Who Closes for the Detroit Tigers in 2013?

By Sean Gagnier

The World Series is over and congratulations are in order to the San Fransisco Giants. Their pitching staff dominated the Detroit Tigers all series.

As the depression of being swept out of the fall classic subsides, the Tigers will have to look at themselves and see where they need improvement. And anyone with eyes can see that the biggest area in need of improvement is the closers role.

Jose Valverde may have been perfect in 2011, but he was anything but that in 2012. And in the 2012 postseason, he was the epitome of worthless. He was so bad that Manager Jim Leyland turned to lefty-specialist Phil Coke to serve as his inpromptu-closer for the length of the postseason.

Valverde has without a doubt seen his last game in a Tigers uniform, but while his departure will certainly come as a relief to many Tigers fans, it also leaves a void at the back end of the Detroit bullpen. Who should fill it? There are several in-house options to consider as well as a free agent and one on the trade market, here they are.

Free Agents

Rafael Soriano - New York Yankees, signed through 2013 (3yrs/$35M)

• 67.2 IP / 2.26 ERA / 42 SV / 1.167 WHIP / 9.2 SO/9
• While Soriano may not be a free agent quite yet, all indications are that he will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Yankees and will test the free agent market. And that market could become very lucrative for him.
• After the season ending injury to Mariano Rivera it was up to Soriano to take over the closers role, and he did an exceptional job. His 42 saves are the second most of his career and his WHIP among the best in the league
• Upside: Soriano is an elite caliber closer who could come in and immediately have an impact for the Tigers.
• Downside: He will cost a pretty penny. Soriano isn't opting out of the final year of a $35M deal to get less money and with the Yankees competing with several other teams for his services, his contract will certainly balloon out of the Tigers price range. 

Trade Market

Chris Perez - Cleveland Indians, signed through 2015 (arbitration eligible, $4.5M)

• 57.2 IP / 3.59 ERA / 39 SV / 1.127 WHIP / 9.2 SO/9
• Cleveland is starting a new era under Manager Terry Francona, and Perez showed that he was one of the most outspoken and driven members of last season's Indians club. However, Cleveland has it's eyes on their closer of the future in Vinnie Pestano. While Perez gives the Indians passion and energy, he could also bring them solid prospects in return.
• The Indians like Perez, the only way they part ways with him is if they believe Pestano is ready to take over the mantle of being the closer. And that has yet to be seen.
• Upside: Perez would bring a fire and passion to the Tigers that has appeared to be missing since the loss of Victor Martinez. He is unconventional, but his style of pitching would fit well in the cavern that is Comerica Park.
• Downside: Pestano doesn't appear to be ready to become the closer just yet, but if the Indians do decide to go with him, they will want quite a bit in return for Perez and they would be insane to trade him within the division.

In-House 

Phil Coke - Detroit Tigers, signed through 2015 (arbitration eligible, $1.1M)

• 54 IP / 4.00 ERA / 1 SV / 1.648 WHIP / 8.5 SO/9
• Coke was not the picture of consistency during the regular season, but when Valverde imploded in the postseason, Leyland turned to Coke and he delivered. In his 10 innings pitched in the 2012 postseason, Coke allowed just one run.
• Upside: Coke being a lefty, would be something different than most closers. He has shown that when the pressure is on him he is capable of producing and giving maximum effort. The guy sprints to the mound from the bullpen every single time his name is called and he refuses to give less than 100 percent, that's something you look for in a closer.
• Downside: The postseason is one thing, the pressure and adrenaline could have helped him, but it remains to be seen if he can take his playoff success and translate it into regular season consistency. If Coke pitches the way he did during the regular season then he is not closer material, but if the Tigers get the postseason Coke, then they would have found themselves something special.

Al Alburquerque - Detroit Tigers, signed through 2017, $495K

• 13.1 IP / 0.68 ERA / 0 SV / 1.050 WHIP / 12.2 SO/9
• Alburquerque possesses a devastating slider and a decent fastball to keep batters honest, but he has yet to complete a complete season after two injuries cut his 2011 and 2012 short. In 2011, Alburquerque was struck in the back of the head by a fly ball during batting practice and missed the final several months of the season. In 2012, he suffered a knee injury and was unable to return to action until late in the year.
• When healthy and on, Alburquerque is close to unhittable. However, his durability has to come into question as well as his relative inexperience. But if Alburquerque is capable of producing the same way he did to close out the season this year, next season, then he could be a very interesting candidate.
• Upside: His pitches have great movement and he doesn't appear to be phased with runners on base. Detroit has Alburquerque signed long term, meaning that if he does have what it takes to close games, the Tigers could use the money they save on him for other pieces.
• Downside: Alburquerque has yet to complete a season and is for all intents and purposes still a rookie. Handing the ball to someone as inexperienced as Alburquerque could prove costly to the Tigers if he isn't entirely ready for the pressure of the closers role.

Bruce Rondon - Toledo Mud Hens, Triple-A

•  (A+, AA, AAA) 53.0 IP / 1.53 ERA / 29 SV / 1.094 WHIP / 11.2 SO/9
• From scouting reports and other outlets it is apparent that Rondon possesses an impressive fastball, upper-nineties, and several decent off-speed pitches. Rondon was good enough in 2012 to progress from High-A Lakeland to Double-A Erie and on to Triple-A Toledo all while serving as the closer.
• Upside: Rondon has a devastating fastball that could overpower many major league hitters, and being an unknown rookie could benefit him against batters who have not yet seen him. If he can improve his change-up, Rondon could be a very good closer for years to come.
• Downside: Much like Alburquerque, Rondon being a rookie is dangerous for the Tigers. His inexperience and complete lack of time in the major leagues could lead to him playing a role in the bullpen in 2013, but keep him from assuming the closers role for several years.

Detroit Tigers Will Have Work Cut Out for Them in Arbitration

By Sean Gagnier
It may be early, the Tigers aren't dead yet in the World Series, but looking at a 3-0 series deficit, it couldn't hurt to look to the 2013 season.

First off, the Tigers already high payroll could get much higher next season, with nine players eligible for salary arbitration.

Arbitration Eligible Tigers
Includes player's 2012 salary

• Max Scherzer, $3.75 million
• Rick Porcello, $3.1 million
• Ryan Raburn, $2.1 million
• Phil Coke, $1.1 million
• Don Kelly, $900,000
• Alex Avila, $510,000
• Doug Fister, $507,500
• Brennan Boesch, $502,500
• Austin Jackson, $500,000

Most of the eligible players are well deserving of a pay raise, but there are several that the Tigers should be kicking to the curb quickly following the World Series.

Of the nine players eligible for arbitration, Raburn does not deserve a pay raise at all, in fact he probably should have to pay Mike Illich for being as bad as he is. No chance he is back with the team next season.

With Detroit likely picking up the $6 million option on Jhonny Peralta, they will have no need for Kelly and will likely cut him.

Boesch more than likely has seen his last game in a Tigers uniform. He did not follow up his good 2011 season with a equally impressive 2012 season, and has been left off all three Tigers postseason rosters. If that isn't a sign that Detroit is ready to part ways with Boesch, then nothing is. Not to mention the glut of outfielders the Tigers have right now.

Scherzer will see yet another big pay raise; last season Scherzer saw his salary grow from $600,000 to $3.75 million. If things hold like they did last season, Scherzer could be bringing in quite a bit more money next year.

Like Scherzer, the other Tigers eligible for arbitration, aside from Raburn, Boesch and Kelly, will all likely see a bump in pay and return to the club next season without any incidences.

With Raburn, Boesch and Kelly being shown the door, Detroit will add to it's payroll without adding a single player. That doesn't bode well for being active with free agents.
 
Savings: $3.5 million


 Free Agent Tigers

• Jose Valverde, $9 million
• Delmon Young, $6.75 million
• Gerald Laird, $1 million
• Anibal Sanchez, $8 million

First off, Valverde will never play for the Tigers again. Even before his garbage postseason, he signed with agent Scott Boras, one of the two agents who drive up player contracts to ridiculous sums. Then Valverde tried to blow the Tigers postseason twice in the American division and league championship series. and for some reason Leyland decided to waste a bullpen spot with his arm in the World Series.

Valverde will be on the first plane out of Detroit in the off-season and will never come back. 

Delmon Young may have been named the ALCS MVP, but that doesn't make up for a horrible regular season and his bat, when hot, in no way comes close to making up for his defense in left field, if you can even call it that. Young's -29 RAA is one of the lowest in the entire league, meaning that when he plays left field, Young gives up 29 more runs than an average player. And even his bat doesn't save him, Young boasted a -9Rbat, runs batted in by position. So not only can he not field, he can't hit. Wave g'bye to Young this off-season.

Laird has struggled in the postseason offensively, and didn't have the best year at the plate during the regular season, but he has served as a solid backup for Alex Avila all year. With Victor Martinez returning next season, the Tigers would have three catchers on the roster, but it also depends on how they plan to use Martinez.

The only problem with using Martinez, Laird and Avila, is that Martinez is owed $13 million next season. While that is quite a hefty sum, if he can produce with RISP like he did in 2011 then he will be worth every penny.

That being said, we would prefer to see Martinez used as the DH on a daily basis next season and see Laird return at $1 million or a little more. Martinez is too valuable to this team to put him behind the plate and risk him getting hurt or wearing out what little is left of his knees. By resigning Laird, all three catchers could work with the pitching staff and if absolutely necessary Martinez could serve as the emergency catcher. Laird works well with Scherzer and Porcello, while Avila tends to work better with Verlander and Fister. Why break up the band now?

While Sanchez has yet to see any bump in run support moving from Miami to Detroit, he appears to like the club and the fans, but it has yet to be seen if that will turn into him resigning with the Tigers. With Detroit cutting ties to Valverde, Boesch and Young, there should be enough money to offer Sanchez a competitive deal to keep him in Motown.

He may not have had the best first few outings for Detroit, but Sanchez has shown that he is as capable a pitcher as any of the other guys on the staff. Sanchez will receive contracts worth absurd money, no doubt, but the Tigers will likely offer him something in the neighborhood of $9-10 million per season.

Savings: $15.75 million 

Total Savings: $19.25 million

What about the 'pen?

Phil Coke has shown that he is capable of handling the closers role in the postseason, why not keep him in that role? With Coke serving as the closer, the 7th and 8th inning roles could be left up to Octavio Dotel and Joaquin Benoit.

Moving Coke to the closer, leaves the Tigers in need of a situational lefty, which could be filled by Darin Downs. Continuing to use Al Albuquerque in tight situations would be a solid move and so would be moving Bruce Rondon up from the Toledo Mud Hens and into the Tigers bullpen.

Detroit made a good run in 2011, but was hampered by injuries. In 2012, an American League Championship is nothing to sneeze at, but the Tigers have no one to blame but themselves for under-performing in the World Series. If Detroit wants to stay at the top of the AL for a long time, they need to reward success while promoting young cheap talent from within.