CLEVELAND — Arguably the greatest relief pitcher in Indians history has stepped off the mound for the last time.
Cody Allen, who threw for the Tribe for seven seasons and became the team's all-time saves leader, announced his retirement on Wednesday. The club confirmed an earlier report from MLB Network's Jon Heyman, who said the 32-year-old Allen "drew some interest" on the free agent market but in the end decided to call it quits.
A native of Orlando, Florida, Allen was drafted twice by Cleveland out of college, 16th round in 2010 and 23rd round in 2011. He signed with the team after the latter selection and quickly worked his way through the minor leagues, eventually making his Major League debut on July 20, 2012.
Allen finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 after posting a 2.43 ERA across 77 games, helping the Indians make the postseason. A year later, he took over the closer role from a struggling John Axford, and would not let it go for the bulk of the next four seasons. He saved 24 games with a 2.07 ERA that year, providing much-needed stability to a position that had given the organization issues for almost a decade.
Though some fans bristled at his occasional ninth-inning tightrope acts, Allen emerged as one of the league's consistently good relievers at the same time the Tribe was emerging as a true contender. He notched a career-high 34 saves in 2015, and the following season joined All-Star Andrew Miller in anchoring a bullpen that helped Cleveland reach the seventh game of the World Series. Allen did not allow a single run over 13 2/3 innings during that postseason while striking out 24 and and recording six saves, including Game 5 of the ALCS to capture the team's first AL pennant in 19 years.
On July 4, 2018, Allen recorded his 140th career save, passing Bob Wickman for the most in Indians history. He would save nine more games that year, but perhaps in-part from his heavy workload over the years, his ERA ballooned to 4.70 and he was replaced with Brad Hand as the closer. Allen left Cleveland after the season and spent 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels, but was released after failing to regain his form. He spent parts of 2019 and 2020 on the rosters of three other ballclubs, but never pitched in the big leagues again.
Allen finishes his career with a 3.14 ERA, a rate of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and 153 saves, all but four of which came with the Indians. He is one of only five players to save at least 100 games while wearing a Cleveland uniform, and his 456 games pitched are the most by any reliever in franchise history.