The End of the Jack Hannahan, Plus Tribe News and Notes

By Mike Brandyberry

Did I miss something? Did the Indians let another great player walk out the door? I thought it was just Jack Hannahan?

Friday the Indians non-tendered third baseman Jack Hannahan, and left-handed pitchers Rafael Perez … Read More

Numerous Indians Take to Dominican Winter League

By David Roberts

With postseason baseball complete Major League Baseball teams turn their attention to their major and minor league rosters for the following season. The Cleveland Indians participate in four fall and winter ball leagues to extend the seasons of some of their minor and major league players. The four leagues are Arizona Fall League, covered two weeks ago, Dominican, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican Winter Leagues.

This week we’ll cover the ten Tribe players listed on the rosters of the Dominican Winter League Teams. The Dominican Winter League is made up of six teams, which consists of minor league players and the top native players of the Dominican Republic for a 50 game season. The league is one of several international Caribbean Leagues that allow the baseball season to be extended for the development of minor league ballplayers.

Read More

Arbitration Will Likely Signal the End of the Bullpen Mafia

After a disappointing 2012 Cleveland Indians season the organization is at a crossroads to decide how to progress with the organization, not just for the 2013 season but several seasons to come. Decisions involve ownerships, the front office, managerial and coaching decisions and the players. For the month of October, we’ll look at how the Indians ended up in their current predicament, but most importantly, Where Do the Indians Go From Here. Today we analyze how salary arbitration this winter will affect the bullpen.

By Mike Brandyberry

Like any good mafia, you could see the breaks in the group’s cohesion before it became a problem. The group that was once, one unit, split into two groups, and now it’s about to get worse.

But most likely, by Opening Day 2013, The Bullpen Mafia will be a thing of the past.

With Chris Perez seeming to be one of the Indians’ largest trade pieces this offseason the bullpen is headed for a shake up. Perez stands to garner about $8 million in salary arbitration this winter—a rather steep price for a closer on a team that didn’t have many games to close in the second half. Meanwhile Vinnie Pestano seems to be a suitable replacement for Perez if he is dealt. Pestano would be an easy move from his eighth inning role to the ninth inning.

Read More

Allen Could Be Key to Future Bullpen Stability or Shakeup

By Craig Gifford

When the Cleveland Indians selected relief pitcher Cody Allen in the 23rd round of last year’s Major League Baseball draft, the pick was not even a blip on the radar to most Tribe fans.

For one, a pick that low is rarely lauded. Most players selected at that point either never make it to the big leagues or take a while develop. Secondly, a reliever out of a small school like North Carolina’s High Point College is often overlooked by the media and team followers.

Allen may have been overlooked last year, but now people are noticing. The 23-year-old right hander has made people see just how overlooked he really was. He made exceedingly short work of the minor league circuit and has been nearly unhittable in his brief time in the majors.

Read More

Bullpen Rebirth Necessary for Second Half Charge

By Craig Gifford

When Indians ace Justin Masterson struggled early in his Wednesday night start at Tampa Bay, the prevailing thought was, “uh-oh, here we go again!”

That is not meant to be an edict against the way Masterson was pitching. In fact, he has been pretty good of late. That thought was because there was one out in the fifth inning and Tribe manager Manny Acta was forced to go to the bullpen early.

Of course, Acta going to the bullpen late in games is no big deal. That’s where set up man Vinnie Pestano and closer Chris Perez, arguably the best 1-2 back-end relievers in baseball, are waiting. Joe Smith, another stellar reliever, is also held for late innings.

Read More

Deadline Deal is Necessary but Not Easy to Make, Spark Has to Come From Within

By Mike Brandyberry

When the Indians crawled out of bed Saturday morning in Toronto they were in second place and tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the second and final wild card spot. As they crawl out of bed this morning in Tampa, losers of their last two games, they are now a third place team and a game back of that wild card spot.

Meanwhile, fans and talk show hosts scream for a trade to ignite the Indians. Some fans act as if a trade will solve the teams’ woes and catapult them to the top of the standings. There’s no doubt the Indians have holes that need filled and a trade could certainly give the life to a team that seems to be struggling to find some out of the All-Star break. However, a trade isn’t as easy fans seem to believe it is.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Sunday evening that six teams (San Diego, Colorado, Chicago Cubs, Houston, Seattle, Minnesota) are fielding offers on players and preparing to sell. That means, right or wrong, 24 teams still feel they have a chance to make a push for October. With amazing September runs by St. Louis and Tampa Bay a year ago, teams aren’t so quick to give up on their season. Philadelphia is on pace for a 90-loss season and they haven’t flown the white flag yet.

Read More

Bullpen Struggles Provide an Area of Early Concern

By Christian Petrila

Yours truly is not the type of person who panics a week into the regular season. Having said that, yours truly is panicking over the bullpen.

There are plenty of areas where the bullpen dissection could start, but let’s begin with one of the newcomers.

Dan Wheeler hasn’t lived up to half of the most modest expectations coming into this season. In only 3.1 innings, he has allowed three earned runs. He’s also walked three more batters while allowing a home run. All that, and he’s only faced 17 batters. His ERA? 8.10. For his sake, he’ll need to turn his performance around before the Indians send him out like they did with so many other non-roster invites this spring.

Read More

Injuries Begin To Clear As Camp Winds Down

By A.J. Atkinson

When the Tribe failed to bring in a strong offensive bat this offseason like Michael Cuddyer or Josh Willingham, more pressure for offensive production was placed on Cleveland’s current outfielders.

When Grady Sizemore went down with a back injury in early March that is expected to sideline him for at least eight more weeks, more pressure was put on Indians’ left fielder Michael Brantley.

So when Brantley left Monday’s game with a sore left hamstring, Cleveland fans’ hope for a strong season began to dissipate.

Read More

Chris Perez and Rest of Staff on Track for Opening Day

By A.J. Atkinson

After showing postseason talent but failing to reach it due to injuries, Tribe fans looked toward the 2012 season. The recap of the Cleveland Indians’ first week of spring training, however, did not look good.

Newly resigned centerfielder Grady Sizemore injured his back and would miss Opening Day. The day before, Chris Perez, the Tribe’s closer and anchor to the bullpen, strained an oblique muscle and would be out for at least a month—another cornerstone who may be out for Opening Day.

Nearly two weeks before camp ends, Chris Perez said he’s on track to close the Tribe’s opener against the Toronto Blue Jays if needed Aug. 5.

“I’m scheduled to get into six or seven (spring training) games right now—hopefully that’s enough,” Chris Perez said. “If I bounce back and after my outings my arm feels good, hopefully I can break camp (as the Opening Day closer).”

Read More

Indians Could Shake Up Bullpen In 2012

By Mike Brandyberry

This season the Cleveland Indians bullpen was the anchor of the team, keeping them in the playoff chase while injuries took place all around them. Despite all the Indians trips to the disabled list, the bullpen remained the same seven pitchers most of the season. However, by Opening Day the bullpen could see a shakeup.

Read More

End Of Season Grades: Bullpen

By Mike Brandyberry

September 29 began a two week, end of season grade and breakdown by each position. Certainly after the wild ride the 2011 Cleveland Indians took fans on, grades, projections and areas of improvement are all sought for 2012, with the goal being a playoff team next season. Today, we examine the bullpen. Be sure to check out our previous features.

Previous Stories
Starting Pitchers     Fifth Starters     Catchers     First Basemen     Second Basemen

Third Basemen     Shortstops     Left Fielders     Center Fielders     Right Fielders

Designated Hitters

Read More

Bullpen Mafia Survives A Marathon; Indians 3, Tigers 2

By Mike Brandyberry

Mafias normally band together, become their strongest, when they are pushed into a corner, with no where to hide. The normally tough Bullpen Mafia had not been so tough on the last road trip, but Monday evening and Tuesday morning, the mafia pitched twelve scoreless innings to give the Indians a 3-2 victory in fourteen innings against the Detroit Tigers.

Dubbed as the opener to the “series of the season,” Indians fans liked their chances with staff ace Justin Masterson on the mound to open the series, against deadline acquisition Doug Fister. However, Mother Nature removed both starters after only two innings.

Read More