It's okay to panic but you don't have to.

By Kyle Bauer

I normally wouldnt post 2 blogs this close togather but with the Joel Zumaya situation this is kinda urgent circumstances.


This situation changes the whole complection of the Tigers offseason and the 2008 season.

First off I would like to say that though I dont really know, I can only speculate myself but I have a hard time believing that Joel injured his shoulder so severly from a box falling on it. It's a very elaborate story but a very innopropriate one if found out to be a lie, those are a couple reason not to doubt this. Still it's so freaky and weird, I'm just having a hard time buying it. Rumors are floating around message boards that he was racing motorbikes at a local drap strip last Saturday, he wiped out and thats how he really injured his shoulder. Though it's just a rumor from an extremly unreliable source, given that this is someone who stubburnly hurt himself playing Guitar Hero, his maturity level can be called into question, making that story more believable in my opinion.

Ofcousre I hope thats not true. Yes, either way hes injured but the difference between a freak accident and the bike rumor is the matter of intent, intelligence and responsibility. It would speak horribly of Zumaya's character to have injured himself in any other way than what he and the Tigers told the media. If found to be a lie, this would also be a severe breach of contract which may result in his release. There is precedence for such a move. Coming off his 2003 pennant clinching home run, Yankees third basemen Aaron Boone, tore his ACL playing basketball in the offseason. There was a clause in his contract prohibiting him to partake in any activity that could result in severe injury. Due to Boone hurting himself playing basketball his contract was immeadiately terminated by the Yankees, despite being a playoff hero only a couple months earlier. I guess the difference would be that Boone was less valuable to the Yankees than Zumaya is to the Tigers.


So where do the Tigers go from here?

Last year they played the waiting game for Zumaya while he recoverd from sugery on his sprained finger. In my opinion them waiting cost the Tigers a better shot at the playoffs. If Rodney stays healthy this season that makes circumstances less dire but I would not rely on Tim Byrdak or Bobby Seay to be your 7th or 8th inning guy every night or every other night. That move cost the Tigers around 20 games last season. With Cleveland poised to make another run and a team like Seattle on the rise and looking to contend for a playoff spot the Tigers cannot mess around and wait for anyone this upcoming season.

First it's now impearitive to bring back Todd Jones, where as before there was an argument for moving Zumaya up to closer this season, which in the first place was a move I never bought into. Jones likely has one last 30 save season left in him but he would have to be used sparingly. He cannot go on more than two nights in a row, depending on pitch count. Never bring him in during the 8th, no earlier than the 9th. If he hasnt pitched in a while, sure bring him in when the Tigers are down but 98% of the time he should be brought in 9/10th inning hold, or save situations.

For those reasons that's why a set up man is so much more valuable. Not only to set up but to be a buffer for Jones on nights where he might not be fresh enough to go in and close out the games or so he can be counted on to get you through the 7th and 8th.

As was the trade deadline discussion back in July, everyone is clamering for Gange. While I'm not that opposed to bring in star power to bolster the back end of the Tigers bullpen, once again it's a situation where the Tigers just need a more reliable mid level set up man. Ofcourse if Gange wants to come here and alternate the 9th with Jones and be willing to work as a set up man some nights, throw money at him and march him in here. The problem with someone like say Gange, Nathan or Cordero, is would they want to come into to Detroit and play a somewhat different role than what they normally would at a reasonable price? I would like to think money won't be an option in this case for Ilitch, but if the Tigers are not willing to settle with a Perez/Thames platoon split in left, or have Durbin and Miner as 4th and 5th starters, it likely will be. Asking someone with as much earning potential as Gange to come here at say 2 years/10 million to be a set up man most nights probably would'nt sound to appealing to him or any other star closer the Tigers could offer a contract to.

The reason why I'm suggesting a big name free agent pick up step into a set up role on most nights is because Jones will come cheap but if he were to pitch set up, his pitch count would be higher and he would be made availible on more nights, which refering back to an earlier paragraph would hurt his effectiveness severely. If you don't bring back Jones and just sign Gange, Cordero, Nathan etc. you're in the same situation as you would be in if you just bring Jones back; most of the season with no legit set up man to cushion our closer and Rodney, so whats the point?

That is why it would be much more efficient to trade or sign for someone like Jay Rausch of Washington or work a deal for Al Reyes from Tampa Bay, David Riske of the Royals, Armondo Benitez from the Marlins. Mid level guys who come cheap. On the pricier but availible side is Octavio Dotel, Mariano Rivera, Bob Wickman, Mike Timlin and Luis Vizcaino plus the afore mentioned pitchers in the paragraph above. I would take any of these guys in a heartbeat but I still believe what they want money wise will affect what the Tigers can and determine to do. It's not going to be a blank check situation like we all would love it to be but it won't work unless we don't want to pick up either another starter or left fielder.



Keeping it in house.

If by chance the Tigers fail to pick anyone up arguably there are players in the Tigers bullpen that could step in and fill the set up role on a regular basis. Down the stretch of the second half, while the Tigers starting pitching and hitting falterd the bullpen thrived. Here' the positives and posibilities for set up men.

Bobby Seay was great in August and September, going 3-0 with a .274 opponent obp, 18 K's and 6 walks in 15 appearences. Before he did'nt do so swell but from late June on his era dropped dramatically with every appearence and by the end of the season he was one of the Tigers more reliable relievers. Seay is another power pitcher of many in the Tigers pen, but dosent have any stuff that stands out, just a sturdy lefty with a strong fast ball and decent breaking stuff.

Tim Byrdaks story could be a movie. At one time working at a Wal-Mart to support his family after his baseball career initially fell apart, he fought his way back up to a spot in a big league organization. With a survivor mentality he pitched well enough to stick on the Tigers roster for most of the 2007 season. Byrdak will go right after batters and pitch to contact similar to Todd Jones' style. He also delievers a sharp cutter and hard low to mid 90's fastball.
That maybe his problem. Say the Tigers retain Jones and have Brydak in a set up role, I would'nt toss him out there right before Jones being that they are such similar pitchers. In some cases that can be a good thing but I believe it could work against Jones.

Jose Capellan was once a highly touted prospect but has since struggled and bounced through a couple organizations before landing a relief role with the Tigers last year. He bounced up and down between the big club and assignments in Toledo. He has rocky numbers and gave up a lot of extra basehits and homers, his .529 slugging percentage against will tell you that. It's mainly because he has the potential to mix power with a high 90's fastball and his best pitch, a mid 80's curve, well. That potential has not come to fruition yet. While his curve is still considerdby some his best pitch, he has failed to get it to bite on the corners well enough for strikes. His control problems have led him to hang his curve as well as his power fastball. I am nominating him as a possibility for the role because he's relatively young at 26 and with some work in the offseason, there is the potential for him to be similar to Fernando Rodney, just save Fernandos change up for Capellans curve. If he can finally figure out to set up his pitches properly and execute, he could not only stay with the Tigers but adequately replace Zumaya until his return.

Jordan Tata got a sniff out of the bullpen in 2006, making 8 appearences with an unimpressive 6.14 era and only 6 K's to 7 walks. Give him some leway, he was a rookie. Last season he was a spot starter. In 3 starts he was 1-1 with a 7.71 era and while looking decent in his first 2 starts, he was awful in his final start against Oakland. The jury is still out on him, he's young but he has to be sensing that his chances are running out. This could give him the element of hunger, something Byrdak worked off of last season. Similar to Byrdak and Jones, he offers the mid 90's fastball with a cutter and a curve that hasn't been that effective. If he were going to the bullpen, it would more likely be as a long reliever, but I'm throwing his name out there as a player who might be forced into such a role just to find a place with the organization. It's a long shot, you never know.

If the Tigers stand pat in regards to finding a set up man/closer, expect these men to be the canidates. Who knows it could be someone completely different in the organization. I would'nt expect or advise the Tigers to stand pat though, just judging on the 2007 first half performances, no one in this bullpen is trustworthy over an extended period of time. Any addition would also be added depth, something that never hurts.


It will be interesting to see Dumbrowski's next move nomatter who it is. As far as left fielders, look for Shannon Stewart or Mike Cameron, who are both damaged goods but should come cheap in a short term deal, which would be fine consideing Maybin should be ready in 2009 or 2010. For starting pitching, bringing back Rogers is said to be a priority for Dumbrowski but Curt Schilling, Livan Hernandez and Kris Benson are all names to seriously watch.

Whenever the Tigers make a move, I'll be here to give you my take on it, whether you agree or not.




Thats all for now. I promise that my next blog will be about the Wings/Pistons and even the Lions who I initially didnt plan on blogging about, not for apathy or lack of knowledge but that's what Horner's role is supposed to be but you'll get my take on their surprise season soon enough.


You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.