Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski told Tom Gage of the Detroit News that the Tigers have “talked to some people” and remain open minded about adding a starter to compete for a job at the back of the team’s rotation. Dombrowski told reporters last month that he was “comfortable” with his pitching staff, but open to potential changes or additions.
The Yankees have interest in Jeremy Bonderman, and the Tigers haven’t ruled out a reunion with the 28-year-old. The team is “keeping an open mind about Jeremy," Dombrowski told Gage. The team would not sign Bonderman and another starter, though.
FOX Sports reported in December that the Tigers had considered veteran starters, including Brad Penny. Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke are pencilled in to the team’s rotation and Armando Galarraga will likely compete with any new additions for the final rotation spot.
Penny NEEDS to be signed. I’m not confortable with Coke in the rotation, especially because Schlereth may be their only lefty relief option at this point.
I don’t get why Coke is a option, don’t they have pepsi to pitch in the rotation?
Joking aside,
I would avoid the rotation virus that is Brad Penny.
Bonderman?!?!? (throws chair across room)
Hope this is a joke. No offense to Jeremy, but where is the upside here? I know, he’s young and coming off injuries…but his 2nd half numbers were terrible and he even questioned whether he wanted to keep playing…
At least Penny has been decent lately and Galarraga has the talent to win 10 games in a full season of starting. Either are much better than Bonderman…
Why not Justin Duchsherer? He’s an injury risk, but he could be had for cheap and is good when he’s healthy.
The Tigers need more than just “depth” in the rotation. They desperately need a solid upgrade. The Tigers ranked 12th in the league in team ERA and the rotation was 11th- fourth worst in the league in 2010 with a 4.46 ERA. That’s not good. Their only move thus far has been to let Bonderman walk and to move Phil Coke from the bullpen (blowing a hole in the pen) to the rotation. Coke has exactly ONE start at the AAA level and ONE abbreviated start in the majors, which didn’t work out very well for him. There is NO reason to COUNT on him as a solution to anything. By all means, give him a shot at starting, and maybe he can beat out Galarraga for the No. 5 slot, IF he’s replaced in the bullpen.
The Detroit media, en masse, has given DD a free pass on the rotation this winter. $ 34 million was allocated to three starting pitchers that are gone, and the payroll is still $ 30 million less than it was in 2010, so the financial resources are there to do what is necessary. What the Tigers need is a Garza, not just a Gorzo. THERE’S AN ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM! ROTATION!
I’d like to see Garza wearing the D. Keep Coke in the rotation, you need one lefty. Make Ragga the swingman out of the pen.
Everyone who is worried about the Tigers rotation keeps bringing up how bad their starting pitching ERA was in 2010. The problem with that is that that stat includes the pitching contributions of Bonderman, Willis, Oliver, and Thomas. The Tigers will likely not see any of those people in the rotation next year. Once you correct for the people who left, and even take out Scherzers first month or so of struggle till he fixed his mechanics, the numbers are solid. Porcello went through the Sophomore slump and he looked much better at the end of last year. Verlander and Scherzer could both win 18 games based on how good they were down the stretch. Even with Galarraga in the rotation, he can still get you 5-10 wins. Coke figures to have between 8-12 depending on how well he handles starting.
Bottom line, the rotation could use an upgrade at the back end, but the core is just fine.
As to your comments about DD, he did the right thing this winter. HE got a solid bat and a quality arm for the Bullpen. The only thing he really missed was possibly getting Dan Uggla after seeing how low the Marlins sold him for in their own division.
I’m sure the tigers front office was thinking of going big this offseason too. Then the nats signed Werth to that ridiculous contract and everything went to hell. I think they too wanted to improve more but they weren’t willing to handcuff themselves to more overpriced burdensome contracts (Sorry but Benoit’s 5.5 a year is peanuts to Werth’s 19 a year). On a team, with an owner willing to spend, we could have gone higher, but It just wasn’t worth it this year. IF we had been able to get Crawford for maybe 15 million a year, I’m sure we would have been in the hunt for him. Illitch has the money to spend, but only if the big contract makes sense.
DD and Illitch tried going all in on 08 and got burned by bad luck and bad contracts to people who at the time seem reliable and promising. Why take the same risk in a worse FA market? DD has done a very good job since 08, fielding a competitive team while trying to work out from underneath the big contracts of 08 when he went all in. One more win in 09 and no injuries in 10, and the Tigers could have won the AL central 2 times.
You still have to replace the innings that Bonderman, Willis, and company pitched in 2010. Coke doesn’t figure to win anything until he shows that he can be a starter in the major leagues. He has one start at the AAA level and one in the majors in his life time. He’s a gamble.
DD did fairly well getting the team to contend in 2009 despite all the bad contracts, which were his own doing. There are a few notable exceptions, such as failing to offer arbitration to Polanco, signing Everett twice, waiting until after the deadline to acquire a bat and then only getting Aubrey Huff. But for the most part, he’s made the best of a bad situation. I agree that there haven’t been many things to complain about this off season. He did kick the tires on Marcum, and will probably yet bring in some sort of a starting pitcher, but likely it will be a depth move rather than a clear upgrade.
DD has not done well considering the resources he’s had to work with. He’s had the highest payroll in that division for five years running, and he has zero division titles to his name. The rotation is short on talent this season, they’re basically praying that some of the starters and relievers that they had last year will improve. There’s very little on the farm either to step up or to trade. They could not, for example, have matched the packages given for Greinke, Marcum, or Garza, at least without completely wiping out the farm (which Milwaukee did). I believe that DD is still looking for pitching, but the Detroit media is acting like he’s going above and beyond the call of duty if he does. An upgrade to the rotation is necessary, not just icing on the cake.
The guys sticking around pitched a combined 3.83 ERA, good for 3rd in the AL.
Bonderman, Willis, Fu Te Ni, Andy Oliver, Figaro et company were 6.20 ERA.
I dont think the team pitching is as bad off as you think. Although I have to say, I wouldnt mind an upgrade 🙂
The Tigers need more than just “depth” in the rotation. They desperately need a solid upgrade. The Tigers ranked 12th in the league in team ERA and the rotation was 11th- fourth worst in the league in 2010 with a 4.46 ERA. That’s not good. Their only move thus far has been to let Bonderman walk and to move Phil Coke from the bullpen (blowing a hole in the pen) to the rotation. Coke has exactly ONE start at the AAA level and ONE abbreviated start in the majors, which didn’t work out very well for him. There is NO reason to COUNT on him as a solution to anything. By all means, give him a shot at starting, and maybe he can beat out Galarraga for the No. 5 slot, IF he’s replaced in the bullpen.
The Detroit media, en masse, has given DD a free pass on the rotation this winter. $ 34 million was allocated to three starting pitchers that are gone, and the payroll is still $ 30 million less than it was in 2010, so the financial resources are there to do what is necessary. What the Tigers need is a Garza, not just a Gorzo. THERE’S AN ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM! ROTATION!
I don’t get why they moved Coke to the rotation. I’d really like to see Verlander-Scherzer-Porcello-PENNY-Gallaraga and have Coke in the pen.
Sounds like you have a bit of a coke problem.
I don’t get why they moved Coke to the rotation. I’d really like to see Verlander-Scherzer-Porcello-PENNY-Gallaraga and have Coke in the pen.
In addition to Galarraga and Coke, Porcello is not a given either – as he was not very effective until the tail end of 2010. The Tigers should be in the market for TWO quality starters, not one… Coke and Galarraga are iffy at best.
Who are we trying to best, adding 2 big starters? The Phillies???? The Tigers need to worry about wining the Division first. They don;t need to be the Top Team in the league right now, in one offseason, just get to the top of the AL central and go from there.
my post suggested “quality” not “big” – and sorry but Galarraga is likely not and Coke is definately not a “quality” starter (that is, if their track record matters) – they may give you a couple quality starts, but that is not the proper way for a potential playoff team to start the season. those ‘quality
starters may not be available (Pavano, possibly), but that doesn’t mean the Tigers shouldn’t be looking.
Bonderman is NOT an option – the Tigers are just being cordial…why? i have no idea as Jeremy robbed the Tigers for $45M over the past few years.
The Yankees are talking to Bondo about working in the mezzanine concession, not as a pitcher.
Sign Pavano. Give the Twins, who always win this division, heartburn. If he pitches like he did in Minnesota suddenly that’s a rotation one could take deep into the post season.
Rangers just used the same logic to justify overpaying for Beltre. Pavano could be had for a three year offer: no one else will give him one.
“Rangers just used the same logic to justify overpaying for Beltre. Pavano could be had for a three year offer: no one else will give him one. ”
No to a 3 year deal to Pavano. Carl, though a thorn in our side, has had really only 2 good years in the last 10. I’d give him a 1 year with an option for a 2nd, and it would be incentive laden.
Sign Pavano. Give the Twins, who always win this division, heartburn. If he pitches like he did in Minnesota suddenly that’s a rotation one could take deep into the post season.
Rangers just used the same logic to justify overpaying for Beltre. Pavano could be had for a three year offer: no one else will give him one.
Good lord please not Bondeman
Why not bring Mike Maroth back too, while your at it…..
then lets sign jacque jones to play left field
If i had a penny for every time the tigers made a bad signing, i’d have one. Brad Penny