Detroit Tigers Rumors: Joel Peralta, Jim Johnson on radar

by Kurt Mensching on Jul 31, 2011 11:49 AM EDT in Detroit Tigers rumors

Remember how Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said something along the lines of, "I keep reading we need bullpen help. I don't think we do. We have a good bullpen." Well, about that. David Pauley. And now, hours before the trade deadline, rumors have been witten the Tigers are interested in the Rays righthander Joel Peralta and the Orioles' righthander Jim Johnson.

Both rumors came from Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (@JonMorosi) on Twitter.

Peralta has a 3.75 ERA this year, strikes out batters at a 7.7 per nine innings rate and walks them at 2.6 per nine innings. His strikeouts are slightly down from last year, and his walks are slightly up. But they are in line with his career numbers. He's more of a flyball pitcher, as that is the result more than half the time when the ball is in play. His xFIP is 3.97 but his SIERA is 3.49. So he's pitching about as you'd expect I guess. (Fangraphs)

Johnson has a 2.45 ERA this year with a 3.10 xFIP and 2.70 SIERA. So he's probably a bit better than you'd expect. His strikeout rate is in line with his career norms at 5.85 K/9. He's big gain this season has been in limiting walks, and the number comes in at just 1.65. His strand rate and home run per fly ball rate are around career norms. His career ERA is 3.37. Apparently the Orioles were thinking of having him start some games by the end of the season. Morosi said his sources tell him a deal is unlikely there.

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Joel Peralta

Is he some sort of combination of Joel Zumaya and Jhonny Peralta?

Detroit4Lyfe

by Rob Rogacki on Jul 31, 2011 12:21 PM EDT reply actions

maybe if it was Jhoel Peralta?

by Mark in Chicago on Jul 31, 2011 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Beat me to it.......

Pretty sure he’d be forced to change the spelling of his name if he came here.

Fan of the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Red Wings.

by Elfuego51 on Jul 31, 2011 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Dombrowski's comments are absurd

“I keep reading we need bullpen help. I don’t think we do. We have a good bullpen.”

The Tiger bullpen ranks 13th in the league in ERA at a whopping 4.70,
The Tiger bullpen is dead last in the league in WHIP, allowing 1.54 base runners per inning
The Tiger bullpen is 13 in K/BB ratio, they make more pitches per plate appearance than any other team in the league, and they have the second highest BB total, by far the highest BB total per inning, of any team in the league.

The Tiger bullpen sucks at home, they suck on the road, they suck on grass, they suck on turf. they suck in the day and they suck at night. The Tiger bullpen just plain sucks!

Yet, the Tigers lead the league in save percentage. When handed a lead in the seventh inning or later, the Tigers save 83% of those chances. The combination of league leading save percentage yet world class suckage overall should point the spotlight directly on the middle relief as an area that needs to be addressed, in a big way.

Fortunately, relief pitchers, including good relievers, are plentiful this time of year. San Diego has four good relievers- Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Chad Qualls, and Cory Luebke. Peralta is a good reliever if he’s healthy, and a huge upgrade over what we have.
Randy Choate, Tyler Clippard, Grant Balfour, and plenty more could help.

DD has done an excellent job so far this month, IMO, of fixing the holes that were left in the roster that he put together in the spring. Betemit helps at third if Leyland will just use him. Fister and Pauley are two good pitchers that are a big time upgrade over what we have. DD can do more, and more is needed.

I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!

by Tigerdog1 on Jul 31, 2011 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

Top to bottom

This is a great post. What’s more, with Valverde’s contract potentially up at the end of the season (2012 option), landing another arm is very important, if the price is right

by Sparten21 on Jul 31, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Jim Johnson is under team control

until 2014 and is arbitration eligible. He is making 975K this year and that will only go up. At the end of his contract we will be able to pick up his comp pick if we offer arbitration, but he might be due as much at 6 million by that point depending on how successful his arbitration cases go. Johnson won’t break the bank if something goes wrong in the health department, but he brings a much larger commitment. And any money wasted is money wasted nonetheless.

Peralta is making 900K this year and is a free agent at the end of the year. He will bring a comp pick as a type B free agent next season, and his low salary will lead to a minimal increase through arbitration if he chooses to accept it. If he declines, we collect the comp pick or try to bring him back as a free agent. Any of the three possible outcomes brings long term benefit.

No matter how the situation plays out with Peralta, the Tigers will almost definitely be no worse for wear in the end. However trading for Jim Johnson will force the organization to commit to a marginal relief pitcher and potentially steep salary increases each of the next few years. He could easily be a non-tender candidate down the road, but we would loose any back end value he has if the organization goes that route..

They would both likely cost the same, so I think Peralta is the preferable option. Much less risk, and better potential long term gains in him.

by TJ92 on Jul 31, 2011 12:40 PM EDT reply actions

I could see Rondon being dealt for Peralta

I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!

by Tigerdog1 on Jul 31, 2011 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

Flip Rondon for any decent reliever

Seriously.

"Aside from the stuff I haven’t been diagnosed for yet, I don’t have a problem."- Phil Coke

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Jul 31, 2011 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

If you get a major league player

in exchange for a kid that hopes to grow up to be a major league player, unless the kid has “can’t miss” tattooed all over him, then you make the deal. Finances aside.

I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!

by Tigerdog1 on Jul 31, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

tigers

center field we need UPTON. now

by robert 11 on Jul 31, 2011 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

Really?

Bench the struggling 24 year old center fielder and trade top prospects for someone else’s basket case… even though the struggling 24 year old will probably produce 2 WAR this season?

Dream on.

"Aside from the stuff I haven’t been diagnosed for yet, I don’t have a problem."- Phil Coke

Contributor, Bless You Boys

by David Tokarz on Jul 31, 2011 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions