When the best bullpen arm in the 2020 free agent market, Will Smith, signed with the Braves last week, it put the Indians in an enviable position.
It didn’t set the Tribe up to sign any other free agents (a laughable thought as we debate paying Francisco Lindor market value or not), nor did it cement the Indians as the best American League bullpen or any other such notion. Rather, the Smith deal served as a signifier that this year’s relief market is going to be slim pickings, which will likely lead to an active trade market, which will be a boon for teams with deep wells of pitching, which the Indians just happen to possess.