Lynn Henning, of the Detroit News, pointed out that the Tigers' are overloaded with pitching talent right now. They have three pitchers who are out of minor league options: Steve Colyer, Gary Knotts, Franklyn German. Of the three, Colyer is a hard throwing lefty, Knotts is a former starter who couldn't find consistancy until he moved to long relief last year, and German has a powreful arm that is finally finding the strike zone this spring after tearing up the minors over the last few years.
The problem? Trammell only plans on taking 11 pitchers back to Detroit. The five starters will be Jason Johnson, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth, and Wilfredo Ledezma. So far, the billpen consists of Urbina as the 8th inning set up man, with Percival as the closer. Kyle Farnsworth will be the right-handed set up man, and Jamie Walker will be the left-handed set up man. That leaves two more spots. Knotts has the spot unless he messes up this spring. He's too valuable as the lone long reliever, and if necessary, he can start. He's happy to be a part of the organization, and instead of complaining when he lsot his starting job, he made the most of his relief appearances. There were times last year when he kept the Tigers in games at long relief, only to see the the next reliever blow the game. That means the final spot is most likely down to Colyer and German. Walker is the only lefty in the bullpen, and even though he is very consistant, he doesn't have a strong arm anymore. So, if Colyer can have a good spring, he should logically get the final spot. That leaves German. The Tigers can't let him go for nothing.
Something else to note: Maroth, Robertson, and Ledezma are all lefties. Maroth has probably shown everything he's got, with nowhere else to go at this point. He is what he is. Robertson is going to be a strike out pitcher. He's clearly got the goods, and is probably just a half to a full season away from finding his consistancy. Ledezma has a lot of potential, but is likely going to have a season similar to how Robertson performed last year. That means the Tigers will need a dependable long reliever.
Where am I going with this? The Tigers need another starting pitcher. They have a lefty starter in Maroth, and what could turn into an outstanding closer in German (unless they decide to only go with one lefty in the bullpen, and give up Colyer), plus some solid prospects that they could package together to get the kind of right-handed starter they need to lead this rotation. Someone will be available by the end of the month, before the Tigers have to give up one of their relievers, and Dombrowski is very good at pulling of these kinds of deals.
This article, along with other local writers, thinks the Tigers will trade Urbina, but I think that's suicide. With just the top four relievers, the Tigers have an amazing bullpen that will be ready to go at the end of the 6th inning (if necessary) and for sure in the 7th. Urbina makes that possible. Lose him, and this bullpen loses a lot of credibility, since Farnsworth has yet to provide the type of consistancy the Tigers need at 8th inning set up. Again, just having Urbina around takes a lot of preasure off Farnsworth. That can't be overlooked.
Will the Tigers pull off a trade? I don't know. I don't even know who's out there that might be available (probably someone with a larger contract than what a team wants to keep).
And, don't forget that the Tigers have three left fielders fighting to stay on the team. Craig Monroe isn't going anywhere. Trammell believes in him, and he has shown nothing to doubt Dombrowski. Bobby Higginson is good defensively in both right and left field, and Trammell said he looks like he's found a consistant swing. Plus, he's played through nothing but losing seasons, and he really wants to stay here and win with this club. To that end, he's said he'll do whatever is necessary to stay on this team. That leaves Rondell White, who also happens to be the most tradable player on the team. Oh, and he's batting .700 so far this spring.
There must be a team out there that wants to trade a good starting pitcher (who makes a little too much) for a lefty (Maroth), a future closer (German), and a power hitter with a great batting average (White).
That's the deal I see. I know there is talk that the Tigers need to trade for a centerfielder, or a third baseman, but I don't see that. Curtis Granderson is looking great so far. He will start the season in AAA Toledo, and he'll probably stay there. But next year, he should find his way to Detroit. A pleasan surprise has be Dewayne Wise, who not only looks great defensively, but has also been hitting well. He has made the majors the last two seasons, but he has never found a consistancy at the plate. If he can do that this year, he will steal center from Alex Sanchez, and the Tigers are really only looking for a one-year solution. As for third base, Inge wants to play it, and he is going to be fine there. People are saying the Tigers need better hitting at third, but Inge had a great average last season, and there is no reason to think he won't at least match it. He has finally found his swing. Sure, he can play other positions, but the Tigers have depth at every position, so why do they need one guy playing utility all sesaon? If injuries arise, as they always do, and if they need Inge to play another position, he can, and he will. But with Vance Wilson backing up Pudge at catcher, he won't need to move back behind the plate.
No, the Tigers are looking for a starting pitcher, and they just might get a good one before the start of the season.
(I forgot to mention Fernando Rodney. He's probably going to start the season in AAA Toledo, but he's got the goods to make it back to Detroit very quickly if his arm is 100%. He's a righty, and that means Colyer or Knotts could also be used in a trade to make room for him. Again, the Tigers have a lot of pitchers that they can't afford to lose for nothing.)
