Bullpens are tricky. A lot of things can throw them off from year to year and even day to day. A unit that is generally the lowest paid throughout the club is often the most important yet the most volatile. There are those in Cleveland who cringe every time Bryan Shaw enters through the bullpen door, even Cody Allen, for some reason. You can read more about that here as well.
Despite the issues that the Indians bullpen has had, they’ve been a pretty solid unit. Not that you would know that by their lack of work needed this week. They have a 3.35 ERA, and a 3.91 FIP. A championship team needs a much better bullpen however and that will be one of the issues the Indians look to address as they hit the trade deadline, where according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, they’ll have money to spend, as they’ve been telling other teams.
One thing that’s interesting to note about the bullpen and its need for another piece is Terry Francona’s quote that using a bullpen at home is much easier. You can guess that this applies to managing a bullpen while trailing. On the road while trailing, you essentially have to set your match-ups to try and get to the next half inning or at bat without losing more ground while not burning out your top options without a lead. This of course applies to the stigma of not using “closers” in tie games. On the road in a tie or down a run, getting to the next half inning with a shot to win is all that should matter.
But does Francona use relievers differently at home and away?
Allen’s usage is the most split with 17 outings on the road as opposed to 13 at home, possibly pointing at using his top reliever to get the game to another inning in a tie. He has pitched in eight ties, three times trailing and 21 from ahead. Surprisingly has been much better on the road (2.12 ERA, 4.61 FIP on the road).
Shaw’s appearances are evenly split (16 home, 17 road) although the performances are different. (3.38 ERA at home, 6.75 on the road, mostly inflated due to his blow up in Detroit). He has pitched in 10 tie games, six when trailing and 21 with the lead.
Dan Otero has 12 appearances at home and 13 on the road, both with sparkling results. 13 of those outings however, have been when the Indians trailed as opposed to eight when ahead and four when tied. Zach McAllister has 13 outings both home and road with much better results at home. 14 of his 26 outings have come when the Indians led, 10 behind, five a tie.
In 13 games on the road, Jeff Manship has been numbers than in his 10 at home (1.64 ERA on the road, 4.00 on the road). 15 appearances have come when the Indians have been trailing, however. 19 times he’s appeared when the margin of the game has been more than four runs in either direction as opposed to five in tie games.
Joba Chamberlain has eight outings at home and nine on the road. He’s been great on both but he’s only appeared in two games with a lead and two with a tie. Tommy Hunter is the only pitcher who has as many games appeared in on the road as at home and both with leads and when trailing.
It’s also worth noting the Indians relievers have a 3.55 ERA (3.75 FIP) on the road and 3.77 ERA (3.98 FIP) at home. So while Francona says it’s easier to manage a bullpen at home possibly because the extra inning to fall back on, his pattern doesn’t change much. It’s mostly McAllister, Shaw and Allen when ahead and everyone else when trailing, tied or a big margin of difference, winning or losing.
Either way, it points to the fact that Francona needs to either use his other options, like Chamberlain, in key situations or that the bullpen needs another guy to help bridge the gap in any situation.
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