Another player, who started the season with the Toledo MudHens, will be joining the Tigers today as the Tigers have called up catcher Bryan Holaday. It is not known who will be removed from the 25-man and 40-man rosters to make room. Speculation is that catcher Alex Avila, who left last night's game with a sore hamstring will hit the disabled list. He was sent for an MRI after the game, but the results are unknown.
With Avila and Gerald Laird both hurt (Laird was clearly limping while running the bases yesterday), the only healthy catcher was Omir Santos. Thus, the need for Holaday. Holaday is not much of a hitter (batting .248/.313/.314) for Triple-A Toledo this year) but has a reputation as a good defender.
Some are asking why Double-A Erie SeaWolves catcher Rob Brantly was not added instead. After all, he is the better prospect and his hitting .311/.359/.461 so far this year. It could be because they don't want to interfere with his development, although the Tigers are generally not averse to promoting young players aggressively to the majors. It's also possible they feel that Holaday is more ready to handle the Tigers major league staff.
There is no word on who will be taken off the 40-man roster to make room for Holaday. It will probably be a pitcher and I'm going to guess it will be 27-year-old Thad Weber because of his marginal prospect status and advanced age.
Showing posts with label transactions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transactions. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Brandon Inge Released
After a twelve-year career in Detroit, Brandon Inge was unconditionally released by the Tigers today. When the Tigers moved Miguel Cabrera to third base upon the acquisition of first baseman Prince Fielder, Inge requested an opportunity to win the second base job. The Tigers did give him an opportunity as the right-hand half of a platoon, but it quickly became clear that it wasn't going to work out. Not only did he continue to struggle at the plate even against left handers, but he also did not adapt very well to his new position.
Throughout his career, Inge has been the most bipolar Tiger among internet fans. Most fans either supported and defended him or they disliked everything about him. I was somewhere in between and never really understood the controversy. I saw him as the Tom Brookens of the 21st Century, a player who probably would have been better cast as a role player, but maintained a regular job mostly as a third baseman.
Like any player, Inge had his strengths and weaknesses. He was never a good contact hitter and holds the all-time Tigers career strikeout record. He was, however, a strong defensive third baseman in his prime and had decent power. The Tigers probably kept him a little longer than they should have, but that tends to happen with long-tenured players. This situation never should have been the big deal that fans made it out to be.
With Inge out of the picture, Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago will split time at second base. There was some thought that the Tigers might replace Inge with infielder Danny Worth, but the Tigers will go in a different direction.
Instead of recalling Worth, the Tigers will purchase the contract of first baseman/outfielder/designated hitter Brad Eldred. The six-foot-six 270 pound right-handed batter is the ultimate journeyman having played with twelve teams in six different organizations since 2002. He was not in the team's plans when the season started but he is off to a monster start at Triple-A Toledo. He is batting .388 with 23 extra base hits and 13 home runs in 20 games! The Tigers will likely hope to catch lightning in a bottle by platooning him with the left-handed Dirks until he cools down.
Throughout his career, Inge has been the most bipolar Tiger among internet fans. Most fans either supported and defended him or they disliked everything about him. I was somewhere in between and never really understood the controversy. I saw him as the Tom Brookens of the 21st Century, a player who probably would have been better cast as a role player, but maintained a regular job mostly as a third baseman.
Like any player, Inge had his strengths and weaknesses. He was never a good contact hitter and holds the all-time Tigers career strikeout record. He was, however, a strong defensive third baseman in his prime and had decent power. The Tigers probably kept him a little longer than they should have, but that tends to happen with long-tenured players. This situation never should have been the big deal that fans made it out to be.
With Inge out of the picture, Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago will split time at second base. There was some thought that the Tigers might replace Inge with infielder Danny Worth, but the Tigers will go in a different direction.
Instead of recalling Worth, the Tigers will purchase the contract of first baseman/outfielder/designated hitter Brad Eldred. The six-foot-six 270 pound right-handed batter is the ultimate journeyman having played with twelve teams in six different organizations since 2002. He was not in the team's plans when the season started but he is off to a monster start at Triple-A Toledo. He is batting .388 with 23 extra base hits and 13 home runs in 20 games! The Tigers will likely hope to catch lightning in a bottle by platooning him with the left-handed Dirks until he cools down.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Clete Thomas Designated for Assignment
The Tigers announced yesterday that outfielder Clete Thomas has been designated for assignment in order to make room for pitcher Drew Smiley, who will start his first major league game today. The Tigers now have ten days to trade or release or send Thomas to the minors. If they want to keep him in the minors, they would first have to get him through waivers.
The 28-year old Thomas entered spring training with a chance to make the Tigers over 26-year old Andy Dirks. Thomas had the advantage of being out of options and is a superior defender to Dirks. However, he continued to have trouble making contact in spring training while Dirks had a fine spring.
Given that they kept Thomas into the season, it seems that the Tigers are interested in keeping him. However, with some teams looking for backup outfielders, it might be difficult for him to clear waivers. From Thomas' viewpoint, I imagine it would be best for him to get a fresh start in another organization.
The Jacksonville, Florida native has been in the Tigers organization since 2005 when he was drafted in the 6th round of the amateur draft. Thomas played on the parent Tigers in 2008-2009 and had moderate success batting .253/.336/.391 in 443 plate appearances. It's a limited sample, but there are only three current Tigers - Alex Avila, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder - with a higher lifetime OBP.
Thomas has always been a favorite of mine, so I wish him luck wherever he ends up.
The 28-year old Thomas entered spring training with a chance to make the Tigers over 26-year old Andy Dirks. Thomas had the advantage of being out of options and is a superior defender to Dirks. However, he continued to have trouble making contact in spring training while Dirks had a fine spring.
Given that they kept Thomas into the season, it seems that the Tigers are interested in keeping him. However, with some teams looking for backup outfielders, it might be difficult for him to clear waivers. From Thomas' viewpoint, I imagine it would be best for him to get a fresh start in another organization.
The Jacksonville, Florida native has been in the Tigers organization since 2005 when he was drafted in the 6th round of the amateur draft. Thomas played on the parent Tigers in 2008-2009 and had moderate success batting .253/.336/.391 in 443 plate appearances. It's a limited sample, but there are only three current Tigers - Alex Avila, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder - with a higher lifetime OBP.
Thomas has always been a favorite of mine, so I wish him luck wherever he ends up.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tigers Option Tyler Stohr, Reassign Darin Downs
The Tigers "cut" two more pitchers from their major league camp this morning - relievers Tyler Stohr and Darin Downs. The right-handed Stohr was optioned to Double-A Erie and the left-handed Downs was reassigned to their minor league camp. Neither move was a surprise. The Tigers still need to drop 19 more players prior to opening day.
The 25-year-old Stohr posted a 3.79 ERA in 57 innings pitched for Single-A Lakeland and and Double-A Erie last year. Baseball America ranked Stohr as the Tigers 17th best prospect of 2012. He was the sixth round pick in the Tigers infamous reliever draft of 2008. While the reliever strategy didn't work out too well, the Tigers did draft catcher Alex Avila in the fifth round that year.
The 27-year-old Downs was a spring training invitee, who pitched in the Florida organization in 2011. He had a 4.66 ERA in 112 innings as a swing man working at Double-A and Triple-A. Everything you wanted to know or didn't want to know about Downs can be found in this brief video.
The 25-year-old Stohr posted a 3.79 ERA in 57 innings pitched for Single-A Lakeland and and Double-A Erie last year. Baseball America ranked Stohr as the Tigers 17th best prospect of 2012. He was the sixth round pick in the Tigers infamous reliever draft of 2008. While the reliever strategy didn't work out too well, the Tigers did draft catcher Alex Avila in the fifth round that year.
The 27-year-old Downs was a spring training invitee, who pitched in the Florida organization in 2011. He had a 4.66 ERA in 112 innings as a swing man working at Double-A and Triple-A. Everything you wanted to know or didn't want to know about Downs can be found in this brief video.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
How many Wins Will Prince Fielder Add?
There have been a lot of emotional reactions around the internet to yesterday's shocking Prince Fielder signing. Detroit fans, for the most part, are in love with the acquisition and do not seem to see any possible downside to the deal On the other hand, many national fans and analysts are suggesting that the Tigers have made a mistake. Most of their critique touches upon either the length of the deal or the move of Miguel Cabrera to third base or both. Some of the opposing viewpoints have been listed at Bless You Boys.
So, who is right - the euphoric fans or the critical analysts? If you have read my blog before, you probably guessed what I think - that the truth is in between the two extremes. First, I am less concerned about contracts than most analysts. Whether a contract is good or bad depends on so many different variables that you can't really answer the question with a formula.
In this case, some critics might not be understanding how Tigers owner Mike Illitch probably views the deal. Illitch is 82 years old and wants to win a World Series badly and he wants it now. I think this signing is a win now move more than a carefully calculated long-term deal. I don't believe Illitch is concerned about what happens nine years from now or seven or even five. For all we know, they might be under new ownership by 2016 and staging a gigantic fire sale.
So, I think evaluation of the deal has to be made based on the early years of the contract. In fact, there is so much uncertainty about whether Cabrera can handle the move to third and what happens next year when Victor Martinez returns, I am just going to look at 2012 for now. What follows is my obligatory WAR analysis.
Last week, I tried to answer the question of how many games the Tigers would lose if Martinez was replaced by one of the lower priced free agents such as Johnny Damon. I estimated that it was about two games.
This week's question is: How many wins do the Tigers gain in 2012 by adding Prince Fielder to replace Victor Martinez? This is not a simple matter of subtracting Martinez's expected WAR from Fielder's expected WAR. There are moving parts which need to be considered - most notably Cabrera's shift to third.
What we need to do is compare the WAR totals of the old alignment (Cabrera at first, Brandon Inge/ Don Kelly at third, Martinez at DH,) to the new set up (Fielder at first, Cabrera at third, some DH combo). WAR Projections for the first group are as follows:
1B. Cabrera 7.0
3B. Inge/Kelly 0.5 (barely above replacement)
DH. Martinez 3.0
Total 10.5
Now, the second trio:
1B. Fielder 5.5
3B. Cabrera 6.5 (assuming about 20 runs below average defensively)
DH. Andy Dirks/ Ryan Raburn/ Don Kelly/ etc 1.5
Total 13.5
So, the Tigers gain three wins (13.5-10.5) by adding Fielder over Martinez. Really? Just three wins? Yes, because Martinez is quite productive. Also remember that three wins is actually a lot for team with playoff aspirations.
Fielder's three wins over Martinez and five to six wins over replacement does remind us though that one player generally does not make the huge difference that is traditionally believed. Fielder is a tremendous acquisition, but he can only do so much. A lot of things need to keep going right to assure another division title and hopefully a better post-season result - the pitching in particular. But that's a topic for another post.
So, who is right - the euphoric fans or the critical analysts? If you have read my blog before, you probably guessed what I think - that the truth is in between the two extremes. First, I am less concerned about contracts than most analysts. Whether a contract is good or bad depends on so many different variables that you can't really answer the question with a formula.
In this case, some critics might not be understanding how Tigers owner Mike Illitch probably views the deal. Illitch is 82 years old and wants to win a World Series badly and he wants it now. I think this signing is a win now move more than a carefully calculated long-term deal. I don't believe Illitch is concerned about what happens nine years from now or seven or even five. For all we know, they might be under new ownership by 2016 and staging a gigantic fire sale.
So, I think evaluation of the deal has to be made based on the early years of the contract. In fact, there is so much uncertainty about whether Cabrera can handle the move to third and what happens next year when Victor Martinez returns, I am just going to look at 2012 for now. What follows is my obligatory WAR analysis.
Last week, I tried to answer the question of how many games the Tigers would lose if Martinez was replaced by one of the lower priced free agents such as Johnny Damon. I estimated that it was about two games.
This week's question is: How many wins do the Tigers gain in 2012 by adding Prince Fielder to replace Victor Martinez? This is not a simple matter of subtracting Martinez's expected WAR from Fielder's expected WAR. There are moving parts which need to be considered - most notably Cabrera's shift to third.
What we need to do is compare the WAR totals of the old alignment (Cabrera at first, Brandon Inge/ Don Kelly at third, Martinez at DH,) to the new set up (Fielder at first, Cabrera at third, some DH combo). WAR Projections for the first group are as follows:
1B. Cabrera 7.0
3B. Inge/Kelly 0.5 (barely above replacement)
DH. Martinez 3.0
Total 10.5
Now, the second trio:
1B. Fielder 5.5
3B. Cabrera 6.5 (assuming about 20 runs below average defensively)
DH. Andy Dirks/ Ryan Raburn/ Don Kelly/ etc 1.5
Total 13.5
So, the Tigers gain three wins (13.5-10.5) by adding Fielder over Martinez. Really? Just three wins? Yes, because Martinez is quite productive. Also remember that three wins is actually a lot for team with playoff aspirations.
Fielder's three wins over Martinez and five to six wins over replacement does remind us though that one player generally does not make the huge difference that is traditionally believed. Fielder is a tremendous acquisition, but he can only do so much. A lot of things need to keep going right to assure another division title and hopefully a better post-season result - the pitching in particular. But that's a topic for another post.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Yes, The Tigers Really did Sign Prince Fielder
I just got out of long meeting at work, so I decided to quickly check a couple of things on the internet before I got back to my programming and statistics. I looked at Twitter and saw a tweet about the Tigers signing Prince Fielder and figured that one of the Twitter imposters was messing around again. Then I saw something from the reliable Jon Morosi and realized it was real. My first thought was that Fielder signed with the Tigers for one year so that he could test the free agent marked again next year. Reading a little further, I was shocked to find out that the Tigers are signing him to a nine- year deal worth $214 million.. I've been following the Tigers for 44 years and I've never been this surprised by a move. I don't think anybody saw it coming at all.
I'm still digesting this and it's too early to do a thorough analysis, but needless to say the Tigers have found their replacement for the injured Victor Martinez. Apparently, owner Mike Illitch has decided he is not going to worry about budgets and wants to win now at any cost. The first obvious long-term question is what to do about the first base and designated hitter positions when Victor Martinez is ready to play in 2013. I would imagine they would be trading Cabrera or Fielder at that point (Edit: This now seems unlikely with the move of Cabrera to third base) , but it's too early to think about.
For now, their 2012 line-up will probably look something like this:
Jackson CF
Boesch RF
Cabrera DH
Fielder 1B
Young LF
Avila C
Peralta SS
Santiago 2B
Inge 3B
Do I like the move? Well, there is a risk all the big contracts could put them in a bind if Illitch decides to slash the budget in the future. The move is so big and so unbelievable though that I have no choice but to love it as a fan. It's obvioulsly great for this year. I'll analyze the rest of it later.
I'm still digesting this and it's too early to do a thorough analysis, but needless to say the Tigers have found their replacement for the injured Victor Martinez. Apparently, owner Mike Illitch has decided he is not going to worry about budgets and wants to win now at any cost. The first obvious long-term question is what to do about the first base and designated hitter positions when Victor Martinez is ready to play in 2013. I would imagine they would be trading Cabrera or Fielder at that point (Edit: This now seems unlikely with the move of Cabrera to third base) , but it's too early to think about.
For now, their 2012 line-up will probably look something like this:
Jackson CF
Boesch RF
Cabrera DH
Fielder 1B
Young LF
Avila C
Peralta SS
Santiago 2B
Inge 3B
Do I like the move? Well, there is a risk all the big contracts could put them in a bind if Illitch decides to slash the budget in the future. The move is so big and so unbelievable though that I have no choice but to love it as a fan. It's obvioulsly great for this year. I'll analyze the rest of it later.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Will Rhymes Non-tendered
The Tigers will not be offering a contract to second baseman Will Rhymes before tonight's deadline and will instead allow him to become a free agent. Rhymes surprised many with his solid play late in 2010 and won the starting second base job coming out of spring training this year. Unfortunately, he batted .235/.323/.271 and was sent to Toledo after just 85 at bats.
The 28-year-old Rhymes was probably more controversial than he should have been as a Tiger. His scrappy play and social-media friendly ways made him popular with some, but turned off others who felt he was getting in the way of Scott Sizemore. In reality, Rhymes worked hard to get to the majors and captured lightning in a bottle late last year, but was never a top prospect. He probably continued to play as long as he did because they were disappointed with Sizemore's development than anything else.
The move leaves the Tigers with 39 players on their 40-man roster. Delmon Young will almost surely be tendered a contract today, although they are still looking for a more defensive-oriented left fielder for Comerica Park.
The 28-year-old Rhymes was probably more controversial than he should have been as a Tiger. His scrappy play and social-media friendly ways made him popular with some, but turned off others who felt he was getting in the way of Scott Sizemore. In reality, Rhymes worked hard to get to the majors and captured lightning in a bottle late last year, but was never a top prospect. He probably continued to play as long as he did because they were disappointed with Sizemore's development than anything else.
The move leaves the Tigers with 39 players on their 40-man roster. Delmon Young will almost surely be tendered a contract today, although they are still looking for a more defensive-oriented left fielder for Comerica Park.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Tigers Close to Deal with Octavio Dotel
Danny Knobler of CBSSports is reporting that the Tigers are close to signing reliever Octavio Dotel. If the deal becomes official, the 38-year-old right-hander will break a record by joining his 13th MLB team. It is not known yet whether it's a one or two year deal or how much much he'll be paid.
Dotel has been a consistent performer throughout most of his career and is showing no signs of aging. He had a 3.50 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 54 innings pitching for the Blue Jays and Cardinals in 2011. He also had a 2.5 (15/6) Shutdown/Meltdown ratio compared to a league median of 1.9. He was most effective versus right-handed batters who he held to a .154/.198/.211 line.
Dotel would join a solid bullpen including Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit and a hopefully healthy Al Alburquerque. With Benoit and Valverde already in charge of the eight and ninth innings, Dotel would probably see a lot of action in the seventh. If the deal goes through, it would be a good acquisition for the Tigers who needed bullpen help during the post-season.
Dotel has been a consistent performer throughout most of his career and is showing no signs of aging. He had a 3.50 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 54 innings pitching for the Blue Jays and Cardinals in 2011. He also had a 2.5 (15/6) Shutdown/Meltdown ratio compared to a league median of 1.9. He was most effective versus right-handed batters who he held to a .154/.198/.211 line.
Dotel would join a solid bullpen including Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit and a hopefully healthy Al Alburquerque. With Benoit and Valverde already in charge of the eight and ninth innings, Dotel would probably see a lot of action in the seventh. If the deal goes through, it would be a good acquisition for the Tigers who needed bullpen help during the post-season.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Tigers Remove Ryan Strieby from 40-Man Roster
The Tigers have outrighted first baseman Ryan Strieby to Triple-A Toledo, thus removing him from their 40-man roster. The first thought some might have is that it could signal a trade or free agent signing. However, there is usually no need to open up a spot before a trade or a signing because it takes a couple of days for a physical and paperwork to be complete. A more likely reason for his removal might be that the Tigers plan to participate in Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
The 25-year-old Strieby batted .255/.341/.429 for Triple-A Toledo last season. He was once regarded as one of the Tigers best hitting prospects, but his career has been derailed by a persistent wrist injury since 2009. There is a decent chance some team will take a chance on him in the Rule 5 draft.
The 25-year-old Strieby batted .255/.341/.429 for Triple-A Toledo last season. He was once regarded as one of the Tigers best hitting prospects, but his career has been derailed by a persistent wrist injury since 2009. There is a decent chance some team will take a chance on him in the Rule 5 draft.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tigers Get Two More Years of Santiago
Unable to find a starting job for starter money elsewhere, infielder Ramon Santiago has agreed to terms with the Tigers on a two-year deal. Santiago finished the season in a platoon at second with infielder-outfielder Ryan Raburn and manager Jim Leyland says that is still the arrangement as of now:
I can't see the Tigers going into the season with Santiago/Raburn at second and Don Kelly/Brandon Inge at third base. I'm expecting at least one of those platoons to replaced by a full-time player before the season starts. Trade possiblities include infielders Martin Prado of the Braves and Macier Izturis of the Angels, both of whom can play second and third. Free agent second baseman Kelly Johnson and third baseman Aramis Ramirez are also available.
“Santiago and Ryan Raburn will be playing second base as the club stands today,” Leyland said. “He will probably [also] get time at short.”General Manager Dave Dombrowski had a similar response, but he stopped short of saying that it would remain that way to start the season.
I can't see the Tigers going into the season with Santiago/Raburn at second and Don Kelly/Brandon Inge at third base. I'm expecting at least one of those platoons to replaced by a full-time player before the season starts. Trade possiblities include infielders Martin Prado of the Braves and Macier Izturis of the Angels, both of whom can play second and third. Free agent second baseman Kelly Johnson and third baseman Aramis Ramirez are also available.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Tigers Add Five Players to 40-Man Roster
The Tigers have added five minor league players to their 40-Man roster in order to protect them from December's Rule 5 Draft: starting pitcher Casey Crosby, relievers Matt Hoffman and Tyler Stohr, outfielder Avisail Garcia and infielder Hernan Perez. They also dropped once highly touted infielder Cale Iorg from the roster. The roster is now at 39 players. Since the Tigers will almost surely add more than one player from outside the organization this off-season, you can be sure that there are more subtractions to come.
The most highly regarded player among today's additions is Crosby, one of the Tigers top five prospects. The 23 year-old left-hander pitched at Double-A Erie last year, but still needs to work more on his control. Hoffman, a southpaw who pitched for Toledo has the best chance of making a contribution to the Tigers next year. The right handed Stohr also may not be far away. Garcia and Perez are young raw prospects, who are still years away from Detroit.
The most highly regarded player among today's additions is Crosby, one of the Tigers top five prospects. The 23 year-old left-hander pitched at Double-A Erie last year, but still needs to work more on his control. Hoffman, a southpaw who pitched for Toledo has the best chance of making a contribution to the Tigers next year. The right handed Stohr also may not be far away. Garcia and Perez are young raw prospects, who are still years away from Detroit.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Rhymes up, Guillen to DL
The Tigers have now come full circle at second base. They announced this morning that Carlos Guillen has been placed on the disabled list with a sore wrist and that Will Rhymes has been recalled from Toledo to take his place. Guillen was batting .207 with a .576 OPS in 22 games since returning from his original stint on the disabled list with an injured knee. I earlier half joked on twitter that he must have hurt himself doing the infamous bat flip in the Jered Weaver game. He is just 3 for 32 since that incident.
Rhymes batted just batted just .221 in 81 plate appearances for the Tigers earlier in the year and was sent down in favor of Scott Sizemore. Sizemore didn't work out and was traded to the Athletics for reliever David Purcey. Ryan Raburn got the next chance, but he continued to struggle at the plate and isn't much of a second baseman. Then came Carlos Guillen who got of to a good start with bat but then fell flat.
The irrepressible Rhymes just kept plugging away for the MudHens batting .303 with a .373 on base percentage. Leyland is a big fan of Rhymes, so I will guess that he will probably get the bulk of the playing time at second base unless he struggles at the plate right away. Ramon Santiago is playing there today, but that's probably because Rhymes is not with the team yet. I imagine Raburn will also play some second base as he continues to move around the diamond.
Rhymes batted just batted just .221 in 81 plate appearances for the Tigers earlier in the year and was sent down in favor of Scott Sizemore. Sizemore didn't work out and was traded to the Athletics for reliever David Purcey. Ryan Raburn got the next chance, but he continued to struggle at the plate and isn't much of a second baseman. Then came Carlos Guillen who got of to a good start with bat but then fell flat.
The irrepressible Rhymes just kept plugging away for the MudHens batting .303 with a .373 on base percentage. Leyland is a big fan of Rhymes, so I will guess that he will probably get the bulk of the playing time at second base unless he struggles at the plate right away. Ramon Santiago is playing there today, but that's probably because Rhymes is not with the team yet. I imagine Raburn will also play some second base as he continues to move around the diamond.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tigers Set to Acquire Fister from Mariners in Six-Player Deal
According to multiple national reports, the Tigers are apparently set to acquire starting pitcher Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley from the Mariners for lefty Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later. The centerpiece of the deal for the Tigers is Fister who will join the starting rotation. The Tigers are giving up a lot in return, but will be able to hold onto prized prospects pitcher Jacob Turner and third baseman Nick Castellanos.
The right-handed Fister has a 3.33 ERA and 89/32 K/BB ratio with just 7 homers allowed in 146 innings for the Mariners this year. Although he is a giant at six-foot-eight, Fister does not strike out a lot of batters - just 5.2 per nine innings for his career. He has thrived by avoiding walks (1.9 per 9 IP) and home runs (0.7 per 9 IP).
The biggest red flag with Fister is his home/road split. He has a 3.42 career ERA at Safeco versus 4.40 on the road. Still, I keep going back to his low walk rate which is something that will play well in any park.
One statistic you can ignore even more than usual is Fister's won/loss record. How does a pitcher go 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA? Is it because he doesn't know how to win? It probably has more to do with the fact the Mariners have scored two runs or fewer in 16 of his 21 starts. He can expect a lot better run support with the Tigers.
Pauley has made a successful conversion from starter to reliever in 2011 posting a 2.15 ERA in 39 appearances. The soft-tossing right-hander is not as stellar as his ERA indicates. He has a decent 34/16 K/BB ratio, but has probably been somewhat fortunate in limiting hits and homers.
He has allowed just 23% of batted balls in play to land safely this year compared to 29% for his career. He also has had just 4% of his fly balls go for homers versus 10% for his career. He is not likely to keep up either of those 2011 rates.
Despite their limitations, both Fister and Pauley should be solid additions to the Tigers staff. Fister should be a clear upgrade over others who have pitched in the fifth slot this year. That's not to say he is a "fifth starter". Ideally, he will be their fourth best pitcher but he's replacing the other fifth starters. Pauley should be a capable middle reliever which is something the Tigers desperately need.
It's a risky deal no doubt. The biggest fear is that the 20-year-old Martinez could blossom into a star. He has a long way to go though and chances are it will never happen. The Tigers trying to win now and you need to give up something to get useful pitchers. So, I think it's a fair deal for both sides.
The right-handed Fister has a 3.33 ERA and 89/32 K/BB ratio with just 7 homers allowed in 146 innings for the Mariners this year. Although he is a giant at six-foot-eight, Fister does not strike out a lot of batters - just 5.2 per nine innings for his career. He has thrived by avoiding walks (1.9 per 9 IP) and home runs (0.7 per 9 IP).
The biggest red flag with Fister is his home/road split. He has a 3.42 career ERA at Safeco versus 4.40 on the road. Still, I keep going back to his low walk rate which is something that will play well in any park.
One statistic you can ignore even more than usual is Fister's won/loss record. How does a pitcher go 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA? Is it because he doesn't know how to win? It probably has more to do with the fact the Mariners have scored two runs or fewer in 16 of his 21 starts. He can expect a lot better run support with the Tigers.
Pauley has made a successful conversion from starter to reliever in 2011 posting a 2.15 ERA in 39 appearances. The soft-tossing right-hander is not as stellar as his ERA indicates. He has a decent 34/16 K/BB ratio, but has probably been somewhat fortunate in limiting hits and homers.
He has allowed just 23% of batted balls in play to land safely this year compared to 29% for his career. He also has had just 4% of his fly balls go for homers versus 10% for his career. He is not likely to keep up either of those 2011 rates.
Despite their limitations, both Fister and Pauley should be solid additions to the Tigers staff. Fister should be a clear upgrade over others who have pitched in the fifth slot this year. That's not to say he is a "fifth starter". Ideally, he will be their fourth best pitcher but he's replacing the other fifth starters. Pauley should be a capable middle reliever which is something the Tigers desperately need.
It's a risky deal no doubt. The biggest fear is that the 20-year-old Martinez could blossom into a star. He has a long way to go though and chances are it will never happen. The Tigers trying to win now and you need to give up something to get useful pitchers. So, I think it's a fair deal for both sides.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Inge Designated for Assignment
After ten years with the Tigers, Brandon Inge has been designated for assignment to make room for the newly acquired Wilson Betemit on the 25-man roster. If he clears waivers (a pretty safe assumption), he said he will accept an assignment to Toledo.
The Tigers signed the slowly declining Inge to a questionable two-year $11million deal after last season and they will still be on the hook for most of that. Even Inge's biggest doubters could not have imagined how far he would fall this year. He was batting .177 with one homer in 239 plate appearances and showing no signs of snapping out of it. What's worse is that his once stellar fielding had reached the point where it was no longer an asset.
Inge is one of the few players who lives in the Detroit area year round and has been quite active in the community. He has also been one of the most popular Tigers locally consistently getting loud cheers and being voted player of the game by television audiences on a regular basis. His popularity is probably part of the reason why the Tigers were willing to roll the dice on a two-year deal.
As much as local fans liked him though, he has long been the most controversial Tiger in the internet community. Inge infuriated fans with his long slumps, his strikeouts and his complaining about being replaced at catcher by Pudge Rodriguez and at third by Miguel Cabrera. It turned out that he was right about the third base decision. Cabrera at first and Inge at third was a much better idea and that was arranged later.
At times, the complaining about Inge got to be too much. It felt as if fans had such a personal dislike for the man that they refused to acknowledge the things he did well. He was called a bum, a replacement level player and worse on many occasions.
In reality, Inge's career performance fell somewhere between the adoration of some local fans and the hatred of certain internet fans. Inge was certainly never a star and could be maddening at times, but he was a decent regular between 2004-2010. During his prime he was one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and had enough power to club 27 home runs on two occasions. He was significantly above the statistical replacement level each year during that period. This year he actually was performing below replacement level and has now been appropriately replaced.
If he never plays another game as a Tiger, he'll be remembered for many things - check-swing strike threes, great defensive plays, walk-off homers, strange statements to the press, community service, etc. It's funny because if you look at his record, he should have been the most innocuous player since Tom Brookens. Instead, he has been the most polarized.
The Tigers signed the slowly declining Inge to a questionable two-year $11million deal after last season and they will still be on the hook for most of that. Even Inge's biggest doubters could not have imagined how far he would fall this year. He was batting .177 with one homer in 239 plate appearances and showing no signs of snapping out of it. What's worse is that his once stellar fielding had reached the point where it was no longer an asset.
Inge is one of the few players who lives in the Detroit area year round and has been quite active in the community. He has also been one of the most popular Tigers locally consistently getting loud cheers and being voted player of the game by television audiences on a regular basis. His popularity is probably part of the reason why the Tigers were willing to roll the dice on a two-year deal.
As much as local fans liked him though, he has long been the most controversial Tiger in the internet community. Inge infuriated fans with his long slumps, his strikeouts and his complaining about being replaced at catcher by Pudge Rodriguez and at third by Miguel Cabrera. It turned out that he was right about the third base decision. Cabrera at first and Inge at third was a much better idea and that was arranged later.
At times, the complaining about Inge got to be too much. It felt as if fans had such a personal dislike for the man that they refused to acknowledge the things he did well. He was called a bum, a replacement level player and worse on many occasions.
In reality, Inge's career performance fell somewhere between the adoration of some local fans and the hatred of certain internet fans. Inge was certainly never a star and could be maddening at times, but he was a decent regular between 2004-2010. During his prime he was one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and had enough power to club 27 home runs on two occasions. He was significantly above the statistical replacement level each year during that period. This year he actually was performing below replacement level and has now been appropriately replaced.
If he never plays another game as a Tiger, he'll be remembered for many things - check-swing strike threes, great defensive plays, walk-off homers, strange statements to the press, community service, etc. It's funny because if you look at his record, he should have been the most innocuous player since Tom Brookens. Instead, he has been the most polarized.
Tigers Acquire Wilson Betemit
The Tigers have acquired infielder Wilson Betemit from the Royals in exchange for two minor leaguers - left-handed pitcher Antonio Cruz and catcher Julio Rodriguez. The switch-hitting Betemit has played all four infield positions during his nine-year MLB career, but has been used most frequently as a third baseman. He will most likely get the bulk of at bats at third base for the Tigers in place of the struggling Brandon Inge.
The 29-year-old Betemit batted .281/.341/.409 for the Royals this year which is not far from his lifetime line of .268/.335/.443. He hits better from the left side than the right side (.809 OPS versus .683 OPS for his career). Regardless, his .750 OPS this year is a clear upgrade over Brandon Inge (.484) and Donald Kelly (.631).
Defensively all indications point to him being a poor third baseman. Taking the average of his advanced defensive metrics (DRS, UZR, Total Zone) over the past two years yields a composite rating of -7 runs below the average third baseman. Moreover, Royals fans rated him as below average in every phase of defense in the Fan Scouting Report. So, Betemit improves the Tigers offense at the expense of an already weak defense.
Under normal circumstances, I would consider Betemit to be an insignificant acquisition. However, Inge has been so bad this year, that I see Betemit as a clear upgrade. While I don't like to see yet another sub-par defender added to the Tigers starting line-up, the offensive boost he'll bring should outweigh his defensive liability.
Since Cruz and Rodriguez are marginal prospects who are not likely to amount to much, there is little downside to this move. It is a good move for the Tigers. Now, they need to add a starting pitcher.
The 29-year-old Betemit batted .281/.341/.409 for the Royals this year which is not far from his lifetime line of .268/.335/.443. He hits better from the left side than the right side (.809 OPS versus .683 OPS for his career). Regardless, his .750 OPS this year is a clear upgrade over Brandon Inge (.484) and Donald Kelly (.631).
Defensively all indications point to him being a poor third baseman. Taking the average of his advanced defensive metrics (DRS, UZR, Total Zone) over the past two years yields a composite rating of -7 runs below the average third baseman. Moreover, Royals fans rated him as below average in every phase of defense in the Fan Scouting Report. So, Betemit improves the Tigers offense at the expense of an already weak defense.
Under normal circumstances, I would consider Betemit to be an insignificant acquisition. However, Inge has been so bad this year, that I see Betemit as a clear upgrade. While I don't like to see yet another sub-par defender added to the Tigers starting line-up, the offensive boost he'll bring should outweigh his defensive liability.
Since Cruz and Rodriguez are marginal prospects who are not likely to amount to much, there is little downside to this move. It is a good move for the Tigers. Now, they need to add a starting pitcher.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Alburquerque to the DL, Oliveros Promoted
Earlier tonight it was reported by Bless You Boys via various Twitter sources that the Tigers would be promoting reliever Lester Oliveros to the majors tomorrow. That rumor has now been confirmed by Jason Beck. It turns out the reason for the move is bad news. The amazing Al Alburquerque has been placed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. That probably explains why he had nothing in his 42-pitch outing last night.
It's been a busy couple of days for the Tigers. Prior to these moves, they optioned lefty reliever Daniel Schlereth to Toledo and recalled right-handed reliever Brayan Villareal from the same club. Next, they announced that the struggling Phil Coke would be moved to the bullpen and rookie southpaw Charlie Furbush would take his spot in the rotation.
The role swap of Coke and Furbush is worth trying given that Coke has allowed four or more runs and has not gone past the fifth inning in four of his last five starts. Furbush might not do any better, but has pitched well as a long man out of the bullpen for the Tigers. He also excelled as a starter in the minors despite not having an overpowering arsenal. Coke will probably be the seventh inning reliever setting up Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde.
The transaction with the biggest impact will probably be the loss of Alburquerque, who has been an outstanding middle reliever for the Tigers this year. His magic slider and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings will be missed. Hopefully, it will only be a short-term thing, but "elbow inflammation" for a pitcher with a history of injuries isn't a good thing.
It's been a busy couple of days for the Tigers. Prior to these moves, they optioned lefty reliever Daniel Schlereth to Toledo and recalled right-handed reliever Brayan Villareal from the same club. Next, they announced that the struggling Phil Coke would be moved to the bullpen and rookie southpaw Charlie Furbush would take his spot in the rotation.
The role swap of Coke and Furbush is worth trying given that Coke has allowed four or more runs and has not gone past the fifth inning in four of his last five starts. Furbush might not do any better, but has pitched well as a long man out of the bullpen for the Tigers. He also excelled as a starter in the minors despite not having an overpowering arsenal. Coke will probably be the seventh inning reliever setting up Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde.
The transaction with the biggest impact will probably be the loss of Alburquerque, who has been an outstanding middle reliever for the Tigers this year. His magic slider and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings will be missed. Hopefully, it will only be a short-term thing, but "elbow inflammation" for a pitcher with a history of injuries isn't a good thing.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Ordonez Returning to Tigers
Magglio Ordonez's rehab stint at Toledo is done and he'll be back with the Tigers for their make-up game versus the Rays Monday night. Right-handed pitcher Enrique Gonzalez has been outrighted to Toledo to make room on the roster.
The first question is whether Ordonez is fully healthy and ready to hit in the majors. He had been on the disabled list due to a weak ankle and has not played in the majors since May 10. He batted just .172 with four extra base hits in 99 at bats for the Tigers. He claims that he is healthy and able to drive the ball now. He batted .297 with two homers and a double in 37 at bats for the MudHens. I think he'll hit well for the Tigers if he can stay healthy, but am skeptical about the "staying healthy part".
The other question is where he will bat in the line-up. There is a possibility that Jim Leyland won't want to disrupt Brennan Boesch's hot streak by moving him out of the third spot in the order. In that case, Ordonez might bat sixth in back of Victor Martinez. The manager is typically loyal to veterans though, so he'll probably bat Ordonez in his customary number three position.
The first question is whether Ordonez is fully healthy and ready to hit in the majors. He had been on the disabled list due to a weak ankle and has not played in the majors since May 10. He batted just .172 with four extra base hits in 99 at bats for the Tigers. He claims that he is healthy and able to drive the ball now. He batted .297 with two homers and a double in 37 at bats for the MudHens. I think he'll hit well for the Tigers if he can stay healthy, but am skeptical about the "staying healthy part".
The other question is where he will bat in the line-up. There is a possibility that Jim Leyland won't want to disrupt Brennan Boesch's hot streak by moving him out of the third spot in the order. In that case, Ordonez might bat sixth in back of Victor Martinez. The manager is typically loyal to veterans though, so he'll probably bat Ordonez in his customary number three position.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Sizemore Traded to Athletics
In a surprise move, the Tigers traded Scott Sizemore to the Athletics today for left-handed reliever David Purcey. The Tigers will be the third team for Purcey already this year. He was traded from the Blue Jays to the Athletics for a minor league pitcher on April 18. The 29-year-old Purcey has a lifetime ERA of 5.17 with 7.7 strikeouts and 4.5 walks per nine innings. That doesn't sound like an impressive return for a second baseman who was highly regarded enough to be given the starting second base job as a rookie just last year.
It became clear that some in the organization had soured on Sizemore when Will Rhymes was named the opening day starter. Sizemore was later recalled after a fast start in Toledo but has struggled in the majors for the second straight year (.233/.329/.238). The Tigers will bring up infielder Danny Worth to take his place. Worth is not likely to hit much at all, but should help their infield defense. I would guess that there will now be some combination of Worth and Ramon Santiago at second base.
I haven't fully digested this move yet, but my initial reaction is disappointment. It's not that I think that Sizemore is still a great prospect. I just don't see any upside for the Tigers in this deal. It reminds me of Cody Ross for Steve Colyer.
It became clear that some in the organization had soured on Sizemore when Will Rhymes was named the opening day starter. Sizemore was later recalled after a fast start in Toledo but has struggled in the majors for the second straight year (.233/.329/.238). The Tigers will bring up infielder Danny Worth to take his place. Worth is not likely to hit much at all, but should help their infield defense. I would guess that there will now be some combination of Worth and Ramon Santiago at second base.
I haven't fully digested this move yet, but my initial reaction is disappointment. It's not that I think that Sizemore is still a great prospect. I just don't see any upside for the Tigers in this deal. It reminds me of Cody Ross for Steve Colyer.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Coke to DL, Oliver to Start Saturday
Jason Beck has reported that the Tigers have placed Phil Coke on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise in his foot suffered last night trying to field a bunt. Coke will be replaced in the rotation by left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver. This is unfortunate timing given that the Tigers have another series versus the lefty-heavy Red Sox line-up coming up this weekend Coke had pitched seven shutout innings against the Red Sox last week.
Oliver was roughed up in his first call-up last season, but is one of the Tigers top pitching prospects. He had a 3.26 ERA and 48/20 K/BB ratio in 49 2/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo. Oliver won't join the team until Saturday when he stats versus the Red Sox.
The immediate replacement on the 25-man roster will be another southpaw Adam Wilk, who will pitch out of the bullpen. Wilk walked only five batters in 49 innings for Toledo, but also gave up eight homers. Right-hander Robbie Weinhardt was designated for assignment to make room for Wilk on the 40-man roster.
Oliver was roughed up in his first call-up last season, but is one of the Tigers top pitching prospects. He had a 3.26 ERA and 48/20 K/BB ratio in 49 2/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo. Oliver won't join the team until Saturday when he stats versus the Red Sox.
The immediate replacement on the 25-man roster will be another southpaw Adam Wilk, who will pitch out of the bullpen. Wilk walked only five batters in 49 innings for Toledo, but also gave up eight homers. Right-hander Robbie Weinhardt was designated for assignment to make room for Wilk on the 40-man roster.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Tigers Make Final Cuts
The Tigers reduced their roster to 25 this morning by optioning infielder Danny Worth to Toledo and reassigning outfielder Andy Dirks and pitcher Adam Wilk to minor league camp this morning. These moves mean that pitchers Enrique Gonzalez and Brayan Villareal and outfielder Brennan Boesch will be heading north. Outfielder Casper Wells has also officially made the team, although that's been pretty obvious all spring.
Since Gonzalez needs to be added to the Tigers 40-man roster, somebody else will need to be dropped. That will most likely be infielder Audy Ciriaco. Ciriaco was once a promising teen-age prospect with good raw tools, but he has never hit at any level and is now 23-years old.
Tigers' 25-Man Roster
Starters:
Justin Verlander
Max Scherzer
Rick Porcello
Phil Coke
Brad Penny
Relievers:
Jose Valverde
Joaquin Benoit
Ryan Perry
Daniel Schlereth
Brad Thomas
Enrique Gonzalez
Brayan Villarreal
Catchers:
Alex Avila
Victor Martinez
Infielders:
Miguel Cabrera
Will Rhymes
Jhonny Peralta
Brandon Inge
Ramon Santiago
Outfielders:
Magglio Ordonez
Austin Jackson
Ryan Raburn
Casper Wells
Brennan Boesch
Don Kelly
Since Gonzalez needs to be added to the Tigers 40-man roster, somebody else will need to be dropped. That will most likely be infielder Audy Ciriaco. Ciriaco was once a promising teen-age prospect with good raw tools, but he has never hit at any level and is now 23-years old.
Tigers' 25-Man Roster
Starters:
Justin Verlander
Max Scherzer
Rick Porcello
Phil Coke
Brad Penny
Relievers:
Jose Valverde
Joaquin Benoit
Ryan Perry
Daniel Schlereth
Brad Thomas
Enrique Gonzalez
Brayan Villarreal
Catchers:
Alex Avila
Victor Martinez
Infielders:
Miguel Cabrera
Will Rhymes
Jhonny Peralta
Brandon Inge
Ramon Santiago
Outfielders:
Magglio Ordonez
Austin Jackson
Ryan Raburn
Casper Wells
Brennan Boesch
Don Kelly
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