Detroit Tigers Bullpen 2015 Preview, Review
Over the past few seasons the Achilles heel of the Detroit Tigers has been its bullpen. The team has relied on Bruce Rondon to fill a spot their the past two off seasons and that has failed to work out. They signed Joe Nathan to a two-year $20 million deal and that hasn't gone as planned, and last year at the trading deadline they traded top prospects for Joakim Soria. That move has yet to pay off, even though the team picked up his contract option for 2015.
There are a lot of questions concerning the bullpen: which pitchers will have which roles, and which players will travel north with the team for Opening Day in two weeks?
It would appear that the right-handed spots are all but locked up. Nathan, Soria, along with Joba Chamberlain, Rondon and Al Albuquerque are virtual locks. That leaves promising prospect Angel Nesbit n the outside looking in.
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"There's not a lot of flexibility in the bullpen, but I wouldn't say we're locked in yet in terms of right-handers," Tigers' Manger Brad Ausmus said.
In terms of left-handers it would seem off-season acquisition Tom Gorzelanny has one of the two left-handed spots locked up. The Tigers let former left-handed specialist Phil Coke leave in free agency and it appears Gorzelanny will at least start the 2015 season with the big club. That leaves Ian Krol and converted starter Kyle Ryan battling for the last spot in the 2015 pen. Krol has issued four walks and Ryan gives the team the ability to last multiple innings, so Ryan might have the inside track on the job.
With that being said, and given the struggles of Nathan both last year and so far this spring, it would seem that the Tigers bullpen will see plenty of faces as the 2015 season unfolds.
