After fans watched the Indians atrocious 2018 bullpen blow leads and magically turn wins into losses, the same fans had to sit idly by this offseason while the team made no major free agent acquisitions. A team that has long relied on veteran arms such as Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, and Andrew Miller, may have to look inward in the hopes of putting together a pen that won’t waste the efforts of a starting rotation that managed to stay intact this offseason.
Beyond closer Brad Hand, there are mostly question marks as to who will comprise the Indians’ 2019 bullpen. With members of the 40-man roster plus 20 non-roster invitees arriving in Goodyear, Arizona for spring training, the Indians will spend the next few months sifting through these players and others in search of answers. Although Manager Terry Francona has a penchant for relying on veterans to fill out his roster, the front office’s lack of free agent additions may force Tito to give some youngsters a shot to make the bullpen this season. Here are five young arms for fans to keep an eye on this spring.
Henry Martinez – Martinez is a flame throwing right-hander who signed with the Indians in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic. With a fastball that sits at 95-96 mph and has clocked in the triple digits, Martinez may be the most likely prospect to find his way to the Indians’ major league bullpen this season. Martinez does not only rely on his fastball, but also mixes in a curveball and slider he can throw for strikes. In 2018, Martinez advanced through three minor league levels, starting in High A Lynchburg, and ending the season with AAA Columbus. After pitching to a 2.76 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and eleven saves in 32 appearances with AA Akron, Martinez’s numbers in Columbus were not quite as impressive (10.64 ERA). It was, however, a limited sample size of eleven innings, in which Martinez still whiffed fourteen batters. If Martinez continues to show promise as a non-roster invitee this spring, he could help the Indians this season and eventually pitch his way into a set-up role for left-handed closer Hand.
Ben Taylor – After claiming him off waivers from the Boston Red Sox before the 2018 season, Taylor spent most of the year pitching for AAA Columbus. Taylor pitched well for the Clippers, and he should have a real opportunity to contribute to the major league pen this season. Taylor’s fastball clocks in the low-to-mid 90’s and tops out at 95-96 mph. Taylor also throws a slider and an occasional change-up. His 2.51 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 57 AAA innings last season indicate that he does not have much left to prove in the minor leagues. And if Taylor’s 10.99 strikeouts per nine innings in 2018 translate to major league hitters, he will be a welcome addition to the Indians’ 2019 roster.
Jefry Rodriguez – Rodriguez came over from the Washington Nationals during the offseason as part of the Yan Gomes trade, and Cleveland added him to its 40-man roster. Prior to the trade, MLB Pipeline named Rodriguez the Nationals’ 2018 prospect pitcher of the year, noting that his strides in 2018 could set him up to be a major contributor in 2019. The Nationals promoted Rodriguez to the big league club when injury hit its starting rotation. His fourteen game stint in the majors had its ups and downs, but by all accounts Rodriguez improved as the season progressed. Rodriguez’s make-up and pitch repertoire make him a legitimate candidate to contribute to the Indians’ bullpen this season. His fastball has good movement and can top out at 97-98 mph; he has a plus curveball that he should throw more often; and he developed a change-up that improved throughout the 2018 season. If Rodriguez can improve his control and walk less batters, he could find a role in the Indians’ pen sooner rather than later in 2019.
Rob Kaminsky – A 2013 St. Louis Cardinals’ first-round draft pick, the Indians acquired Kaminsky in exchange for Brandon Moss in 2015. Kaminsky, a non-roster spring training invitee, is a left-hander who spent his entire career as a starter. Last season AA Akron deployed him in relief after he returned from a year-long elbow injury, and Kaminsky found success. Kaminsky is a control pitcher with a good curveball, who has been set back in his career largely due to injury. He is, however, coming off a good Arizona Fall League performance, and he projects to be healthy for spring training. The Indians have depth options in front of Kaminsky in case injury (or trade) strike the Tribe’s starting five (see: Adam Plutko, Shao Ching-Chiang, Triston McKenzie). But if Kaminsky can stay healthy, he could be called upon to assist the Indians’ bullpen from the left side, especially if Tyler Olson falters or Father Time catches up with Oliver Perez.
Chih-Wei Hu – The Indians acquired Hu, a 25-year old right-hander, from Tampa Bay over the offseason and added him to its 40-man roster. Hu, like Rodriguez and Kaminsky, has spent much of his career as a starter, but has a chance to find success in relief with the Indians. With the AAA Durham Bulls last season, Hu pitched to a 5-7 record with a 4.66 ERA. Those numbers are not particularly impressive, but Hu has a 93-95 mph fastball and a plus change-up that could play well in the bullpen. Hu also exhibits decent control, issuing only 28 walks in 102 innings pitched with Durham last season. Although his fastball and changeup are his best pitches, he also throws a slider and curveball, and could serve as a spot starter for the Tribe in a pinch.
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