Octavio Dotel signs with the Tigers
The Tigers finally signed the Mike Sillinger of Major League Baseball Thursday when they agreed to terms with 38-year-old right-handed reliever Octavio Dotel on a one year deal with an option for a second year. The Tigers haven’t officially announced the signing and tend to wait until the play passes a physical.
Despite the older age, Dotel is expected to come in and solidify what was already a pretty stable back-end of the rotation with Joaquin Benoit working the eighth inning and Jose Valverde closing things down in the ninth. The veteran lefty should share work in the seventh inning with lefty reliever Phil Coke.
Dotel posted a 3.50 ERA, 10.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 1.00 HR/9, and 30.1% groundball rate for the Blue Jays and Cardinals this year and has been dominant against righties throughout his career. He originally narrowed his list of teams down to two with the other being the Cardinals who chose a $750K buyout over his $3.5MM club option after the season.
Tigers never made an offer to Kelly Johnson, will probably move forward with Santiago and Raburn
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski announced Thursday that the club inquired on former free agent infielder Kelly Johnson but never extended an offer to him. Instead Johnson accepted salary arbitration from the Toronto Blue Jays in which he will be in line to receive a raise on the $5.85 million he earned in 2011.
“Our interest there was somewhat limited,” Dombrowski said. “We inquired about him a little bit, but weren’t really willing to step up and give what they were looking for.”
This paves the way for the Tigers to perhaps move forward with the second base combo of Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago who the team recently re-signed this off-season. This may set things in place for the Tigers to concentrate on a third base option… Aramis Ramirez perhaps?
Are the Tigers in on Yu Darvish? The answer is no…
Jason Beck of MLB.com mentioned that Tigers GM Dave Domrowski indicated that the Tigers will not get in on the bidding for high sought after pitcher Yu Darvish.
Other News and Notes from the Winter Meetings
- James Schmehl of Mlive.com writes that the Tigers lost infield prospect Gustavo Nunez to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft. Nunez, 23, split the 2011 season at High-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie, hitting .276 with 13 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 26 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 96 minor league games. The Tigers chose to pass on drafting anyone via Rule 5 Thursday.
- Dave Dombrowski also mentions that the club has no interest in bringing back former Tiger Dimitri Young who is current Tiger Delmon Young’s brother. At 38 years of age the elder Dimitri is looking to make a comeback in the MLB after three years removed from the league. The slimmed Dimitri Young (down 70lbs. to 230lbs.) struggled in winter ball this off-season hitting .167 (11-for-66) with no homers and three RBIs in 20 games in Venezuela. If he doesn’t catch on with an MLB team, Young (Dimitri) says he will try his luck in Japan.
Ref: Mlive.com, MLBTradeRumors, Twitter, FOX Sports, CBS Sports (image)
