Tigers cut K-rod posbang!
This will cure all their woes
It won't hurt.
My heart thought it would happen after the "I shouldn't be in mop-up duty" comment followed by 7 runs in 4 1/3 innings, but my head didn't think Avila would pull the trigger. Well done.
It's because we go out everytime and sign a washed up superstar closer (Jones, Valverde, Nathan, Soria, K-Rod...). You would think after the tenth time we would learn, but that group of geniuses running our front office for the last decade thinks that maybe next times the charm. The problem is we are too quick to lose confidence in our prospects (Fransico Rodney, Andrew Miller, Robbie Ray and others) and so we release or trade them and other teams develope them into superstars while we go out and buy some 40 closer.
Good riddance, but.... replaced by Bruce Rondon, a long-winded project that has yet to yield any consistent results.
Inevitable. Not sure Rondon will prove to be any better, but he can't be much worse. Can he???
I have no trust in our GM. I will have to say however that our backup catcher has been a pleasant surprise this year. I would think we would get something good for him at the deadline too, provided pops will trade him.
If the right deal came along for Alex, I'd make it. I'll bet a few teams could use a lefty-hitting catcher with some punch who's hitting over .300 and is solid defensively.
Besides, he's an FA at the end of the year. If he wanted to re-sign with Detroit in the off-season, he could. It would make for an interesting Thanksgiving conversation at the Avila house. ("Dad, I want 3 years at $12 million, and pass the cranberries.")
He's also healthy for the first time in a long time.
Quick, someone call Ken Holland so he can find out if KRod has room in his trunk for Riley Sheahan's hockey bag.
Fucking meatball serving asshole.....I believe he was becoming a cancer on the team and was really affecting the Tigers in a negative way.
I know it won't happen, and I'm surprised the Tigers haven't asked for my opinion yet, but I would move Verlander to closer. At this stage in his career, I think he'd benefit the Tigers more in the closer role than as an every fifth game starter. It would probably prolong his career too, like John Smoltz. Win-win.
Agreed, he's been fantastic, and his spot in the rotation would be hard to fill. Just from my casual observation of his games over the years, he seems to have the worst luck and run support of any starter. He has to battle every time out and never seems to have an easy game. It's a testament to his skill that he has the record that he has because he's had to work for every W. Nevertheless, a starting pitcher impacts the team every fifth game. A closer affects the team much more often. Given that, he might be better for the Tigers as the lock-down closer instead of the ace starter.
Not necessarily. Depends on the alternatives you have and the overall make up of the staff. John Smoltz had many years left as a starter, arguably even as the ace once completely over his injury (in fact returned to starting after he closed for a bit IIRC), but became a fantastic closer which is just what the Braves needed at the time.
$28M closer. dumbest idea ever.
This is how a dumb GM loses games for you. "He's making $28M, we can't move him to do what's best for the team, because, well, he's making $28M!!!!" Or, "we have to keep K-Rod on the roster longer than he's effective because he's making too much money! We have to give him more chances than he deserves because we need to justify his salary. We can't move an asset to where he can help our team the most because he makes 'starter money.'" Phhht. A smart mangager, like Leyland I would argue, wouldn't give a damn how much a person made and would move a player where he could most help, the GM be damned--and a smart GM would let him.
Oh, and how much did Mariano Rivera make as a closer? $15M in 2012 the year before he retired. In today's money five years later, is it equal to Verlander money? I don't think so, Verlander money is pretty crazy even for today's dollars. But is it in the same ballpark? Hell yeah. So just quoting a dollar amount is not very convincing. One might even say dumb.
At this point, though, it seems likely that Rodriguez will need to spend some time at Triple-A working out the kinks before being asked to face major leaguers.
It is this that makes me believe that a team that doesn't have a pressing need but wouldn't mind a potential body in the bullpen might actually go this route with him, or at least consider it. He may not be the K-Rod of old ever again (let's face it, more than likely won't), but I imagine he does at least get a couple sniffs.
i feel like someone should make a financial services-type promo featuring K-Rod where the voice-over at the end says "past performance does not guarantee future results"
Hopefully soon Ausmus is next.
ain't the problem. imagine looking down in that bullpen and deciding which guy to bring in.
Last year when he was one of our best relievers?
We recieved some good players in return, but it's hard not to think about some of the prospects we traded who are playing well. Knebel is a record setting, lights out closer, Hernan Perez is a versitle, every day player, Robbie Ray is pitching well.
Always sad to see someone lose a job and for an athlete's skills to erode so rapidly, but he had to go.
by subtraction.
Totally agree
Closers were the biggest issue in the past. Now it's not only the closers but the hitters aren't hitting. We've had way too many 0 and 1 run games considering the talent that's on the team. Should have traded Cabrera when he was worth a crap.