Detroit Tigers still need to address its bullpen
By Tyler Birss
Dave Dombrowski – the president, CEO and GM of the Detroit Tigers – knows his team has a dreadful bullpen. So far this offseason he’s re-signed Victor Martinez, traded for Yoenis Cespedes and acquired Alfredo Simon.
These are all great moves, but when will Dombrowski fix the bullpen?
In 2014, Detroit’s primary relievers included Joba Chamberlain, Joakim Soria, Joe Nathan and Al Alburquerque. Chamberlain is a free agent the Tigers are better off without. Alburquerque, while often misused as a middle reliever, was one of the Tigers’ only steady figures. Soria and Nathan though, the assumed current setup man and closer, struggled terribly and proved to be unreliable.
Soria only pitched in 13 games for Detroit after being traded by the Texas Rangers. He never appeared comfortable in a Tigers’ uniform as he posted a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings pitched. Nathan had a somewhat astounding 4.81 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. He’s also 40-years-old and is likely better off retiring than closing next season. In the playoffs, Soria was horrific and Nathan had lost so much trust that he only totaled a single postseason inning.
Dombrowski brought both pitchers in. To this point, neither move has worked. And while Chamberlain is an inconsistent reliever, who will Dombrowski bring in as his late-inning replacement? Will Ian Krol have a heavier workload? Can Alex Wilson contribute? Many of the bullpen names are unrecognizable and their roles are unknown.
For Dombrowski, there are too many questions. Luckily for him, it’s merely December. Make no mistake though, Dombrowski’s December and January decisions will have a profound impact on the fate of Detroit’s 2015 season. For at least 2-3 years in a row, bullpen issues have doomed the Tigers in October.
The offseason is far from over and upgrades like Rafael Soriano, Sergio Romo and other attractive relievers are still waiting on the market. Surprisingly though, the Tigers’ primary shot-caller has missed out on Andrew Miller, David Robertson, Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. If he waits too long, he’ll also miss on the Sorianos and Romos of the world too. This would be a dire misstep in the Dombrowski era.
Detroit’s bringing back a strong core and pieces such as Cespedes and Simon have been added. Until Dombrowski adds multiple players who sit in the bullpen, protect leads and act as calming figures in relief though, the Tigers won’t be a true contender. Dombrowski should know this by now. So when will he address the problem?