OT: Dontrelle Willis designated for assignment, Scherzer called up from Toledo

Submitted by AKMuskie on

Big news for Tigers' baseball today. Willis, who has been erratic ever since he signed with the Tigers, was designated for assignment earlier today while new comer Max Scherzer gets the nod for Willis' former spot after 2 great outings with the MudHens.  This comes as little surprise (Willis was 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA in his 2-year stint with Detroit) but has big implications for the Tigers. As much as I wanted to see a 20 win season (and a hefty batting average in interleague play), it just wasn't meant to be.  Tigers' have several options with the MudHens if Scherzer's velocity is still impaired. Rumors have already surfaced regarding Roy Oswalt's apparent desire to leave Houston.  Although his price tag is staggering, Tigers' need a solid No.2 starter, and many of Tigers' faithful are unsure whether Scherzer will fit the bill.  After his first start back...they're pretty sure he's here to stay. Best of luck to you, Dontrelle.

 

News from a REAL PAPER:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100529/SPORTS0104/5290391/1004/SPORTS/…

ckersh74

May 29th, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^

I don't like it. That's basically one less option we have for a starter when we need a spot start, or if Porcello has a bad month, or if it turns out that Scherzer's problems are not fixed.

 

Dontrelle wasn't THAT bad this season. A 5.00 ERA out of a #5 starter isn't the end of the world, and I'm not a fan of Galarraga. I also don't think there's much in the farm system that is ready at this given moment if the wheels fall off of another starter. Our safety net is gone.

cadmus2166

May 30th, 2010 at 12:44 PM ^

Alfredo Figaro, Enrique Gonzalez, Phil Dumatrait and L.J. Gagnier are all starters for the Mud Hens with ERA's less than 3.60.  Plus there are number of guys at the lower levels who aren't too far off from being MLB-ready.  Don't worry...the Tigers will be fine.

ckersh74

May 29th, 2010 at 10:58 PM ^

I hope you're right. I just don't want to be taking options off of the table at this point. It would be different if it were in September.

ckersh74

May 29th, 2010 at 11:05 PM ^

Well, then he's got something else in mind, then. I'm just not sure what it is yet. Maybe it's Andy Oliver. Hell, I don't know. Casey Crosby has had forearm trouble, and Jacob Turner is 19 and I'm not sure he's the next coming of Doc Gooden (pre-cokehead version).

 

Here's our 5 starters: Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer, Bonderman, Galarraga. And if one of them falters................yeah.

 

Here's what we've got in Toledo this season: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=41856  

ckersh74

May 29th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^

I'm not a big Eddie Bonine fan, either. Righties that don't strike guys out and throw in the high-80's tend to get smoked in the rotation.

Steve Lorenz

May 29th, 2010 at 11:14 PM ^

I am pretty bummed that Willis didn't work out in Detroit. He did tons of charity work and seems like a genuinely good guy who has just somehow lost his ability to play the game at a high level. As long as Minnesota doesn't sign him, I am hoping he can find a place to turn it around. Sadly, I don't see it happening, but I'll be cheering for him for sure. 

YakAttack

May 30th, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^

Roy Oswalt! Willis was the reason Miggy came to Detroit, and for that I am forever grateful. Oswalt has demanded a trade, and would slot in perfectly behind JV and Porcello. Wilkin Ramirez/Schlereth/low-ceiling prospect gets it done.

YakAttack

May 30th, 2010 at 1:34 AM ^

Detroit and Houston have a long history of dealing with each-other, and the list of teams that will take on his salary/have the prospects to give up is small. Teams that should be interested include the Cubs and Cardinals, two intradivision rivals. White Sox gave up a ton for Peavy, Anaheim is fairly steadfast in developing their own pitching(hence letting Lackey go), The Yankees are fairly set with Hughes finally performing up to his hype, Tampa can't afford him, Boston is more than Oswalt away from catching NY or TB. Detroit is the most logical landing spot amongst AL contenders IME.

If Houston wanted to trade him within the NL, and excluding any NL Central teams (rare but not unheard of) you have Philly which got a perfect game from Doc Halladay to go with Hamels, Blanton, et al... The Dodgers who are too invested in Billingsly/Kershaw/Elbert and have bigger needs such as replacing Ethier while he's out to give up anything of note for him....Arizona is rumored to be shopping Haren, the Padres wouldn't be able to benefit from double coupon day, so they're out.

I may be overlooking a few teams, but Detroit makes the most sense, and as Tiger fan, I am not fully endorsing the hypothetical deal, I would just understand if the talks started with Ramirez/Schlereth/Joe Random

EDIT- Kinda drunk so be easy with the grammar corrections, I know what I meant...

david from wyoming

May 30th, 2010 at 2:00 AM ^

I'm not saying that the Tigers would be a bad fit. I just think that Ramirez/Schlereth and is a poo poo platter and the Astros would be nuts to go for that. Trading high on Boesch and someone else might work, but I just don't see Houston trading a top of the rotation pitcher for guys that aren't good.

tricks574

May 30th, 2010 at 2:51 AM ^

Too much risk, he's older, with and injury history, and bad numbers against the A.L. I would much rather go for Cliff Lee, who has shown he can be successful in the A.L, costs less in money, and is on a team who needs to move him much sooner. Oswalt is locked into a contract with the Astro's for this year and all of next, they can wait for a good deal, it's not like they are in a hurry. If Seattle doesn't move Lee, he leaves, and they maybe get a first rounder and a sandwich pick, depending on where he goes. 



Look at the deal that brought Lee to the Mariners, Phillip Aumont was probably the big piece, is probably a bullpen pitcher who had 2 DL stints and never played above High A at the time, Tyson Gillies, another player who hadn't been above high-a, although he was performing veyr well, and J.C. Ramirez, another High-A player who posted a 5.1 ERA the year before. The Tiger's can match that package, they are loaded with power arms in the minors, and they have enough outfielders with promise to at least get Seattle to stay on the phone. Plus, Lee is a free agent at the end of the year, if the Tiger's don't want to pay him, they don't have to, they can offer him arbitration and get some of the value they traded for him back in the draft with at least a sandwich pick.

ckersh74

May 30th, 2010 at 2:10 AM ^

Well, that and the fact that they're probably going to want a starting pitcher in return as well. And I don't want to part with Casey Crosby or Andrew Oliver yet, and we can't trade Jacob Turner for about another month (you can't trade a guy you drafted for a year). We're going to need to see those arms sooner than we realize.

Steve Lorenz

May 30th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^

So I am reading about Willis on ESPN.com this morning, and apparently an Oswalt to Detroit rumor "has legs" according to Buster Olney. 

I would probably rather have Cliff Lee too (above poster noted this possibility), but that doesn't mean that I would be at all against having Oswalt. He's arguably been one of the five best pitchers in baseball for the past ten years or so and would all of a sudden give us a ridiculous rotation provided Scherzer has found it in Toledo. If it doesn't work out, we just wouldn't sign him after his contract expired. Plus it's conceivable that we won't even have to pick up the entire tab on him or that we won't have to trade that much because he's owed so much money. It will be one of the two for sure.