Without further ado:
LR: Duane Below LHP
Duane Below is one of those feel good stories you can't help but smile about. Hailing from Britton, MI (South-Central part of state), Below has never been on any "Top-10" prospect lists. However, he has been successful at every minor league stop, finally earning his shot with the Tigers last season, and performing pretty well out of the bullpen. Below was originally slotted to be sent to Toledo out of spring training this season, but an injury to Luis Marte had Below headed to Detroit before he could even unpack his bag. 3 games into the season, Below already has 2 wins (the first 2 of his career) and has proved to be a key contributor and the sole "long man" in Jim Leyland's bullpen. While it wouldn't surprise me to see Below get a spot start this season at some point; I think his stuff translates better to the bullpen, where he can have some moderate success.
LR/MR: Colin Balester RHP
This is who we got in exchange for Ryan Perry from the Washington Nationals. Considering Ryan Perry has been a grease fire of a pitcher in Detroit, the fact that we got anything more than a half-empty tin of dip and 4 week old spitter for him in a trade should be considered a steal by Dombrowski. I don't know much about Balester other than he's the ultimate swingman; meaning that he has the ability to spot start, be a long relief guy, or come into a game to get one out. Leyland has said that he will be the "jack of all trades" in the Tigers bullpen. In the Max Scherzer aberration of a start on Sunday, Balester came on and pitched 2 2/3 innings of 1 run relief, which honestly, I'll take. He also has an absolute beauty of a mustache:
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We ain't talkin bout no peach fuzz; we talkin' bout handlebars |
MR: Daniel Schlereth LHP
"Son of Stink", "Stink, Jr.", "Lefty", "THROW THE GODDAMNED BALL OVER THE GODDAMNED PLATE". All of these nicknames come to mind when I think about Daniel Schlereth. Similar to Perry in that he's a young reliever with oodles and oodles of potential that lacks the ability to consistently throw strikes. Unlike Perry in that he's lefthanded and has had at least moderate success. Originally tabbed as the "steal" of the Granderson/Edwin Jackson deal, he was billed as a Billy Wagner type future closer. He's not that, but he has shown the ability, with command, to be a dominating strikeout machine against lefty hitters. He is the designated "LOOGY" (Lefty One Out GuY) of the bullpen, meaning that in situations where a left-handed hitter is coming out and Leyland needs 1 out, Schlereth is probably the guy coming in. He throws a fastball anywhere from 90-94, usually sitting 91-92, and a curveball that, WHEN COMMANDED, can absolutely dominate lefties. I have my reservations about Schlereth, but as usual, I'm optimistic.
MR: Octavio Dotel RHP
The definition of "journeyman", Dotel begins his 12th season in the big leagues with Detroit, his 13th team. Dotel was the "big" signing of the offseason prior to Prince, and should not be overlooked in terms of value. In the ALCS against Texas, the one BIG issue that brought us down (there were several, I know) was our lack of bullpen depth. We literally could not count on anyone except for Benoit and Valverde, and by game 4 of the ALCS, they were tapped out. That's why Dombrowski went and signed Dotel: experience, depth, and yet still a very good pitcher. He and Phil Coke will presumably split the 7th inning duties, as we all know how Leyland loves to play righty/lefty platoon matchups. Dotel will be very underrated in terms of his value to the Tigers, and I would guess that he has a very good season in Detroit. However, his true value will show up in the playoffs.
MR: Phil Coke LHP
First, follow @PhilCoke'sBrain on twitter. You'd be doing yourself a favor, I promise. Now, to actual baseball. Phil Coke is one of my favorite Tigers. From his sprinting into the game from the bullpen, to randomly pointing up every time a ball is remotely hit in the air, he brings a sort of goofiness that I believe every team needs. He tried starting last year, didn't do so well, got moved back to the bullpen, and didn't do so well for awhile. He picked it up down the stretch; however, providing the Tiger's with a valuable piece. I believe he will be counted on mightily this season to be the primary lefty in Leyland's bullpen; being counted on to pitch the 7th inning and get big outs. He can get up as high as 96 on the gun, and from the left side, that's very impressive. He also has a good curveball that's effective on lefties, and an at least serviceable changeup.
SU: Joaquin Benoit RHP
Dombrowski really pissed some people off last offseason when he spent 16.5 million dollars over 3 years to sign an 8th inning guy. But last year in the playoffs against the Yankees, Benoit earned every damned penny IMHO. Benoit will again be counted on as the primary set up man to Valverde. I also believe he is a better pitcher than Valverde, but that's just me. Benoit throws a fastball in the mid 90's, the occasional slider, and his secret weapon is the "Vulcan" changeup, aptly named due to the "Vulcan salute" grip he throws it with. Benoit can be dominating, but is also susceptible to strings of hits and runs. Regardless, he's one of my Tigers, and his gutty performance in the ALDS ranks right up there for me in terms of best playoff performances.
CL: Jose Valverde RHP
I call him Papa Grande. Phil calls him Fatty. Either way, the engimatic Tiger's close was perfect last season, converting 49/49 regular season save opps and was 2/2 in the playoffs. He already blew a save this season (GASP! FIRE LEYLAND! SHOULD HAVE LEFT JV IN! AHHHHHH FIRE LEYLAND!), so the streak is caput. That's fine with me, as they still won the game. I really couldn't give any less of a shit about who "gets" the win, so long as the Tigers win the game. As you all know, I believe Wins, Saves, and RBI are the softest, most useless stats in the world, but that's just me. Regardless, Valverde is a good, not great, closer. He was helped out a lot last year in terms of saves, and his non-save opp stats aren't very good. Regardless, I'm glad he's the Tiger's closer. We could have it worse. It could be Todd Jones
In the Finale of the Tiger's season preview series, I will give you a preview of who you might see pop up in Detroit this season from within the Tigers farm system (this is NOT a "top prospect" list)
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