Free-agent lefty Matthew Boyd, who underwent flexor tendon surgery late last September, tells Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press that he’s progressing nicely through his rehab program and is aiming for an early June return to a big league mound. Boyd recently began throwing from 75 feet, and he expects to begin throwing full bullpen sessions in the final weeks of March.
The 2021 season was shaping up to be a strong one for the 31-year-old Boyd, who started 15 games for Detroit and worked to a 3.89 ERA through 78 2/3 innings. Boyd switched his pitch selection up slightly, leaning on his changeup at a career-high rate while dropping his fastball usage to its lowest levels since 2018. The results were generally favorable, even as his strikeout rate dipped to 19.9% — its lowest mark since 2017. Despite the limited number of innings thrown, Boyd’s 285 changeups last year were the second-most he’s ever thrown in a big league season; opponents struggle, hitting just .247/.275/.351 with one homer in 80 plate appearances that ended with a Boyd changeup.
Boyd has, at various points in his career, shown flashes of brilliance and looked to be on the cusp of a breakout. He carried a 3.44 ERA through 13 starts last year before exiting his June 14 start after 2 1/3 innings and heading to the injured list. He returned for a brief spell in late August/early September but lasted just eight innings combined between two starts, yielding seven runs in that time. He underwent surgery later that month, and the Tigers non-tendered him rather than him one final arbitration raise (which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had pegged at $7.3MM).
In 2019, Boyd had a 3.08 ERA and 2.98 FIP with elite strikeout and walk rates through mid-June, prompting him to be regarded as one of the most sought-after trade candidates on the market that season. He was sitting on a 3.94 ERA, a 3.26 SIERA, a 32.5% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate by the time the trade deadline rolled around, but he ultimately remained in Detroit.
Throughout his career, Boyd has at times demonstrated tantalizing skills, but he’s never pieced them all together in the same season. He ranked ninth in the Majors in strikeout rate and eighth in K-BB% back in 2019, for instance, but also served up home runs at a rate of 1.89 per nine frames. This past season, he held the long ball in check (1.03 HR/9) with excellent command but saw his strikeout rate dip. Given Boyd’s 4.96 ERA in 784 1/3 innings, many are perplexed by the repeated level of intrigue surrounding the southpaw, but there’s a general belief that his raw abilities point to another gear he simply has not yet reached for a sustained period.
Boyd, like other Major League free agents, isn’t able to sign right now with the lockout ongoing. Whenever the transaction freeze lifts, however, he’ll represent an appealing gamble — likely on a short-term deal — for a team that’s OK with waiting until the summer to see how his rehab has panned out. Petzold writes that Boyd and agent Scott Boras received interest from teams on both coasts and, a bit more specifically, from one of of Boyd’s former AL Central rivals.
Speculatively speaking, the Twins have the most glaring need for pitching within the division, although the dire nature of that need is enough to wonder whether they’d allocate resources to a pitcher who, at best, could only help for two-thirds of the season. The Royals would seem another sensible fit from the AL Central; they have plenty of young, in-house options to help bridge the gap to Boyd’s return, and he could in turn allow the team to manage the workloads of those young arms once he’s healthy.
Wherever Boyd lands, he’ll be hoping that a change of scenery brings about a prolonged stretch of the sporadic excellence that has punctuated his inconsistent career. If he’s able to pitch well this summer on a one-year deal, he could re-enter the market next winter in a much better position as he heads into his age-32 season. Alternatively, if Boyd and Boras prefer a more risk-averse approach, it’s relatively common for teams to give rehabbing pitchers of this nature a somewhat backloaded two-year contract. That’d provide Boyd with more up-front earning power but could potentially cost him money if he comes out of the gate throwing well whenever he does return.
Y2KAK
Yankees should sign him just to show they could get him without trading gleyber
Joe says...
If the Yankees didn’t have so many injury questions in the rotation, he’d be a great pick up. They need some reliability though.
Please, Hammer. Don't hurt 'em.
There definitely was a time when the Tigers could have gotten a lot for this guy in a trade. It seems like almost every trade deadline/offseason rumors kept popping up about this guy being moved. They should have pulled the trigger when they had the chance. It was pretty clear with his contract status that the Tigers were never going to contend while he was there. That’s an interesting stat about his change up, though. Last season he allowed less than 2% of his changeups to leave the park as a home run. That’s a really low percentage.
I’m wondering if the lockout can in a way be considered a good thing for players like Boyd and even Rodon or Kershaw. It gives them more time to heal up and they will miss less games if this drags on into the season. I’m not sure how healthy Rodon and Kershaw are but I would guess that the more healthy they all are when transactions are allowed to start back up the better. It could be the difference from someone like Kershaw or Rodon having to start the season off slow vs them being able to hit the ground running if the season starts later than scheduled.
tigerdoc616
Pulled the trigger? There were never any decent offers for Boyd. Plus, Boyd is a great pitcher in April and May, then craters after that. So his trade value has been greatly overestimated by fans and the media. If no team was willing to give up a decent set of prospects for Boyd, the Tigers were right to keep him.
Hello, Newman
“The Tigers could have gotten a lot for this guy in a trade.” Exactly who could the Tigers have gotten? It seems like this is the same monotonous conversation every time Matthew’s name is brought up.
We know.. “Tigers are stupid, they should have traded xyz.. missed opportunity, they’re crazy for that asking price..” blah blah blah
See you again next time.
Most Tiger fans I know, adore Matthew Boyd. Is he the best pitcher in MLB? Nope.
Do Tiger fans say he is? Nope, but ask any other person and its likely to be countered
SportsFan0000
The Tigers were in a major rebuilt. Boyd was the face of the franchise.
Tigers should make Boyd a 2 year offer with incentives. He was a fan
favorite. Whichever team signs Boyd is getting a class act.
Boyd and his wife have raised a lot of money for their foundation that saves girls and women from human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Uganda.
mlive.com/tigers/2018/09/matthew_boyd_uganda_chari…
SportsFan0000
Would love for some fans to find out what exactly teams were offering or Boyd. I read that the Yanks and other teams were seriously “lowballing” the Tigers on Boyd and that of the players offered for Boyd are still in the minors or have already “washed out” and are out of baseball.
Teams were “buying low” on Boyd.
The Tigers had no incentive to trade Boyd in his low salary years for a bag full of magic beans @ A ball that may never even make it to the big leagues.
Boyd was and is a fan draw and someone the Tigers fans could cheer for and root for during their painful rebuild.
Boyd resigning with the Tigers would be a great story that fans could get behind.
Please, Hammer. Don't hurt 'em.
In 2019 the Tigers GM did say that he didn’t get any good offers for Boyd. We will never really know what those offers were, though. He also only said that during that one season. There were plenty of other seasons before and after that they could have traded him, too. We will never know what the offers for Boyd were but I personally find it hard to believe that during Boyd’s entire career not one team ever thought he looked good enough to trade anything of significance for even when Boyd had years of team control left.
I remember one season Boyd was pitching well into July. The reports were that a lot of teams were interested. It seemed like the Tigers were trying to hold onto him as long as possible and wanted to flip him right at the deadline even though they were totally out of the race. Then Boyd got injured in his last start right before the trade deadline. That’s bad luck to a degree but there’s nothing wrong with trading a player weeks before the trade deadline.
It doesn’t always have to be a last minute trade. Teams who know they are out should be trying to trade players before the deadline hits so they can get ahead of all the other teams who are still trying to figure your if they might contend. Maybe the Tigers got some offers that would have helped them more than Boyd. Maybe they didn’t. We will never know because we will never find out all the potential offers. 2019 is the only year I could find where anyone said the Tigers were being low-balled for him.
One thing I do know is that whoever thinks Torres for Castillo is possible is out of their mind. Torres could be part of a package but that doesn’t mean anything. Any player can be part of a package. Torres would never be considered anything close to a headliner in a deal for Castillo. There are teams who would welcome Torres on their roster but none of them would look at him as anything more than a stopgap. No one thinks he will ever play as major of a role as Castillo going forward. If the Yankees trade for Castillo using a package including Torres, Gleyber is not the Yankee anyone should be even talking about. The Yankee player everyone should be talking about in that trade is one of the possible several other Yankees who are much better than Torres that would have to be involved to make that trade go through.
That’s kind of like the Angels trading Ohtani and Justin Upton for Juan Soto and then saying, “See. We traded Justin Upton for Juan Soto!” No. You traded Ohtani for Soto and Upton just a happened to be part of the deal. Torres is nowhere near valued enough to even be considered close to the major piece in a trade for Castillo. If the Yankees trade a package including Torres for Castillo, that package would have to be so good that the Yankees probably could have just left Torres out of the deal and still gotten Castillo.
Yankee Clipper
Hammer: the Torres headliner was FROM the Reds. The Yankees turned down the trade. My point was that he is not spare parts as referred to on here. I’m not surmising he would currently headline a package, because he wouldn’t for two reasons: 1 – he had a poor full season in ‘21 on both sides of the ball which hurt his stock; and 2 – Reds were trying to acquire him as a SS. It was well reported and easily accessible. To deny it is not deny reality.
Anyway, he’s a 24-year-old potential All Star whose first big league season was outstanding. Again, there’s much value there for many teams.
BobGibsonFan
The guys career era is just under 5.00 and he’s usually near the top in giving up home runs. The guy has been a potential decent pitcher… that’s about it. Take that spinny rate and k% if you like… the guy is mediocre at best.
Yankee-4-Lifer 75
Fly ball pitcher at Yankee Stadium is probably not a good idea though.
A'sfaninLondonUK
@Yankee-4-lifer
….as the shadow of Andrew Heaney slips slowly away…
SpendNuttinWinNuttin
When will Yankees fans realize… theres not ONE team that wants your spare parts. That includes, Torres, Hicks, Sanchez, etc.
Yankee Clipper
Torres isn’t spare parts and neither is Sanchez…lol. In fact, just last season the Reds wanted Torres for Castillo and Mets were waiting for Yankees to DFA Sanchez to pick him up.
There are plenty of teams that want these guys, especially Torres. Hicks is garbage, Sanchez has poor trade value, but to say Torres reflects the bias in the statement.
ohyeadam
Torres for Castillo is insanely lopsided, Reds are crazy to want that. Nobody is giving anything for Sanchez or Hivks
Ducky Buckin Fent
Gary Sanchez certainly hasn’t become the star I thought he was going to be.
But look around MLB, man. The state of modern catchers is atrocious. In light of the catching position around the league, Phat Sancho certainly has value. Which is why he was never going to be DFA’d. Mr Dierkes wrote a members only – or whatever – piece about this back in November.
Hicks’ deal is underwater. No argument there.
But to postulate that Gleyber & Gary are without trade value is completely inaccurate.
Yankee Clipper
Ducky: The second Gary”s tenure ends with the Yankees he’s going to be his next team’s hero. Then it’s how much potential he has, and just the change of scenery, and lack of league-wide catching, etc.
All anti-Yankee bias…
stymeedone
@yankeeclipper
So.maybe the proper way of saying it is : no team is willing to trade anything of Value for Yankees spare parts. Some would take them at major league minimum after they clear waivers though.
Yankee Clipper
Okay, fair statement to a degree; but again, Torres is not even close to spare parts. Sanchez is consistently hammered for his poor defense (rightfully so) but even his terrible offensive season resulted in above average offense at his position.
I think it’s the inverse of fans overvaluing prospects.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Exactly.
I’ll raise you, Clip. Imagine if Sanchez played for the Reds or some other squad & we were looking at Higashioka as our #1 C. There would be a whole bunch of, “Well, maybe we could get that Sanchez guy from Cincinnati. Could be a good change of scenery candidate. At least he can hit.” Sure money bet.
Yankee Clipper
Yes, that’s a great point. His power would be very enticing. I think he’d be viewed in a much more positive light when compared to catchers across the board if he were on another team. That just tells me that all the other baseball fans have high expectations of the Yanks too, and I’m okay with that. All that said, especially for the price, I think Cash made a colossal mistake not trading for Stallings. Sanchez/Stallings would be a perfect tandem for them.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Sure would.
Tell ya, Clip. I blame the NY media on how he’s perceived around the league. Same thing with Frazier.
Stallings would have been.
BSHH
@ Yankee Clipper:
G. Sanchez may indeed be underrated rather than overrated, but certainly all of his detractors are Yankees haters. And while he might have a slightly better production than the average catcher, that is not saying much: Since C is one of the most important positions on defense, teams employ most of their catchers not primarily for their hitting. However, since Sanchez is a rather bad C defensively, his offense can hardly outweigh this weakness.
Gruß,
BSHH
Please, Hammer. Don't hurt 'em.
@BSHH: You are likely correct. I don’t hate on Sanchez but he is probably right where he needs to be and getting pretty much the exact salary he should get. Given his defensive struggles the fact he is a catcher doesn’t mean a whole lot so his contract value is probably around net zero since he’s getting paid about what he should be. I think some teams would love to have Sanchez but only if they think they are getting him for a steal. I don’t think anyone’s going to be willing to trade much of value to get him. Plus, the Yankees need a catcher. If their plan was to try and replace Sanchez with a better catcher, any other team could just acquire that catcher too instead of trading for Sanchez. Every team needs a catcher and the Yankees have Sanchez. I don’t think any other teams are going to think so highly of Sanchez to make it worth their time to trade him. At this point, the Yankees would be better off just rolling with Gary until his contract is up or a better catcher hits free agency.
Yankee Clipper
BSSH: Yeah, I agree with your assessment on him. And I also agree with Hammer’s expanded narrative. I think you’re both viewing him objectively and accurately.
pinstripes17
The Tigers certainly wanted them…
Hello, Newman
Well.. If they wanted them, don’t you think they would have certainly tried to trade for them? Or, are you just throwing out notions?
Yankee-4-Lifer 75
The Yankees we’re never trading Gleyber for Boyd. I still think Gleyber being traded to the Reds in a package for Castillo is definitely an option. I feel Gleyber will have a good year, especially if he isn’t trying to hit homeruns all the time.
Yankee-4-Lifer 75
@pinstripes17- just because the Tigers wanted them doesn’t mean they we’re ever going to get them.
Hello, Newman
Where have you read the Tigers wanted any one of those players?
“Multiple people say New York wanted Boyd for Torres, but Tigers never wanted Torres”.
^You see how simple that fabricated statement was?
Pretty easy! We both can say things we have absolutely no idea if it’s true, or not.
Yankee-4-Lifer 75
Those reports are all inaccurate. The Tigers asked for Gleyber in a package for Boyd and the Yankees said no. It’s common knowledge. Yes it’s all true. The Yankees had interest in Boyd but not at that asking price. They did the right thing.
Hello, Newman
Can you link the website? What asking price are you talking about?? Where did it say yankees said no, & where did it say the tigers offered?
Gleyber Torres for Matthew Boyd?
Matthew Boyd and prospects for Torres?
Prospects for Torres?
I would love to read this factually well publicized-“common knowledge” article. I haven’t seen literally anything other than rumors and “sources” w/ no names.
thecoffinnail
I want to see them trade for Sean Manaea. That guy is a beast at Yankee stadium and a lefty. If they were to get him
Cole
Manaea
King
Monty
Taillon
That’s a pretty solid rotation. Move German to swingman and spot starter. Sevy can try setting up and could potentially take over for Chapman next year. Gil and Torres should be more than enough for Manaea. Gil is just the next Adam Warren. Pitcher that could have been great if he learned another pitch. They need to leave DJL at 2nd so he can find his swing again. Keep Voit and just sign Olson when he hits FA. If they have great pitching they can have holes in the lineup. Simmons or Cabrera should be their SS target as a place holder.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
I agree about DJ but not for the same reason, sure he needs to find his swing, but I think second base is his natural position
kobo77
This has Farhan written all over it!!!
stymeedone
Still hoping he returns to the Tigers. He was the start of the rebuild and it would be nice to see him be here when they are competing again.
Cmurphy
June, huh? The way negotiations are going, that might be the start of the season. smh
baseballpurist
So, basically he won’t miss any games this season. Good for him.
tigerdoc616
I have always liked Boyd, but he is at best a mediocre pitcher. Great in April and May, and crap the rest of the way. Boyd has put a ton of work into his game spending several off seasons at Driveline. So not sure there is going to be a team that can suddenly find another gear and be able to sustain it. What you see is what you get. Still, I would be surprised if another team did not take a flier on Boyd but still not sold that a team will give him a MLB deal when the lock out ends. Flexor tendon surgery isn’t Tommy John, but it isn’t a walk in the park either. Teams will want to see him perform at something close to his old self. An MiLB deal with an opt out is almost guaranteed. But if this lock out continues, who knows, Boyd might just be ready for the beginning of the season.
SpendNuttinWinNuttin
If a guy like Boyd doesn’t get a MLB deal then the MLBPA has failed during CBA negotiations.
ohyeadam
If Harvey got a deal over the last 5 years Boyd will
rocky7
Always great in April and May because pitchers are always ahead of hitters coming out of Spring Training….when the bats heat up, the so -so pitchers who dominated early start getting beaten up quickly……
HalosHeavenJJ
Think he should stop throwing his change up so much?
Looking at savant, there’s no real difference in speed between it and his slider and the change gets hit the hardest of his 4 pitches.
Because otherwise you are spot on. He’s 31 and this is it. Career ERA+ of 90 and likely not improving.
RJStereo
June? Sweet. Should just be in time for condensed Spring Training.
Yankee Clipper
I think we posted at the same time…lol
Yankee Clipper
July return? Just in time for sprint training this year!
sfes
If he comes out filthy in April and May then craps out the rest of the season, has nobody attempted to use him as a reliever? Maybe if he pitched shorter outings he could reach back and stretch out his dominance over a longer period by pitching shorter outings?? I mean I understand the want to tap that potential as a starter but he’s 31, time eventually runs out.
warnbeeb
The Tigers were never offered anything close for Boyd compared to what they were for Michael Fulmer: Alex Bregman. Mercy. That was a missed opportunity.
Hello, Newman
When were they ever offered Alex Bregman?
Is this just speculation or is this a sited fact? lol
warnbeeb
I believe it was reported that the Astros offered a young, unproven Bregman for Fulmer right after his ROY season….2016?
A lot of us Tiger fans…think so…anyway.
Hello, Newman
Not this one.
warnbeeb
Remember….it’s not a lie….if you believe it.
Tigers3232
Yes it was reported that had offers of both him and Baez.
Hello, Newman
Haha nice
Tigers3232
In 2017 the Tigers were offered both Bregman and Baez in separate deals. Mind you Fulmer was just a yr removed from winning rookie of the year at the time. He was viewed as a top of the rotation arm then. Top of rotation guys with yrs of team control on team friendly contracts are highly coveted. Surely Avila in hindsight regrets turning down those offers.
Hello, Newman
I would love to see that source Tigers3232!
NoSaint
I’d guess that he would have to showcase himself before any team would offer him a MLB contract.
jdodson1822
Robbie Ray 2.0. He will be on Toronto
mt in baltimore
Wonder if he’s heard from one Eric Neander just yet… if not, he will be.
Cubneck
At the rate we are going with labor negotiations he could be full go by opening day.
SportsFan0000
Tigers should bring back Boyd. He was great for Detroit during their rebuild. It would be nice and a great story if Boyd joined the Tigers rotation as they move into a new pennant contending phase.
warnbeeb
I’ve mentioned it in other threads that I think Colin McHugh would be a nice piece to bring in by the Tigers. The righty-lefty thing might work well if he’s paired with Tyler Alexander. Hinch is the kind of manager who could mix and match those two guys in the 4th-5th spots in the rotation.
SportsFan0000
Would Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies take a flyer on Boyd?!
Dombrowski is the PBO who acquired Boyd for the Tigers from the Blue Jays.
stymeedone
And got fired for it.
Tigers3232
It was already well known and reported that he would not b back at the time team was tore apart. Mind-boggling that they allowed him to head the dismantling knowing he wouldn’t b back. Especially it being Dombrowski, he operates best at acquiring high priced talent, not so much at accessing future talent.
stymeedone
No, it was not known that he would not be back, and it was a shock throughout Detroit when he was fired midseason, right after trading Price for Boyd and Norris.
SportsFan0000
Dombrowski does not operate in a vacuum. He implements his Ownership’s business plans for whatever franchise he is working for.
In low budget Montreal, Dombrowski drafted and traded for boatloads of great young talent and prospects producing the best record in baseball and a potential Montreal World Series team(that could have given momentum for a new stadium and saved the franchise for Montreal
when the baseball season was cancelled because of the strike.
In low budget Miami, Dombrowski used drafts and trades to build a World Series Champion with the expansion Marlins in record time.
And, when forced to dismantle the Championship team by owners who wanted to sell the Marlins team for maximum profits, Dombrowski traded everyone but the clubhouse guys and received back the core, young players who won the Marlins 2nd World Series title when he have left for Detroit. In Detroit and Boston, Ownership was in “win now” mode. They had budgets in the 200M+ range. Ownerships’ business plans for Tigers and Red Sox was playoffs and World Series or bust. Dombrowski followed his owners’ business plans in those cities.
So, your analysis of Dombrowski’s skills is way off..
He follows his ownership business plans. At the end in Detroit, he was insisting on at least a retooling of the roster (if not a major rebuild) He was right. His owner got made that he was not tripling down on the old, declining, expensive Tigers roster and fired him setting back the Tigers long overdue rebuild for another 3-4 years.
SportsFan0000
Dombrowski would have received much higher returns and value by trading guys like Scherzer, Verlander, JD Martinez and others at that time and in their primes rather than Tigers ownership waiting and holding onto those players longer thereby getting caught in the changing market place where top young prospects began to be valued more highly and hoarded like gold and moving expensive, declining veterans for top picks and prospects began to fall in disfavor, except in a few places like with Preller in San Diego.
SportsFan0000
Dombrowski was right. the teardown and rebuild should have started years earlier. The Tigers would already be a playoffs team if they had started the rebuild earlier. Mike Ilitch was a great owner for the team, the fans, the players etc…However, He was letting the fan in him and his emotions affect his team and business decisions at the end there.
The Saber-toothed Superfife
I wonder what magic that slick GM Al Avila has up his sleeve this time.
SportsFan0000
The Saber-toothed Superfife
Dunno! But, he is off to a good start this offseason.
Adding another Starter (Boyd?!), more bullpen help, perhaps another impact free agent on both sides of the ball would put the Tigers right in the thick of the 2022 pennant race.
someoldguy
Twins have a recent history of 2 year deal to players coming off injury.. Bundy ( coming off shoulder.. injury 1 + 1 year option back end loaded) for example.. I think the twins would be a good spot for him and they dam well need the pitching… but more than One or 2 wounded warriors .. you know Bundy and Boyd.. they need a real ACE..
Thesecondjamie
The longer this lockout lasts, the more attractive Boyd becomes.
Weird.
Rsox
At the current rate of progress in the CBA negotiations Boyd may still be able to be a teams opening day starter…
big boi
I hope he returns to the Blue Jays. The guy is still good
warnbeeb
I’ve mentioned it in other threads that I think Colin McHugh would be a nice piece to bring in by the Tigers. The righty-lefty thing might work well if he’s paired with Tyler Alexander. Hinch is the kind of manager who could mix and match those two guys in the 4th-5th spots in the rotation.
SportsFan0000
Tyler Alexander has proven that he can be an effective #4, #5 or #6 Starter.
BSHH
Being a Tigers fan, I like Boyd as pitcher and as a person. So I would be very happy if he can come back as early as possible to re-establish his market and cash in as much as possible. But that leaves the three main questions still unanswered:
1. Should the Tigers have traded Boyd?
Since obviously none of us knows anything about possible offers, this question is difficult to answer. It seems plausible to me that the Tigers got indeed mediocre offers at best, since Boyd (unlike Norris or Fulmer) has never been considered as a major talent.
The Tigers had a pitcher-heavy farm system for a long time (drafting Burrows, Manning, Faedo, Mize and Skubal plus trading for Fr. Perez). I can see that there is some value in having an accomplished veteran as some sort of mentor for these young pitchers, and Boyd is quite the prototype for this role: Not only was he appreciated in the clubhouse and with the fans, he also improved his pitching through hard work (Driveline has been mentioned) and changing his nutrition even. Unlike Norris and Fulmer, Boyd was also mostly healthy and therefore available. Thus I find it hard to fault the Tigers for holding on to him.
2. Should the Tigers (have) re-sign(ed) Boyd?
The Tigers need another starter badly, even if we count Manning as full-time rotation cog. Alexander has only been a swingman so far and prospects like Wentz, Faedo or Rony Garcia will need some time at AAA after their injuries.
But the Tigers need this additional starter early in the season the most; in summertime, Wentz or another young starter might already be ready for a call-up. Boyd’s timeline this year simply isn’t a fit. Next year, Turnbull will return from TJS and the younger pitchers should be MLB-ready. And another LHP as swingman besides Alexander does not seem necessary.
3. Where should Boyd go?
The Mariners and the Angels will need rotation help. The ballparks in the AL West should be better for a flyball pitcher like him. But I could also see him signing with the Twins, who might need a starter even more.
If I were Boyd, I would specifically try to sign with another team than the Tigers. If this doesn’t work out, he will surely get a prove-it deal with Detroit to get back on track; the Tigers are a family organization and he is familiar with them (even his agent is).
Gruß,
BSHH
BSHH
Being a Tigers fan, I like Boyd as pitcher and as a person. So I would be very happy if he can come back as early as possible to re-establish his market and cash in as much as possible. But that leaves the three main questions still unanswered:
1. Should the Tigers have traded Boyd?
Since obviously none of us knows anything about possible offers, this question is difficult to answer. It seems plausible to me that the Tigers got indeed mediocre offers at best, since Boyd (unlike Norris or Fulmer) has never been considered as a major talent.
The Tigers had a pitcher-heavy farm system for a long time (drafting Burrows, Manning, Faedo, Mize and Skubal plus trading for Fr. Perez). I can see that there is some value in having an accomplished veteran as some sort of mentor for these young pitchers, and Boyd is quite the prototype for this role: Not only was he appreciated in the clubhouse and with the fans, he also improved his pitching through hard work (Driveline has been mentioned) and changing his nutrition even. Unlike Norris and Fulmer, Boyd was also mostly healthy and therefore available. Thus I find it hard to fault the Tigers for holding on to him.
2. Should the Tigers (have) re-sign(ed) Boyd?
The Tigers need another starter badly, even if we count Manning as full-time rotation cog. Alexander has only been a swingman so far and prospects like Wentz, Faedo or Rony Garcia will need some time at AAA after their injuries.
But the Tigers need this additional starter early in the season the most; in summertime, Wentz or another young starter might already be ready for a call-up. Boyd’s timeline this year simply isn’t a fit. Next year, Turnbull will return from TJS and the younger pitchers should be MLB-ready. And another LHP as swingman besides Alexander does not seem necessary.
3. Where should Boyd go?
The Mariners and the Angels will need rotation help. The ballparks in the AL West should be better for a flyball pitcher like him. But I could also see him signing with the Twins, who might need a starter even more.
If I were Boyd, I would specifically try to sign with another team than the Tigers. If this doesn’t work out, he will surely get a prove-it deal with Detroit to get back on track; the Tigers are a family organization and he is familiar with them (even his agent is).
Gruß,
BSHH
thecoffinnail
I can’t think of a single pitcher that returned from flexor surgery and was the same. I must be forgetting a couple but even a flexor strain seems to turn them into half the pitcher they were. Let’s not confuse Flexor surgery with Tommy John surgery. Different things entirely. Tommy John is a ligament replacement. Ligaments attach bone to bone and are meant to be stable. Tendons like the Flexor attach muscle to bone and are meant for movement. Once that tendon is torn off it can’t be attached at the same place like a ligament can. The muscle will feel and move differently forever. The only surgery scarier for a pitcher than a tendon surgery in a throwing arm seems to be that Thoracic Outlet surgery. One pitcher (1!!) has ever come back to pitch decently after that and that was Chris Young. He only seemed to handle it so well because he was a crafty junk all pitcher before the surgery. I wouldn’t go near any pitcher having either of those surgeries with anything but a minor league deal. Unless it was a pitcher like Corey Kluber an ace who teaches the youngsters how to throw his pitches when he is injured. That guy is a class act. Reminds me of John Smoltz years ago.