The Indians have every intention of adding an impactful veteran relief arm, club president Mark Shapiro told hosts Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette today on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). "We will clearly add a bullpen guy and a guy that has some back end closing experience," said Shapiro. "I think in the next week or two you'll see us be able to consummate something there."
After cutting loose former closer Chris Perez and allowing setup man Joe Smith to depart via free agency, the Indians have some potential openings at the back of the pen. Of course, as MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth has explained, the team has reasonably attractive internal options as well. And as Shapiro added, the club feels that both Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw could "step up and pitch later in games."
Armed with that internal security net, Shapiro also hinted that the Indians could be looking to achieve value on the late-inning relief market, rather than targeting a particular pitcher. "It's an area of the market where there was an opportunity," he said.
Indeed, a sizeable pool of relievers with closing experience remains available on the open market. Most recently, Cleveland has been connected to former Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit as well as one-time Brewers 9th-inning man John Axford.
If you want to brainstorm other possibilities for the Indians, or any other club, simply head to MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Tracker (found under the "Tools" section) and filter the results to suit your needs.
Indians should be worried about their starting rotation rather than their closer for 2014!
Unfortunately, same with the O’s.
Could maybe get the job done as it is. Nothing fancy but nothing really weak either (except the 5th spot). That’s the hardest to improve when FO “has sea urchins in their pocket”…
Maybe the Tigers should have intended to sign a reliever who can set up games. What’s that, Dave? You got Chamberlain? Ah. Excellent! The Tiger bullpen definitely won’t be a problem in ’14 like it was this past season.
You think they would go after Santana or Garza and add bullpen arms in Veras and Balfour after winning over 90 games and almost catching the Tigers. Why would they not be all in?
Those would be good pick ups to replace Jimenez and Kazmir
RAJ will ship you Pap + 13 MM + Cody Asche for Lindor & Salazar lol
They probably won’t have many games to save anyway.
Perez – 36 in 2011, 39 in 2012 and 25 in a weed filled 2013.
2013 was probably the least weed filled for Perez.
I’m waiting for Papelbon for Bourn to go down.
I’d be more like Pap + Revere for Bourn no money involved.
They have already said they are not interested in Papelbon, so you might be waiting awhile.
One step forward and 2 steps back is the indians this off season. They need to sign a couple of starters and a closer.
What is the payroll like for the Indians? With all the Arbs their payroll should be able the same as last year, even with all the expiring contracts. They do need a starter and a closer. Signing Malcolm, Hammel, Chen or Capuano to fill out rotation and Veras to close. This shouldn’t kill the payroll. Nice if they could afford Arroyo and Balfour.
I wonder when teams’ obsessions with relievers with closer experience will end.
Sign Axford.
I just got a visual of Joel Hanrahan with his face pressed against the glass like a puppy in a pet shop window.
I have the same visual, but with Ruben Amaro begging for somebody to take papelbon.
“I’ll eat all of his salary, just take him PLEASE!!”
And I’ve got a visual of Neal Huntington scheming a way to fleece the Indians for Melancon the way he fleeced Boston for Hanrahan.
Wonder if they made an offer to Balfour.
Word is they’ve made offers to just about everybody they’ve been linked too but they keep coming up just a little short either in money or years
Maybe marmol. ? He just needed a good pitching coach .. he finally learned how to pitch in LA. He had Larry Rothschild almost his entire career .. can teach how to pitch when the teacher knows nothing about it.
Indians should sign Axeford How! He could CHOP the opposition down in the 9th.
They could try to swing a trade for Jason Motte. Cards have him as a bit of a spare part.
Trade for Mark Melacon