Cleveland Indians: What to do with the closer role

Cody Allen has caused heart rates to rise all over northeast Ohio in his years with the team. Now that his contract is almost expired, what should the Indians do with him given his recent struggles?

It hasn’t been easy to watch Cody Allen struggle in 2018. He got off to great start in 2018 but June and July have been horrid for the Cleveland Indians regular closer. He had to carry a lot of the load when the bullpen had it’s struggles in May and June, but now that he has Andrew Miller and Brad Hand alongside him, he shouldn’t feel as much pressure.

But Allen is still finding struggles despite the support. Allen only has four blown saves on the year, but they have come at the worst moments. It’s the same number of blown saves he had in 2017 but there is still a month left in the season. The Indians have options outside of Allen for closer, and they’ve been rotating those options recently but the hard luck fell on Cody Allen’s night last night.

What’s the best option for the Indians to use as a closer at this point? Using a revolving door isn’t a horrible option. It takes the pressure off one individual player. But Brad Hand has handled that pressure well.

Hand has been the best arm in the Tribe bullpen since coming to Cleveland. He looks like the best option for the team at this point. Cody Allen likely won’t be with the team in 2019 so it just feels like it would be best to give someone else some time to feel comfortable in the closer role.

At this point it feels like at this point the Indians will likely continue to use the revolving door of Allen, Miller, and Hand. But it’ll be interesting to see if that carries into the playoffs. But who do you think the Indians should use? Let us know in the comments!