The Cleveland Indians still need to fill out their bullpen. Adding an arm or two could make a huge difference for the Tribe.
Cleveland has not been super active on the free agent market. Besides signing Cesar Hernandez, things have been largely silent for the Indians. The Tribe missed out on two legitimate bullpen options in Dellin Betances and Will Harris. There are options still available, but they are nowhere near the talent of Betances and Harris.
The Indians bullpen is a relatively mixed bag. They have their go-to options in Brad Hand, Nick Wittgren and James Karinchak. They also have a handful of question marks. Adam Cimber is hot and cold for the most part. How much will the new three batter minimum rule impact Oliver Perez? What role will Carlos Carrasco and Jefry Rodriguez play? How much of an impact will Emmanuel Clase make?
The Indians need to explore the free agent options available to them in order to get the best group of arms ready when the season starts. There are some players who are still available who could be intriguing to Cleveland on a one-year deal and others where a longer contract would be required.
Sam Dyson
Sam Dyson’s time in Minnesota did not go well. In 12 games (11.1 innings), Dyson allowed nine runs on 14 hits and walked six. His three home runs allowed contributde to his 7.15 ERA. His performance over the previous 49 games in San Francisco were considerably better. Allowing 14 runs on 39 hits and only walked seven in 51 innings. Overall there have been some blips on his track record, but for he most part he has been a good reliever. HIs lackluster end to 2019 could leave him in a spot where he needs to regain value and more likely to sign a one-year prove it deal.
Arodys Vizcaino
This could be an interesting option for Cleveland. Arodys Vizcaino missed the majority of 2019 due to a torn labrum. Vizcaino is a legitimate reliever when he is able to pitch. That last part is key here, when he can pitch. Vizcaino has missed a lot of games due to injury and is a bit of a risk. Vizcaino has only pitched in 50 games or more one time in his career. Cleveland will need to weigh potential upside versus injury if they consider Arodys Vizcaino an option. If he stays healthy he could be a great pickup for the Indians, but that is a big if.
Brandon Kintzler
For the most part, Brandon Kintzler has been pretty steady over the course of his carer. In seasons where he has pitched in 14 or more games Kintzler’s ERA has been above 4 only once. This was due to a lackluster 25 games with the Cubs in 2018 (7.00 ERA, 2.000 WHIP). Kintzler did turn things around in 2019 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.018 WHIP this past season. Kintzler may have multiple suitors this offseason because of his 2019 campaign, although entering his age 35 season could keep some clubs from signing him. Cleveland at least exploring Kintzler’s interest in signing with the Tribe is worth the time.
Steve Cishek
Another bullpen from the Cubs. Steve Cishek has bounced around since spending the first six years of his career in Miami. Even with multiple stops, Cishek has been a reliable relief arm. Steve Cishek should have multiple teams interested and will not be a bargain bin type signing that the Indians usually make this time of year. This makes a union between the two unlikely, but that doesn’t mean that the Indians shouldn’t consider it. Steve Cishek seems like someone who could sign a multi-year deal and that may take the Indians out of the running.