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Detroit Tigers Clips

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Detroit Free Press

Sharp: K-Rod trade proves Tigers still going for it (Sharp)

Rodriguez 'looking forward' to closing for Tigers (Fenech)

New closer K-Rod valued for mentoring skills (Fenech)

The Detroit News

Tigers land experienced closer in Rodriguez (McCosky)

Tigers new closer has knack for leading young pitchers (McCosky)

MLive.com

Detroit Tigers obtain closer Francisco Rodriguez in trade with Brewers (Iott)

Al Avila: Detroit Tigers still looking to bolster bullpen following trade for Francisco Rodriguez (Iott)

Analysis: Trying to improve team while keeping top prospects puts Detroit Tigers in tough spot (Iott)

MLB.com

Tigers get K-Rod from Brewers to be closer (Beck)

Associated Press

Tigers get their closer in Francisco Rodriguez (Trister)

ESPN.com

Baseball's best pitch: Francisco Rodriguez's changeup? (Simon)

Tigers find their closer by trading for K-Rod (Strang)

Oakland Press

Tigers acquire closer Francisco Rodriguez from Brewers (Mowery)

CBSSports.com

Tigers acquire closer Francisco Rodriguez from Brewers (Perry)

SI.com

Tigers upgrade bullpen at little cost with trade for Francisco Rodriguez (Corcoran)

Daily Transactions

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Sharp: K-Rod trade proves Tigers still going for it

November 19, 2015

By Drew Sharp/ Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers still think they're relevant. That was the statement made today, when they acquired closer

Francisco Rodriguez from the Milwaukee Brewers for a premium infield prospect.

Ownership -- whether it's Mike or Chris Ilitch making the final decisions with this franchise -- is committed to

winning now.

And it was a shrewd move for Al Avila's first trade as general manager.

Rodriguez comes cheap -- only $5.5 million in 2016 with a team option for 2017. He also becomes a valuable

trading chip next summer, should the Tigers' dreams of playoff contention turn nightmarish again. Rodriguez --

nicknamed K-Rod for his former strikeout capabilities -- has successfully reinvented himself after experiencing

arm difficulties and eroding confidence. He now relies more on guile than fastball gas.

It's a smart acquisition, but so was Joe Nathan two winters ago, wasn't it?

The Tigers bought off Nathan and his whisper of a right arm for a million dollars earlier this month.

Everyone feels good about the trade initially. But considering the incredible bad luck the Tigers have

experienced with their bullpen the last three years, shouldn't there be more than a little trepidation about how

many bullets K-Rod has left in the chamber?

"K-Rod is a perennial All-Star closer," Avila said in a released statement. "We had strong recommendations

from our scouts on Frankie. And he has the proven track record we targeted in our search for a bona fide

closer."

A 14-year veteran, Rodriguez is the active major league leader in career saves with 386.

But this trade is about perception. And it's imperative that the Tigers win the perception battle this off-season.

2015 was a tumultuous season that found them in the uncustomary role of finishing last in the American League

Central, becoming trade-deadline sellers and showing one of the best chief executives in the game, Dave

Dombrowski, the door in a clumsily executed separation.

The Tigers are fighting against the tide in baseball. The game is changing. There's greater value in

acknowledging earlier that you aren't any good. Keep losing. Keep selling off prized assets. Keep getting those

top-10 draft picks. Look at three of the four league championship series teams: Kansas City, New York Mets

and Chicago Cubs. Those three endured numerous 90-plus-loss seasons and were rewarded with young,

impressive -- and incredibly cheap -- major league talent.

And now it's paying huge dividends.

That's Milwaukee's approach. Why else would it deal an effective closer with a payroll-friendly salary?

The Tigers fear losing the immense public goodwill they've accrued over the last five years. They've averaged 3

million in attendance the last three years, despite the economic issues Detroit still battles. A complete rebuild

would be a risky approach, considering the still-boiling public anger that the Tigers blew a tremendous

opportunity to end their 30-year World Series championship drought.

Trading for K-Rod will fuel anticipation that the Tigers might bid high for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher

in the coming weeks. Perhaps bringing back David Price for $30 million annually?

The Tigers must sell the idea that they still matter. That's the bottom line with this move. They aren't one, two

or even three successful winter moves from seriously challenging the Royals.

But everyone's now more interested in what Avila does next, aren't they?

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Rodriguez 'looking forward' to closing for Tigers

November 19, 2015

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers have found their closer.

After some contract talks with free agents and a lot of trade talks with different teams, they acquired veteran

right-hander Francisco Rodriguez from the Milwaukee Brewers today.

“We felt he gave us a good option,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a conference call with reporters.

“He has done well the past couple years, and we thought he could continue to do that.”

In exchange for Rodriguez, the Tigers sent infield prospect Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later to

Milwaukee.

Rodriguez is the active major league saves leader, with 386, which ranks seventh all-time. He posted a 2.21

ERA with 38 saves this season.

In his 14-year career, Rodriguez -- nicknamed “K-Rod” early in his career with the Angels -- has a 2.69 ERA.

He is a six-time All-Star with seven seasons of 35 or more saves and immediately bolsters the back end of the

Tigers’ bullpen.

“The Tigers have given me this opportunity, and I take it with a lot of pride,” Rodriguez said on the conference

call. “It’s something that me and my family are looking forward to.”

The acquisition of Rodriguez -- which was put in place Tuesday, Avila said -- comes cheaper than their top

relief target on the free agent market. Joakim Soria will garner a lucrative multiyear contract.

The Tigers had been talking with Soria’s camp but, as of this past weekend, were not on the same page in

contract talks.

Rodriguez is due $5.5 million in 2016, and the team holds a $6-million option for 2017, with a $4-million

buyout.

“We felt that Francisco, with his experience, gave us the best option to close games for us this coming year, and

it gives us the flexibility to continue to add bullpen pieces,” Avila said. “We felt like it was something we liked,

as far as the overall trade. And it was good for both clubs.”

The Brewers will receive Betancourt, 20, a second baseman who hit .263 with three home runs and 48 RBIs

with Class A Lakeland this season, and a player to be named later.

After kicking the tires on top closing options such as righty Craig Kimbrel and left-handers Aroldis Chapman

and Andrew Miller, the Tigers settled on Rodriguez. One of the game’s most proven commodities as closer,

Rodriguez is aging -- he turns 34 in January -- but has evolved his repertoire to rely more on his changeup.

“I got the chance to learn how to pitch,” Rodriguez said. “So that’s a huge benefit and that’s something that’s

working for me now, late in my career. Now I go out there and read hitters, see what they want to do and go by

the situation of the game and how you’re going to approach it and attack the hitters.

“That’s something I developed a lot and take a lot of pride in, having the ability to read the situation and just go

from there and trust my instincts.”

Rodriguez struck out 62 batters in 57 innings and posted an 0.86 WHIP this season.

He was lauded by Tigers scouts for his ability to lead in the bullpen, Avila said. “We have some young guys,

and that’s exactly what we want them to learn,” Avila said. “How to get outs.”

The move likely will allow the Tigers to allocate more money to landing two starting pitchers, which has been

the team’s foremost goal this winter.

But pitching as a whole, Avila insisted, and not just the starting rotation or the bullpen, is the team’s focus

going forward.

“Our big priority has been pitching and acquiring starting pitching. This is just one move, so we will continue to

try to be as diligent as we can in addressing the bullpen,” Avila said. “We’re definitely going to be looking to

add more pitching, for sure, and the bullpen is one area.”

Note: Former Tigers outfielder Jacque Jones has been hired by the Washington Nationals as an assistant hitting

coach.

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New closer K-Rod valued for mentoring skills

November 19, 2015

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

Francisco Rodriguez learned from the best.

And many moons later, those teachings from former closer Troy Percival have the Tigers right-hander still

pitching at the top of his game.

Rodriguez, who turns 34 on Jan. 7, was acquired Wednesday from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade for infield

prospect Javier Betancourt.

The Tigers received good reports on the veteran on the mound, general manager Al Avila said, and better

reports on him off the mound.

“One of the things that attracted us and our scouts was how in the bullpen he has been such a good leader for

the pitchers,” Avila said in a conference call. “We have some young guys, and that’s what we want them to

learn: how to get outs. That’s the most important thing.”

Rodriguez has gotten plenty. He is the active major league leader with 386 saves, which ranks seventh all time.

His ERA over 14 seasons is 2.69.

And he credits Percival, a former Tiger with whom he played early in his career, for molding him into the closer

he was with the Angels, Mets, Orioles and Brewers.

“What I can say with a lot of pride, everything I know about this game, about how to prepare myself to go into

the ninth inning, how to develop myself, I owe to Troy,” Rodriguez said Wednesday. “Troy was a big part of

my career, and I take pride that he didn’t waste his time with me.”

And while the Tigers are looking first and foremost for production from Rodriguez, they wouldn’t mind some

maturity out of their bullpen youngsters like Bruce Rondon, Drew VerHagen and Jose Valdez, to name a few.

“All the times he sat down with me, teaching me how to pitch and approach hitters, I am forever thankful,”

Rodriguez said.

The Tigers’ young arms could say the same thing about him one day.

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Tigers land experienced closer in Rodriguez

November 19, 2015

By Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Detroit — The Tigers new closer will be 34 when he throws his first pitch next season. That’s five years

younger than Joe Nathan was when he first pitched for the Tigers, 14 months younger than Jonathan Papelbon

and just nine months older than Darren O’Day, who is seeking a four-year deal.

Age is not an issue.

The Tigers' new closer features a fastball that averaged 89.6 mph last season. But he has a change-up that draws

comparisons to Trevor Hoffman, whose 601 career saves is second only to Mariano Rivera.

Fun fact: The Tigers new closer is the major leagues active leader with 386 career saves; 103 more than Rivera

had through his age 33 season.

The Tigers new closer is a six-time All-Star, including the last two seasons when he converted 82 of 89 save

opportunities (92 percent) and posted a 135-29 strikeout to walk ratio.

Welcome to the Tigers, Francisco Rodriguez, aka, K-Rod.

“It’s great,” fellow Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera told Venezuelan reporter Wilmer Reina. “We were waiting for

years to have a quality closer (like) The Kid.”

The Tigers acquired Rodriguez from the Brewers on Wednesday for minor league infielder Javier Betancourt

and a player to be named later. The Tigers could get a player to be named back in the deal, as well, though that

is based on other unannounced contingencies.

“We explored a lot of options out there, a lot of free-agent pitchers, but none of which had extensive closing

experience,” said Al Avila, Tigers executive vice president and general manager. “We saw what our needs were

and we had good reports on him. Our staff, our scouts feel it was a good option. He’s been doing a great job the

last couple of years and we feel he will continue to do that.”

Rodriguez said he was sleeping when he got the call that he’d been traded, but he wasn’t surprised.

“I was expecting it,” he said. “I knew the rebuild-mode the Brewers organization is going through right now.

Me and my family were expecting something. It was just a matter of time that I would end up going somewhere.

“I am glad for this opportunity with the Tigers. I’m taking it with a lot of pride.”

Rodriguez last season had 38 saves with a National League-best 0.860 WHIP with 62 strikeouts in 57 innings.

In 2014 he had 44 saves with a 0.985 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 68 innings.

“K-Rod is a perennial All-Star closer, has pitched on a World Series championship team, and is someone who

will provide experience at the back end of our bullpen,” Avila said. “We had strong recommendations from our

scouts on Frankie, and he has the proven track record we targeted in our search for a bona fide closer.”

He will make $7.5 million next season and the Tigers will have a club option for $6 million with a $4 million

buyout for 2017. Avila said the deal gives the Tigers flexibility to continue to search for other bullpen pieces, as

well as two starting pitchers.

“We are open to adding more than just one person (to the bullpen),” he said. “The closer was our biggest need

and we are happy with this move and we will continue to move forward and acquire more pitching — starting

pitching and relief pitching.

“This move gets us started in the right direction. Now we will move on to the rest of our needs.”

Avila said the acquisition of Rodriguez also allows the Tigers time to groom some younger pitchers already in

the system for late-inning roles — possibly Michael Fulmer, Shane Greene, Bruce Rondon, Alex Wilson and

others.

“One or two of those guys might be closers in waiting,” Avila said. “This gives us depth that we’re going to

need down the road.”

A closer who barely touches 90 mph certainly runs counter to the major league norm of using flamethrowers in

the back end of games. Truth is, hitters swing and miss at Rodriguez's change-up nearly as often as most plus-

90s fastball throwers.

Hitters swung and missed at his change-up 40 percent of the time last season, getting just 11 hits on 112 balls in

play.

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“Some guys throw 95 and it looks like 90 and others throw 90 and it looks like 95,” Tigers manager Brad

Ausmus said. “When I look at Frankie, I see a little bit of Trevor Hoffman, a guy who came up throwing 95 but

has turned to the change-up. Both have tremendous change-ups, swing-and-miss change-ups.”

Rodriguez has pinpoint control of all his pitches and he throws the change-up from different arm angles, which

enhances its effectiveness.

"I just kind of reinvented myself,” he said. “I got the opportunity to learn how to pitch early in my career when I

was throwing hard. It's something that is working for me now at the end of my career. Just not to go out there

and blow people away, but read hitters, figure out what they are trying to do and go by the situation of the

game.

“The game and the inning says how you are going to pitch. That's one thing I developed and it's something I put

a lot of pride in — read the swing, read the situation. ...I just learned how to pitch, just go out every day and

compete."

Rodriguez has only pitched 23 games in the American League (for the Orioles in 2013) since 2008. He’s not

sweating it.

“I’m not going to change anything,” he said. “Just trust my stuff. I am confident with all my pitches in any

count in any situation. I don’t think I make any changes to my approach at all.”

Rodriguez has finished 602 games in his career — including 302 in the American League. That’s an important

number for Ausmus.

“There is a big difference between pitching the seventh, eighth and ninth inning,” Ausmus said. “There is a

mentality to pitching the ninth and getting those last three outs of a one-run game. Some pitchers with all the

stuff in the world just can’t do it. Others have the knack for it, they have the makeup for it.

“Frankie has proven he has it.”

Betancourt, 20, played second base and hit .263 with a .640 OPS at high Class A Lakeland last season.

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Tigers new closer has knack for leading young pitchers

November 19, 2015

By Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Detroit — There is a side benefit to adding veteran Francisco Rodriguez to the Tigers bullpen.

Along with his 386 saves, his sub-1.0 WHIP and his 4.6-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio the last two seasons,

Rodriguez will provide leadership and mentoring to an otherwise young stable of relief pitchers.

“One of the things that attracted us and our scouts was how in the bullpen he has been such a good leader for

the pitchers,” said Tigers general manager Al Avila, who acquired Rodriguez from the Brewers in a trade for

minor league second baseman Javier Betancourt. “We have some young guys and that’s what we want them to

learn — how to get outs. That’s the most important thing.”

And that’s what Rodriguez has learned to do over 14 big league seasons.

“Early in his career he had a big arm, but he’s had to learn a few things as he’s gotten older in his career,” Avila

said. “He’s learned how to pitch, how to get guys out. When he was in Milwaukee, he taught younger guys.

He’s got that knack.”

Jeremy Jeffress, Will Smith and former Tiger Corey Knebel all benefited from Rodriguez’s mentoring in

Milwaukee. Hopefully can have a similar positive impact on some of the young Tigers pitchers like Drew

VerHagen, Alex Wilson, Kyle Ryan and fellow Venezuelan Bruce Rondon.

The Tigers lacked a veteran bullpen leader last season after Joe Nathan went down in the season opener and

Joakim Soria was traded in July.

To Rodriguez, it’s all about paying it forward. He wants to help young pitchers just like Troy Percival helped

him early in his career with the Angels.

“What I can say with a lot of pride, everything I know about this game, about how to prepare myself to go into

the ninth inning, how to develop myself, I owe to Troy,” Rodriguez said. “Troy was a big part of my career.

And I take pride that he didn’t waste his time with me.

“All the times he sat down with me, teaching me how to pitch and approach hitters — I am forever thankful.”

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Detroit Tigers obtain closer Francisco Rodriguez in trade with Brewers November 19, 2015

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

The Detroit Tigers have been searching for bullpen help. They found some.

The Tigers have obtained right-hander Francisco Rodriguez from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for

infield prospect Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later, the Brewers announced via Twitter shortly

after noon Wednesday. The Tigers announced the trade a short time later.

"K-Rod is a perennial All-Star closer, has pitched on a World Series championship team, and is someone who

will provide experience at the back end of our bullpen," Tigers general manager Al Avila said. "We had strong

recommendations from our scouts on Frankie. He has the proven track record we targeted in our search for a

bona fide closer."

Rodriguez, who will turn 34 in January, gives the Tigers the experienced closer they have been looking for. He

has 386 career saves in 14 seasons in the majors, including 38 in 2015 and 44 in 2014 with the Brewers.

Rodriguez went 1-3 with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.860 WHIP in 2015 for the Brewers. Rodriguez, nicknamed K-

Rod, struck out 62 in 57 innings of work and has 1,067 strikeouts in 892 1/3 career innings.

Rodriguez is under contract for $5.5 million for 2016 and has a team option worth $6 million for 2017. That

team option includes a $4 million buyout, so something strange would have to happen for the Tigers to not pick

that up.

Betancourt is listed as the Tigers' 11th-best prospect by MLB.com. Betancourt, 20, hit .263 with three home

runs, 48 RBIs and a .640 OPS in 122 games for Single-A Lakeland in 2015.

The Tigers are believed to be seeking two starting pitchers and at least two relievers for their pitching staff,

which was one of the worst in baseball in 2015. This move fills a major hole in the bullpen and puts the Tigers

one step closer to their offseason goal.

There is a scenario in which the Tigers will get a player to be named later from the Brewers, but the situation is

"complicated," Avila said.

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Al Avila: Detroit Tigers still looking to bolster bullpen following trade for Francisco

Rodriguez November 19, 2015

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

Al Avila: Detroit Tigers still looking to bolster bullpen following trade for Francisco Rodriguez

Detroit Tigers obtain closer Francisco Rodriguez in trade with Brewers

Analysis: Trying to improve team while keeping top prospects puts Detroit Tigers in tough spot

Texas Rangers' Jeff Banister beats out A.J. Hinch for AL Manager of the Year honor

Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant named top rookies; Detroit Tigers' James McCann shut out in voting

All Stories

The Detroit Tigers added a major piece to their bullpen Wednesday. But they say they aren't done just yet.

Tigers general manager Al Avila said Wednesday that the Tigers will continue to do their due diligence in an

attempt to strengthen their bullpen even after adding closer Francisco Rodriguez through a trade with the

Milwaukee Brewers.

"Obviously we're looking to add more than just one person," Avila said during a teleconference early

Wednesday afternoon. "Obviously the closer is the biggest one and we're happy with this move. Then we'll

continue to move forward this winter and acquire more pitching.

"We've been saying we need pitching. We need starting pitching and we need relievers. This move, it gets us

started in the right direction with our closer and now we'll move on with the rest of our needs."

The Tigers traded infield prospect Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later in exchange for Rodriguez,

who has 386 career saves. There is a scenario in which the Tigers will also get a player to be named later in the

deal, but Avila called it "complicated" and wouldn't delve into details.

Whatever the case may be, the Tigers and manager Brad Ausmus have a guy they can go to for the ninth inning.

Rodriguez, 33, doesn't throw as hard as he did in his younger days, but he has been effective in recent years

even with a sub-90s fastball.

The addition of Rodriguez certainly makes the Tigers better in the late innings. They ranked 27th in the majors

in bullpen ERA (4.38) and bullpen WHIP (1.44) in 2015.

"This is just one move. We will continue to be as diligent as we can." -- Tigers GM Al Avila

Where exactly will the Tigers go from here? That's tough to say. The addition of Rodriguez basically rules them

out of the chase for Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, star closers who appear to be available in trade, as well

as high-priced free agents like Darren O'Day and Joakim Soria.

But the Tigers could go after another free agent reliever or two -- there are oodles of free-agent relievers out

there -- or try to swing a deal for another relief pitcher. The offseason has really just begun.

"This is just one move," Avila said. "We will continue to be as diligent as we can in addressing the bullpen and

starting pitching. We're definitely going to look to add more pitching for sure. The bullpen is one area, yes."

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Analysis: Trying to improve team while keeping top prospects puts Detroit Tigers in

tough spot November 19, 2015

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

When Dave Dombrowski and the Boston Red Sox traded for a frontline closer last week, it likely set the market

too high for Al Avila and the Detroit Tigers to do the same.

Two unrelated posts that showed up on Twitter a short time apart Wednesday morning help explain why.

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com reported Wednesday via Twitter that the Detroit Tigers have have inquired

about closers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, who could be moved in trades this offseason.

That should be no surprise. The Tigers obviously need bullpen help and will weigh every possible option to

improve the back end.

But Rosenthal also made another point:

Therein lies the rub. With Dombrowski at the helm, the Boston Red Sox paid a high price last week when they

sent four prospects to the San Diego Padres in exchange for closer Craig Kimbrel. The Tigers appear to be

hesitant to pay a similar price for Chapman or Miller.

There's good reason for that. The farm system for the Tigers isn't extremely deep in top talent. Some of the best

guys in the system came via trades at the deadline. The Tigers need pitching now, but they also need some

young, talented, affordable pitching for the future. They appear to have obtained some at the trade deadline.

How much did those trades help the Tigers when it comes to young talent? A post on Twitter linking to a

Baseball Prospectus story earlier Wednesday helps tell the tale.

The Tigers obtained six prospects in July in exchange for David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria, who

are all now free agents. Here is a breakdown of those six prospects, based on the Tigers prospect rankings

posted by Baseball Prospectus on Wednesday:

• Michael Fulmer, RHP: Baseball Prospectus lists Fulmer as the top prospect in the Tigers' system. Fulmer came

to the Tigers as part of the trade that sent Cespedes to the Mets. He has never pitched above the Double-A level,

but it wouldn't be a surprise at all if he pitches for the Tigers this season, either as a starter or out of the bullpen.

Fulmer is the top prospect for a reason. By all accounts, he is a talented young pitcher.

• JaCoby Jones, SS: Baseball Prospectus lists Jones, who is currently serving a 50-game suspension due to a

violation of baseball's drug policy, as the team's No. 6 prospect. Jones is athletic with power and speed and

could end up at one of several positions on the field as time goes on. The Tigers got Jones for Soria.

• Luis Cessa, RHP: Baseball Prospectus lists Cessa as the team's 10th-best prospect. The Tigers obtained Cessa,

who was recently added to the 40-man roster, in the Cespedes trade.

So, three of the top 10 prospects the Tigers have, according to Baseball Prospectus, were obtained at the trade

deadline. That says something about the value the Tigers got in return for those impending free agents. (It also

says something about what kind of shape the farm system was in prior to those deals.)

But that doesn't tell the entire story.

• Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd, LHPs: Norris would have been No. 1 on the list and Boyd would have been

somewhere in the top 10, but Baseball Prospectus didn't consider them. Those two have "graduated" from the

prospects list. The Tigers got Norris, Boyd and Jario Labourt in exchange for Price. Norris appears to be the

frontrunner in what should be an interesting competition between several young pitchers for a rotation spot this

spring. Boyd should be in that mix as well.

• Jairo Labourt, LHP: Labourt is the only one of the six who qualifies to be on the Tigers' top 10 list but is not

on it.

The Tigers need bullpen help. They also are trying to add two starting pitchers to the rotation and to improve

their outfield this offseason. It's tough to see how they can do all of those things effectively strictly through free

agency since free agents, most notably starting pitchers, are pricy. Avila has said that offseason spending will

"probably more restrictive this year." The Tigers are not likely to break the bank for top free agents.

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But paying the going rate in a major trade will be difficult for the Tigers to stomach as well. They still don't

have the deepest farm system in the land. They will be hesitant to deal from its strength.

Avila has his work cut out for him. That fact hasn't changed since the minute he took over the job from

Dombrowski. It's not likely to change anytime soon.

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Tigers get K-Rod from Brewers to be closer

November 19, 2015

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers hit the trade market for their closer and found a familiar name. Francisco Rodriguez,

rumored for years to be a potential Detroit closer, will get the chance after being acquired from the Brewers on

Wednesday for infield prospect Javier Betancourt and a player to be named.

Rodriguez has drawn the interest of the Tigers in past years, either via trade or free agency, but Detroit had

always turned elsewhere. But in a trade market in which big names such as Aroldis Chapman of the Reds and

Andrew Miller of the Yankees have drawn high price tags, coupled with a shallow free-agent market, Rodriguez

and the Tigers finally matched up in Al Avila's first trade as general manager.

"After all the conversations, we just decided this would be the best route for us," Avila said on a Wednesday

conference call. "We felt that Francisco with his experience gave us the best option to close games for us this

coming year, and gives us the flexibility to continue to add bullpen pieces. Also, it's a one-year contract with an

option, so it gives us some flexibility there. The overall trade was good for both clubs."

The trade language included a player to be named for each side. Brewers general manager David Stearns said

that was a technical procedure, and that in practice, only the Brewers are likely to receive a second player in the

deal, and that player will be named during this offseason. But Avila said there is a scenario in which Detroit

receives a second player, too.

Rodriguez, who turns 34 in January, saved 82 games for the Brewers over the past two seasons, including 38

saves out of 40 opportunities in a quietly effective 2015 campaign for a Milwaukee club that fell out of

contention early. The native Venezuelan allowed just 38 hits over 57 innings with 11 walks and 62 strikeouts.

It's his best stretch as a closer since he was the dominant "K-Rod" with the Angels, racking up 194 saves over a

four-year stretch from 2005-08. His 386 career saves lead all active pitchers and rank seventh all time, four

behind Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for sixth.

He's a different style of pitcher now, thinking his way through hitters rather than simply overpowering them.

His average fastball velocity fell below 90 mph this year for the first time in his career, but his changeup -- a

pitch he barely used until he was six years into his big league tenure -- has become a dominant pitch.

"I got the chance, the opportunity to learn how to pitch early in my career when I was throwing hard,"

Rodriguez said. "It's something that's working for me now late in my career, just not to go out there and blow

people away, [but to] read hitters, figure out what they were trying to do and go by the situation of the game.

"The game and the inning says how you are going to pitch. That's one thing I developed, and it's something I

put a lot of pride in -- read the swing, read the situation."

Many lessons, Rodriguez said, came from former teammate Troy Percival, who served as Tigers closer in 2005

after Rodriguez took over the ninth inning for the Angels. He has tried to pay it forward, taking on a mentoring

role with young relievers. The Tigers have young late-inning arms, but have struggled to develop Bruce Rondon

into a consistent Major League reliever.

"One of the things that was attractive for us, and our scouts digging for information, was how he's been a leader

for other pitchers in the bullpen," Avila said.

Rodriguez's production comes at a fairly reasonable price. Rodriguez will make $5.5 million next year on the

back half of a two-year, $13 million contract, with a $6 million club option (or $4 million buyout) for 2017.

Rodriguez will be the Tigers' seventh closer since 2013, a list that includes Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit, Joe

Nathan, Joakim Soria, Rondon and Neftali Feliz. The closer's spot was the first order of business this offseason

for Avila, who explored the trade market at last week's GM Meetings while also negotiating with Soria's agent

on a potential return. The Rodriguez deal takes care of the spot without signing a long-term contract or heavily

tapping a farm system that Detroit is working to rebuild.

Betancourt ended the season ranked No. 11 among Tigers prospects by MLBPipeline.com. The slick-fielding

20-year-old had a 5.15 range factor over 116 games at second base for Class A Advanced Lakeland, turning 85

double plays against 11 errors. At the plate, he hit .263 (129-for-491) with 17 doubles, five triples, three home

runs, 48 RBIs and four stolen bases.

13

Betancourt becomes the second Tigers middle-infield prospect to join the Brewers, who claimed middle

infielder Hernan Perez off waivers in June. Perez re-signed with Milwaukee earlier this week after being taken

off its 40-man roster.

Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)

With a 2.66 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 82 saves across the past two seasons, Rodriguez should be a solid second-

tier closer for fantasy owners in 2016. As the right-hander compiles whiffs and limits walks, he has survived a

1.4 HR/9 rate since the outset of '14. The move from Miller Park to Comerica Park could help Rodriguez keep

the ball in the yard.

Back in Milwaukee, Will Smith could be a strong candidate to take over ninth-inning duties. The southpaw has

posted a 3.21 ERA and a 12.4 K/9 rate across two seasons with Milwaukee. But given the Brewers' lack of

lefty-relief depth, they could opt to leave Smith in a specialist role and hand the final frame to a righty like

Tyler Thornburg, Michael Blazek or Jeremy Jeffress.

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Tigers get their closer in Francisco Rodriguez

November 19, 2015

By Noah Trister/ Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) -- The Tigers are turning to Francisco Rodriguez in their latest attempt to shore up the back end

of their bullpen.

Detroit acquired the right-hander in a trade with Milwaukee on Wednesday, sending minor league infielder

Javier Betancourt and a player to be named to the Brewers. Detroit general manager Al Avila said the Tigers

might also receive a player to be named in the deal, but that's not certain.

Rodriguez, who turns 34 in January, went 1-3 with a 2.21 ERA for the Brewers in 2015. He had 38 saves in 40

chances. Detroit finished last in the AL Central this year after winning four straight division titles, and the

bullpen was a priority heading into this offseason.

"We had explored a lot of the different options that are presented out there," Avila said. "There's a lot of free

agent pitchers, none of which really have extensive closing experience. We also checked with a lot of major

league clubs that are entertaining the idea of a possible trade."

Detroit's bullpen has been an issue for the last few seasons. Closer Jose Valverde faltered toward the end of

2012, and the following year, the Tigers eventually settled on Joaquin Benoit as their closer. Then Benoit left

and they signed Joe Nathan, but he struggled in 2014 and missed almost all of 2015 with an elbow injury.

The Tigers declined their $10 million option on Nathan for 2016, and Rodriguez became an attractive target.

"It's something that me and my family are looking forward ... knowing a little bit more about my future, where

I'm going to be at next year," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is owed $7.5 million for 2016, with $2 million of that deferred interest free until January 2018. He

has a $6 million team option for 2017 that includes a $2 million buyout.

Rodriguez holds the major league record of 62 saves in a season. He set that mark in 2008 with the Los Angeles

Angels, then signed with the New York Mets. He was traded to Milwaukee in 2011, and after an unimpressive

showing in 2012, he was brought back by the Brewers on a minor league deal the following April.

Following a trade to Baltimore in the middle of the 2013 season, Rodriguez returned to Milwaukee as a free

agent and converted 44 of 49 save chances in 2014. Last season, he posted his best ERA since 2010.

According to Fangraphs.com, Rodriguez threw fastballs on only about 45 percent of his pitches this year, while

throwing a changeup about 43 percent of the time. That was a significant departure from his previous approach.

"When I look at Frankie, I see kind of a little bit of a Trevor Hoffman," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

"Both of these guys, they came up throwing 95-plus miles an hour and could basically throw the ball by guys. ...

Frankie, like Trevor, has just turned to the changeup -- both of them had tremendous changeups, swing-and-

miss changeups -- and he's reinvented himself and become equally as successful."

The 20-year-old Betancourt played second base in 2015 for Class A Lakeland. He hit .263 with three home runs

and 48 RBIs in 122 games.

Milwaukee went 68-94 this season and felt it could trade Rodriguez to build for the future.

"We've stated our intentions many times in the past," new Brewers GM David Stearns said. "We're looking to

acquire as much young, quality, controllable talent as we can and we think we took a nice step forward with the

deal."

15

Baseball's best pitch: Francisco Rodriguez's changeup? November 19, 2015

By Mark Simon/ ESPN.com

We’re spending a lot of time today talking about who the best pitcher was in baseball in 2015.

But what about the best pitch?

The answer to that might be Francisco Rodriguez's changeup, a pitch from which the Detroit Tigers will now

benefit after acquiring him from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rodriguez threw 354 of them last season, his best season in terms of both his WHIP (0.86) and his walk rate

(1.7 per nine innings). It's a pitch that helped him net 38 saves in 40 opportunities.

Opponents went 11-for-112 in at-bats ending with it (.098 batting average), missing on 40 percent of their

swings and hitting the ball hard in only 5 percent of their at-bats.

To take it a step further, FanGraphs.com tracks a run value stat, based on how much each pitch a pitcher throws

contributes to winning (strikes and outs have a positive value, balls and hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches have a

negative value). Rodriguez's changeup was worth nearly 18 runs better than the average pitcher. Only two

starters got more value from their changeup -- Zack Greinke and Danny Salazar.

But if we look at it on a per-100-pitches basis, Rodriguez's changeup moves to the top of the board of any pitch.

In fact, among those pitchers who threw at least 40 innings and threw a pitch at least 10 percent of the time, no

pitcher has a higher run value per 100 pitches than Rodriguez's 5.07 on his changeup.

16

Tigers find their closer by trading for K-Rod

November 19, 2015

By Katie Strang/ ESPN.com

The trade: The Tigers acquired closer Francisco Rodriguez and a player to be named later from the Milwaukee

Brewers in exchange for minor league second baseman Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later.

The reason: Detroit is a club that has been aggressive in scouring the market for cost-effective pitching --

players who can help round out the starting rotation and bolster a suspect bullpen. Among the most pressing

needs for the team heading into free agency was adding a bona fide closer, especially with the lack of strong

internal candidates to fulfill the role (Remember the abrupt dismissal of Bruce Rondon, anyone?). The Tigers

expressed interest in former closer Joakim Soria -- though a source confirmed to ESPN.com that a formal offer

was never made -- but then opted to address the void via trade instead.

The impact: K-Rod, 33, might not be the best closer available -- especially with an increasingly robust market

developing since last week's GMs meetings -- but he remains a reliable option to lock down the ninth inning.

Though there are two pieces in the deal that have yet to be determined, one MLB scout told ESPN.com he really

liked the return for the Tigers, considering they'll get a proven closer for a minor-league second baseman. There

are also some who believe Rodriguez has had a renaissance of sorts in Milwaukee. Yes, his fastball velocity has

dipped, but he has relied much more on his changeup recently -- according to Fangraphs, he threw it 42.6

percent of the time -- and has found that to be effective. From a cost perspective, he'll come cheaper than other

closing options -- he is slated to make $5.5 million next year with a 2017 option and $4 million buyout -- which

is essential considering the Tigers still need to add starting pitching and potentially a left fielder in free agency.

17

Tigers acquire closer Francisco Rodriguez from Brewers

November 19, 2015

By Matthew Mowery/ Oakland Press

DETROIT >> The Detroit Tigers got the experienced, bona fide closer they were looking for, and they didn’t

break the bank to do it.

Which is good, given the length of the laundry list of needs they still need to fill this offseason.

Detroit sent minor league infielder Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later to the Milwaukee Brewers

on Wednesday, in return for 34-year-old closer Francisco Rodriguez.

“It’s something great. We were waiting for years to have a closer of the quality of the ‘Kid,’” slugger Miguel

Cabrera told Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Reina.

A six-time All-Star in a 14-year career, Rodriguez has led the league in saves three times — including a record

62 in 2008 — and had more than 30 saves seven times.

“We had good reports on him from this past year. Our staff in the office and our scouts felt that he gave us a

good option and that he actually had been doing a great job the past couple years and that we felt that he could

continue to do that,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said. “After all the conversations that I had and the

options that we saw that were available, whether it be free agent pitchers or talks with other GMs about their

players, after several meetings and conversations we just decided this would be the best route for us. We felt

that Francisco with his experience gave us the best option to close games for us this coming year and it gives us

the flexibility to continue to add bullpen pieces.”

A 20-year-old middle infielder, Betancourt was ranked the Tigers’ 17th-best prospect in 2014 by

MLBPipeline.com, and hit .263 with 25-extra-base hits at High-A Lakeland in 2015, playing primarily second

base.

There may be a player to be named later coming back to the Tigers, as well — or there might not. “It’s a little

bit complicated,” Avila said of the language of the deal.

That’s still not a lot to give up for a guy with 386 career saves — good for seventh on the all-time saves list —

including 38 and 44 in the last two seasons. Especially In light of what the Red Sox gave up in trade for Craig

Kimbrel over the weekend, and what the rumored costs would be for a guy like Aroldis Chapman.

Rodriguez, known as K-Rod or Frankie, is owed $5.5 million for 2016 and there is a team option for $6 million

with $4 million buyout for 2017, according to BaseballReference.com.

That leaves plenty in the coffers for the Tigers to continue to spend, as well.

“This is just one move. We will continue to be as diligent as we can in addressing the bullpen and starting

pitching. We’re definitely going to look to add more pitching for sure,” Avila said. “Obviously we’re looking to

add more than just one person. Obviously the closer is the biggest one and we’re happy with this move. Then

we’ll continue to move forward this winter and acquire more pitching. We’ve been saying we need pitching.

We need starting pitching and we need relievers. This move, it gets us started in the right direction with our

closer and now we’ll move on with the rest of our needs in the bullpen and with our starting pitching.”

The closer the Tigers traded at last year’s deadline, Joakim Soria, is one of the few experienced closers on the

free-agent market, and there had reportedly been serious mutual interest between the two sides.

But there were bound to be a ton of suitors, and with high demand comes a high price tag.

“We had explored a lot of different options that had been presented out there. There’s a lot of free agent

pitchers, none of which really have extensive closing experience. We also checked with a lot of major league

clubs that were entertaining the idea of a possible trade,” Avila said, noting the conversations with the Brewers

started before the GM meetings, and peaked on Tuesday. “We’re able to keep some of the younger guys that we

wanted to keep that we feel maybe one or two of those guys might be a future closer for us too. ... We like the

youth that we have. This move allows us to keep the young prospects that we like and are going to need at some

point, not only this season but in the near future.”

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Tigers acquire closer Francisco Rodriguez from Brewers November 19, 2015

By Dayn Perry/ CBSSports.com

Per CBSSports MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Tigers on Wednesday acquired veteran closer Francisco

Rodriguez from the Brewers. The teams announced the deal later in the afternoon.

Rodriguez, 33, is coming off a 2015 season in which he pitched to a 2.21 ERA and 5.64 K/BB ratio for

Milwaukee. For his career, he boasts an ERA+ of 156 and 386 saves across parts of 14 big-league seasons.

Those 386 saves rank seventh on the all-time list and first among actives. Over the course of his career, K-Rod

has converted 86 percent of his save opportunities.

In recent seasons, the Tigers have struggled with late-inning relief. Joakim Soria was effective in the role this

past season before being traded to the Pirates, but Detroit has cycled through a number of closers -- most of

them ineffective -- in recent years. As for Rodriguez, he occasionally struggles with the long-ball, but in going

from Milwaukee to Detroit he'll be swapping out one of the most homer-friendly ballparks for one that

suppresses the home run to a modest extent.

Rodriguez is under for contract for 2016 at a salary of $5.5 million. His contract also includes a $6 million

option/$4 million buyout for 2017.

Heyman reports that the Tigers will absorb money left on Rodriguez's contract through 2016.

Minor-league infielder Javier Betancourt is headed to the Brewers as part of the trade. Betancourt, 20, owns a

line of .281/.323/.364 in 338 minor-league games. Defensively, he's spent time at second, short, and third. Last

season, he reached the High-A level. The Brewers will also receive a player to be named later in the deal.

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Tigers upgrade bullpen at little cost with trade for Francisco Rodriguez November 19, 2015

By Cliff Corcoran/ SI.com

Less than a week after former Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski sent a quartet of significant prospects

to the Padres to bring closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox, his replacement in Detroit, Al Avila, has acquired a

closer for the Tigers at a relative bargain. On Wednesday, Detroit picked up veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez

from the Brewers for minor-league second baseman Javier Betancourt and a player to be named later.

Rodriguez, who will turn 34 in January, is owed $7.5 million for the 2016 season ($2 million of which has been

deferred to '18) and has a $6 million option for the '17 season with a $2 million buyout.

The active saves leader with 386 and the owner of the single-season saves record (62 in 2008), Rodriguez is no

longer the dominant fireballer he was for the Angels in his early twenties. His velocity has dropped dramatically

since then, with his average fastball barely exceeding 90 mph in 2015 compared to 95 mph in '07, per Brooks

Baseball. You could argue, however, that he was every bit as good for the Brewers last year as he was in in his

prime. Now that Rodriguez is no longer capable of blowing away opposing hitters with high-90s fastballs, he

appears to have finally conquered his career-long control problems, reducing his walk rate in each of the last

three seasons. Before 2013, he had never walked fewer than 3.2 men per nine innings in a single season, but

he's now posted a BB/9 under 3.0 in three straight seasons, including a career-best 1.7 BB/9 in '15.

Make no mistake, though: Rodriguez is still getting strikeouts, just not as many, and not by the same method.

Whereas Rodriguez was a fastball-curveball-slider pitcher in his prime, his primary pitch is now his changeup,

which he can throw at various speeds south of 90 mph, averaging 83. Over those last three seasons, he has

averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, and combined with his newfound control, he's setting new highs in

strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 4.40 K/BB over the last three years bests any single-season ratio he posted in his

first ten full major league seasons, and his 5.64 K/BB in 2015 was far and away a career-best mark.

This new version of K-Rod saved 82 games for the Brewers over the last two years at a 92% success rate, with

an inflated home-run rate in 2013 and '14 as the only blight on his record over the last three seasons. He brought

that figure down to league average in 2015, however, and will benefit from moving to homer-suppressing

Comerica Park—a stadium that is especially hard on lefthanded power hitters, a benefit for the righthanded

Rodriguez—after spending the last three years in homer-friendly Miller Park and, for two months in 2013,

Camden Yards as a member of the Orioles.

As for Betancourt, he ranked eighth on Baseball Prospectus’ list of the Tigers' top prospects (published the day

of the trade, coincidentally enough)—not a particularly impressive placement given how thin Detroit's system

is. BP describes him as a glove-first player with a lack of secondary offensive skills (power and patience) but

who makes solid contact at the plate, a profile supported by his .281/.323/.364 career line in the minors.

Betancourt will turn 21 in May and spent all of 2015 in high A, which could put him on track to battle for the

Brewers’ second base job in 2018, but his most likely major league role is as a utility infielder.

Unless the player to be named later in this deal proves to be a significant prospect (which is unlikely), this looks

like a fantastic deal for Detroit, which has been in desperate need of bullpen help for years, and like little more

than a salary dump for the Brewers.

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LAST UPDATED: THU, NOVEMBER 19, 2015, 03:04 EST

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Chicago White Sox Scott Hairston Signed to a Minor League Contract

Los Angeles Angels Lucas Luetge Signed to a Minor League Contract

Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Jackson Signed to a Minor League Contract

Philadelphia Phillies Frank Herrmann Signed to a Minor League Contract

Philadelphia Phillies Emmanuel Burriss Signed to a Minor League Contract

Washington Nationals David Carpenter Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent

Washington Nationals David Carpenter Outrighted to Minors

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Los Angeles Angels Cliff Pennington Signed as Free Agent, ( 2016-2017)(two-year contract)

Milwaukee Brewers Hernan Perez Signed to a Minor League Contract

San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford Signed, ( 2016-2021)(six-year extension, avoids arbitration)

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

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Arizona Diamondbacks Ryan Wheeler Signed to a Minor League Contract