Detroit Tigers: Can Joe Jimenez help the bullpen in 2018?

Going into the 2018 season, there are few sure things in the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen. However, if Joe Jimenez could pitch the way he has in the Minor Leagues, he would be a significant help.

Last season, Joe Jimenez, one of the top arms in the Detroit Tigers‘ system, made his MLB debut. Prior to making it to the majors, many had already dubbed him as a possible “closer of the future” for the Tigers.

Unfortunately for Detroit, Jimenez’s first season in the big leagues didn’t go all that smoothly. Jimenez spent a little bit of time with the Tigers in April but saw most of his time with the team over the final two months of the season. Overall, he posted a 12.32 ERA and a 2.105 WHIP over 19 innings of work.

However, Jimenez did rack up the strikeouts at a rather healthy rate, posting an 8.05 K/9. According to Brooks Baseball, his average four-seam fastball registered at 95.63 MPH, so there wasn’t anything wrong with his velocity either.

Future still bright

While 2017 was a bit of a disappointment, it is important to remember that Jimenez just recently turned 23 years old. He has also dominated at every step in the minor leagues, posting a 1.56 ERA and a 0.908 WHIP. Moreover, he has tallied 241 strikeouts across 167.1 minor league innings.

Jimenez certainly has the potential to emerge as a vital piece of the Tigers’ bullpen in the near future. In December, George Sipple of the Detroit News reported that Jimenez had been working out in Lakeland, Florida, where the Tigers have Spring Training. He has reportedly been following a program the Tigers put him on and getting in better physical shape. He has reportedly lost 20-25 pounds.

Per GM Al Avila, the Tigers were not worried that Jimenez was overweight or out of shape in the traditional sense. However, they felt that shedding a few pounds would be beneficial to his athleticism and perhaps help him become a better pitcher.

"““He actually was in good shape. The thing about the weight is – from our perspective – we felt it was be in his best interest to lose some weight because it would only help him perform better.”"

Avila also spoke of Jimenez having mechanical problems, and how the Tigers weren’t able to help him fully resolve those issues last season. According to Sipple, the team believes that Jimenez’s new physique could help with his mechanics as well.

Bullpen concerns for 2018

Right now, there are very few relievers that the Detroit Tigers can truly depend on other than closer Shane Greene. The 29-year-old Greene is coming off of a breakout year in which he posted a 2.66 ERA over 67.2 innings of work.

Alex Wilson might be one other reliever that the team can count on. Wilson had a down year last season but posted a 2.58 ERA across 143 innings for the Tigers between 2015-16.

More from Call to the Pen

Recently, MLB Trade Rumors revealed a list of the 60 best remaining trade candidates for this offseason. Both Greene and Wilson made the list.

Of course, it is still entirely possible that the Tigers will open the season with both Greene and Wilson. However, if the Tigers struggle, which most expect they will, it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see Greene and Wilson return to the trade market this summer.

Apparently, at this point, it would be wise for the Tigers to not place enormous and perhaps unrealistic hopes in Jimenez for the upcoming season. As Sipple points out, the team has been cautious with Jimenez up to this point “and [doesn’t] want to place a lot of expectations for him for 2018.”

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Still, only time will tell, but it’s certainly very possible that Jimenez could have a strong spring training for the Detroit Tigers, make the team and begin living up to his potential. If Greene and Wilson are traded, it shouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that Jimenez could be in a position to start settling in as the team’s closer by the end of the year.

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