Is Joe Boever available?
OK, I'm not one to use TWFE panic button loosely. And I'm not saying that it's time to panic. Not yet. But the Tigers' bullpen situation has moved being a concern, and has bloomed into a full blown crisis.
Friday's 12-11 loss to the Indians, a game which Detroit gave up 3 different 4 run leads, it was the kind of loss that shows that something, anything, needs to be done with the Tigers' bullpen.
Right now, I wouldn't trust Jones, Mesa, Grilli, Seay, Ledezma, Miner, or Byrdak with any kind of lead. The lead in a play. As a lead singer. With a 1 lap lead with 2 laps to go at MIS. A job lead, which some of these stiffs are going to need soon. Let alone the lead in an a major league baseball game.
As I said in the game thread over at Ian's Bless you Boys, this loss is on totally on Jim Leyland's shoulders.
Jones is not a 2 inning pitcher. Hasn't been since like...FOREVER! Leyland knows that from LAST season. It was as if he left Jones out there knowing he was going to fail, but as no one else in the bullpen seems capable of doing anything, well...I just don't understand the Marlboro Man's thinking in hanging an obviously ineffective and laboring Jones out to dry.
Unless this was his way of telling Dave Dombrowski that it's time to do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. I don't care if you take a chance on losing some of the current bullpen pitchers if you send them down. So what if they are out of options? Who would even want them?
The Tigers supposedly have several more than capable arms in Toledo and Erie. It's time to use them. Dallas Trahern, Vic Darensburg, Virgil Vasquez, Eulogio De La Cruz, Jair Jurrjens, Andrew Miller, Andrew Miller, Andrew Miller, Andrew Miller, Andrew Miller, Andrew Miller, and Andrew Miller.
Did I mention Anderw Miller? ANDREW MILLER! Miller may not be the savior, but he's better than every guy currently in the pen, and would be their 3rd best starter. He's being wasted in the minors. Bring him up. Now.
You know, it didn't occur to me until I read your post that Leyland might have been trying to send a message to Dombrowski with his use of Todd Jones last night. But it's the type of tactic that many of us might pull at our own jobs.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are too many arms in the Tigers' system for them not to try one of them out. But I still think they might have to make a trade before the end of June. And given the market for relief pitching right now, Dombrowski might have to give up more than he'd like.