With Pitching Help, Tigers Hope To Get Back To Playoffs In 2016
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Al Avila made it no secret he had plenty of work to do on Detroit's bullpen if the team had any hope of getting back to the playoffs. The Tigers' general manager and vice president of baseball operations added several to the pen during a busy offseason, including Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson and Mark Lowe.
Both Wilson and Lowe were roster additions during MLB's winter meetings last week – Lowe a right-hander, and Wilson a leftie. They'll help supplement a bullpen that was inconsistent, and at times flat-out bad, last season.
Manager Brad Ausmus said last week he hadn't decided on which innings best suited which pitchers. But both Wilson and Lowe are seen as set-up guys for their closer, Rodriguez. It doesn't hurt that the bullpen will have a couple more starters (Jordan Zimmermann, Mike Pelfrey) to add depth to the rotation in front of them.
Lowe, at 32 years old, has pitched for the Mariners, Rangers, Angels, Indians and Blue Jays before landing in Detroit this month. He's friends with current Tiger Ian Kinsler, as well as former Tigers pitcher David Price, who he played with in Toronto last season.
"I think they're two of my best teammates I've had in my 10 years of playing baseball," Lowe said in a conference call Monday. "I just had specific questions on team chemistry and clubhouse atmosphere, specific rules and stuff that we have, and my wife had a couple questions for his wife. Every answer we got was just pushing us to go to Detroit."
Wilson, who spent three seasons in Pittsburgh, pitched for the Yankees last year and had less of a choice in the matter. He was dealt to the Tigers last week via a trade that sent the Yankees two pitching prospects (Luis Cessa and Chad Green). In 61 innings for New York, Wilson struck out 66 and allowed 49 hits, 21 runs (all earned) and 20 walks.
"I throw a lot of fastballs," Wilson said in Monday's conference call. "I guess I'm a power guy. I don't go to my secondary stuff too often, and that's one of my goals, to develop that a little more. I'm gonna challenge all the hitters, really."
Both new bullpen additions said they're indifferent about which innings they're pitching in during the upcoming season.
"It doesn't really matter the inning," Lowe said. "I think the seventh and eighth inning are really, really big in baseball. A lot of games are won and lost in those innings."
"I've kind of been a jack of all trades the last few years," Wilson echoed. "Whenever that phone rings is when I'm ready to pitch."
Detroit stumbled to a 74-87 record last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010. And it was at least partially thanks to its bullpen, although starting pitcher wasn't always that much better.
The Tigers ranked towards the bottom of Major League Baseball in team ERA (4.64), saves (35), strikeouts (1,100) and opponents' batting average (.268).
On the other side, though, the team was a quality offensive team. They struggled to score runs at times, but led baseball in overall batting average (.270). Contact with the ball was not an issue; pitching was. And Avila made sure that if those issues aren't fixed by next season, it won't be for lack of trying.
"I like the pieces we have," Wilson said. "I know they're gonna hit. I know they're gonna score a ton of runs, so I know if we do our job on our end … we should have a winning season."
