Who's Offered Brandon Lyon a Contract?

by Ian Casselberry on Jan 20, 2009 11:15 PM EST in News Comment 5 comments

In this morning's Detroit News, Lynn Henning reported that the Detroit Tigers and Brandon Lyon have "mutual interest" in each other, and the two sides should discuss a contract offer within the next day or two. With a closer's job to offer, the Tigers would appear to be the front-runner for his services (though the St. Louis Cardinals also have such an opening).

The question is, which team made the two-year, $9 million offer that Lyon's agent claimed to have received, according to Ken Rosenthal? It wasn't the Cardinals, who Rosenthal said only offered a one-year deal. And Jon Paul Morosi reported that it wasn't the Tigers, either. That led me to assume that the offer came from the Minnesota Twins, the other team reportedly interested in Lyon.

Yet the Star-Tribune's LaVelle E. Neal says he was told the Twins made no such offer:

The Twins still would like to improve at third and in the bullpen but I get the sense that the Twins are closer to getting relief help. They are interested in Brandon Lyon but I was told last week they are not one of the teams to have made this offer. If you are Brandon Lyon, do you go to the Twins to set up or look to hook up with Detroit or St. Louis as a closer?

So who put that deal on the table? The Red Sox? (Haven't they already signed enough pitchers?) The Brewers? Or was Lyon's agent not being completely truthful? An agent wouldn't resort to such chicanery to boost the market for his client, would he?

Of course, if the Tigers just sign Lyon this week, such questions won't even matter...

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Lyon

If it’s true what Henning says about mutual interest, then let’s get this done and over with so we can ready for Lakeland next month!

by Todd1005fm on Jan 21, 2009 7:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

As long it is not the Tigers

You do not pay $9 million over two years for a questionable 8th inning guy. They should sign Cruz before the Yanks do.

by Barry2 on Jan 21, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Barry2

Questionable 8th inning guy? You mean that Lyon guy who saved 26 games last season for Arizona??

Unless you were talking about Fernando Rodney… he can be a questionable 8th inning guy.

As for Juan Cruz, he has exactly ONE save in his major league career with an ERA of four. In fairness, he did go 4-0 last season in Arizona with 71 strikeouts in 51 and two thirds innings. But that was as a set-up guy. Who is to say he could make the adjustment to being a closer?

I think he would be a valuable arm in the bullpen, but I don’t see the Tigers paying him the kind of money he would probably want to come to Detroit.

by Todd1005fm on Jan 22, 2009 7:05 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Todd1005fm

Yes Lyon the lost his closer job and the one that has low k ratio. Ask yourself who is the better pitcher?
You cannot look at career ERA, because ERA get inflated with a bad team or when they are starting out. Hoffman has a low career era would you sign him? Hoffman once never close either until he was given a chance. Tigers wanted to Zumaya to close for them last year and he had no experience closing either.
Cruz has good stuff and he has always a high strkeout ratio. I do believe Lyon would be a valuable arm too because he pitches different from Zumaya, Rodney or Fein.

by Barry2 on Jan 22, 2009 9:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs