The Cleveland Indians came into the 2014 offseason with some glaring needs in the bullpen, starting rotation, on the bench and also at third base.
The team was able to remedy some of those needs by signing the likes of John Axford, Shaun Marcum, David Murphy and Jason Giambi among others.
While the offseason is not over, the Indians have likely made the bulk of their offseason transactions, save a few non-roster spring training invitees. Therefore, it’s a great time to stop and grade their signings in relation to team need and financial commitment.
We’ll begin by taking a look at one of the team’s most recent signings, closer John Axford.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and Fangraphs.com unless otherwise noted.
Contract figures and contract status courtesy of Baseballprospectus.com unless otherwise noted.