Cleveland Indians fans shouldn't expect to see their team hand out a megadeal anytime soon.

Despite emerging as a World Series contender over the last several seasons, owner Paul Dolan doesn't foresee his team signing a player to a contract exceeding $300 million.

"Probably the day when we do a deal like that is when somebody else is doing $1-billion deals with somebody else," Dolan told Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

The slow free-agent market has dominated headlines for much of the offseason, but the league's superstars are still seeing their salaries soar to record heights, as Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout all signed contracts worth more than $300 million.

Harper signed what was at the time the largest deal in North American sports history; Trout shattered that record just a few weeks later by agreeing to a $426.5-million extension with the Los Angeles Angels.

For Cleveland fans, the prospect of escalating superstar salaries is likely to cause some worry. Francisco Lindor, the team's All-Star shortstop, is three years away from free agency and will likely command a large salary if he hits the open market.

Dolan was non-committal when asked whether he'll find the money to keep Lindor in an Indians uniform long term.

"(I hope fans) enjoy him," Dolan said of Lindor. "We control him for three more years. Enjoy him and then we'll see what happens."

Cleveland, which has won three straight American League Central titles, will enter 2019 sporting the league's 12th-lowest payroll, according to Spotrac. It slashed salary this winter by letting outfielder Michael Brantley depart in free agency and trading Edwin Encarnacion, the latter of which signed the largest free-agent deal in team history - a $60-million contract - only two years ago.

The Indians also own baseball's longest active championship drought, having last won the World Series in 1948.