Source: Indians further bolster bullpen with Logan
Lefty gets 1-year deal with club option for 2nd year
The Indians, already boasting one of the most reliable bullpens in baseball, added to it Thursday with Boone Logan. The veteran lefty agreed to terms on a one-year contract with a club option for a second year, pending a physical, MLB.com has learned.
MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal first reported the agreement. The club has not announced the deal.
The 32-year-old Logan becomes a second lefty for manager Terry Francona, but he'll be used in a different fashion than workhorse southpaw Andrew Miller. Logan is a more traditional lefty reliever, notoriously tough on left-handed batters. They hit just .142 (15-for-106) with 40 strikeouts against him last year with Colorado, where he spent the past three seasons.
Right-handed batters didn't fare much better off him, batting just .211 (12-for-57), but in far fewer at-bats. Add up the matchups, and Logan went 2-3 with a 3.69 ERA, one save and 27 holds, allowing just 27 hits over 46 1/3 innings with 20 walks and 57 strikeouts.
Francona hinted at such an addition during TribeFest last month, hoping to ease Miller's workload.
"Having a second lefty would be great," Francona told reporters, "but it also has to be a guy that can do what's asked when asked. In a perfect world, you have one, because then you potentially let Andrew not get up as much."
Logan, an 11-year Major League veteran, began his career in the American League Central, spending three seasons in the White Sox bullpen. He returns to a division with different left-handed hitters to confront, including Royals sluggers Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon, along with familiar Twins star Joe Mauer.