No matter what revisionist history anyone tries to sell you, the decision to pick up Michael Brantley’s $12 million club option last winter was met with a considerable amount of skepticism.
The Cleveland Indians’ front office was essentially betting $12 million — no small amount, mind you, considering it made Brantley the third highest paid player on the team — on a left fielder who missed all but 11 games in 2016 with shoulder injury, before being limited to 90 games in 2017 after two trips to the DL because of a right ankle sprain.