Percival, Farnsworth bookend offseason dealing DETROIT -- The extreme makeover of the Tigers bullpen took two steps this offseason. Troy Percival provided the foundation back in November. But Tuesday's trade for Kyle Farnsworth might end up meaning just as much to the rest of the structure. To figure out why the Tigers needed Farnsworth, consider this: Between closer Troy Percival and setup men Ugueth Urbina and Jamie Walker, the team's late-inning trio boasts a combined 25 Major League seasons, 1,342 appearances and 548 saves. By contrast, what had been the four leading arms on the 40-man roster to fill the middle and long roles -- Gary Knotts, Fernando Rodney, Franklyn German and Steve Colyer -- have pitched in fewer Major League games combined (255) than any of the late-inning guys have pitched individually. Farnsworth bridges that gap. And if that's not reason enough, there's this: Depending on who makes the squad, the Tigers could have five relievers who top 95 mph on a radar gun. "I think the bullpen has a chance to be much improved," Dombrowski said. "Our bullpen will make guys feel uncomfortable, which is a plus." Compare that with last year, when most of the discomfort Tigers relievers felt came from Tigers fans and coaches. No AL teams blew more save opportunities than Detroit, including a Major League-high 10 from now former Tiger Esteban Yan. The team finished 12-27 in one-run games, last in the AL. Closer Ugueth Urbina was effective with the game on the line, yet the rest of the bullpen's ineffectiveness meant just 24 of Urbina's 54 appearances were save opportunities. No Tiger has saved more than 30 games in a season since Todd Jones in 2000. Clearly, the Tigers needed some setup help behind Urbina. Their solution was ... Urbina, shifted to setup when Percival was signed to close. In Percival, the Tigers have not only a closer, but a mentor. While his age made him a questionable commodity for other teams seeking a stopper, it was part of the package this team wanted as the front man for a group that still had plenty of inexperience to battle. "He brings exactly the mentality we need," pitching coach Bob Cluck said when Percival signed in November. "He's a terrific guy for the clubhouse and terrific performance." Urbina reprises the eighth-inning role he handled in Florida late in 2003 before taking over as closer around playoff time. Though it's a shift for a guy who closed only a year ago, Cluck compared it by looking at other contending teams with former closers doing setup work. That includes Tom Gordon with the Yankees, Antonio Alfonseca last year with the Braves and Curtis Leskanic with the Red Sox. Beyond their experience, the Tigers hope Urbina's fastball-changeup combination sets up Percival's more aggressive fastball and secondary pitches. Through all the changes of countless closers over the last three years, Detroit's left-handed setup man has remained constant. Jamie Walker has worked 148 games combined over the past two seasons and more than 200 since joining the Tigers in 2002. While he's neither overpowering nor dominant, his ERA has constantly remained under four, and left-handed batters have hit .205 against him with just a .382 slugging percentage over the last three seasons. Farnsworth most likely fits somewhere around this point, before the setup men but after the long relievers. His high-90s fastball will bring an electric presence in the seventh or eighth innings, certainly more than what they've had since Matt Anderson became a closer, but his secondary pitches will be critical toward making him more than merely a fastballer. After that, the back end of the bullpen is very much in question. While former starter Knotts became a steady presence in long relief last year, his history of inconsistency makes it far from certain he'll continue as such. Since confidence is the big factor with him, a fast start could go a long way towards keeping him as a long guy who can salvage games that otherwise might have become laughers. That leaves likely one, maybe two spots for Tigers youngsters still trying to find their form as firemen. If Rodney is healthy, though, Tigers officials are just about certain he'll make the roster. That's a significant leap coming off Tommy John surgery last April, but Rodney's recovery thus far combined with his effectiveness down the stretch in 2003 have made him a club favorite. When he's on, his fastball-changeup makes him a more extreme version of Urbina with a greater difference in velocities. He was strong enough in Detroit two years ago that he entered Spring Training as the closer before elbow troubles obliterated his 2004 season. Should Rodney falter or should the Tigers use a seven-man bullpen, the first opportunities would probably go to another pair of youngsters. Like Rodney, Chris Spurling underwent Tommy John surgery last year after an impressive 2003 season in which he pitched in 66 games as a Rule 5 Draft pick. He was steady enough to even close briefly, but he needs his control back quickly to succeed. Perennial prospect German, meanwhile, comes into this spring with momentum following an outright dominant stint for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. Once and for all, he needs to translate that dominance from winter ball and Triple-A Toledo to the Majors to secure a future in the organization. The Tigers still like hard-throwing lefty Steve Colyer despite his control woes last year, but he needs quick outs and better success against lefties to find a spot in Detroit. 按: Percy过来Tigers并不是没有原因的 ==> SV > 25 只是想找到一位更称职的Closer -- ★opengoodbook 你什麽时候设我为好友啦?!XD To opengoodbook: 第一次丢你水球之後阿XD ★opengoodbook 我会害羞(跑) To opengoodbook: :P ★opengoodbook 这麽主动...... --

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