Detroit Tigers To Bring Up Jeremy Bonderman, Option Evan Reed

Jun 18, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Jeremy Bonderman (32) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Following the Detroit Tigers’ 3-2 extra inning win over the Chicago White Sox, the team announced that would be bringing up Jeremy Bonderman from Toledo to join the major league team. Evan Reed will be optioned to the minor leagues to make room on the 25-man roster.

Bonderman pitched in seven games for Toledo after being designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners and has been fairly well in the relief role. Jeremy didn’t allow a run in 9.2 innings while striking out five and walking none. Despite the perfect ERA and low damage rates, I would have preferred to see a better strikeout rate before the team committed a roster spot to a reclamation project.

I’m not a big believer that Bonderman will ever again be a truly effective major league pitcher, but I typically make it a point not to live or die over 25th-man type roster decisions. The truth of the matter is that the Tigers are bringing him up to be nothing more than a mop-up man.

Out of the quartet of Darin Downs, Luke Putkonen, Evan Reed, and Jeremy Bonderman, I’d rather have Downs given his actual LOOGY ability — I’m not sure if any of the others have a role that makes them “plus” — but it probably makes sense for the club to audition all of these guys in case they eventually need to take one of them for the postseason roster. Then again, Octavio Dotel is apparently improving and getting somewhat close to returning, so they may have one arm too many as it is.