Detroit Tigers left
The Detroit Tigers have some work to do to rebuild their bullpen this offseason. Darin Downs will not be a part of that bullpen in 2014.
The Houston Astros have claimed Darin Downs off waivers, the Tigers announced Friday afternoon.
Downs went 0-2 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 47 games during the 2013 season for the Tigers. He split time between the Tigers and Triple-A Toledo.
The fact that the Tigers waived Downs increases the likelihood that they will tender a contract offer to left-hander Phil Coke, who is eligible for arbitration. With Downs out of the mix, the Tigers have just three left-handers on their 40-man roster who pitched for them in 2013: Coke, Drew Smyly and Jose Alvarez.
Smyly could move into the rotation if the Tigers trade a starting pitcher this offseason, but even if he stays in the bullpen, he would likely have a bigger role than simply being a left-handed specialist. Alvarez was a fill-in starter who spent almost the entire season at Toledo. His splits don't seem to lend themselves well toward him being a specialist to face left-handed batters either.
Coke made $1.85 million in 2013 and will almost certainly get a raise to more than $2 million if the Tigers tender him a contract offer. If they do not, he would become a free agent.
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