Disappointed That Guardians Don’t Add At Deadline

The Major League Baseball trading deadline has come and gone and the front office of the Cleveland Guardians decided to sit it out, making just one small deal for a minor league pitcher.

It’s a curious decision to be sure, especially since the Guards remain just one game behind Minnesota in the AL Central Division race, and the Twins upgraded their pitching staff, trading for a starter (Tyler Mahle) and two relievers on Tuesday.

We weren’t expecting a big blockbuster involving the organization’s best prospects, but we don’t believe anyone can question the Guardians have several players on the current roster that do not perform to big league standards.

To us, it means the front office is fine still using Bryan Shaw (and his 5.63 ERA) and Kirk McCarty on “bullpen days”. With Aaron Civale still on the shelf, why not go out and get a starting pitcher? Our guess is he will miss at least two more turns in the rotation. Are they really going to keep using the Shaw/McCarty model?

And catcher continues to be an offensive hole. We have said many times we understand the organization values defense behind the plate. When they had guys who played great defense and hit .220, that was fine. Austin Hedges is hitting .173 (521 OPS) and Luke Maile is at .206 (602 OPS).

Why not upgrade the hitting at that spot?

Also, although it has nothing to do with the baseball operation, it is still a business that needs customers. We are sure there are many members of the fan base (we would be one) that aren’t happy the front office decided not to make some kind of move when the team has a legitimate chance at the post-season.

We laughed when we heard Terry Francona’s comments about the players deserving to “keep their jobs” based on the way they have played this year.

That’s great, but it’s also not how it works.

Since the front office didn’t strike a deal, then it’s time to see even more young players. The first step happened yesterday when Tyler Freeman was called up, replacing Ernie Clement, who was being used (somehow) as a platoon bat vs. lefties when he was hitting .200 against them.

Many people have said there was no deal for a catcher because of the presence of Bo Naylor, now at AAA. If that’s true, then bring Naylor up right now. He has a 928 OPS at the AA and AAA levels in the minors this season. Why not see what he can do?

As for the pitching staff, either make Konnor Pilkington the fifth starter now, or perhaps try Peyton Battenfield (6-5, 3.31 ERA at Columbus) in that role.

And why not take a look at Nick Mikolajchak in the bullpen? He’s 4-2 with four saves and a 3.15 ERA at AAA, striking out 33 in 34 innings pitched. We’d rather see him than Shaw, McCarty, or Anthony Castro, a reliever Cleveland keeps bringing up when they shuffle their bullpen.

If this season is about seeing what the young players can do, and to date, those young guys have been pretty impressive, then go all in on them.

Once again, the Guardians are telling you next year matters more than the present, and unfortunately, that seems to be the case a lot lately.

At one game out, that’s a difficult agenda to push.

Guardians’ Bullpen Issues Tough To Ignore

The Cleveland Guardians have a problem with an unlikely spot, the pitching staff. For all the talk about the team’s “pitching factory”, the club currently ranks 10th in the American League in staff ERA.

The starting pitching hasn’t been dominant, but for the most part, it’s been pretty good. Four of the five starters have ERA’s under 4.00 and Aaron Civale is the lone starter who doesn’t, but he’s been good in three of his four starts.

Zach Plesac is 2-6 record wise, but has pitched at least six innings and allowed less than three earned runs in six of his last seven starts. And Triston McKenzie has been prone to the gopher ball this season, but he was dominant against the Yankees to close out the last home stand and yesterday in Kansas City.

The real problem has been the bullpen. Outside of Emmanuel Clase, it doesn’t seem that anyone trusted by Terry Francona and Carl Willis is going a good job.

Against Boston, New York, and even Detroit, there were many instances where the starters left the game in a very competitive situation, only to see relief pitchers take a one or two run ballgame and letting the opponent put it out of reach.

We have said over the years that the two things relievers cannot do is give up home runs and/or walk people. The first helps teams get back in the game, the latter gives the opponent hope of getting back in the contest.

The two leaders in allowing the long ball out of the Guardians’ ‘pen are two pitchers Francona seems to really trust: Eli Morgan and Brian Shaw. Both have allowed a half dozen dingers, Morgan in 38-1/3 innings, Shaw in 28-1/3.

Morgan was dominant until a June 11th outing vs. Oakland in which he allowed a grand slam home run. Including that performance, he’s pitched 10-2/3 frames and allowed four home runs. You simply can’t use pitchers who give up that many home runs in the late innings.

He has blown four leads in that span.

Then you have the pitchers who can’t throw strikes consistently. Nick Sandlin has walked 18 hitters in less than 20 innings, and we don’t think anyone feels comfortable that James Karinchak is going to come in and throw strikes either.

Left handers Sam Hentges and Anthony Gose (now on the IL) have had issues with control, as has Shaw (which really makes you wonder why he is used in high leverage situations).

That leaves Enyel De Los Santos and Trevor Stephan has guys Francona should find reliable, but as of late, he hasn’t turned to them, and we find that curious.

Stephan gave up a run on the fourth of July to Detroit, the first run he allowed since June 12th. And he pitched out of an incredible jam against the Twins in the 10th inning to help Cleveland win 11-10.

De Los Santos was part of the problem giving up late runs in close games over the past two weeks, but generally, he’s been pretty good, and he’s only allowed two home runs all year.

If Cleveland wants to stay in the race, and they should, they are only 3.5 games out, they have to solve the bullpen issue and get Clase, who should make the All-Star Game, some help. There are always relievers available the trade deadline, but can the current group hold on until then.

Bad bullpens make good teams look bad. Hope that is not happening to the 2022 Guardians.

Tribe Roster Decisions That Don’t Seem Difficult To Us

The last season of the Cleveland Indians is slowly winding down with just a little over two weeks remaining, a total of 18 games.

Of course, some would say the Tribe hitters have already taken the bats home, as they have scored more than three runs in a game just twice in the last 11 games. And in that span, they’ve been one hit and no hit, and were shutout three times.

When the season ends, besides the name of the team changing to Cleveland Guardians (still difficult for us to type), the next piece of business will be who will remain on the 40 man roster.

This front office is well known for their patience, so will they take into account some flashes from some of borderline players on the roster or will they look at an entire body of work, like more than 300 to 400 at bats in the majors.

For us, it wouldn’t be that difficult of the decision, we could release 5-7 players as soon as the 162nd game is played and wouldn’t look back.

First would be the perpetual prospect group, particularly those getting a little old to be considered prospects anymore.

Bradley Zimmer is the first name that comes to mind. Yes, Zimmer has hit some long home runs this year, and that’s impressive, but he’s also fanned 103 times in 290 plate appearances and has a 698 OPS, and will be 29 next season. The only saving grace would be his skill set (great speed, great defense) could be ideal for a 26th man on a roster, but if the brass is thinking he’s an everyday player, they are mistaken.

Oscar Mercado is another of those frustrating players who seem to have a lot of tools, yet aren’t real good baseball players. He will be 27 next season and has good speed and is a good glove, but can’t get on base enough or have any pop in his bat.

The third is this group is Yu Chang, who has received his most playing time in the big leagues this year, and has managed just a 659 OPS. His biggest issue? 199 plate appearances and just nine walks to go with 54 whiffs. He has some power and has played shortstop so he is solid defensively, but if the organization wasn’t going to play him when he was hot, it’s probably best for him to move on.

There are also some guys in the bullpen we believe won’t be kept either. The organization might be inclined to make another non-roster invitee situation for Blake Parker and Bryan Shaw, but we would doubt either stay on the 40 man.

And Nick Wittgren is likely to be looking for a new organization as well. His performance has declined in each of his three seasons here, and has become prone to giving up the long ball. We should also note that Parker, Shaw, and Wittgren are also all over 30 years of age.

Southpaw Alex Young, picked up on waivers from Arizona earlier this season, may join them even though he’s only 28. Having a 7.84 ERA and having really one effective performance (out of ten) doesn’t seem to engender any confidence in him.

The only thing that could be in his favor is if Carl Willis and Reuben Niebla see something in him they believe would unlock a good pitcher.

It will also be interesting to see how the team handles players like Harold Ramirez (we’d keep him), Scott Moss (who has pitched 20 innings since 2019), and Daniel Johnson (they really don’t seem to like him at all).

That’s a lot of players to make decisions on, but do any of them really catch an eye as a potential everyday player in the big leagues?

Again, the Cleveland baseball team (we are transitioning) is known for patience, but for us, it’s time to make a decision on these players.

Contention Or Not, Strategy At Trade Deadline Is Same For Tribe

It would be easy to say the 10 game stretch after the All Star Game will determine how the Cleveland Indians approach the MLB trading deadline at the end of July. After all, the Tribe will start the proverbial second half of the season with series against the A’s, Astros, and Rays.

Many people will say a lack of success against those teams, with three of the top five records in the American League will put the Indians in selling mode.

However, we don’t think it will make much of a difference either way.

First, who would GM Mike Chernoff be willing to sell? Eddie Rosario would be a candidate, but he is hurt right now, and it doesn’t appear he will be ready to play before the deadline. And whether the Tribe is still in contention or not, they may try to move 2B Cesar Hernandez in order to see what Owen Miller, Ernie Clement, or even Andres Gimenez can do in the last two months of the season.

The signing of veteran catcher Wilson Ramos to a minor league contract, may mean the front office is working on a deal for one of their catchers, either Roberto Perez or Austin Hedges, we would bet the latter is more likely.

And veteran reliever Bryan Shaw, although he hasn’t pitched as well lately as he did earlier in the season is still having a fine season (2-3, 3.08 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 38 innings), might be an interesting piece in the bullpen for a team with World Series expectations.

One thing that isn’t discussed enough is the glut of prospects Cleveland has that need to be protected in the Rule 5 draft during the winter meetings in December. They have more players than spots that will likely be available on the 40 man roster, and that might play a part in what they do at the end of this month.

Chernoff and team president Chris Antonetti will likely take the same tact they have the last two seasons, meaning they will look for young, controllable players who may be able to help this year, but will be key parts of the 2022 and 2023 Cleveland Indians.

The one difference if Terry Francona’s squad comes through those first ten games after the Midsummer Classic in good shape, is that the brass might look for a pitcher who can help stabilize the starting rotation right now.

Zach Plesac is back, but it would appear the Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale will not return until next month, so getting an arm who can provide quality innings right now might be in play. But we would not expect a rental piece.

The Tribe might also make decisions on some players who have been around the organization for awhile as well. It appears Daniel Johnson will get an extended look while Rosario is out, and the Indians need to make a decision on Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, and Yu Chang.

Chang has been sent to Columbus, so perhaps that decision has been made.

It wouldn’t be a shock to us, if either Zimmer or Mercado is cut loose at the end of this month.

We could also get our first glimpse of Nolan Jones after August 1st. The Tribe would probably like to get a good look at him during the rest of this season to get an idea of what they have going into 2022.

We believe that Antonetti and Chernoff will be busy before the deadline, but it won’t be a “fire sale”, and whether the team is still in contention or not, the aim will be the same.

Bring in young, controllable players who can help in the future while weeding out players who likely wouldn’t be back next season.

That’s essentially what they did in getting Franmil Reyes and Josh Naylor the past two years.

Tribe Need Quality Innings Out Of Guys Who Start

It was another week involving injuries for the Cleveland Indians. After the shocking news at the beginning of the week that Shane Bieber had a shoulder strain, the Tribe also lost Austin Hedges to a concussion on Thursday and in Friday’s 11-10 loss to the Pirates, they lost Jose Ramirez with a bruised foot after being hit by a pitch.

That necessitated veteran Ryan Lavarnway being called up to help out behind the plate, and yesterday, Bobby Bradley, who doesn’t have 100 big league at bats yet, was forced to hit third.

Amazingly, the Indians cobbled together a sweep against Baltimore despite not having any starting pitcher throw more frames than the five pitched by Aaron Civale in game three of the series.

In fact, the last Cleveland starter to go more than five was Bieber last Sunday and he only went 5-2/3. The last Tribe hurler to see the seventh inning was Civale, who pitched eight, one hit innings against the Mariners a week ago Friday.

It’s difficult to imagine that working over a decent period of time without taking a toll on the entire pitching staff.

It was encouraging to see both JC Mejia and Cal Quantrill both go five innings against Pittsburgh in the last two games, so maybe they are finally stretched out enough to get into and perhaps complete six innings in their next start.

The relief corps has taken a heavy toll this past week and yesterday’s game might have been the first sign of pitchers showing wear and tear on their arms.

Bryan Shaw’s comeback story has been remarkable, but he has walked 24 hitters in 28 innings this season, although the damage has been limited because he only gave up 15 hits. However, his last three appearances have been dreadful, pitching two innings, allowing five hits and five walks.

Overall in June, the veteran righty has pitched 7-1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and eight walks for a 9.82 ERA. You have to think Terry Francona will look elsewhere the next time the seventh inning of a close game arises.

James Karinchak also has shown signs of a little wear. Remember, he pitched only 27 innings a year ago, and has already topped that this season. He pitched three days in a row last week in the Baltimore series.

In April, Karinchak was beyond dominant, allowing just two hits and striking out 22 of the 34 batters he faced. In May, he fanned 21 of the 45 batters that came to the plate and allowed only six hits, although three of them were homers.

To date in June, he has whiffed just 12 of the 27 batters who dug in against him, and allowed another home run yesterday. Just something to keep an eye on.

We are sure Francona and the Tribe front office look at the Tampa Bay model in handling the pitching staff without real starters. However the Rays have four pitchers with over 25 appearances, five with over 20, but only one (Ryan Thompson) with over 30 games pitched.

Cleveland has six pitchers with more than 20 appearances, but three of them, Shaw, Karinchak, and Emmanuel Clase, have appeared in more than 30 games.

This might be a subtle difference, but it is something to keep an eye on, and shows again, the need for starters to provide more length. It is very tough for a bullpen to keep this kind of burden over a long season.

The Indians are a team built on starting pitching. To us, as soon as Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie showed they weren’t ready, the organization should have started grooming Quantrill for one of those spots.

After all, he was set to be a starter in spring training. They are doing it now, but they may have lost a couple of weeks of development.

Hopefully, by the All Star break, Plesac and Bieber will be close to returning if not ready. That could provide a boost to a rotation currently running on fumes.

Tribe Needs Some Help For Back Of Bullpen Trio

Terry Francona has been the manager of the Cleveland Indians since 2013, and the other night became just the third skipper in the history of the franchise to achieve 700 victories.

In the next several weeks, he will pass first Mike Hargrove (721) and then Lou Boudreau (728 and the last manager to pilot a World Series Champion for the Indians) to become the all-time winningest manager in franchise history.

At this point, we know how Francona likes to manage. He is famously patient with his players, particularly veterans with track records. Sometimes, this is frustrating for the fan base, but many times, his patience is rewarded.

We also know how he handles his bullpen. He has a caste system, trusting certain pitchers when he has a lead late in games, with most of the other arms being used when the Tribe is trailing. When Cleveland had their great run from 2016-18, if the team had a lead late, everyone (fans and opponents) knew they were going to see a combination of Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller, and Cody Allen.

And because all of those guys were outstanding, the plan usually worked.

This year is no exception. Shaw is part of this triumvirate as well, this time joining Emmanuel Clase and James Karinchak to form an excellent back end of the ‘pen.

Shaw’s resurgence has been remarkable. He was released by Seattle last season after two bad years in Colorado, but has rebounded to pitch in 21 games, throwing 20 innings, allowing just six hits, and has a 1.35 ERA with 23 strikeouts and a save.

Clase, who missed last season on suspension, has been in 23 games, and has a 0.83 ERA and 8 saves. He’s given up some hits, but those are mostly groundballs that have found their way threw the infield. He was unhittable early in the year, but has been more human as of late.

And Karinchak has a 1.59 ERA and an unreal 42 whiffs in 22-2/3 innings and he has 6 saves in 24 appearances.

The biggest question as this season rolls on is can the heavy workload put on this trio allow them to hold their effectiveness throughout the season?

Coming into Saturday’s play Karinchak ranked tied for third in appearances with 24, trailing only Yasmeiro Petit of Oakland (26) and Jake Brentz of Kansas City (25). However, the A’s have played four more games than Cleveland. The Royals have played the same amount of games.

Moreso, Clase ranks tied for eighth in games pitched at 23. Of the top ten in the AL in appearances, Oakland, Kansas City, Houston, Los Angeles, and Detroit all have two members. There are 16 pitchers involved because of the tie for the eighth spot.

Behind Shaw in appearances for Cleveland, the next most is Cal Quantrill, who the Indians say they are stretching out in an effort to help out the starting rotation, which has suddenly sprung some leaks. Nick Wittgren has pitched in 16 games, followed by Phil Maton (15) and Trevor Stephan, who is kind of a “innings eater” in blowout losses with 14.

The hope is Francona can gain some confidence in some other relievers, perhaps Nick Sandlin or Kyle Nelson, or even Wittgren or Maton to ease the burden off the primary late inning trio.

We understand, with the Indians’ offense ranking near the bottom of the league in runs scored, when they have the lead, the skipper feels he has to win that game. Therefore, he uses his best guys. Unfortunately, if the team is winning, it results in a lot of use for the primary guys.

Unfortunately, the Indians have only won four games this season by five or more runs, and the last of those was May 8th. That’s a lot of close wins, and it also means no rest for Karinchak, Clase, and Shaw.

The Indians can’t afford for one of that trio to start fading due to overuse. That very well could be the key to the Tribe’s season.

Once Tribe Gets The Lead, The Bullpen Locks It Up

We feel fairly certain opposing managers in Major League Baseball won’t be thrilled with the news that the Cleveland Indians might have another bullpen weapon in rookie Nick Sandlin.

Now, we don’t want to get too carried away with three appearances totalling 4-1/3 innings, but the hard throwing sidearmer seems to have made quite an impression on Terry Francona, Carl Willis, and Reuben Niebla.

With last Thursday game in the balance, Francona brought in the rookie in a 3-0 game in the bottom of the sixth with two Kansas City Royals on base, and six time all star Salvador Perez at the plate. Perez hits cleanup for the Royals.

Sandlin induced a double play grounder to get two quick outs and then followed up by getting Jorge Soler on another ground ball. He pitched a three up, three down seventh, including two strikeouts, turning the game over to James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase to close it out.

Generally, guys who throw from the side don’t get it up to home plate at 95 MPH, so it gives Francona an option to show opposing a different look late in games.

The Cleveland bullpen had already taken the look of a “if you aren’t ahead after six, it doesn’t look good for you” relief corps through the first 30 games because of the performances of Bryan Shaw, Karinchak, and Clase.

Shaw is a remarkable story. He already ranks 8th on the Indians’ all time list for appearances with 391, and should be at least 6th by the end of the season. He was a mainstay of Francona’s bullpen from 2013 through 2017, pitching in 378 games, and led the American League in appearances 2014, 2016, and 2017 before departing for Colorado and a big contract.

He suffered through two bad seasons with the Rockies, a place not known to be kind to pitchers, and then pitched in just six games with Seattle last season, allowing 12 runs in six innings.

When he signed with the Tribe before spring training, there were plenty of comments, mostly negative. We thought what the heck, maybe he could regain his regular form after pretty much a year of inactivity.

He’s rewarded the Indians’ trust by being the man Francona calls on to pitch the 7th. He has a 2.03 ERA in 13 games, striking out 14 in 13-1/3 frames. The only down statistic is his eight walks.

Karinchek is putting up unworldly numbers right now. He allowed a HR to Hunter Dozier last week perhaps just to prove he is human, as he has allowed just 3 hits in 15 innings for the season, striking out two batters per inning. And his control, an issue in the past, has been excellent to date with just three walks.

He has been so dominant, he ranks 4th in WAR for the Indians at this point of the season, behind Jose Ramirez, Shane Bieber, and Aaron Civale.

Clase, with his 100 MPH cutter, has been more dominant than his numbers indicate, and his numbers are good (1.26 ERA and 15 K’s in 14-1/3 IP). He’s allowed 15 hits in those innings, but only six of those have been classed as line drives. The rest are ground balls that have gone either through the infield or been fielded but the batter beat the throw to first.

He’s also walked just three batters on the season.

We haven’t even mentioned Cal Quantrill (2.12 ERA), Phil Maton (16 strikeouts in 11 innings), and Nick Wittgren, who after a couple of shaky appearances has allowed just a single run in his last five outings.

And Rule 5 draftee Trevor Stephan hasn’t been in a game since April 28th.

The starting pitching gets a lot of the headlines because they keep the Indians in almost every game. But once the Tribe gets the lead, it’s very tough to get it back because of the bullpen. And if Sandlin continues to do what he did in KC, it’s a nightmare for opposing hitters and managers.

Things To Keep An Eye On For Tribe After A Week.

The Cleveland Indians will be home tomorrow afternoon for their home opener, weather permitting. It will be cold, but it will still be warmer than the Tribe bats were on the first trip on the season, as Terry Francona’s crew lost four of six to Seattle and Los Angeles.

To those who are prone to panic at this about the Indians, it is just six games, and we don’t start evaluating the team until 27 games, or 1/6th of the season is played.

However, that doesn’t mean some of the things we were concerned about as the off-season unfolded, and during spring training haven’t raised their ugly heads.

The old saying that you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone certainly applies to Bryan Shaw. Yes, the right-hander had some hiccups, and seemed to give up more than his share of key gopher balls, but for the most part, he was very reliable.

The bullpen misses him.

In two of the four Cleveland losses, the relief corps gave up tie breaking home runs, one by Dan Otero, and the other by the pitcher who has a history of allowing long balls in high leverage situations, Zack McAllister.

In addition, last Sunday after Otero allowed the tie breaker, Tyler Olson allowed another two run shot, meaning the ‘pen has already allowed four homers in six games (McAllister served up another in the blowout on Tuesday).

We are not concerned about the production from the top of the batting order because Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Jose Ramirez have established track records, and they will hit.

And it appears that Michael Brantley will be activated for the home opener, and if he can stay healthy, it will give the lineup another solid bat.

We can be a little worried about Bradley Zimmer though. It’s not the centerfielder’s .143 batting average (3 for 21) that is a concern. Heck, a 3 for 3 day on Friday would bring him to .250.

It’s the lack of contact which is worrying. The second year major leaguer has struck out in 11 of those 21 at bats, an alarming rate, and completelybo unacceptable for someone who can run like Zimmer.

Zimmer should be trying to bunt for hits two or three times per week, taking advantage of his speed, and helping him to make contact. We would also add that he hasn’t drawn a walk through six games either.

In addition to Zimmer’s strikeout woes, Yan Gomes is having them as well, fanning in eight of 14 at bats. The catcher has struggling with strike zone judgment before after winning a Silver Slugger Award in 2014.

In ’15, his strikeout to walk ratio was was 104:13, the following year, it was 69:9. Last season, it improved a bit to 99:31, and so did the rest of his offensive numbers.

A patient Gomes is a more productive Gomes. He has to understand this and have some degree of plate discipline.

This duo must be better for the Tribe to have a lineup with some length.

If we didn’t already have questions about these players coming into the season, we wouldn’t have them now. The season has a long, long way to go, and numbers are particularly volatile now.

But these were question marks coming in. It doesn’t make a question the long term future for the Indians, but they are things to keep an eye on.

A baseball man once said you should ignore what you see in April and September. For Zack McAllister, Bradley Zimmer, and Yan Gomes, we hope he was right.

Tribe Bullpen Will Need Revamping

One of the strengths of the Cleveland Indians the past several years has been their bullpen, but right now it could have a revamped look in 2018.

Sure, the back end of the relief corps is still anchored by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, which means the 8th and 9th innings are taken care of.

The problem right now is the bridge between the starting pitchers and that dynamic duo for the last two innings.

Terry Francona has lost one of his main guys in rubberarmed Bryan Shaw, and another reliever who came aboard at the trade deadline a year ago, Joe Smith, will also not be back.

On a lesser note, Shawn Armstrong, who was kind of the swing guy between the big leagues and AAA a year ago, was traded to Seattle.

Francona said at the end of last season that it may take two pitchers to take the place of Shaw, who appeared in an American League leading 79 games in ’17, and has led the AL in games pitched in three of the last four seasons.

It is hard to see the replacements for Shaw and Smith on the current roster.

Nick Goody, picked up in a minor deal with the Yankees about a year ago, is probably the next hurler on Tito’s pecking order. Goody was 1-2 with a 2.80 ERA in 54-2/3 innings in 2017. He did strikeout 72 hitters last year, so he has swing and miss stuff.

Dan Otero is a guy Francona leans on early in games, so perhaps he could used in the 6th and 7th innings. The righty was 3-0 with a 2.85 ERA in ’17, but he is more of a sinkerballer with only 38 whiffs in 60 innings.

Zack McAllister is another option, but Francona seems to be hesitant to use him in high leverage situations because he’s basically a one pitch pitcher.

Perhaps Danny Salazar, with his electric stuff and durability issues, can be moved to the bullpen, but no one knows how his arm will react to this change in roles, and can he be effective over the long haul.

There doesn’t seem to be any in the minor leagues ready to step in and contribute either, but then again, no one saw Goody as a legitimate option heading into spring training.

We are sure the front office is looking at either a deal or free agent options for the ‘pen too.

Since the current management team has been in place, the Tribe has found guys like Scott Atchison, Otero, and Goody in free agency or in minor deals, and they have provided great help in relief.

We mentioned former Indians’ farmhand Hector Rondon previously as an option. He had closer experience with the Cubs.

However, until the replacements have success when the games count for real in April, you have to wonder about them.

And you have to wonder if and when they gain Tito’s trust. The skipper has a clear pecking order in his bullpen with certain guys pitching when the Tribe has a late lead, and the rest being relegated to pitching when the Indians are behind.

Based on the performance of the front office over the past five seasons, we have trust they will find arms to replace Shaw and Smith.

But there will certainly be a different dynamic in the Cleveland bullpen next season. New relief toys for Terry Francona.

More Tribe Decisions: Kipnis, Gomes, Shaw.

Last week, we wrote about the dilemma the Cleveland Indians have surrounding the club option they hold on Michael Brantley, and the free agency of Carlos Santana and Jay Bruce.

There are also other decisions that need to be made regarding the make up of next year’s roster for the Tribe.

The first involves longtime Indian Jason Kipnis. Kipnis is scheduled to take a huge jump in pay in 2018, a $4.5 million raise, and he’s coming off an injury plagued poor season, hitting just .232 (705 OPS) with 12 home runs last season.

It appears by their actions at the end of the season that Kipnis no longer is the Indians’ second baseman either. When the veteran returned from a hamstring issue in September, he moved to centerfield, with Jose Ramirez staying at second.

So, with Bradley Zimmer seemingly the incumbent in center, and a likely platoon (if Bruce doesn’t return) in rightfield of Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer, if Brantley does return in ’18, where does that leave Kipnis?

Many have speculated that Kipnis will be dealt, but with the off year in ’17, a deal this winter will not bring the return the club would receive with a bounce-back season next summer.

So, it looks right now like the front office will be forced to choose between Brantley and Kipnis. Certainly not what they thought when the two signed contract extensions prior to the 2014 season.

The third player inked at that time and identified as a core piece was catcher Yan Gomes.

Gomes had a stellar ’14 season, hitting .278 (785 OPS) with 21 homers and winning the Silver Slugger Award.

Since then, it’s been all downhill. Injuries haunted the catcher in 2015 and 2016, with his offense all but disappearing in the latter year (.167 batting average, 527 OPS).

He rebounded a bit last season (.232, 14 HR, 56 RBI), but seemed to lose playing time down the stretch to Roberto Perez, a better pitch framer.

Gomes is still a very good defensive catcher with a plus arm, and could be a significant trade chip to a team looking for stability at the catching position.

If the organization wants to give Perez the bulk of the playing time going forward, Gomes could be a player who can bring something very valuable in return. We believe that will be the direction the front office is going in.

Bryan Shaw is also a free agent this off-season. For all the back and forth between his fans and critics, Shaw is durable and dependable, leading the AL in appearances three of the last four years.

With the bullpen craze the sport has seen in recent years, Shaw is going to get paid.

We would be interested in keeping him at a reasonable deal, but we feel another team is going to make him an unbelievable offer.

And with the wear and tear on the right-hander’s arm, it’s a risk to sign him long term.

Our fear is Shaw could follow the same career path as Scott Linebrink, who appeared in 70+ games from 2004-08 with San Diego and Milwaukee. The veteran went to the White Sox in 2009 and never had the same effectiveness, and was out of baseball at age 35.

Again, as a non-large market team, the Indians can’t afford to be paying a lot of money to someone who cannot contribute to the major league team.

With the World Series ending this week, these decisions will have to be made as early as this weekend.

Coming off an 102 win season and a division title, the Tribe front office has some tough calls to make.