Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Detroit Tigers Kill Two Birds With One Stone

Yesterday, the Detroit Tigers went out and acquired starting pitcher, Anibal Sanchez, and Omar Infante, from the Miami Marlins. In return the Marlins received the Tigers top prospect Jacob Turner and two other prospects. The Tigers already had one of the best rotations in baseball, largely due to Justin Verlander, but you can never have too much pitching. The Tigers also had a glaring need at second base and Infante should help that a ton. The Marlins are also unlikely to make the post-season and Sanchez is a free agent at the end of the year.

Like I stated above, the big prize for the Miami Marlins in this deal was starting pitcher, Jacob Turner. Turner was taking in the 2009 draft and has been on the fast track to the major leagues ever since. He has a sinking fastball, change-up and a couple other secondary pitches. He was finding a good amount of success in AA/AAA last season, but he's faced some struggles this year. His FIP in AAA is currently 3.58. He made a couple of starts in the majors this and results weren't very great The Detroit Tigers rushed him to the majors when he clearly wasn't ready.

This isn't something new though, a similar thing happened when the Tigers rushed Rick Porcello to the bigs. He's faced struggles ever since. The Marlins are putting him AAA and hopefully they keep him there for the rest of the year. Still, Turner has the potential to be a number one or number two pitcher.

Rob Brantly is a catcher who is currently in AAA but has struggled immensely. His slash line is a paltry .254/.295/.285. He's had mixed results in the minors. but he's a left-handed batter so he could end up in a platoon role. He could get promoted sooner rather than later since the Marlins have a need at catcher. Brian Flynn could eventually crack the rotation, but it's also possible that he ends up in the bullpen. The Marlins came into the season with the thought that they'd contend, but that obviously didn't happen.

Omar Infante provides an immediate upgrade for the Tigers. Before Infante, the Tigers played Ramon Santiago, Danny Worth and Ryan Raburn at second. Needless to say the results were pitiful. Infante brings solid defense and an above average bat, and should be able to provide close to a win in value. The way the White Sox have been playing that win could determine first place or not.

Anibal Sanchez is the other piece going to Detroit. Since 2010 Sanchez has had a FIP in the 3.30-3.40 range and in my opinion has been one of the more under-appreciated pitchers in baseball. This year he's off to another solid season, posting a 3.41 FIP and 3.56 SIERA. Going from Miami to Detroit shouldn't make a huge difference park factor wise, but going from the National League to the American League could have an impact. He does give the Tigers a good number two pitcher and should be a big help in the playoffs, if the Tigers are lucky enough to make them.

Overall I think it's a good deal for both teams. The Marlins get a young pitcher that can help them for years to come while the Tigers get two key pieces that should help them as we advance towards the post-season.

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