Detroit Tigers: Louis Coleman is Worth a Flier

Every team in the Major Leagues can use depth, and the Detroit Tigers are no different. The team should look into signing recently-cut reliever Louis Coleman.

The Detroit Tigers have struggled with bullpen depth as of late. One team that hasn’t struggled in the depth department? The Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City has so much depth in the bullpen that in order to create a roster spot for the recently-signed Ian Kennedy, the team cut the once-successful Louis Coleman.

The Tigers have improved the team’s bullpen, but every ball club can use depth. Coleman has a history of being an effective pitcher, so Detroit should give him a look.

At 29-years-old, the right-hander regularly throws a fastball, a two-seamer, a slider, cutter and changeup.

Why He’s Worth a Flier

Coleman isn’t a hard thrower by any stretch (his fastball sits somewhere between 89 and 90 mph per FanGraphs, but he has found success in the Major Leagues.

From his rookie season in 2011 through the end of the 2013 campaign, the former Royal pitched to a 2.69 ERA in 117 appearances that spanned 140.1 innings. During those 140.1 innings, he accumulated 161 strikeouts, while only issuing an average of seven walks per season.

Despite only one save from 2011 to 2013, Coleman finished 37 games over that span.

The reliever did have a down season in 2014, with a 5.56 ERA in 34 innings pitched. However, his BABIP was .314, suggesting he was victimized by the usually stout Kansas City defense.

Coleman only pitched in four games at the Major League level in 2015, but didn’t allow a run in any of those games. He also excelled at Triple-A last season, where his ERA was a sparkling 1.69. To go along with the shiny ERA, the reliever notched nine saves and 63 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched.

What’s more, the veteran isn’t arbitration eligible until 2017.

Potential Role

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In terms of a potential role, Coleman would probably slot in the middle as far as the bullpen is concerned. He wouldn’t be thrown into the fire as an eighth-inning option, but he wouldn’t be relegated to blowouts and garbage time either.

As it stands, some combination of Drew VerHagen, Bruce Rondon, Buck Farmer, Kyle Ryan, Jose Valdez, Jeff Ferrell, Angel Nesbitt, Joe Jimenez, Drake Britton, Lendy Castillo and Preston Guilmet will likely fill the final roster spots set aside for relievers.

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Given Coleman’s experience, success and ability to miss bats, he would probably make the team ahead of any of the pitchers from that group. The former Kansas City reliever would be an ideal depth piece. Not only would he be a solid option to turn to in games, but he could also eventually move into pitching in close games for Detroit.