Detroit Tigers: Projecting Long-Term Replacements for Veterans Part 2

Francisco Rodriguez
Age: 35
Position: Closer
Contract Expires Following the 2017 Season

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila made a number of shrewd trades early in his tenure in charge.

While bringing in Cameron Maybin and Justin Wilson proved to be excellent acquisitions, Avila’s best work came in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Tigers flipped infield prospect Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later, which later turned out to be catcher Manny Pina, to the Brew Crew for closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Betancourt showed promise, but was blocked by Jose Iglesias, Ian Kinsler and Dixon Machado in Detroit. Meanwhile, Pina joined the organization in 2014, and mainly served as a depth piece in Triple-A.

Rodriguez meanwhile, solidified the back end of Detroit’s bullpen.

The veteran notched 44 saves while finishing 55 games. What’s more, he allowed just six home runs and 21 walks while striking out 52 in 58.1 frames.

Potential Long-Term Replacement: Joe Jimenez

This may be the easiest fit in terms of an ideal successor.

Jimenez has done nothing but dominate in his time as a minor league pitcher. The right-hander owns a sparkling 1.59 ERA and 13 strikeouts per nine innings.

All told, the prospect struck 204 of the 543 batters he’s faced.

While the strikeouts obviously catch the eye, Jimenez also limits mistakes. He allowed 4.4 hits, 0.2 home runs and 2.9 walks per nine innings.

In fact, the reliever has allowed just four home runs and 40 walks total in his lifetime as a professional pitcher.

Mark Lowe
Age: 33
Position: Relief Pitcher
Contract Expires Following the 2017 Season

Brought in with Rodriguez and Justin Wilson to help the back end of the bullpen, Lowe struggled in his first campaign in the Motor City.

Over the span of 49.1 frames, the veteran right-hander turned in an ERA of 7.11.

While his 5.66 FIP and 4.07 SIERA suggest he was much better than his sky-high ERA would suggest, Lowe wasn’t the same reliever who logged a 1.00 ERA in the first half of 2015 with Seattle.

There’s hope for a rebound next year, as Lowe posted a 2.95 ERA over his final 21.1 innings.

Potential Long-Term Replacement: TBD

While Rodriguez has a defined role, therefore making it easier to tab a replacement, Lowe doesn’t.

After losing his gig as a setup reliever, the longtime Mariner didn’t have role in the bullpen for much of the season—often pitching in blowouts.

Should Lowe begin to pitch late in games again during the 2017 season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of the team’s young power relief prospects.

Adam Ravenelle, Paul Voelker and Drew Smith all fit the bill as hard-throwing relievers who could eventually serve as setup men.

Andrew Romine
Age: 30
Position: Utility Player
Contract Expires Following the 2019 Season

After primarily spending his first two seasons in a Detroit Tigers uniform as a utility infielder, Andrew Romine added outfielder to his resume in 2016.

The former Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim saw action at all three outfield spots while continuing to fill in across the infield.

On offense, Romine posted a .626 OPS to go along with 21 runs scored, eight stolen bases and five doubles. The veteran set career highs in triples (two) and RBI (16) while also tying his previous career-best in home runs (two).

The bench cog also chipped in with a 1.8 BsR, a wRC+ of 71 and a 0.6 WAR.

Potential Long-Term Replacements: Dixon Machado, Dominic Ficociello or Jason Krizan

Utility players like Romine don’t come along too often, so Detroit could have trouble finding a like-for-like replacement.

If both shortstop and second base remain blocked, Dixon Machado could be a fit.

Like Romine he’s a solid defender, however Machado has only played the middle infield positions at this point.

Dominic Ficociello, who has seen time at first base, second base and third base, as well as left field, could develop into a utility player.

Rounding out the list is Krizan, who enjoyed an encouraging Triple-A debut in 2016.

Over the course of 32 games, the 26-year-old hit .310 with a .769 OPS. He also chipped in with 12 runs scored, 10 RBI, seven doubles and a home run.

Next: Long-Term Replacements for Victor, J.D. and Ian

Defensively, the former eighth-round draft pick has logged innings across the outfield and at both first and second base.