CLEVELAND -- Shortly before the non-waiver Trade Deadline last summer, Indians manager Terry Francona pulled Carlos Carrasco into his office and assured the pitcher that he was not going anywhere. Rumors were just rumors, and Cleveland had no plans of trading the promising young right-hander, no matter how many times teams called.
Similar calls have continued into this offseason and will surely keep coming as the winter gets deeper and the Indians look to upgrade their offense. Starting pitching is the undeniable and enviable strength of Cleveland's roster, and other clubs know the Indians are not in a position to outbid other teams for an impact bat on the free-agent market.