Detroit Tigers Links remembers this bullpen

Bullpen Back

Your 2016 Tigers have solved the closer position, but the rest of the bullpen remains the team’s greatest question mark. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has clearly defined who he trusts and who he doesn't over the back half of the season. Even with their struggles, he has made his intentions clear that he is sticking with Shane Greene and Justin Wilson.

“That’s the thing about the back of the bullpen,” Ausmus said, “when they have an off day, you generally lose. So it’s going to happen.”

Greene has an ERA 13.50 over the past three weeks and Wilson has allowed nine runs in the past 13 innings. That being said, there aren’t a ton of better options on the roster (hi to Joe Jimenez sitting in purgatory!) so expect them to continue to be used in high-leverage situations.

Speaking of Joe Jimenez

Jimenez joins Christin Stewart on Baseball America’s 2016 minor league All-Star team. I’ll just leave this here.

“His fastball plays, period,” Hicks told the Free Press on Monday. “Anywhere, anytime. It’s got a little action, but he’s just got such a quick arm, it just kind of explodes out. It’s hard to find the barrel with it. Most guys, you’re going to be a tick behind or it’s going to be a tick in on your barrel. It’s tough to really square it up.

Justin Verlander’s fake revival

And so continues the parade of Verlander rebirth articles as he finishes another vintage season. The thing is, he had one sub par year and an injury. I know he is getting older, but the positive signs were there in 2015, and JV quashed any concern emphatically in 2016.

The AL wild card is a total cluster(redacted)

With three weeks to go, the American League wild card race is absolutely bananas. If you include the Mariners (I don’t but they are still hanging around,) there are seven teams vying for two spots, including five of those teams within 2.5 games. The most surprising participant in the race are the Yankees, who despite selling a bunch of good players, are riding young talent to an impressive record.

Let’s sum up the Indians’ season in one play

How about a clear foul ball that somehow isn’t called and scores two runs. Fun fact, foul tips, like check swings, can’t be reviewed. Take a guess who the umpire was. Just guess.

Classic.

These are the last Tim Tebow link I will ever include

Tebow signed a deal with the Mets despite being graded poorly by most of the scouts who attended. My favorite reaction?

“He sucked,” one scout from an NL team who didn’t attend the workout, but consulted with the scout that was there, said by text.

Good work, Mets, I hope the 20 extra people who attend your instructional league games is worth it. This was your important Tim Tebow update.

For your free time

Stephen Strasburg came back just fast enough to get hurt again. Call it Zimmermann syndrome. The Rays signed ALEXIIIII. Andrew Cashner would only consider re-signing with the Marlins if they removed their no beard policy. Are the umpires to thank for the offensive explosion this year?

Baseball is awesome