Detroit Tigers: 3 recently DFA’d free agents they should pursue

Zac Rosscup

Rosscup only threw 21.1 innings last season, 11.1 with the Dodgers and the rest in the minor leagues. While he gave up six earned runs in LA, he did post a staggering 20/4 K/BB ratio, good for a 15.88 K/9.

His slider was and still is his bread-and-butter. He threw it over 50% of the time in last year’s small sample size, posting a 19.5% swinging strike rate and a 37.9% o-swing rate, both well above the league average. Those numbers have helped him hold left-handed hitters to a paltry .138/.266/.275 slash line over his 65.2 big league innings – numbers that dwarf those of Daniel Stumpf, Detroit’s current LOOGY.

Rosscup is 30 and not exactly a building block, but Stumpf has hardly impressed in Detroit and Blaine Hardy projects to be a potential rotation piece or trade bait, meaning the team could use another lefty stopper like Rosscup.

The Detroit Tigers only have one spot on their 40-man roster, but Rosscup is clearly a step above fellow left-hander Ryan Carpenter. If I was Al Avila, I’d strongly consider adding Rosscup on a minor league deal and waiving Carpenter to clear a spot. He’d have to compete alongside fellow free agent addition Jose Fernandez, another left-handed reliever.

However, Rosscup’s experience and strong slider make him a nice candidate to be a part of Detroit’s bullpen next season, if Avila chooses to go after him.