With strong core, Tribe unlikely to make big moves at Meetings

CLEVELAND — The Indians made plenty of noise in the postseason, but they have been quiet through the early portion of the offseason. That is partly by design, as Cleveland has few holes to fill and will likely wait out the blockbuster free-agent deals before diving into that market.

As next week’s Winter Meetings loom, the Indians are in a strong position to contend again in 2017, even before tweaking their roster. The bulk of the Tribe is either signed or under control for next season and beyond, putting the Indians’ brass in a position where trades or low-level free-agent signings are the most probable avenues for complementing a group that just won an American League pennant.

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“We believe we’re in a position to contend for a while,” said Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president of baseball operations. “One of the things we’re most encouraged about is the nucleus of our team will be here for the foreseeable future.”

MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Behind the scenes at the Meetings, Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff, manager Terry Francona and other members of the Indians’ hierarchy will meet with other clubs to discuss potential moves. With first baseman Mike Napoli and outfielder Rajai Davis — last offseason’s key free-agent signings for the Tribe — back on the open market, Cleveland is on the hunt for depth for its lineup, outfield and pitching staff. …

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