Cleveland Indians: New York Mets should sign Bryan Shaw

The Cleveland Indians are faced with the prospect of losing free agent reliever Bryan Shaw, who would be an ideal fit with the New York Mets.

Bryan Shaw signing with the New York Mets makes too much sense.

The No. 1 thing that comes out and slaps you in the face is that the man sitting in the manager’s chair in Queens is former Tribe pitching coach Mickey Callaway.

The other? Shaw’s been a workhorse throughout his MLB career, and one of the more consistent relievers in baseball.

It’s a shame the Indians are going to lose him, but with Cody Allen set to earn big bucks through arbitration, and Andrew Miller earning $9 million next season, the Tribe’s front office simply can’t make another multi-million dollar investment in their bullpen.

Which sets up Shaw for a perfect landing in Citi Field.

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Being in New York, the Mets are in a market that affords the organization the option of throwing wads of cash at just about anyone.

When you factor in Callaway as the new skipper, Shaw to the Mets just makes too much sense because he’s someone the franchise’s new manager could count on late in games.

Shaw, 30, came to the Indians in the same trade that brought Trevor Bauer to the north shore.

In his five-year Indians career, he’s appeared in 378 games and posted a 3.11 ERA.

Now, I know there’s a sect of the fan base that lost its faith in Shaw many times throughout his Indians career, and I never figured out way. Nobody’s perfect.

And while Shaw had some moments, just think for a second about how hard it is to find consistent bullpen arms. One year, a guy can be stellar, and the next, he’s off the rails. Look no further than Boone Logan. The Indians thought they were getting a durable lefty when they signed Logan away from the Rockies last offseason. Logan got hurt, and his impact was miniscule.

As for Shaw, that hasn’t been the case, which is why New York should be hustling to sign the free agent.

He’s appeared in at least 70 games per season since 2013. During the 2012 campaign with the Diamondbacks, he appeared in 60 contests. His ERA from the last five seasons? Check it out: 2013, 3.24; 2014, 2.59; 2015, 2.95; 2016, 3.24; 2017, 3.52.

Some may worry about Shaw’s career trending downward now that he’s on the wrong side of 30, but when you consider that his best pitch (cutter) averaged its highest velocity (94.4 mph) last season, it’s a good bet that Shaw can be dependable for the next three to four years.

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The Indians are going to miss Shaw, but if the Mets and Callaway take this advice, and sign Shaw, they won’t regret it.

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