Cleveland Indians: Which Position Should Be Upgraded?
By Ryan Rosko
Joe Russo
Bullpen Needs Help One Way Or Another
This past Monday I talked about how potent the Tribe’s offense has been. After an entire winter of seeking out an impact bat, it looks like those needs were filled internally. When (if?) left fielder Michael Brantley comes back, that will also be a big boost to the offense.
Who would have thought that the Indians would lead the AL in run differential? That said, the biggest need for the Tribe is in the bullpen, but the front office is not going to give up major assets to get a reliever.
It’s difficult to see which pieces are expendable. There is organizational depth in the outfield, but those players are years away and Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier are untouchable. This team is also not going to give up a starter as the current group is on fire and will provide depth to the bullpen in October.
We are all infuriated by Bryan Shaw‘s inconsistency and Zach McAllister‘s ineffectiveness, but an impact bullpen arm isn’t in the price range for this team.
How about New York Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller? They’ll command too much value in return.
Oakland A’s’ Sean Doolittle? Maybe, but the best the Cleveland Indians would send over are AAA outfielders like Michael Choice and Collin Cowgill.
The best “trade” for the Tribe in the ‘pen might be riding out the season with the current group, while sending Josh Tomlin or Trevor Bauer into the ‘pen to be a dominate arm in the playoffs. It worked for the San Francisco Giants with Tim Lincecum. Why not with the Cleveland Indians?
Next: Bullpen Is A Concern