Tigers have difficult decisions ahead as they sort out pecking order for pitchers
Chris McCoskyFort Myers, Fla. – On one level, the Tigers’ starting rotation is pretty much in place.
Barring injury or sudden collapse, Matthew Boyd, Spencer Turnbull, Jordan Zimmermann, Ivan Nova and Daniel Norris are going north to start the season.
A much stickier issue for general manager Al Avila and his staff will be trying to sort out the rotation at Triple-A Toledo and on down the chain.
Two pitchers in that conversation pitched here at CenturyLink Sportspark Tuesday in the Tigers' 5-1 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins.
Right-hander Dario Agrazal, who started 14 games for the Pirates last season, made one regrettable pitch in two otherwise solid innings. After putting Marwin Gonzalez in an 0-2 hole with three straight sliders, he tried throw a fastball by him.
The result: A two-out, two-run double.
“That happens in this game,” Agrazal said. “My slider was good today and I felt good with all my pitches. I just have to keep working to stay in the same spot.”
His fastball, normally 90-91 mph, hit 94 and he got swinging strikeouts from Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver with sliders.
Left-hander Tyler Alexander was even better. He blew through the Twins' big-league lineup in the third and fourth innings, allowing only a walk and a strikeout.
But, where do they fit?
Here are the contenders for a rotation spot at Toledo:
►Older pitchers: Alexander, Agrazal, Tim Adleman, Zack Godley, Hector Santiago.
►Prospects: Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Alex Faedo, Joey Wentz, Beau Burrows, Anthony Castro, Franklin Perez.
►Coming in July: Michael Fulmer.
There will be some natural attrition here in the next three weeks. Godley and Santiago have opt-outs, so there is a chance they won’t accept a demotion to Triple-A. It is also possible the Tigers would just release them. Santiago is a bullpen option, as well.
Perez, who was limited to 27 innings the last two years, won’t start at Toledo, but he could get there quickly if he’s healthy and performing.
That still leaves 10 pitchers, not counting Fulmer, in the mix.
As the season wears on, the ranks will certainly thin out. Zimmermann, Norris and Turnbull have landed on the injured list the last three seasons. Most teams, and in particular the Tigers recently, go through eight to 10 starting pitchers in a season.
But right now, Avila and his staff will need to make some hard decisions and some feelings may get hurt in the process.
Manager Ron Gardenhire offered a suggestion Tuesday.
"They can't all fit in the rotation, but they can fit in our bullpen," he said. "We want a bullpen. We have good starters but we could use Tyler as a bullpen guy. We've got a crap load of starters down in Triple-A. Tyler can be a swing man.
"We can stretch him out in the bullpen. We can do a lot with him. We're just trying to give him and opportunity to make the ballclub. He's throwing the fire out of the ball. I think he has a definite chance here."
The general assumption has been that relievers like Jose Cisnero, David McKay, John Schreiber, Bryan Garcia and Gregory Soto would have a good chance on keeping their spots based on how they finished last season.
"We're trying to make a bullpen here," Gardenhire said. "Not just, 'Well, you guys were good with us last year, you helped us.' We lost 114 games last year. We're trying to get better with better people."
Even if Alexander makes the club as a reliever, there will still be an overflow of starters at Toledo. It's an issue Avila and his staff have been discussing all spring. While nothing is set in stone, they have kicked around a lot of different ideas – using a six-man rotation and piggy-back starts especially early in the season among them.
Part of the thinking, too, is making sure the prospects don’t use up all their innings and pitches too early in the season – especially for the top guns like Mize, Manning and Skubal, who could conceivably make their big-league debuts later this season.
What is very likely to happen in the short-term is some guys who are expected to land in Toledo are going to start at Double-A Erie. A veteran guy like Adleman, who gave up a run Tuesday, might start in Erie. A prospect like Wentz, who has been slowed by a forearm strain, could start there. Anthony Castro is a good bet to start in Double-A.
Even one of the top guns, like Faedo or Manning, could start a rung lower than they expected.
Egos may get bruised. But, as Avila says often, he is not averse to calling guys up to Detroit from Double-A. The precedent goes back to Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. Buck Farmer, most recently, jumped from Double-A to Detroit.
There’s only one way for players to approach it – and Agrazal summed it up best.
“Just keep working,” he said. “Every day, work my mind and my body. Last year I pitched in the big leagues and I learned a lot. I just have to keep working. I would like to make the team. But they make that decision. For me, I feel good. So just stay healthy and we will see.”
Twitter @cmccosky