Away Back Gone
FanSided

5 Free Agents the Indians Should Sign this Offseason

By Matthew Johns

Nov 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Mike Napoli hits a single against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning in game six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Mike Napoli hits a single against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning in game six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Sep 18, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jerry Blevins (39) pitches during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jerry Blevins (39) pitches during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Jerry Blevins – RP

The way Terry Francona used Andrew Miller last season was unlike anything baseball has seen before. Even though he is a setup man or even a closer by trade, it was not unusual to see Miller pitch in the sixth and throw 40 pitches.

Because of this, the Indians might want to pursue another left-handed reliever to put in the bullpen with Miller. It would be good to have a pitcher that can be used in match-up situations so that Miller can be saved for longer appearances later in games.

Jerry Blevins, formerly of the New York Mets, had an excellent 2016 season, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.79 ERA. He would be a great addition to an already strong bullpen. Blevins also averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, compared to just 3.2 walks.

Blevins made $4 million last season, which is about on par with where he should have been. Since he had a solid 2016 season, he could come for a little bit higher of a price, but not much. He is also a guy who the Indians could sign for longer than a year.

Blevins is from Arcadia, Ohio, which is a small town south of Toledo, Ohio. He would probably be open to the idea of being closer to home.

Home/Cleveland Guardians News