Indians: Signing starter Brad Peacock was a smart move by Cleveland

The Indians have acquired former Astros pitcher Brad Peacock.

The Indians have finally listened to all of the insane rantings of yours truly and signed a free agent pitcher! A solid one, at that, in former Astros pitcher, Brad Peacock. Peacock, unlike his namesake streaming service, has been around for a while. He’s not an ace or anything close to it, but The Tribe was able to get him on a minor league deal and if he’s healthy, can really bring some stability to the back of the rotation.

He’s only 33-years-old and isn’t too far removed from a season where he went 13-2, with a 3.00 and 161 strikeouts in only 132 innings. Again, we’re not talking about entrance into the Hall of Fame or even the All-Star Game, but he should make a really fine fourth or fifth starter.

Health will determine Brad Peacock’s impact on the Indians.

Part of the reason why he was so affordable is due to the shoulder issues he had in 2020. With modern medicine and advanced surgery, these issues aren’t as devastating as they were maybe 20 years ago. That doesn’t mean they aren’t pressing, nor does it mean that Peacock can’t still produce.

What it does mean is that Peacock has to prove he’s worth a spot in the rotation. The Indians are kinda known for their rehabbing of pitchers over the last two decades, Kevin Millwood comes to mind. So does Ubaldo Jimenez, though he kinda got broken in Cleveland first. Let’s also not forget about Oliver Perez and Bryan Shaw, two other players who were rejuvenated by the eeriest of all the Great Lakes.

There’s hope that Peacock can add stability in the back of the rotation but it should also be mentioned that the Indians can’t just add him and be done. They need to go get a second or even third starter. This team needs depth and if we’ve seen anything this year, it’s that the youngsters are talented but aren’t ready.