Detroit Tigers in a fix over transfer saga – MLB News
Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado Rockies has been the prime target of Detroit Tigers this season and the hype has spiked with just one more day to the trade deadline.
Jimenez’s significance has inflated for the sole reason that he is the best available option in the transfer market and the Tigers are in desperate need of a quality starting pitcher. The Rockies, however, do not seem to be interested in the transfer saga
with the Tigers and have their eyes set on a possible deal with either the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees, both of who are short of quality starters.
The Rockies are believed to be uncomfortable with the choice of prospects they will have to choose from if Jimenez is transferred to the Tigers. Colorado has asked for Tigers’ top prospect Jacob Turner along with one of Rick Porcello or Max Scherzer but
this seems to be a price too high for Jimenez. This is where the Tigers have been reluctant to proceed with the deal.
On the other hand, the Yankees and the Red Sox have abundant talent and hand picking a few against Jimenez would not be a problem for the Rockies. The Red Sox and the Yankees require urgent upgrading of their pitching staff with the playoffs in sight and
Jimenez is the best available option.
The Rockies are slightly inclined towards a probable deal with the Yankees because of the latter’s high spending nature and the former’s starting pitcher is one player for which the Yankees would not hesitate in spending a decent amount.
The Tigers, on the contrary, are desperately vying for a pitcher. They might even end up trading Turner and Scherzer for Jimenez if the Rockies make a serious deal. The reason for this has been quiet obvious. The Tigers have registered a 41-23 record for
the season when Scherzer and Justin Verlander have started for them and this record has deteriorated to 10-11 when Brad Penny has started for the Tigers.
What has been of utmost dismay to the Tigers is that whenever any other starter, apart from the ones mentioned above, has started for them, their win-loss record has fallen to a pitiful 4-16.
Jimenez has been decent, at most, this season. In 20 starts, he has managed one complete-game shut-out. He has displayed his arm strength quiet efficiently with an average of 102.3 pitches per game and 122 innings pitched in total. His home-run tally has
reached 116 already but his ERA of 4.20 has been a question mark.
Erik Bedard of Seattle Mariners is another choice for the Tigers who plan to watch his game when he starts on Friday night. Bedard has just been activated from the disabled list and the Tigers will not want to risk their top prospect for an injury-prone
player.
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