Leyland's gut says Tigers may make a trade soon

Leyland's gut says Tigers may make a trade soon

CLEARWATER, Fla.--Although he stressed the Tigers didn’t have any trade in place as of this morning, manager Jim Leyland said today that he has a “gut feeling” that the Tigers could make a trade for a relief pitcher in the next few days.

“I think there is a strong possibility that something could happen in the next few days,” Leyland said. “I think that’s a strong possibility. I don’t know if anything will happen. It’s kind of my gut telling me it’s going to happen, somehow, some way.”

He bases his feeling in part on how the season is now only about a week away and how big-league clubs typically increase their trade talks as their openers draw closer.

All around baseball . . . the conversations are getting heavier and more often,” Leyland said before the Tigers’ game with the host Phillies.

But Leyland emphasized that he spoke to Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski this morning and that, as far as trades, “We have absolutely nothing at this point.”

The Tigers have two vacancies in the bullpen. They are caused by the injuries to relievers Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney. Without a trade, those spots evidently will be filled from the group of pitchers who remain in camp but haven’t formally won a spot on the club.

Leyland was asked if a reliever acquired in a trade would step into the late-inning work usually done by Zumaya and Rodney. “I don’t know about that,” he said.

Leyland, as he often does, complimented Dombrowski’s thoroughness. A lack of deal for a reliever won’t be for lack of effort or homework.

“My club is fine right now,” Leyland said. “There is no pressure to do anything. Maybe would you like to upgrade one spot in the bullpen? You might, sure. But if you can’t do that, that’s no problem.”

How many times has Leyland's gut been right?

could be indigestion due to bad pitching???

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

could be indigestion due to bad pitching???

!!!

His gut had better tell him what to do AND QUICKLY!

03/22/2008 5:35 PM ET
Tigers may swing deal to bolster 'pen
Relief corps missing Rodney, Cruceta as spring winds down
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- With Spring Training in its final days and teams needing to figure out what to do with pitchers who are out of options, this is the time when trade talks pick up steam.

For the Tigers, with their bullpen in flux while Fernando Rodney begins the season on the disabled list and Francisco Cruceta possibly begins the season still in the Dominican Republic, they have plenty to talk about.

Manager Jim Leyland isn't counting on it yet, but he's bracing for it.

"I think there's a strong possibility that something could happen these last few days," he said Saturday morning. "I don't know if anything will happen. It's just kind of my gut telling me something's going to happen, somehow, some way. I don't know."

Both Leyland and president/general manager Dave Dombrowski, whose job it is to look at deals, caution that they have no trade in place. However, they have a bullpen where they could swing a deal, and they have scouts farmed out around Florida and Arizona.

At the same time, plenty of teams have players without options whom they will try to deal before they try to pass them through waivers.

"At the end of the spring, you always have more conversations," Dombrowski said. "Now, would I describe them as more serious conversations? Not really."

Some of them pop up out of the blue. Just pulling into the parking lot at Bright House Field, Dombrowski said, he received a call from another club offering up a player.

Other talks, of course, follow up on conversations from earlier in the spring.

"In general, the conversations are getting heavier and more often," Leyland said. "When there's mild interest in a player early on, a lot of times that becomes a lot more serious interest later on. And I think that's basically what I'm trying to say."

The Tigers have been linked in rumors to various relievers whom other teams have reportedly been trying to deal, from Mets right-hander Jorge Sosa to the Cubs' Michael Wuertz. Several other clubs, however, have bullpen competitions that include pitchers without options, including the Rangers -- where the gifted but inconsistent Robinson Tejeda has been converted to relief and is competing with Wes Littleton and Franklyn German, among others -- and D-backs, where Dustin Nippert is part of a cluttered competition. The Tigers had a scout in Arizona to watch the Rangers on Saturday as their bullpen picture unfolds.

As Dombrowski pointed out, however, they're not simply looking to fill roles. They have pitchers to do that. Anything they do would have to make sense.

"My club's fine right now," Leyland said. "There's no pressure to do anything from Dave's standpoint. I like our club. Would you like to upgrade one spot in the bullpen? You might. But if you can't do that, that's no problem."

Leyland has his 25-man roster set in his mind if they don't make a move. He's keeping that to himself for now in case they do make a move.

Exactly what the Tigers can offer in return would be the other end of the question. Inge's contract continues to be a road block in any talks. He was in the lineup for Saturday's rained-out game against the Phillies at shortstop in place of Edgar Renteria, who had his third straight game off. He could have played, Leyland said, but the manager wanted to take precautions.

Right-hander Yorman Bazardo, meanwhile, is out of Minor League options as he tries to make Detroit's bullpen as a long reliever. He could be offered up if the Tigers expect to lose him on waivers. Bazardo is scheduled to start Sunday's big league game against Cleveland, while Jeremy Bonderman will get his work in the Minor League game in the morning.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

*sigh* there might still be a chance!

I'm not going to make a new thread for this since I don't see it happening, but I thought this was interesting...

Source

Quote :

That the Tigers, desperate for a pitcher at the back end of their bullpen, are trying to have serious discussions with Oakland about closer Huston Street. But so far, the A's have not even decided if they want to trade Street. And if they do, they're likely to ask more than the Tigers have to offer.

Street = :nahnah:

The deliverer of Magglio's 2006 home run!

Well, it looks like the Tigers are more serious than I thought...

Tigers After Street?

The Tigers are more desperate for a relief pitcher that many thought, and now they are going after Huston Street. The Tigers have depth in their bullpen, but mostly middle relief pitchers, not late inning pitchers. I think there is a big difference in the role, and I think it is hard to adjust from one to the other. According to sources, they have contacted half a dozen teams about relief pitchers, and not much has been made of it. This seems like the perfect situation for the A's to make a move. They could acquire several top prospects and give Joey Devine the closer spot. The Tigers could send Brandon Inge and a big chunk of his salary, along with Jeff Gerbe, Scott Sizemore, and Cale Iorg.

In this trade they acquire a third baseman to play while Chavez is out, a solid pitcher who could break the rotation in 2009, a second baseman which would allow them to unload Mark Ellis, and a solid athlete in Iorg who could take over at short. This is a pretty big price to pay, but it speculation on my part. I think the A's could go after Gerbe and Iorg for sure, but then might have to settle for a low level prospect. I didn't realize how serious the Tigers were and I think it is likely that a trade will be made this week. Other teams they could look to are the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Angels.

The time to deal is NOW!

I'm pretty sure that Leyland has some "insider" information....

especially as he is the insider!