CLEVELAND, Ohio — With the MLB postseason still in full swing, there are plenty of important moves the Cleveland Indians can make behind the scenes before the World Series concludes later this month.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff are looking for ways to improve the Tribe’s roster for the 2020 season while maximizing the assets currently under the club’s control. Personnel decisions made prior to the Dec. 9-12 winter meetings in San Diego will shape the way the Indians look heading into spring training next season.

Below are a handful of organizational moves the Indians should consider make this offseason.

1. Keep utility infielder Mike Freeman.

Freeman enjoyed a productive season off the bench for the Indians, hitting .277 with four home runs, 24 RBI and a .752 OPS in 75 games. He started 26 games at second base, eight at shortstop, 10 at third and three in left field. Freeman reached base safely in 39 of his 47 starts and posted an .801 OPS against left-handed pitching. He hit .304 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

“He’s done everything and more that we could have asked,” manager Terry Francona said. “Every time he’s gotten a chance, he seems to help us win a game.”

Freeman signed as a minor-league free agent in November and is not eligible for arbitration until 2022. He should not cost much more than a league minimum deal in 2020, making it easy for the club to bring him back. Francona appeared to take a liking to Freeman, praising his productivity and clubhouse presence. Francona said Freeman was so effective in his role because the 32-year-old journeyman prepared every day as if he was in the starting lineup.

“As a guy in his position, you can’t pick your spots when you stay ready because the game’s not fair,” Francona said. “Because he always stays ready, he gets his chance to play and he plays well. And he’s been a blessing for us. He’s been terrific.”

Journeyman infielder Mike Freeman entered 2019 with one major league home run. He hit four with the Indians this season, including this blast against the Yankees. (Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)Getty Images

2. Add Triston McKenzie and Daniel Johnson to the 40-man roster.

This seems like a no-brainer on both fronts as both players are eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December if they are not put on the 40-man roster prior to Nov. 20.

McKenzie, 22, has spent most of the last two seasons as the No. 1 ranked prospect in the Indians farm system. Unfortunately, he’s also spent those two seasons recovering from a variety of arm and back injuries that kept him rehabbing in Arizona. He made 16 starts at Double-A Akron in 2018 and did not pitch in 2019 after injuring a back muscle in spring training.

“We still feel really good about his future,” Chernoff said. “As he’s finishing up his rehab, he will have a basically normal off-season and come into spring training unrestricted. This is a big off-season for him and then a big spring training next year to see the steps that he can take without having pitched a whole lot.”

Johnson, meanwhile, had a stellar first half of the year at Akron and carried that success into his promotion to Triple-A Columbus in late May. He was acquired in the Yan Gomes trade along with Jefry Rodriguez and slugged .507 with 19 home runs and 77 RBI in 123 games.

Johnson spent the first part of 2019 spring training in major league camp with Francona and the Indians. He will likely earn another invite in 2020 as the club looks for the right mix of talent and production to fill both corner outfield spots.

Cleveland Indians prospect Daniel Johnson had an impressive 2019 season between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. (Matt York, Associated Press)AP

3. Non-tender Danny Salazar.

The Indians offered Salazar a $4.5 million contract to avoid arbitration last year, and it turns out that was the right move. With the injuries suffered by Tribe starting pitchers in 2019, an opportunity was there for the 2016 All-Star to ride in like a knight in shining armor and rescue the staff. But Salazar didn’t hold up his end of the bargain, remaining in Arizona until the Indians were forced to bring him east on rehab assignments in Columbus and Akron.

His season debut against Houston on Aug. 1 lasted four innings and ended when he left with a groin injury. Salazar looked out of shape and was unable to pitch with the same velocity he had demonstrated in his previous rehab outings. The 29-year-old asked the club for a leave of absence as he returned to his home near Tampa before determining his next move. He returned to Akron at the end of august, making three more unremarkable appearances for the Rubberducks.

Cleveland’s next move should also be clear. Salazar is eligible for free agency in 2021, and non-tendering him now saves the club a good chunk of money that could be better used trying to find a veteran infield bat or corner outfielder. If Salazar shows the same lack of motivation he’s demonstrated in the last two seasons, there’s little threat of him going to a competitor and coming back to bite the Indians.

Danny Salazar made one start for the Indians in 2019, lasting four innings against Houston on Aug. 1. (Phil Long, Associated Press)AP

4. Reward minor-league pitching coordinator Ruben Niebla.

Shane Bieber’s rapid ascent to the front of Cleveland’s starting rotation along with the surprise contributions of Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale this season garnered more than the occasional “attaboy” for Niebla and his staff from Francona this season. The Indians’ skipper raved about how prepared and focused youngsters such as Plesac, Civale and Jefry Rodriguez were when it came time for them to step in for injured starters Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger.

Niebla was rumored to be a candidate for a big-league coaching job with another club after the 2017 season at the same time Mickey Callaway departed the organization for the Mets. With Scott Atchison’s dismissal as the Tribe’s bullpen coach following this season, there might be an opening, but Niebla appears destined for a higher calling. Adding him to the big league staff in any capacity might only delay his departure for a brief time, but could prove invaluable in the continued development of Bieber, Plesac, Civale and the rest of Cleveland’s young arms.

Cleveland Indians minor league pitching coordinator Ruben Niebla, left, pictured working with players at Progressive Field during the Indians fall development program in 2015. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

5. Ink Shane Bieber to a contract extension ala Corey Kluber in 2015.

Bieber is still three seasons away from being eligible for arbitration, but it doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that the right-hander is on a path similar to that of his two-time Cy Young Award-winning teammate. Bieber already holds an All-Star appearance (and game MVP award) and could finish this year among the top three finalists in the AL Cy Young chase. Locking him up now to a deal structured similarly to the extension Kluber signed in 2015 would give the Indians payroll certainty throughout Bieber’s arbitration years while buying his first years of free agency at or below market value.

Shane Bieber's 15 wins and 259 strikeouts in 2019 should earn him consideration for the AL Cy Young Award. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)Getty Images

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