Miller Time!

[Auggie]

Indians' Andrew Miller has become postseason weapon unlike anything we've seen.
Miller's dominance in October has been historically great.

cbssports.com

CLEVELAND -- Success can be fleeting for small market teams. They need cheap young players to produce in a big way to contend, and when they are in contention, these small market clubs have to balance the present with the future. Do they trade prospects for in-season updates? Or keep the kids and hope for sustained success?

The Indians, who came into 2016 with the 22nd highest payroll in baseball, faced that exact decision at the trade deadline. They were in first place in the AL Central but had some clear needs, particularly in the bullpen. Cleveland was good enough to get to October. But where they good enough to win the World Series? Apparently not, according to the brain trust.

On July 31, the day before the trade deadline, the Indians traded four prospects to the Yankees for ace reliever Andrew Miller. They paid an extraordinary price -- two top 100 prospects and two others -- but Miller is a difference-maker, someone who's value increases in the postseason thanks to the built-in off-days. We're seeing exactly that this October.

SNIP

Miller's three appearances of at least 1 2/3 innings with at least four strikeouts ties the all-time single-postseason record held by 2002 Francisco Rodriguez and 1998 Dave Burba. K-Rod made 11 appearances that October as the Angels won the World Series. Burba did it as a long man who made a few lengthy mop-up appearances. Miller's team has played five games this postseason. Five.

MORE: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/indians-andrew-miller-has-become-postseason-weapon-unlike-anything-weve-seen/

Batter results facing Miller's through two ALCS games:

Strikeout
Strikeout
Single
Strikeout
Strikeout
Strikeout
Strikeout
Strikeout
Strikeout
Strikeout
4-3 ground out
Strikeout

[El Supremo]

1. Sure!

[Yavin4]

2. As a Yankees fan, I love this trade.

Clint Frazier could be a star in this league. Lord knows that the Yankees desperately need good young players.

[Auggie]

3. Made sense for them to do that. They needed new blood.

Word is they wanted the Giants' Joe Panik, along with prospects, for Miller. Bobby Evans and Brian Sabean wouldn't bite. But had they I think the Giants would be playing the Dodgers right now.

[Yavin4]

4. Yep.

Bullpens are everything in the post-season.