Alright now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s see how the team shook out after the offseason moves.

Notable Departures:

For the sake of ending on a high note, I want to get the worst news out of the way early…Carlos Santana won’t be suiting up for the Tribe in 2018. Carlos “Slamtana” Santana has been a staple of the Indians franchise ever since 2010. He’s the reason the Indians let Victor Martinez go and while Martinez has been an all-star caliber DH/1B/C ever since, Santana has been right there with him. Signing on with the Phillies this year for a 3-year, $60 million contract was too steep for the Indians to match and I think I speak for all Tribe fans out there that we wish Slamtana nothing but the best as he takes on new challenges in Philly.

Jay Bruce also left for free agency and eventually signed back with the Mets. While Bruce came up with some clutch hits down the stretch last season, there will always be another power hitting outfielder available at the trade deadline (possibly Bruce again when the Mets realize they’re still the same awful team they were last year).

Lastly, in a cooperative move, the Indians organization has teamed up with the Cleveland Clinic’s Heart & Vascular Institute to prevent heart attacks by fans during the 8th and 9th innings. That’s right, Bryan Shaw declared for free agency and signed with the Rockies and the Indians didn’t try to stop him. I’ll be the first to stand up for Shaw and say he was under appreciated during the last few years with the Indians. He was a consistent guy who could get out of jams and was only remembered for the dingers he gave up. That being said, I think the governor of Colorado will issue a state of emergency whenever he pitches because adding the thin air of Coors Field to Shaw’s late-game meatballs equals "juiced" baseballs raining down upon the greater Denver area.

Enough with the guys who won’t be with us this year. Let’s check out the team that’s going back to the World Series to face the Giants (you heard it here first).

Same Faces. Same Places.