Detroit Tigers: Completing the Bullpen

With Spring Training coming to a close, the Detroit Tigers final roster is nearly filled out. The bullpen is starting to come together.

The Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day roster is taking shape. This week, the Tigers have traded Bryan Holaday to the Texas Rangers, released Casey McGehee and Bobby Parnell (although they may re-sign him), and sent Bruce Rondon and Matt Boyd to Toledo. Although most of the roster has taken shape, the bullpen is still cloudy.

The Detroit Tigers have guaranteed four spots in their bullpen: Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Lowe, Justin Wilson, and Drew VerHagen. The Tigers hale also announced Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy will not be ready for Opening Day.

Angel Nesbitt and Jeff Ferrell would also be in the mix for bullpen spots, but both of them will also start the season on the disabled list at the beginning of the season.

Besides the starting pitchers and the pitchers listed above, the pitchers currently listed on the Tigers 25 man roster are Shane Greene, Buck Farmer, and Kyle Ryan, all of whom will be on the Tigers’ roster to start the season.

Even if Nesbitt and Ferrell were healthy, the Tigers would have Ryan on their Opening Day roster with Hardy’s injury because they need another left handed pitcher in the bullpen. In 2015, Ryan went 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA, a 1.420 WHIP, and a 5.26 FIP. In 2014, Ryan went 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA, a 1.161 WHIP, and a 2.94 FIP in 10.1 innings of work. He struggled in the minors with a 4-9 record a 4.10 ERA and a 1.456 WHIP.

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Buck Farmer has struggled in his two stints in the big leagues posting an 8.15 ERA over 18 games with a 1.752 WHIP and a 6.50 FIP. As a reliever those numbers are a little bit better, but not much. He has a 5.12 ERA and a 1.552 WHIP over 11 appearances.

With Wilson, Hardy, Nesbitt and Ferrell starting the season on the DL, the final bullpen spot will come down to Logan Kensing and Lendy Castillo. The winner of this competition will most likely get to see mop up duty until one of the Tigers’ injured starters recovers from his injury.

Kensing was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training after spending last season with the Seattle Mariners. In 2015, he posted a 5.87 ERA with a 1.239 WHIP and a 4.50 FIP. He may not have the best numbers, but he has the ear of the Toledo Mud Hens manager, Lloyd McClendon, who coached in Seattle last season.

Next: Detroit Tigers Option Matt Boyd, Re-Sign Bobby Parnell

Finally, there is Lendy Castillo. Castillo only saw 13 games in the Major League with the Chicago Cubs in 2012 where he posted a 7.88 ERA. So far in Spring Training, Castillo has posted a 2.16 ERA in 8.1 innings of work with 7 strikeouts and a 1.320 WHIP.

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