Cleveland Indians: Bryan Shaw ranked high among free agent pitchers

Some Cleveland Indians fans may hate Bryan Shaw, but he is one of the top available arms in this year’s free agent class.

The sight of Bryan Shaw emerging from the bullpen was enough to drive some Cleveland Indians fans insane over the past few years. But in reality, he was one of the most reliable guys on the team.

Shaw has been with the Indians since 2013, but he may be on the move now that he is a free agent and his stock has risen after making 79 appearances in 2017. It was his fifth consecutive season of at least 70 appearances.

That could put him in the range to receive closer money, even if he remains a setup man in his next city. That city could be Cleveland, but having money available for Shaw could be contingent upon what happens with Carlos Santana, and possibly even Austin Jackson.

Shaw appears in Call to the Pen’s list of the top 25 free agents pitchers this offseason, coming in at No. 18 overall.

From the article:

"Shaw essentially had a 2017 like every year of his career. There are teams worried about Shaw’s usage – he’s appeared in at least 70 games every season since 2013 – but he’s been consistent throughout that time. He’s not a closer, but he’s arguably the most reliable and valuable setup man available on the market, and he could end up outpacing some of the “closer” candidate types."

The article suggests Shaw’s salary will be three-years, $17 million, which could be on the low end, but is realistic if no team rushes to sign Shaw and the market evens out over the next month or so.

No matter how many fans hated Shaw, he was a key piece to the success of the bullpen since 2013. The hate comes from a few collapses each season, but that happens to every reliever. I’m not honestly sure why the leeches latched onto Shaw.

His departure would require someone to step up and appear in nearly half the Indians’ games in 2018, logging meaningful innings to set up both Cody Allen and Andrew Miller in high-leverage situations.

Next: Analyzing this week's roster decisions

The Indians could choose to pick Joe Smith over Shaw in free agency, but I assume the team will make a fair run at Shaw before giving up and moving on.