Detroit Tigers: Free agent reliever market thinning out very quickly
By Tyler Kotila
With the latest big-name reliever signing, the Detroit Tigers are sitting by watching the reliever market thin out.
It has been an incredibly slow offseason for the Detroit Tigers and other 29 teams around the league, but things have caught fire this week. There have been organizations that have addressed issues.
The Philadelphia Phillies have signed deliver Archie Bradley to a $6 million, one-year contract. Bradley found his way into sixteen games, where he accumulated 18.1 innings pitched during the 2020 season.
He was also moved to the Cincinnati Reds after starting the year with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being moved before the trade deadline. Overall, Bradley posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP while striking out 18 opposing hitters.
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This week has seen the signings of Bradley, Pedro Baez, and Liam Hendriks, who are now all on respective teams around the league.
It is not a shock, especially since the only signing the Tigers have made for pitching was a depth addition in the form of José Ureña.
With signings starting to pick up, the Tigers will need to pick up the phone and start making calls. They may not be looking to add in a long term contract, but if they want to add some beef to the bullpen, time is running out.
The market for relief pitchers is running low, and the organization already had its own problem pitchers in 2020.
The hope is that they can add a new arm to their backend with the hope of increasing the value the bullpen brings.
If Al Avila really wants to do something at least halfway intelligent this offseason, making a move for a strong reliever could not be a smarter idea. The overpaying of a player should not even matter if it is a one-year deal.
The Tigers would be foolish not to be looking for one-year contracts with players, but with some improvements, they can start building a serviceable bullpen. It is plain and simple; the Tigers do not have a clear-cut and defined closer, adding in someone like Bradley would only help this organization.
Not only would it add some potential value to the organization’s bullpen, but it also provides some possible trade bait for the front office. But instead of pouncing and making something happen, General Manager (GM) Al Avila has sat around and avoided making any signings to aid the pitching besides Ureña.
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If the Detroit Tigers want to salvage a good offseason signing, they will need to go out and sign a reliever who will help strengthen the organization’s bullpen.