Indians rightly name Cody Allen, not Andrew Miller, the closer for 2017
That means Andrew Miller and Bryan Shaw will match up in the seventh and eighth innings
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
En route to the Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, Indians manager Terry Francona rewrote the book on bullpen usage during the postseason. He brought ace setup man Andrew Miller into games as early as the fifth inning, and both Miller and closer Cody Allen were used for multiple innings.
That plan works during the postseason because there are so many more off-days -- and also because every win is crucial -- but over the long haul of the regular season, it’s a recipe for burnout. Using a reliever like Francona used Miller in the postseason over a 162-game season means he’ll be out of gas by July. It won’t work.
On Saturday, Francona confirmed he will stick with Allen as his closer this season and continue to use Miller as a setup man, even though he is an objectively better pitcher than Allen. Allen is great too! But Miller is better. And yet, Allen is the closer.
Francona said Allen is his closer today. Still plans on matching up with relievers, but likes idea of having Allen in mind as the end point.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) February 18, 2017
This is, without a doubt in my mind, the best way for Francona to use his bullpen. Allen is very good and a more than capable closer. Using him in the ninth inning means Miller will be available to pitch in the most important situations earlier in the game, regardless of inning. If Miller is needed in the seventh, he can be used in the seventh. Same with the eighth. He won’t be married to the ninth.
Keep in mind this would not be a new idea. That’s how Francona used Miller during the regular season last year after he came over at the trade deadline. Here is when Francona brought Miller in to the game during the regular season:
- Sixth inning: 1 time
- Seventh inning: 8 times
- Eighth inning: 11 times
- Ninth inning: 5 times
- Extra innings: 1 time
The tricky part is figuring out when you’re looking at the most important moment of the game. Sometimes it’s obvious -- one-run lead in the seventh inning with two runners on base and Miguel Cabrera at the plate, for example -- and other times not so much. Do you let Miller get out of a jam in the seventh and let Bryan Shaw face the middle of the order in the eighth, for example?
As we saw last year, Francona is excellent with his bullpen, and not just in the postseason. He manages workloads well during the regular season and consistently gives his team the best chance for success with his pitching changes. Sometimes his moves backfire, but that’s baseball. You can do everything right and sometimes things still don’t work out.
I have no doubt using Allen as closer and Miller as a “moment of truth” reliever will create more wins for the Indians in 2017 than using Miller as the closer simply because he is the best reliever on the team. Using your best reliever in the game’s biggest moments is the way to go.
