Cleveland Indians: Copying the Royals’ Strategy; LHP Prospect Ryan Merritt

Clevelinks: Would Indians Fans Tolerate Losing in the Name of Success?

Yesterday, Puckett’s Pond discussed how the Minnesota Twins should follow the Kansas City Royals’ strategy for mid-market success. Given the Royals’ World Series Championship on Sunday night, that seems like a pretty solid plan. But could the Cleveland Indians have done the same thing – and should they in the future?

Currently, the Tribe is on the verge of being very good. They have plenty of good pitching, a solid core, and some of the top prospects in the league. But is it enough? The Indians have never bottomed out the way the Royals did. For those who think Cleveland doesn’t try hard enough, imagine being a Royals fan – and not even sniffing so much as a Wild Card Game for 29 years.

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But Tribe fans would hardly be as patient as the Royals’ supporters have been. The Indians can’t even rake in 15,000 fans a night in a good season, let alone after missing out on the postseason for so many consecutive years.

When the current window of contention is over, perhaps the Tribe should consider what the Royals have done. Stockpiling high draft picks and trading aces for prospects can work – but not if the team and the fans aren’t committed to it year after year for the better part of a decade.

In Case You Missed It:

Can Ryan Merritt Help the Tribe? – The Cleveland Indians have so many outstanding left-handed pitching prospects that Ryan Merritt has fallen off of their Top 30 list. But even if his time to prove himself as a starter is up, Merritt can certainly have an impact on the major league club as a reliever.

Clint Frazier is Crushing Arizona Fall League Pitching – How hot has Clint Frazier been against his Arizona Fall League opponents? The Tribe’s outfield prospect was named an AFL All-Star on Monday.

#Indians:

Next: Should Zach McAllister Return to the Rotation?

Around the Web:

Kings of Kauffman: Wade Davis Dominates the World Series – The importance of a good bullpen has never been more apparent than it was in this year’s postseason, and Royals’ closer Wade Davis exemplified that.

Southside Showdown: What to Do At Third Base and Catcher? – Southside Showdown debates which direction the Sox should head at two key positions: third base and catcher.