Indians pick up options on Michael Brantley, Josh Tomlin

The Indians have exercised their club options on outfielder Michael Brantley and starter Josh Tomlin, the club announced.

Brantley had his $12 million option picked up after he batted .299 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBI in 90 games while earning an All-Star appearance this season for the Tribe. However, his option looked like one of the 10 toughest to pick up this offseason because the 30-year-old veteran of nine seasons missed 61 games this year due to a pair of stints on the 10-day disabled list. He also had surgery right ankle on Oct. 18, putting his 2018 Opening Day hopes already in jeopardy.

Brantley’s option price increased from $11 million because he finished third in the MVP race in 2014. If the option had been declined, he would have been owed a $1 million buyout.

As for Tomlin, his $3 million option was a no-brainer. Tomlin is an experienced starter who can fill the back end of Cleveland’s rotation or be a long reliever in the bullpen.

This year, he posted a 10-9 with a 4.98 ERA in 141 innings pitched across 26 starts. In his last 10 starts, He picked up two of his wins during the Indians’ American League-record 22-game winning streak. In the postseason, He came out of the bullpen and pitched two scoreless innings to win Game 2 of the ALDS, where the Indians lost to the Yankees in five games.