Detroit Tigers: Two Potentially Useful Relievers Are Available

Detroit Tigers fans have been witness to an up-and-down bullpen this season. The group could use some depth. Luckily for the Tigers, two potentially solid relievers were just made available.

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus—as well as the front office—seem to have settled on a bullpen group moving forward. Francisco Rodriguez is the obvious closer with Justin Wilson serving as the set-up man. Bruce Rondon, Shane Greene and Kyle Ryan can all pitch the seventh, while Alex Wilson is also on hand to provide quality innings.

While that group has performed well as of late, the Tigers could still use depth. Mark Lowe has yet to significantly turn things around, while depth options like Blaine Hardy (5.18 FIP) and Bobby Parnell (4.79 FIP) have struggled when called upon.

Additionally, both Drew VerHagen and Warwick Saupold are currently on the disabled list, further diminishing the team’s options should a new reliever be needed.

In other words, depth is needed.

In related news, a pair of relievers who could potentially provide that depth just hit the open market.

Alexi Ogando was designated for assignment by the Braves, while Ryan Webb was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays.

While neither’s numbers are eye-popping this season, both would be solid fallback options for Detroit. If acquired, neither would step in and pitch meaningful innings right away. However, Ogando and Webb could be upgrades and alternatives to Hardy, Parnell, VerHagen and Saupold.

Ryan Webb

Entering 2016, the highest ERA Ryan Webb posted in a season was 4.03. That came in 2012 with the Miami Marlins. Other than that, the reliever has been solid since entering the Majors in 2009.

From 2009 to 2015, the 30-year-old posted a solid 3.35 ERA in 376 innings split between five different franchises. What’s more, the right-hander’s FIP (3.43) wasn’t far off from his ERA.

Webb has never been a pitcher who racks up strikeout numbers, as evidenced by 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings from 2009 to 2015. However, pitchers like Alex Wilson and Kyle Ryan have proven this season that you don’t need to post gaudy strikeout numbers in order to find success.

The 2016 season has been a struggle for the former Marlin, but Webb found success with Cleveland last year, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 50.2 innings. So far this season, the veteran has logged 17.1 innings for the Rays, allowing 27 hits and 10 earned runs. In terms of ERA, that comes out to a 5.19 number.

Despite the unsightly ERA, Webb could find success in Detroit.

While he did allow a rather high number of hits and runs, the reliever only walked three batters. One of those walks was intentional. His FIP was also 3.90, suggesting that the Tampa Bay defense didn’t do him many favors.

He could spend time in Triple-A given Detroit’s current relievers, but if Webb can pitch at the level he has entire career, he could positively contribute to the bullpen.

In more obscure news, it would make for good trivia to have Webb on the roster. The reliever and Edward Mujica were traded by San Diego to the Marlins for current Tiger Cameron Maybin. As many obviously remember, Maybin was dealt to the Fish for another current member of the Detroit roster—Miguel Cabrera.

Alexi Ogando

Last season, the Tigers took a flier on a former Texas reliever with considerable upside in Neftali Feliz. That experiment didn’t work out so well, as the pitcher put up an ugly 7.62 ERA in 28.1 innings pitched. While his 3.95 FIP suggested better, Detroit moved on.

Things could work out differently with Alexi Ogando. Feliz’ former teammate has spent time in both the rotation and the bullpen during his career, and has only one bad season on his resume. That down year came in 2014 with the Rangers when Ogando posted a 6.84 ERA in a career-low 25 innings pitched. However, his 3.81 FIP that year tells a different story.

Since that season, the reliever has rebounded with Boston and Atlanta. Ogando owns a 3.98 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 97.1 innings since the start of 2015. He’s also finished 27 games over that span.

So far in 2016, the 32-year-old has put up a 3.94 ERA and 29 punch outs in 32 innings.

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Ogando may not be the pitcher he was earlier in his career, but as a depth piece, he could provide value to the Detroit Tigers. The reliever could fill a similar role to Alex Wilson in the sense that while he isn’t the first option for an important situation, he can come in and provide quality work while potentially eating multiple innings.