense rests in the hands of Lindor and Ramirez.

Replacements: Who will play short if the Lindor needs a rest or goes on the disabled list? It depends who wins the utility job. Moroff, Chang, Eric Stamets and Mike Freeman are candidates. Moroff played with the Pirates last year, while Chang and Stamets were at Columbus. Freeman, who has played in the big leagues with Seattle, Arizona, the Dodgers and Cubs, will come to camp on a minor-league deal. Ramirez, the Tribe's starting shortstop in 2014, would get some consideration as well.

What it means: Lindor's durability and talent have never been more important. Over the last three years, he's averaged 639 at-bats per season. Last year he tied for the MLB lead in runs with 129, while hitting 39 homers and driving in 92 runs from the leadoff spot. The big question this year is whether Francona keeps him at the top of the lineup or moves him to the middle?

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Max Moroff (right). (Barry Reeger, Penn/Live)

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Who's going to be the utility player?

Who did the Indians lose? Last season Gonzalez was the Indians' utility player. They traded him to the Pirates in November for Moroff and Luplow. Gonzalez played games at first, second, short and third, but totaled just 136 at-bats. The Pirates will give him a chance to compete for the starting shortstop's job.

Replacements: Moroff, a switch-hitter, has a chance to replace Gonzalez. In parts of three seasons with the Pirates, he appeared in 45 games at second, 22 at short and six at third base. Freeman is another candidate. Chang can play third, short and second, but the Indians may want to keep him playing regularly at Columbus. Stamets appeared in 40 games at second and 38 at short last season in Columbus.

What it means: The Indians feel Moroff has some potential at the plate. He hit 13 homers at Class AAA Indianapolis in 51 games in 2017. Last year he hit 11 homers with Pittsburgh (three) and Indianapolis (eight).

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Closer Brad Hand. (Jim Cowsert, Associated Press)

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Who's going to be in the bullpen?

Who did the Indians lose? Allen signed a one-year deal with the Angels for $8.5 million. Miller signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Cardinals, while Perez is still on the open market.

Allen wasn't great last year, but he made 70 appearances and saved 27 games in 67 innings. He averaged 65 appearances per season with the Tribe, setting the franchise record in saves and appearances for reliever.

Miller helped the Indians reach Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, but he spent much of the last two seasons on the disabled list. Still, the Indians don't have a left-handed reliever who is close to Miller's dominance when healthy.

Perez gave the Tribe a great season last year. He went 1-1 with a 1.39 ERA in 51 games. He dominated lefties and righties as the opposition hit just .155.

Replacements: The Indians acquired Hand from San Diego in July with the idea that Allen and Miller would be gone through free agency when the season ended. Hand, who saved a combined 32 games last season, gives the Tribe a solid closer.

The leading candidates to fill out the rest of the pen are Olson, Otero, Cimber, Edwards, Goody, Ramirez and Anderson. But there's going to be plenty of other arms in camp to watch.

What it means: Keep an eye on veterans such as Hoyt and Grimm. The Indians have a nice touch for resurrecting careers of experienced relievers.

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Shane Bieber. (Chris O'Meara, Associated Press)

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Right now there is no question about who's in the starting rotation

Who did the Indians lose? After a winter's worth of trade speculation, it appears the Indians will go to camp with the same starting rotation that finished 2018. With so much turnover among the position players and bullpen, the rotation is going to have to carry the Tribe for much of the season.

Replacements: Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber are expected to open the season. The Indians became the first MLB team to have four pitchers with 200 or more strikeouts in the same season -- Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer and Clevinger. The rotation led the big leagues in wins (76) for the second straight season.

Adam Plutko, who has an option left, went 4-5 last year in 17 games and offers depth. Triston McKenzie may get a look this year as well.

What it means: The Indians contemplated making a deal for Kluber or Bauer for much of the winter, but no one met their asking price. Would they reconsider that depending on their place in the standings come July or August?