CLEVELAND, Ohio – Talking to myself about the Tribe as they end the season with a 93-69 record:

QUESTION: Why did the Indians trade Yandy Diaz to the Tampa Bay Rays for Jake Bauers?

ANSWER: Sigh.

Q: What kind of answer is that?

A: Are you one of the people who has been emailing me with that question?

Q: It’s a legitimate question. Why did they trade Yandy?

A: Because they wanted Carlos Santana. He was their target. And they had to figure out how to make that happen.

Q: But Santana came from the Seattle Mariners, right?

A: Here’s how the trade began. The Indians wanted Santana. They wanted to trade Edwin Encarnacion for him. Seattle wanted some cash in the deal.

Q: I’m lost already.

A: Stay with me. The Indians wanted Santana. Tampa Bay wanted Yandy Diaz. Not much of anyone wanted Encarnacion, at least not for the $25 million he had left on his contract.

Q: Go ahead.

A: The Indians were in a payroll cutting phase. But they also were convinced Santana would have a bounce-back season if he returned “home,” as he calls Cleveland. Manager Terry Francona loves Santana, a switch-hitting first baseman who plays every day. He made that clear several times in 2018 when Santana was with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Q: Then what?

A: Tampa Bay offered $5 million and a prospect for Diaz. The Indians knew they could use that money as part of a complicated deal with Seattle, sending Encarnacion there and bringing Santana back home.

Q: Why didn’t they offer someone besides Diaz?

A: Tampa Bay has the lowest payroll and lowest attendance in baseball. They were so enamored with Diaz to actually offer money. Meanwhile, the Indians were fixed on the Encarnacion/Santana part of the deal. Tampa Bay wanted Diaz. The Indians wanted Santana. They went to work on making that happen with Seattle.

Q: So what happened?

A: The Indians sent Encarnacion and $5 million to Seattle for Santana. They sent Diaz to Tampa Bay, and they received Jake Bauers.

Q: So they did trade Diaz for Bauers!

A: Here is how it ended up: The Indians traded Diaz, Encarnacion and $5 million from Tampa Bay to Seattle for Santana. I hated trading Diaz and wrote it on the day of the deal – which I otherwise loved.

Q: So they...

A: Furthermore, the way Santana’s contract is structured, he is paid only about $14 million in 2019 and 2020. Don’t look at what is listed on various websites. It’s about $28 million total for 2019-2020. The Indians hold an option on him for 2021 at $17 million.

Q: So you mean...

A: The Indians traded Diaz and Encarnacion for Santana (who became an All-Star) and Bauers. That’s the bottom line. I’d make that trade again, even though Diaz hit two home runs Wednesday in the American League Wild Card game and found his power this season in Tampa Bay.

Q: What happened to Encarnacion?

A: He opened the season in Seattle. He later was traded to the New York Yankees. He had a couple of injuries, but still hit 34 HR with 86 RBI in 109 games, batting .244 (.875 OPS). He’s 36 and a DH heading into free agency. At this point, the 33-year-old Santana is a better fit for the Tribe.

Q: Would the Indians have been better off keeping Diaz?

A: In a word... No. At least not at the expense of Santana, who batted .281 (.911 OPS) with 34 HR and 93 RBI... all career highs. He missed only four games. He was one of the big reasons the Indians stayed in contention all year.

Q: But Yandy...

A: He missed the last two months of the season with a fractured foot. It was amazing that he came back and hit those two HR in the Wild Card game. He suddenly found his power, hitting 14 HR with 38 RBI, batting .267 (.816 OPS). But he played only 79 games due to injuries.

Q: What about Bauers?

A: That’s a good question. He turns 24 on Monday. He has played parts of two big league seasons (695 at bats), hitting .214 (.691 OPS) with 23 HR and 91 RBI. He has some power. He is a good athlete, able to play first base and left field. Heading into 2018, he was considered the No. 45 prospect in baseball by Baseball America.

Q: Can Bauers figure it out?

A: The Indians went shopping for young outfielders. At the July 2018 trade deadline, they traded Conner Capel and Jhon Torres (two low minor league prospects) for Oscar Mercado. For what it’s worth, I’d rather have Mercado than Diaz. Mercado could be a starting center fielder for a long time.

Q: But what about Bauers?

A: After the season, they traded Yan Gomes the the Washington Nationals for pitcher Jefry Rodriguez and outfielder Daniel Johnson, who batted .290 (.868 OPS) with 19 HR and 77 RBI between Class AA and AAA in 2019. He is a legitimate prospect on the edge of the Majors.

Q: But Bauers?

A: They added Jordan Luplow in a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates with the main player headed to Pittsburgh being Erik Gonzalez. Luplow batted .276 (.923 OPS) with 15 HR and 38 RBI in 85 games. The outfielder crushes left-handed pitching and the Indians believe he can also hit some right-handers.

Q: Can you make a point?

A: Here is a list: Bauers, Mercado, Luplow and Johnson. The idea being to collect young, promising outfielders and see who emerges. Add depth and prospects. The odds are against all four of them being viable big leaguers, but perhaps two or three? Patience needed. But the Indians did have a plan for adding Santana and youth in the outfield.

Q: Anything else?

A: The Indians want Franmil Reyes to lose some weight and work to get ready to play some right field. They can go to camp with Mercado in center as the anchor. They still have Greg Allen as a backup outfielder. Tyler Naquin will be out at least part of the year with knee surgery. Then comes the wave of Bauers, Luplow and Johnson. It’s far more young outfield talent than they had a year ago.