Indians president didn't believe team could afford Encarnacion, Logan

The Cleveland Indians of 2017 are a far cry from what team president Chris Antonetti ever imagined they would be.

In an unprecedented move for the franchise, the club landed free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion in a three-year, $60-million deal in January that set the mark for the most expensive contract ever given to a free agent by the Indians. They followed up that move a month later by signing southpaw reliever Boone Logan to a $6.5-million contract, strengthening an already elite bullpen.

But if you told Antonetti how his team's offseason would play out after their World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs, he might have laughed in your face.

"At the start of the offseason, I didn't think we had any chance to sign Edwin and Boone," Antonetti told Cleveland.com's Paul Hoynes on Tuesday. "Based on how well they'd performed and the price range they'd be in."

Encarnacion, specifically, was expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents in the winter. After slashing .263/.357/.529 in 160 games with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and recording an AL-best 127 RBIs, Encarnacion turned down a four-year, $80-million offer from his former team that seemed to erase any shot the Indians had at landing the 34-year-old.

But thanks to an unexpectedly quiet market for sluggers, Cleveland presented Encarnacion with the right offer at the right time, edging out the Oakland Athletics for the Dominican's signature.

"It demonstrates ownership's continued support and faith in our ballclub," Antonetti said, according to Hoynes.