Detroit Tigers free agency primer: Seung-hwan Oh is intriguing buy-low candidate

Detroit Tigers fans could conceivably see the team sign veterans to short-term deals in order to help the franchise’s younger players develop. One potential fit could be Seung-hwan Oh.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila and the rest of the front office need a number of veteran, stop-gap options picked from the free agent market to bolster the team.

Ideally, all of these stop-gap veterans will be signed to short-term deals.

This way, there isn’t much of a long-term financial hit on the books while at the same time leaving a long-term place open for one of the team’s prospects or younger players.

With a number of young relievers coming through the system, some of whom have already broken into the Majors, it may seem prudent for Detroit to add a veteran reliever to the mix.

State of the bullpen

Joe Jimenez made his debut earlier in the 2017 season, while the likes of Jairo Labourt, Victor Alcantara and Zac Reininger joined him later in the season.

Additionally, the likes of Bryan Garcia, Paul Voelker, Mark Ecker and Adam Ravenelle could all join them at some point in 2018.

With a host of other inexperienced and underperforming options in the bullpen—not to mention the fact that closer Shane Greene, setup man Alex Wilson and perhaps Daniel Stumpf are the only established options among relievers—another option or two could provide helpful.

In a perfect world, the Detroit Tigers will sign a reliever to a one-year deal who can effectively pitch late in games.

The team would then trade him in July while the likes of Labourt, Garcia and others establish themselves in the Majors.

Of course, that’s all easier said than done. However, one reliever who is a fit is Seung-hawn Oh.

The ex-Cardinals closer will hit the free agent market this winter after a two-year stint in St. Louis.

Potential trade chip

The nature of singing these kinds of veterans to one-year deals is a win-win situation.

Not only does it allow the rebound candidate a chance to rebuild his value ahead of another shot at free agency the next winter, but it gives the Detroit Tigers a potential trade chip if said player regains their past form.

That being said, if the player struggles, the Tigers aren’t out much over the long haul if they are cut loose.

Taking all that into account, Seung-hwan Oh is the perfect rebound candidate for the Detroit Tigers.

If he can pitch to a stat line somewhere between his 2016 and 2017 numbers and continue to miss bats, he’d likely be a valuable commodity at the trade deadline.

However, if he can find that 2016 form again in Detroit, the Tigers stand to benefit greatly in a trade.

Trade markets can change from season to season based on needs, but teams tend to be valuing pitching more and more these days.

More specifically, teams want deeper bullpens.

2017

As recently as July, rental relievers were able to fetch their employers multiple prospects in trades.

Joe Smith netted Toronto a pair of prospects from Cleveland while Pittsburgh acquired the same number of minor leaguers for Tony Watson.

Meanwhile, the Mets and Phillies were both able to extract three prospects out of the Red Sox and Rockies in respective trades for Addison Reed and Pat Neshek.

While not a prospect, the Mariners were able to acquire a useful Major League piece in Erasmo Ramirez in exchange for Steve Cishek.

Hypothetical fit with the Detroit Tigers

Oh notched a 18.0 swinging strike percentage in 2016. That number dropped to a 12.0 in 2017, but it would still be a vast improvement over many of Detroit’s relievers.

Of Tigers bullpen arms with at least 10 innings pitched last season, just four had a swinging strike percentage over 11. Those four would include the since-traded Justin Wilson (14.3), the since-demoted Bruce Rondon (12.2), Jimenez (11.8) and Drew VerHagen (11.4).

Seung-hwan Oh would also give the team some flexibility in the ninth inning. He’d initially give the Tigers a veteran setup man to build a bridge to Shane Greene.

However, if Oh is successful, Detroit’s new manager could look to utilize Greene in a multi-inning role at times.

The former starter would still be the team’s primary closer, but Oh’s presence would allow more flexibility in the bullpen, something that could net the Tigers a few extra wins.

Adding the ex-Cardinals closer would also allow Detroit to use Greene or Oh in the ninth innings of tie games.

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Last season in high-leverage situations in the ninth inning the Tigers gave up the fifth-highest wOBA in the league. They also checked in at 20^th in terms of WHIP in the same situations.