HOUSTON -- Indians manager Terry Francona knows it’ll be hard to hold back tears as his former player, Michael Brantley, steps in the batter’s box sporting an Astros uniform.

Thursday marked the first time since Brantley made his big league debut in 2009 that he was looking at the Indians from the opposing dugout, as the Tribe traveled to Houston to open a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.

“I was texting with him earlier,” Francona said. “I’m like, ‘Man, when you get in that box, I may start crying.’ You know what, I mean I obviously hope he doesn’t beat us because we’re playing them, but changing uniforms doesn’t take away the affection or the respect that we have had and will have for him. Man, we were so blessed to have him here for as long as we did.”

Heading into the offseason, the Indians knew their team would have a different look in 2019 than it did the last few seasons, including the possibility of saying goodbye to the 10-year member of the Tribe who was on the verge of becoming a free agent.

“I tried to actually let [Indians president of baseball operations] Chris [Antonetti] do most of the talking because I knew I was going to struggle,” Francona said of his exit interview with Brantley at the end of last season.

“You never knew what was going to happen,” Brantley said, as he remembered gathering with his teammates in the clubhouse at the end of the year. “Every year, the team changes. There was going to be a different dynamic. But we wanted to make sure we soaked up those last memories. Tell each other how special they were to one another and take that little bit of quiet time and enjoy each other for the last time, if it was going to be the last time.”

Not only did he provide with his bat, slashing .295/.351/.430 with a 114 OPS+ in his 10 seasons in Cleveland, but Brantley also was a leader in the clubhouse -- a presence that’s greatly missed with plenty of young players on the roster this season.

“That was one of the things I really enjoyed is that we weren’t having much turnover,” Francona said. “I thought the front office did a great job of tying up the core guys. But you know, at some point there’s gonna have to be turnover. You can’t keep 25 guys for 15 years. It just doesn’t work that way.”

The Astros signed the three-time All Star on Dec. 19, and Brantley said it took him a little while for it to sink in that he was no longer a Cleveland Indian.

"Not only as a baseball player, but as a person," Brantley said. "When I got there, I was 22 years old. I was a grown kid still trying to learn the game and play it the right way. I can’t thank them enough for everything they did, for all the support throughout my career. I’ll always be very appreciative."

And to the fans who supported him over the last 10 years, Brantley had one final message.

“I just want to say thank you for all the support throughout the whole years,” Brantley said. “Through everything I had been through with them, they always had my back. I got a couple standing ovations when I came back from some injuries that I’ll never forget. The good memories and the bad, they were always there, and I can’t thank them enough for them.”

This date in Indians history

1966: Sam McDowell threw a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to lead the Tribe to a 2-0 victory over Kansas City.