Company

Last week we discussed the final position player spot on your 2009 Cleveland Indians. Since then, all has been quiet on the Tribe front (except for new Browns GM George Kokinis invoking the classic Mark Shapiro “Championship-caliber club” line during that snoozer press conference yesterday). There are still a bunch of free agents who are looking for work (noted-juicer Eric Gagne, Ron Villone, 80 year old Mike Timlin among others), but when it comes to relief pitchers, in 2009, if you ever shown any sort of mild success, you probably have already been scooped up.

The core of the bullpen is set in place: newly signed Kerry Wood will be closing. In front of him are Lefty Rafael Perez and Right-handers Rafael Betancourt and Jensen Lewis. Newly acquired Joe Smith should be manning parts of the sixth and seventh innings, and Masa Kobayashi will be used wherever he is needed. Those six are locks for the opening day roster (though I think if Masa doesn’t prove he can sustain regular work, he could be dumped at some point). This leaves one spot open for a few intriguing candidates.

Adam Miller – RHP – At this point, the fire-balling phenom seems to be the leader in the clubhouse. Miller is still just 24 years old, even though we’ve been hearing his name since 2004 when he was 10-6 with a 2.95 ERA with 152 strikeouts in 134 innings for class A Kinston. You all know the story – “Atom” (as our friend Paul Cousineau of the Diatribe calls him) – has all the talent of the world, but cannot stay healthy.

His 2006 stay in Akron was legendary where he dominated AA hitters to the tune of a 15-6 record, a 2.75 ERA, with 157 K’s in 153 2/3 innings. Whether its his elbow (2005) or his finger (2007 and again in 2008), Miller’s rise as a dominant, front of the rotation starter has been curtailed. With a hole in the bullpen, his health problems, and his 98-plus MPH sinking fastball, Miller seemed like a natural to become the Indians version of Joba Chamberlain.

So in the Arizona Fall League, The Tribe brass had the 24 year old pitching out of the pen to prepare him for Spring Training. Said Indians Minor League Director Ross Atkins: “I saw Adam punch out five of six guys in his last game. I saw a 97 mph fastball, an 89 mph sinker. I saw the complete Adam Miller, and we have every reason to believe his finger problems won’t reoccur.”

Imagine having a young Kerry Wood setting up for Kerry Wood? Miller is clearly the option with the most upside. The real question is whether the Indians want him to start in Columbus and get regular work as a late-inning reliever until they feel is his completely ready to contribute with the Tribe.

Zach Jackson – LHP – “The Zach Attack” provides an interesting dilemma for Manager Eric Wedge and Pitching coach Carl Willis. With the potential for the rotation to end with the iffy Carl Pavano, and kids Anthony Reyes and Aaron Laffey, for the first time in years, the Indians may need to keep a long man on the roster. This is where Jackson comes in.

Tribe fans have been so spoiled by the quality starts since 2005, that needing a guy to save the staff from time to time wasn’t even on the radar screen. Jackson showed over the last month and a half of the season that while he is far from spectacular, he is solid enough to stick with the big club. Every time I looked up when The Attack was on the mound, he was still pitching into the sixth. If Shapiro hears from Wedge and Willis that there is a concern with the starting staff, Jackson could be kept.

Rich Rundles – LHP – For years, Shapiro and his predecessor John Hart loved to keep two lefties in the bullpen. Whether it was Paul Assenmacher and Ricardo Rincon or Rafael Perez and Craig Breslow, the Tribe brass would prefer to have that matchup left-hander to be used for one batter. That guy in 2009 is Rich Rundles.

A career minor leaguer, the 27 year old side-winder has pitched his way onto the Indians radar screen with his performances in the past two years in Akron and Buffalo. He struck out 60 in 55 innings in AAA last year and earned a September call-up, where Wedge didn’t hesitate to use him in the late innings to get tough lefties. In eight appearances, Rundles allowed just one earned run in Cleveland and earned the respect of his manager and pitching coach. If they choose to go with two lefties, one being a strictly matchup guy, Rundles breaks camp with the Indians.

John Meloan – RHP – Acquired in the Casey Blake deal, the 24 year old University of Arizona product was a dominant reliever in AA and AAA for the Dodgers in 2007. At age 22, he was 5-2 with 19 saves and a 2.18 ERA in 38 games in Jacksonville.  After striking out a whopping 70 in 45 1/3 innings, the Dodgers moved him up to Las Vegas where he posted a 1.69 ERA in 14 games.

With an organizational void in regards to young starting pitching, the Dodgers moved him into their AAA rotation in 2008. This turned out to be a failure and Meloan was dealt to the Tribe. Shapiro is fascinated with his live arm and immediately moved him back to the bullpen, hoping he can regain his 2007 form. Meloan could easily come to Goodyear, have a big spring and force his way onto the 25 man roster. Do I think it will happen? No, but it is nice to have the young depth in Columbus with a guy like Meloan. Injuries always occur, and you can bet at some point this season, we will be seeing him in Cleveland.

Edward Mujica – RHP - Let me go on record by saying I have seen enough of Moo-Heeks to know that I have seen too much. He is out of options and has had three years to show the Indians front office that he is a consistent major league reliever. But “consistent” and “Edward Mujica” don’t belong in the same sentence.

Mujica has been known to show great form in AAA as both a setup guy and a closer.  The 4A special. At times last year, he was actually the best Indians reliever not named Rafael Perez. But after a stretch of 11 straight scoreless appearances in June and July (lowering his ERA from 9.00 to 3.86), Eddie fell right back down to earth. He ended the season with a 6.75 ERA in 33 appearances.

The hope is that he pitches well enough in Goodyear that a desperate team would bite on him. I just don’t see how that is going to happen. More than likely, Mujica will be designated for assignment by the end of March.

The Indians made a couple of quiet signings for depth in Columbus and to possibly compete for the last spot in the bullpen; veterans Matt Herges, Greg Aquino, and Kirk Saarloos. In the end, I think it comes down to whether or not they choose to keep a long man over Adam Miller. It wouldn’t surprise me one but if Zach Jackson is the seventh man in the pen. But make no mistake, Miller will be a factor in 2009.