Tag Archives: Oliver Perez

Cleveland: Hernandez, Perez, Leon are free agents

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The roster for the Cleveland Baseball Club is currently at 37 following the conclusion of the 2020 World Series.

The Cleveland Baseball Club will have to figure out just what they want to do in regards to three players who are now free agents. Cesar Hernandez, Sandy Leon, and Oliver Perez are no longer on the roster now that the season is over.

Sandy Leon is someone that Cleveland should probably look at other options first before entering into contract negations. Leon was mostly forgettable at the plate this season and is not a long term option at catcher.

If Oliver Perez wants to continue playing he could sign another one-year contract with the club. Perez and whatever Fountain of Youth he brought with him has been a productive bullpen arm for Cleveland the past three years. For a team that is going to prioritize low-cost options, Perez would be a perfect fit.

Cesar Hernandez is where things get frustrating for Cleveland’s front office and the fanbase. Hernandez was a low risk signing that ended up paying off for Cleveland. Hernandez slashed .283/.355/.408/.763 in 58 games and led the league in doubles with 20. In a perfect world he re-signs and stays in town, but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case. The 2020 campaign for Hernandez may have put him out of Cleveland’s price range and it seems highly likely he is playing elsewhere in 2021.

Oliver Perez builds upon his legend

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Cleveland Baseball Club relief pitcher Oliver Perez came on in the 10th to earn the save with a brand new look.

Oliver Perez is a legend for a variety of reasons. His longevity is impressive (2020 is his 18th MLB season) and his ability to disrupt batters with his delivery. Sunday’s performance would only build upon his legend. Perez entered the game in the bottom of the 10th after approximately a rain delay to relieve Brad Hand. Perez would earn what is only is 5th career save in Cleveland’s 5-4 win over the White Sox. While it is great that Perez saved the game for Cleveland, his performance was not the main topic of discussion. It was his appearance.

https://twitter.com/CoryO24/status/1292661024550723586?s=20

It is his new facial hair which is the topic of discussion. Oliver Perez is rocking a mustache and it actually fits him. There is just something about the game of baseball and mustaches which sort of go hand in hand. Let’s hope that Perez continues to embrace his new facial hair and build upon his legend instead of getting rid of it prematurely.

Indians bullpen can’t hold lead against A’s

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The Cleveland Indians bullpen were unable to keep the lead as they allowed 4 runs in the final 3 innings as they lost 7-6 to the Oakland Athletics. Normally this is not an issue as it is only Spring Training, but it is the relievers who struggled that make it quite alarming. 

Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, and Hunter Wood combined to allow five runs in 2.2 innings. Oakland collected five hits and walked once off of some key Indians relievers. While this is only one game, Tito could end up having to give these particular pitchers plenty of appearances this season. If they pitch anything remotely close to this it would make fans clamor for the days of Bryan Shaw. 

Now onto some good news. Shane Bieber pitched 4 innings to start the game and allowed only 2 hits and struck out 7. Bieber certainly proved why Terry Francona felt comfortable naming him the Opening Day Starter. 

The Indians had a good 2nd inning at the plate. Cleveland scored 4 runs in the inning. Mike Freeman drove in the first run with an RBI single. Daniel Johnson scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Jordan Luplow hit a rare homer off a righty to give  Cleveland a four-run lead. Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot in the 6th inning to give the Tribe a 6-3 lead. 

The Indians will face the Cubs at 3:05 P.M. Saturday. This will be a split squad affair for Chicago.The other half of the team will face the Cincinnati Reds.

Indians bullpen arms in Arizona

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The Cleveland Indians bullpen had many questions surrounding it in Spring Training, now as time has gone on the situation has become more clear.

The departures of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen left the Cleveland Indians bullpen in a bit of disarray. After multiple moves were made to try and alleviate the issue, the Indians bullpen as a whole appears to be better off than many thought it would be at this point in Spring Training.

Tyler Clippard

Tyler Clippard came aboard this offseason and has performed well this Spring Training. In 2.2 innings Clippard has allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three batters. This is the smallest of sample sizes, but the early returns are encouraging. While Clippard did have to leave a game due to a pectoral strain, the prospects of him making the roster appear to be quite good.

Dan Otero

In five innings in Arizona Dan Otero has only allowed one run. To the surprise of most it did not come via a home run. Otero has become more and more homer prone over the last three seasons. The fact of the matter is that Otero is going to give up home runs, if those can be limited to the solo variety and become less frequent, Otero should be fine in 2019.

Adam Cimber

Adam Cimber is a bit of a wild card. This is directly related to his role as a right-handed specialist. His awkward submarine delivery provides problems for right-handed batters and induces a lot of ground balls. Cimber has allowed one run in 5.1 innings of work so far. Cimber expects to be used quite heavily by the Indians this season as long as the situation calls for it.

Brad Hand

The Cleveland Indians closer for 2019 has done exactly what has been expected of him in Arizona. Brad Hand has pitched four innings, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out seven. When Cleveland acquired Hand last season this is exactly what they signed up for. High strikeout rate mixed with low hits and walks surrendered. This type of performance will continue into the regular season.

Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson is another pitcher brought in to compete for a bullpen spot. Wilson is performing quite well in Arizona. In 6.1 innings Wilson has allowed two runs on five hits while walking two. Wilson has also struck out five batters this spring. As long as Wilson can continue this type of production Wilson could make an impact this regular season for the Tribe.

Nick Goody

Nick Goody has a sparking 0.00 ERA this spring, but that is where things end. Batters currently have a .308 batting average against Goody in three innings. Again this is a case of small sample size, but the results have not been good. Goody should make the Major League roster, but his leash should be quite short if performances like this continue into the regular season.

Justin Grimm

Justin Grimm has seen 5.1 innings of work this spring and has pitched fairly well. Grimm has allowed one run on five hits while striking seven. Grimm could very be integral to the Indians as a bullpen arm this season. That is as long as he makes the roster and continues to pitch this well.

Indians bring back Oliver Perez

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The Cleveland Indians agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million with left handed relief pitcher Oliver Perez

Oliver Perez is returning to the Cleveland Indians. The free agent lefty agreed to terms with the club on a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2020. Perez appeared in 51 games for Cleveland last season.

While Perez only pitched 31.1 innings he was highly effective in 2018. With career-bests in ERA (1.39) and WHIP (0.742). Perez was often deployed to face only a single batter. With the modern strategy of utilizing a deep bullpen, Perez can be one of Cleveland’s top bullpen arms. Perez was impressive last season against batters who hit from either side of the plate.

Against righties: .104/.218/.104

Against lefties: .194/.215/.274

As mentioned in a tweet from Joel Sherman, Perez was tied with Oakland’s Blake Treinen for limiting opponents OPS last season. That number was a stunningly low .417.

Cleveland is getting value with this deal, which has been a sort of a sore spot for fans to hear. The team is working on controlling payroll while still contending. The deal with Perez is a low-risk, medium reward type of signing. Perez will appear in about a third of the games this season and will pitch less than an inning per appearance.

This is exactly the type of deal the Indians were expected to make

The Cleveland Indians payroll has been a consistent talking point ever since their postseason run came to a screeching halt. Cleveland managed to dump a lot of salary through trades while maintaining near the same level of talent and acquiring talent with higher upside.

The one-year deal with Oliver Perez is probably the first of many deals with veterans worth taking a flier on. The team has done it many times before, Perez is just the latest to do so. A few more deals similar to this will most likely occur between now and Spring Training.

Cleveland intends on building a relatively inexpensive supporting cast to supplement their core players. While it may not be popular, it is the best way for a team like the Indians to operate at this point in time.

Indians search for relief pitchers

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With the departure of Andrew Miller and the assumption Cody Allen will not return the Cleveland Indians need to find bullpen help.

Part of the reason that the Cleveland Indians sent Francisco Mejia to San Diego in return for Brad Hand and Adam Cimber was the expectation that Andrew Miller and Cody Allen would not return. This was a preemptive move to address the bullpen without having to spend in free agency. Even with this move Cleveland needs to sign a free agent relief pitcher. Here are some names they could consider signing this offseason.

Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson has spent time with four clubs in his career. The Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. Wilson has endured some up and down campaigns, but overall is a reliable relief pitcher. Wilson has a career 3.33 ERA and 1.268 WHIP with 13 saves in his career. While Wilson is not a closer, he does have experience finishing games. Wilson has finished 81 games in his career and could provide Cleveland with a good back end of the bullpen arm if they decide to go this route. However the 31-year old lefty may be a bit of their price range and Cleveland may have to go in a different direction.

Tyler Clippard

Another pitcher who has experience some ups and downs in his career is Tyler Clippard. Although Clippard’s inconsistencies have come later in his 12-year career, there was a time when he was a shutdown option in the bullpen. The 34-year old reliever has a career ERA of 3.16, a WHIP of 1.127 and 68 saves. Like the aforementioned Justin Wilson, Clippard has experience finishing games, finishing 186 in his career. This includes 22 last season with Toronto. Considering Clippard has bounced around the past few seasons he may be more affordable than some of the other options available to the Indians.

Brad Boxberger

Although he may be more well known for his players weekend jersey, Brad Boxberger is another option for Cleveland. Boxberger does have experience as closer, closing 76 games in his career. All but one coming between two stops in Tampa Bay and Arizona. The issue with attempting to sign Boxberger is that he was a closer last season. Currently Cleveland has a closer in Brad Hand and is not necessarily in the market for one. Additionally Boxberger may be looking for “closer money” and not “reliever money”. This could price him right out of Cleveland’s comfort zone. However if Boxberger prioritizes winning over money, (it is unlikely), Cleveland may come away with a good bullpen arm.

Oliver Perez

Reports are that the Cleveland Indians and Oliver Perez have interest in a reunion. Perez spent some time with Cleveland last season and enjoyed a renaissance of sorts. In 51 games Perez had a 1.39 ERA with a 0.742 WHIP. While it is unreasonable to expect a repeat of this performance next season, Perez could be a budget bullpen arm for Cleveland to target. A return of Perez would not necessarily move the needle, but would provide the club with a steady reliever that all teams covet.