Clevelinks: Can Cleveland Indians Cody Allen and Jeff Manship Build on 2015?

Cleveland Indians Bullpen Reviews

The Cleveland Indians’ closer, Cody Allen, had quite the season in 2015, as noted by Katrina Putnam. The former 23rd-round pick continued to improve by reducing the number of home runs he allowed and by slicing away at the percent of batters he walked. Across 69 dominant innings, the right-hander accrued 34 saves in 38 appearances. Even more impressive, he fanned an astounding 99 batters.

This success, however, will inflate his price tag in 2016, as he will be arbitration eligible for the first time. My model projects a $3.5 million dollar salary for the soon-to-be 27-year-old, and this seems like an accurate prediction. Given that he did not save many ballgames before 2015, his salary should be significantly lower than what it would be if many Indians fans had had their wishes.

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In other pitching news, Nicholas Blazek wondered if Jeff Manship would take the next step in 2016. The 30-year-old latched on with the Cleveland Indians as a Spring Training invitee after a series of failed season with the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and Philadelphia Phillies. 2015 was a completely different season from anything he had done in the past, and while his 0.92 ERA was much better than ERA estimators would suggest, there is no denying the shift he made. In just under a season he went from being too bad for the 89-loss Phillies to a vital member of the 81-win Indians. As a side note, Manship is also eligible for salary arbitration, and my model expects him to earn around $750k.

Next: The Small Market Excuse Needs to Go

More from around the AL Central:

Cleveland Indians Closer Cody Allen Just Keeps Getting Better – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians: Is Jeff Manship Ready to Take the Next Step? – Wahoo’s on First