The Detroit Tigers and their fans have become impatient with their bullpen. At 85, owner Mike Illitch knows that his days are numbered and wants to give his city the ring it deserves so much so they can stop hanging their hat on the 1984 team. He wants to win, and win now, and he’s not the only one. Before the engine can run smoothly, there needs to be an oil change in the bullpen.
The Tigers’ lead in the AL Central has been a rollercoaster ride directly associated with their bullpen. After a great start followed by a dismal June, the Tigers are not confident that their pitching is on a level it needs to be in order to be the last team standing in October. The trade deadline is approaching, and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has to figure out how to solve the Joe Nathan problem.
This season has been an interesting one for the Motor City Kitties. Rick Porcello has come on to become a dominant groundball pitcher and Max Scherzer is likely to find another home after this season having passed up a lucrative offer from the Tigers in the offseason.
Also, Justin Verlander is not pitching this season like the JV that most Tigers fans have come to know. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner has only provided the Tigers with one start that has gone into the eighth inning or longer, which has been taxing on the Tigers bullpen. In the previous two seasons, Verlander has had 29 starts that have gone into, or beyond, the eighth inning. However, this season has been problematic for Verlander.
Now the weight of the world is falling on Joe Nathan, who signed a two-year $20M contract through 2015 that includes an option for the 2016 season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he’s not the answer.
Detroit Tigers Trade Deadline Targets
The Tigers don’t have time to wait around for Joe Nathan to figure out his mechanics. Detroit fans have been patient with him to some extent, but it’s time to go all-in on this season and make a play for a top-tier bullpen arm.
Joba Chamberlain has thrived in the bullpen for Detroit, but help is needed in order to contend in October. Nathan just is not the answer for the Tigers in the ninth inning. The only way they will get what they need is by making moves on the trade market before the deadline. If you look around the league, there are pitchers with better numbers than Nathan that have been removed from their closer roles, such as John Axford in Cleveland and Jim Johnson in Oakland.
Nathan went through a mechanical change last month and looked like he solved his ‘dead arm’ problem for the time being, but it’s evident that he hasn’t solved much of anything. He visibly lacks the confidence and dominance that has been his calling card throughout his career.
The Tigers have some options as the July 31st trade deadline approaches, and some names that have been thrown around in conversation are Joaquin Benoit, Koji Uehara, Joakim Soria, Brad Ziegler, Jonathan Papelbon and LaTroy Hawkins. However, Benoit, Ziegler and Soria are their best bets.
According to Peter Gammons of ESPN, the Boston Red Sox are not likely to deal Uehara.
The Tigers would not be advised to pursue Uehara, who is 39 years old, the same age as Joe Nathan. The prime targets for the Tigers are Soria and Benoit. Papelbon is too expensive for their needs, and if he were to come to Detroit it would come at a steep price. The Tigers need someone to take over Nathan’s closer role, but they might have to give up prospects to make that happen. They need to be smart and strategic about finding someone that can fill the gaping holes. Joakim Soria seems to be the most interesting and likely target. He’s affordable, dominant and won’t require the Tigers to ante up for a steep long-term commitment for an aging arm.
Joakim Soria has been fantastic for the Texas Rangers this season and has only had two outings where he’s given up more than three earned runs. In fact, he’s been a shutdown closer. The Tigers need someone they can depend on in crucial situations, and he’s a good solution. In December 2012, Soria signed a 2-year, $8M contract and stands to make $5.5M for the 2014 season, a contract the Tigers can indeed afford to take on to land the 22-year old closer.
If they can’t land the likes of Soria, they might be able to bring back Joaquin Benoit to handle the seventh and eighth inning duties, while creating a revolving door scenario with Chamberlain and Nathan in the closer role. Benoit is inked for $6M this season and $8M next season. Soria would be the most immediate solution, but Texas will want a lot in return for him, which might shy Dave Dombrowski away from pulling the trigger.
However, Illitch seems to have no problem throwing money at talent when it comes to bringing home a title to Tiger Town. According to multiple sources, the Orioles, Blue Jays and Angels are the other teams interested in acquiring Soria.
A fallback plan for the Tigers could be Brad Ziegler from the Diamondbacks. The Tigers will be in Arizona and will have a look at Ziegler, who might be an outside target for the Detroit club. Don’t be surprised if you see Ziegler in a Tigers uniform in August, given Dombrowski’s track record at the trade deadline. He rarely goes after the big names at the deadline, but has been known to make big deals in free agency.
Detroit remains 5 ½ games up on Cleveland after avoiding a four game sweep to the Indians over the weekend. They had a 1 ½ game lead at this time last year. In hindsight, Dombrowski probably regrets letting Benoit skip town in the offseason, things would be a whole lot easier for him right now.
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