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Cleveland Indians: Breaking down the Opening Day bullpen

BySteven Kubitza|
Oct 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Cody Allen (37) pitches during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game five of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Cody Allen (37) pitches during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game five of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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Feb 28, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (24) throws during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training game at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (24) throws during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training game at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Miller

There isn’t much to say about Andrew Miller that hasn’t already been said. He is the best reliever in baseball and should continue to hold that crown in 2017.

The difference this year is that he will be here for an entire season, thus meaning he will have a few bad outings throughout the course of the season. Some fans may panic, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the best in the game.

Miller appeared in 26 regular season games for the Indians in 2016, finishing with a 0.552 WHIP while striking out 46 batters and walking just two batters. He only improved upon that with 30 postseason strikeouts in 19.1 innings of work.

As stated throughout this piece, fans cannot expect Miller to go multiple innings all throughout the season. He did so in seven of his 10 postseason appearances, but it was out of necessity after all the injuries.

He is going to enter the year as the do-it-all reliever, being saved for high-leverage situations when the game could be won or lost at that very moment. He has proven that he can come in at any time, and has embraced that role. Having a star without an ego is a great thing for both the team and its fans.

Next: Jose Ramirez's deal perfect for team's future

This entire group is going to be a special one in 2017, and will serve as a great complement to what could be the best starting rotation in all of baseball.

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