The Search For A Closer
By Blake VandeBunte • Dec 19th, 2008 • Category: Takashi SaitoThe Detroit Tigers have had a pretty active and successful (depending on who you ask) offseason. They have filled the holes at SS and catcher while adding to the starting rotation. However, this club still has one very clear weakness: The bullpen.
The Tigers bullpen was hit around in 2008 and the group definitely needs a facelife if the club is going to contend in 2009. So far all of the best options have gone elsewhere (Kerry Wood, Francisco Rodriguez, and JJ Putz). That’s all fine and dandy, but the Tigers do need to do something. Heading into Spring Training with Fernando Rodney closing games is just not acceptable.
The Tigers have been rumored to be going after the likes of Derrick Turnbow. Turnbow could be worth a minor league deal, but he is just too big of a question mark to take seriously. One name I haven’t heard much about in connection to the Tigers is Takashi Saito, formerly of the Dodgers. I’ll present the good and the bad on Saito and we can move on from there. First the bad:
- He turns 39 years old this coming February.
- He pitched only 47 innings last season due to an elbow injury.
- 39 years old + Elbow injury = A possible trainwreck.
Now for the good stuff (min. of 180 innings over the past 3 seasons):
- In three Major League seasons he has a WHIP of 0.912 (better than Mariano Rivera, Putz, and Bobby Jenks).
- He has a career ERA of 1.95 (bested only by Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan).
- He has a career strike out to walk ratio of 4.7:1 (better than Nathan and Putz).
- Opponents hit only .182 off of Saito, tied for the best mark in baseball with Papelbon.
- Struck out 11.63 batters per nine innings (second in baseball behind only Brad Lidge).
- He was not offered arbitration by the Dodgers so he won’t cost the team that signs him a draft pick.
- Given his age and recent injury history, he shouldn’t cost much money.
I knew Saito was good, but I had no idea he was that good. The Tigers, theoretically, still have a few million dollars with which to play around. I cannot think of a good reason why they would not try to sign Saito. His injury history is reason for concern since that elbow injury forced him to miss most of the second half of the 2008 season, but he’s worth a shot.
If the Tigers goal is to get a shutdown closer for 2009, I think Saito could be one of their best options. They can throw a rich ($10M a year) three year deal at Brian Fuentes or they can offer Saito a one year deal filled with incentives. Dave Dombrowski is the mast of the incentive-laden contract and I have to think that if Saito returns to form, he would be worth all of the extra cash.
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It’s funny that his name has not been mentioned more.
Honestly, I think an incentive-laden contract would be great and would work for me - but thinking about the mindset of an aforementioned 39 year old who was hurt last year, maybe he wouldnt take it.
He could just be looking for the money straight up, and in that case he just must be to big of a gamble.
-s
The thing is, I really haven’t heard his name connected with any team. When he’s healthy, any team would take this guy. It kind of makes me think that maybe they all know something the public doesn’t. Maybe he’s cashed. I just think he’s worth a look. The numbers don’t lie.