Cleveland Indians: The bullpen is set for Opening Day

The Cleveland Indians announced the final member of the bullpen, confirming the final piece for what should be a dominant unit.

The Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day roster is nearly complete, as the bullpen is now set as the seventh and final member has been named.

The battle for the final bullpen spot was indeed won by Shawn Armstrong, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of the three he beat out get a chance during the year if he struggles.

He now joins a dominant group featuring Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Boone Logan, Zach McAllister and Dan Otero.

The group is filled with five players who could realistically come in to close out a game, with Armstrong and McAllister being options for relief earlier in games, and late in those in which a win is out of reach. That does not mean either can’t come in during meaningful situations, but they must earn that right throughout the year.

Along with a healthy starting rotation that ranks among the best in all of baseball , the Indians bullpen enters the year as arguably one of the top groups in the league. There isn’t one weak spot, and the addition of Logan gives the group more depth when it comes to facing left-handed hitting.

The key for the unit will be to stay rested, with that responsibility falling on Terry Francona. That doesn’t mean sitting Miller or Allen for several days at a time after an outing, but the two can’t be logging multiple innings a few times a week. Francona is a genius baseball mind, so there should be no worries of him not managing his players efficiently.

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There may be some small changes throughout the season, but fans should expect most of this group to be here for the entire season and hopefully another postseason.