Will Phil Coke help solve the Tigers' southpaw problems?

by Kurt Mensching on Jan 20, 2010 12:58 PM EST in News Comment 37 comments

Maybe Max Scherzer won't be the only new face in the Tigers' rotation this season -- although Jeremy Bonderman has been out of it so long it's debatable how many people still recognize him. On Tuesday, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski again brought up the possibility offseason-acquisition Phil Coke could be a starter, rather than a reliever like he was in New York.

Dombrowski said in a conference call, reported by MLB.com's Jason Beck:

"I think he'll get the ball with a chance to lengthen out in the spring and get a chance to compete for the fifth spot."

I've said many times in the past the Tigers' decision to trade for multiple relievers disconcerted me. A 27-year-old left hander, Coke (stats) becoming a reliable back-of-the-rotation player for the next season or two would make the offseason moves much more palatable.

Phil Coke

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jul 19, 1982

He started 77 of 125 games in the minor leagues, putting together a 3.68 FIP and 49.1 percent ground-ball rate. He struck out 7.5 batters per nine innings while walking three. In the majors, the baseball card numbers slipped as you would expect. Not only did Coke step up to the highest level of baseball, he entered arguably the best division in the sport. But interestingly enough, he kept his peripherals pretty intact. Pitching exclusively out of the Yankees' bullpen in 2009, he struck out 7.35 batters per nine and walked 3.00, though his ground-ball rate slipped to 35.4 percent. He gave up more than twice the home runs (1.2 per 9 innings) as he did throughout his minor-league career. One would expect him to get that figure a bit closer to normal, especially spending half his time in Comerica Park.

One big argument in his favor, Coke would give the Tigers' their only left-handed presence behind a rotation that has right-handers Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, Scherzer and Bonderman already penciled in. (OK, the first three were written in indelible marker).

Competing with Coke for the fifth rotation spot will likely be lefty Nate Robertson and RHP Armando Galarraga. (Some might add LHP Dontrelle Willis.) Simulations pin Coke at around 4.15 for a FIP, which far outclasses any of his competitors for the starting bid. But maybe simulations are putting too much gloom on Robertson's past two seasons, in which he pitched with growths in his elbow for a period before having surgery in the middle of 2009. Or maybe Galarraga is more like the 2008 version than the 2009. I don't think so. His peripherals in 2008 were not that great. But maybe his struggles in 2009 were not indicative of the type of pitcher he could be either.

So this spring training battle -- now less than a month away! -- should be an interesting one to follow.

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I figured from day 1....

……That Phil Coke would be a possible starter for us…..he started a lot in the minors for NY….I believe he will end up a starter in motown.

by BennieBladesFan on Jan 20, 2010 1:06 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, me too.

I’m a bit surprised that people are surprised at this.

by metatron5369 on Jan 20, 2010 4:39 PM EST up reply actions

I couldn't help but think

Coke looks like an aged T-1000 in the thumbnail picture. Anyway, it’s hard (or impossible) to argue against letting him try for the rotation.

by StringTheory on Jan 20, 2010 1:07 PM EST reply actions

Semi-related tangent

Watching the ’06 WS replay over the weekend, I discovered something about Nate Robertson. You know how guys are described as “5-tool players”? Well, Nate has added a 6th tool over the past couple of years – the tool of fatness. Dude has chunked up!

by ChrisDTX on Jan 20, 2010 1:23 PM EST reply actions

Zing!

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by David Tokarz on Jan 20, 2010 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

I wouldn't mind some competition for the final spot

instead of awarding it to who sucks the least. if coke can do it, i say give him a shot.

I Like Pie

by mrsunshine on Jan 20, 2010 1:28 PM EST reply actions

I hold these truths to be self evident

- Nate Robertson gets dibs on the fifth rotation spot, if he pitches even half way decent. This is true for 10 million reasons.
- If he fails to make the rotation, it would not be wise to move Nate to the pen, with Coke, Ni, Seay, Thomas, and Schlereth all on the roster. So, it looks like do or die for Nate.
- Willis is toast. They’re just hoping that they can declare him a head case, put him on the DL (prolonging the agony) and collect some insurance.
- The Tigers don’t NEED a lefty in the rotation, but they’d prefer to have one, especially when they face the Twinkies. Morris, Petry, Wilcox, and Berenguer- all RHP’s did pretty well.
- I give Galarraga as much chance of having a decent season in the rotation as I do Bonderman, but Bondo’s got his name on that fourth slot, and he’d have to screw up big time to lose it.
- While Coke would have more value to the club if he were at least a .500 starter, he is probably the best reliever on the club after Valverde.
- Counting on Zumaya for anything is dumb.
- Perry has a bright future, but he had an awful last two months in 2009. Not ready for late inning duty.
- There are better pitchers with options left that will be sent down to keep guys like Robertson or Willis on the roster, and that will hurt the team.

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 20, 2010 1:37 PM EST reply actions

"not ready for late inning duty"

where do you suppose Perry should go then?

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Jan 20, 2010 2:43 PM EST up reply actions

nevermind the fact that you're 90% off topic with this comment

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Jan 20, 2010 2:45 PM EST up reply actions

Not that bad

Arguments could be made for 5 of the points being related to the idea of Phil Coke as a 5th starter.

If Dontrelle is in play as a starter, that takes away one spot at the back of the rotation, If Bonderman (or Galaraga) can perform as a 4th starter, that puts Coke in the 5th slot at best. If Robertson has that locked down due to contract reason (which may have been the only reason he survived the last two years of heinous pitching), where does that leave Coke? In the bullpen….and if there, in what role? Heck, I could make a case that the Perry comment also is Coke related, if not necessarily to the topic at hand.

Does Coke have options left? In that case, the last point could be relevant, too.

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by ahtrap on Jan 20, 2010 3:01 PM EST up reply actions

sure, maybe if you sit and analyze it for awhile

but a bunch of bullet points just giving random opinions doesn’t really do much for conversation – are we supposed to assume each point should flow into the next? they don’t, really :)

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Jan 20, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

Coke was good at the beginning of last year with the Yankees

on top of being very good in September 2008, but I can’t help but think that as he made more appearances, his flaws became more and more prevalent.

Thinking back on the 2nd half of 2009 and the playoffs, I struggle to think of many times he didn’t struggle in some way. His biggest problem being that he is prone to getting hammered.

As a lightly related side-note, I do find it fitting that Coke was dealt for Granderson; Granderson being (I believe) the first batter he faced in the major leagues, and his first strikeout to boot.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 20, 2010 2:01 PM EST reply actions

Getting two starting pitchers out of that deal?

That would be real nice, but I’m not holding my breath. I see him as being just one of the many who will get a shot at that No. 5 spot in the rotation. (Maybe the same can be said of the No. 4 spot as well).

I root for the Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings and yes, the Lions.
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by ReichardZ on Jan 20, 2010 2:25 PM EST reply actions

Would be nice if he got it

But it seems like we’ve got about 5 or 6 guys that will be fighting for the last two rotation spots. I know that Bonderman appears to be a shoe-in for the 4 spot, but he still needs to prove it. For the last spot, though? Robertson, Willis, Coke, Bonine? Coke has more impressive stuff than the rest of them at this point. I think it comes down to if he can show any effectiveness with a third pitch. He hasn’t shown it yet, but he also hasn’t needed to use a third pitch effectively as a reliever.

by baum on Jan 20, 2010 2:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Oh, by the way

prepare for about 478 cocaine jokes during game threads. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

by ChrisDTX on Jan 20, 2010 2:49 PM EST reply actions

3 occurred to me while reading this post

I managed to resist…but barely.

Can’t wait for the bad puns to begin….

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by ahtrap on Jan 20, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

Coke

I was thinking we would have to go with Pepsi jokes for afternoon games, you know, in case any kids were out there. Then you can use cocaine jokes during the night games, you know, after the kids have gone to bed.

I root for the Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings and yes, the Lions.
www.twitter.com/zajareich

by ReichardZ on Jan 20, 2010 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

Just as long as none of his pitches end up in the Pepsi Porch

I’m fine with that philosophy.

by ChrisDTX on Jan 20, 2010 3:43 PM EST up reply actions

Pun #1

When Coke has a bad outing, send him to the Pepsi porch!
(I’m assuming that’s a section of Comerica Park?)

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by ahtrap on Jan 20, 2010 3:46 PM EST up reply actions

Coke will ease the pain of losing Seay-Lyon. ;)

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 20, 2010 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

Ugh

*facepalm

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by David Tokarz on Jan 20, 2010 9:29 PM EST up reply actions

too bad he's not a right hander

We coke have Coke-Ni warming up in the bullpen and speak with british accents.

GROAN, I know. I’ll show myself out.

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by Kurt Mensching on Jan 20, 2010 9:38 PM EST up reply actions

zing

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Jan 20, 2010 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

someone had to be the first

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 21, 2010 4:03 AM EST up reply actions

You know what a walk allowed by Coke is?

Freebasing.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 21, 2010 1:32 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I lol'd.

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by David Tokarz on Jan 21, 2010 11:07 PM EST up reply actions

Sheets

I say we sign Ben Sheets to a 2 year $9 million dollar deal that with incentives can push it up to $18 million. He’d be our #4 when healthy leaving a 4 way race for the 5th spot.

by Kman23 on Jan 20, 2010 2:53 PM EST reply actions

This

Heck, Sheets probably won’t give you more than 150 innings anyways…

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by David Tokarz on Jan 20, 2010 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

Competition for the last spot in the rotation is never a bad thing.

My old blog is Tigers By The Numbers.

Now I write at Bless You Boys.

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by Mike Rogers on Jan 20, 2010 2:56 PM EST reply actions

As long as the winner is decent. If it’s just a competition between annoyed monkeys to see who can fling poo the furthest, not so much.

I think of all those options they have to find someone serviceable, though – right?

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 20, 2010 9:11 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with you on the first point. As for the second point, I’d like to think so. Hopefully, though, there will be a short leash for whoever wins the job if they start to struggle. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that there will be.

My old blog is Tigers By The Numbers.

Now I write at Bless You Boys.

Like music? See what I'm listening to at my Last.fm account.

by Mike Rogers on Jan 20, 2010 9:43 PM EST up reply actions

we may have had 'serviceable' last year

I think he got traded for Jarrod Washburn.

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by ahtrap on Jan 20, 2010 9:46 PM EST up reply actions

Good thing

that worked out so well……

by baum on Jan 20, 2010 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

Not off topic at all....

This article is about Phil Coke, who led the Yankees in appearances last season- all in relief
He has proven that he can be a solid reliever- and better IMO than any of the Tigers in the pen, other than Valverde. Better than Zoomer or Perry, certainly, based on what they’ve done in the majors recently.
It’s also about the fact that there are a number of other lefties in the bullpen, and the fact that they’ll probably give Robertson first crack at a rotation spot, even if he isn’t the best man for the job.
All right on target.
Perry? I don’t think he’s far off, but the combination of Perry and Zumaya setting up is asking for a lot that wasn’t shown last year. Perry had a great July, but then faded down the stretch. Zoomer hasn’t been the same since he missed the LCS in 2006. Lots of talent in the bullpen, and if Coke can make it as a starter, obviously he has more value. But he also has a better shot at filling a set up role than any other reliever on the roster.

by Tigerdog1 on Jan 20, 2010 9:35 PM EST reply actions

If Coke is filling the set up role

that’s probably not a good thing for the Tigers bullpen.

Also, seeing as how Coke is now in the same division as the Twins, one thing Leyland probably shouldn’t do is plan on using Coke as a “lefty specialist” against Mauer.

Mauer and Coke faced each other three times last year. One time, Mauer pulled a successful bunt away from the shift. The other two times, however, Mauer took Coke deep. Small sample size, sure. But not a good thing if it took Mauer all of one at bat to figure out Coke’s tendencies.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 21, 2010 1:36 PM EST up reply actions