The Cleveland Indians are just four games out of first place in the AL Central Division. While the Tribe’s offense has flashed some memorable late inning magic to win games, it’s the end of the bullpen we should be worried about. Where can the Indians find a new closer?
Closer than you think.
Vinnie Pestano‘s late inning nail biting attempts are enough. Pestano was one of the best set-up men in baseball. Let’s keep it that way. The wildness and free flowing attitude of Chris Perez will not get the Tribe through the rest of the season. Perez’s antics with packages of marijuana arriving at his doorstep, shows that his head isn’t quite there this year. So what should the Tribe do in the ninth inning of a closable game?
The thing that I love about baseball is the fact that anyone can replace anyone at any given time. For the past twenty years, the Cleveland farm system has proved that concept over and over again. In Columbus, there is a closer that can help stabilize the back of the pen. His name is Preston Guilmet and he has saved 86 career minor league games so far.
From the University of Arizona, the Indians selected Guilmet in the ninth round of the 2009 Draft. Tied for second in all of Triple A in saves this season, Guilmet has a 2.50 ERA and 16 saves in 30 appearances. A native of California, the 25-year-old has allowed just 10 earned runs in 36 innings and opponents are hitting .197 against the youngster. Guilmet doesn’t have a devastating fastball, but he gets batters out. In the ninth inning, three outs with zero runs scored are all that matter.
The Wahoo maniacs and Fans of the Feather want playoff baseball this season. The Indians trail the Detroit Tigers by four games. To have a shot at the division, Cleveland needs to stabilize the back of the bullpen soon. The Tribe starts an 11 game road trip tonight against the Baltimore Orioles.
Ryan Ruiz is the Cleveland Sports Beat Writer for The Inscriber: Digital Magazine. You can follow him on Facebook: Ryan Ruiz (BrownsWriter) and Twitter @ryanpruiz24.