The Cleveland Indians are expected to operate with a payroll in the $83-84 million range this season.

They have been quiet thus far, signing Gavin Floyd for $4 million plus incentives and trading for Brandon Moss ($6.5 million via arbitration).

"There is," president Mark Shapiro said of wiggle room. "We do look at opportunities on an individual basis. We try not to be encumbered at all by what payroll is and salaries are. Is there a way for us to creatively handle it? We're not talking about [Max] Scherzer, but [about] how we feel and [what] the level of impact of some player is -- and [we] measure it in wins, whether it is now, July or August.

"Can we stretch and allot for money? The appendix to that is, what kills deals 95 percent of the time is not payroll, but player asks. Salary is not usually where it stops, but player asks."