Detroit Tigers: 3 free agent relievers they should target this offseason

Jorge De La Rosa

De La Rosa was a regular big league starter from 2006-2016, time primarily spent with the Rockies. He had a few solid seasons, but was more or less a backend starter who ate up innings and didn’t do too much damage.

The Diamondbacks acquired him in 2017 and converted him into a LOOGY. He appeared in 65 games but only threw 51.1 innings, posting a 7.89 K/9 and a 4.21 ERA. 2018 saw him split between the D-Backs and the Cubs. He improved in his second year as a reliever, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 7.55 K/9. While his 4.38 FIP and 4.34 BB/9 weren’t great, De La Rosa shined against opposing left-handers, posting a .387 FIP, 1.17 WHIP and an 8.63 K/9 with a 3.0 BB/9.

The Tigers had Blaine Hardy and Daniel Stumpf as their primary left-handed relievers, although Hardy split time in the rotation. Stumpf had a bad season, posting a 4.93 ERA. While he was decent against left-handers, he was atrocious against righties and had control issues. De La Rosa would give Detroit another left-hander to add into the mix, effectively replacing Francisco Liriano.

Signing De La Rosa makes more sense if Hardy is either gone or in the rotation, as it ensures the Tigers have two left-handed bullpen pieces. De La Rosa will be 38 next season, meaning that he probably won’t be too difficult to sign but that he probably won’t have much trade value.

However, teams are always looking for left-handed relievers around July, and if De La Rosa pitches halfway decent he could get dealt for a high-risk prospect. It’s worth a shot.