Cleveland Indians: No Need to Worry About Kluber’s Postseason Workload

Corey Kluber did it all for the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 postseason, but it should not be a cause for concern heading into the 2017 season.

There were countless moments from the 2016 postseason that will stay in fans’ memories for years to come. From Rajai Davis‘ home run to Andrew Miller‘s dominance, it was a special month of baseball for the Cleveland Indians.

But perhaps the most impressive performance of them all came from Corey Kluber. The ace logged 34.1 innings, appearing in six of the team’s 15 postseason games. This included three World Series starts, in which the team won two of those games.

But now, some may be concerned about all that work as the team heads into the 2017 regular season. He has had months to recover, but the amount he was used in October has led Terry Francona to hold off on naming Kluber the opening day starter, for now.

This is nothing to worry about. If anything, starting the first game of the season is more ceremonially than anything else. Each team puts their ace on the mound, but Kluber could even be skipped the first time through the rotation and inserted into that first slot during the second time around.

Kluber should still receive a normal amount of work during the regular season, but Francona must be smart to not work him too much if the team is once again clearly headed to the postseason. The ace logged 215 innings in the 2016 regular season, after 222 in 2015 and 235.2 in 2014.

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Having Kluber clock in around, or just below, the 200-innings mark should have him ready to go for the postseason.

Now, there is the argument that giving Kluber too much time off could affect the team’s chances of even making the postseason. That is true, but giving Kluber rest does not mean having him skip a start per month. It could mean taking him out of games earlier, as this year’s bullpen is expected to be even better than it was last year.

Kluber can be pulled in the fifth or sixth inning if the team has a decent lead, allowing him to work less, but still set up the team for wins every five games.

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So even if Kluber isn’t named the starter to open the season, no one should panic. He is still the ace, and needs to receive a bit of rest if the team is going to win the World Series in 2017.