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Cody Allen named closer for 1-2 punch, best in baseball? (yes!)


mjp28

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Whether accidental or intentional, Indians manager Terry Francona has avoided specifically referring to Cody Allen as his closer over the years. Applying that label did not always provide the proper description for the reliever's duties. If a situation came up earlier than the ninth, Allen has been available out of the bullpen.

 

With relief ace Andrew Miller now in the fold -- an arm best described as a leverage weapon for Francona -- the manager has altered his tune some on Allen's job title. Miller is the versatile option for any inning that Francona sees fit. Allen gives Cleveland's talented bullpen an end point.

 

"Cody is our closer," Francona said after Saturday's full-squad workout. "For the most part, having him knowing he's there at the end is good. It's good for everybody else. It allows some flexibility for looking at matchups and things. When there's an end in sight for the guys, it's good for everybody."

Coming off a great season and a historic postseason run, Andrew Miller is set to enter 2017 as a top setup man with opportunities to close

 

Miller and Allen formed one of the all-time great bullpen duos last postseason.

 

Miller set single-playoff relief records for innings (19 1/3) and strikeouts (30), while logging 10 multi-inning efforts and posting a 1.40 ERA. For his efforts, the towering lefty took home the Most Valuable Player Award for the American League Championship Series against Toronto. In the postseason, Allen didn't allow a run in his 13 2/3 innings, ending with 24 strikeouts. The righty set a single-postseason record with 15.8 strikeouts per nine innings (minimum nine innings).

 

Throughout Cleveland's postseason run, Francona pushed his bullpen to the extreme. Miller entered the game in the fifth inning three times and also came in during the sixth (twice), seventh (four times) and eighth (once). Allen, for the most part, entered the game after the lefty, picking up six postseason saves. Only once, during Game 3 of the ALCS, did Allen enter before Miller.

 

"The reason I did it then was Andrew had been extended," said Francona, referring to how much Miller had been used in the previous games. "We were going to extend Cody. Then, we had Andrew to close if we were winning. If we weren't winning, we didn't use Andrew. That was really all it was."

 

That appears to be the blueprint for the upcoming season........CONTINUED. .......

 

http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/216399072/cody-allen-to-close-for-cleveland-indians/

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