Detroit Tigers: Significance of a Potential Anibal Sanchez Bounce-Back

Added Rotation Depth

With the news that both Drew VerHagen and Buck Farmer will see time as starters in Spring Training, the Detroit Tigers suddenly have added rotation depth.

However, it isn’t the most dependable unit.

VerHagen and Farmer have both showed well as starters at the Triple-A level and as relievers in the Majors.

However, neither have much experience as Major League starters with just eight combined games started between them.

There’s also Myles Jaye and Warwick Saupold. Both show promise.

However, Jaye has yet to make his big league debut. Meanwhile Saupold has thrown just 9.2 frames in the Majors.

In addition to Sanchez, there’s Mike Pelfrey.

The former first-round pick also struggled last season, with a 5.15 FIP and a 1.731 WHIP. Pelfrey only struck out 4.2 batters per nine frames while allowing 12.1 this and 3.5 walks per nine innings.

In fact, of pitchers with at least 110 innings last season, the 33-year-old had the lowest strikeout per nine inning rate and the seventh-highest xFIP.

Having Sanchez throwing quality innings again would significantly strengthen Detroit’s depth, giving team a dependable option.

Should the Tigers feel a need to limit the innings of Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd, the veteran could step and make spot starts.