Joba Chamberlain Contract Necessary To Fix Detroit Tigers Bullpen

As Spring Training rolls around and the full squad reports baseball fans can look forward to the spring, summer, then eventually the Fall Classic.

For Detroit Tigers fans though unexpected news recently broke out. Former setup man Joba Chamberlain has reportedly re-signed with the Tigers following an inconsistent 2014.

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Chamberlain returns to the Tigers with a sour taste left in the mouth to close the 2014 campaign. After all he did allow a total of 5 runs (4 earned) in a mere 0.1 IP in the 2014 ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles.

He was one of the many problems associated with one of the league’s worst bullpen. Besides his famous blowup on national television he faltered down the stretch in 2014.

In the first half of the season he had a stellar 2.63 ERA making General Manager Dave Dombrowski look like a genius. Unfortunately for Chamberlain and Dombrowski he finished with a dismal 4.97 ERA down the stretch.

Chamberlain’s struggles and inconsistency mirrored the Tigers bullpen in 2014. They never found a consistent groove and faltered down the stretch eventually imploding in the ALDS.

Re-signing Chamberlain to a new, cheap contract should be look favorably upon by Tigers fans. This is one of many moves Dombrowski has made to shore up the bullpen. This type of method to sign every arm available and see what sticks is perfect for a team with a strict budget.

After a huge flop in Joe Nathan after signing him to a 2-year/$20 million contract that is what is needed of this team. They need to be cost-effective all while being efficient and Dombrowski is doing just that.

The unpredictability of a bullpen is generally outstanding. Relief pitchers can be amazing one year and be released outright the next. Injuries or just plain ineffectiveness can derail them to a shell of their star-studded selves. Former Tiger Jim Johnson is the perfect example of a pitcher like this.

Jul 4, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Tom Gorzelanny throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Chamberlain is not the only low-risk pitcher Dombrowski has acquired to a cheap deal or trade. He’s gotten guys like Tom Gorzelanny, Alex Wilson, Joel Hanrahan, and more.

In the case of Gorzelanny and Hanrahan they are both coming off injuries. Dombrowski has taken a flier on both which is exactly what should be done.

While Gorzelanny has starter experience the type of deal he got should call for him pitching out of the bullpen where he is most needed. If he’s successful he’ll be another left-handed pitcher Manager Brad Ausmus can pencil in to his bullpen.

With such a small contract even if he flops and is ineffective it should not and will not affect the Tigers too much.

Hanrahan is obviously a much different case missing the entire 2014 campaign. Dombrowski already signed the former All-Star last year only to be never used.

While it is unclear if he will be ready for Opening Day, if he can come in and be successful it’ll go a long way to fixing this bullpen.

Sep 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Alex Wilson (30) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

In Wilson’s case it is interesting how little interest he generates from fans. He was a throw-in during the Yoenix Cespedes–Rick Porcello trade but isn’t some random Minor Leaguer that may never produce. That’s the 19-year-old Gabe Speier acquired in the same trade.

Dombrowski got him for a reason and he posted a solid 1.91 ERA in 28.1 IP. While it’s a smallish sample size that should inspire some hope in Tigers fans.

Dombrowski has even gone on record to say that the two pitchers in the Cespedes trade made it easier to lose Porcello. This is another example of Dombrowski being smart and gathering as much talent as possible.

He’s even acquired afterthoughts like Josh Zeid in hopes of a favorable return. There are plenty of pitchers that teams gave up on that have a big impact on their team. The type of pitcher to appear out of nowhere to suddenly save a team’s season.

The Tigers need look no further than the 2013 World Champion Boston Red Sox who they just traded with. The Red Sox during the regular season had their own bullpen problems with closer Andrew Bailey. They traded quite a bit for him only to have him flop completely.

The Red Sox were facing similar problems as the Tigers looked doomed only to be saved by Koji Uehara in the postseason. He was stellar all postseason on his way to a ring and an ALCS MVP. He’s just another one of many success stories that arise from the bullpen.

With its unpredictable nature it really is hard to form a reliable bullpen year-after-year. While it helps to have studs like an Andrew Miller or David Robertson you just never know how they’ll produce come the new season.

Tigers fans should know this after all the hype surround Nathan before 2014. He was spectacular in 2013 only to lose mostly all his command in 2014 en route to an overall disappointing season.

The guys Dombrowski picked up this off-season has the chance to make a huge impact on this playoff contender. If even 1 or 2 stick it’ll go a long way to improving this bullpen.

Now, your thoughts. How do you feel about this bullpen and the smaller moves? Satisfied? Disgusted? Or do you actually wanna see more smaller contracts to fill the gaps? Whatever the case, it’s hard to go against Dombrowski and his many moves with such a strict budget and the terror known as the luxury cap.

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