Detroit Tigers General Manager, David Dombrowski, has already signed two free agents to help the team that finished at .500 in 2010, which was a huge disappointment.
You had Jim Leyland as the manager, so it was even a bigger, busted team.
All-Star catcher Victor Martinez was signed to be the middle of the order guy, and help protect slugging Miguel Cabrera in the lineup.
Reliever Joaquin Beniot was the first addition this offseason for the Tigers. He had an ERA of 1.34 in 60.1 innings, so it couldn’t hurt to add the guy to the bullpen.
It seems like it all makes sense, right?
Wrong, especially when you sign a catcher that struggles mightily on defense to a 4 year, $50 million deal. Basically, you can just think that you signed a Designated Hitter: a spot which can be used to rest guys or acquire a cheaper power bat, such as Russell Branyan.
Since the contract is already agreed upon, shouldn’t the Tigers even think of helping Martinez with his defense, to get the best out of him?
But already, reports of Martinez being used primarily as a DH already made mlb.com.
Now let’s look at Joaquin Beniot.
Like I said before, it can’t hurt to add him, but he, too, like Martinez isn’t worth what he’s getting: a 3 year, $16.5 million contract.
Even with his low ERA last season, the next lowest ERA he has ever had is 2.85, and that was in 2007. Not only that, he missed all of the 2009 season.
One great year can’t clearly determine what kind of performance Benoit will give, especially with missing the entire season before the good one.
Basically, it’s a gamble.
But who knows what can happen in baseball? Benoit might give a below 3 ERA over the next three years, with Martinez hitting 25 home runs, driving in 100 RBIs over the next four years.
All in all though, Dombrowski’s moves made so far this offseason is questionable, and it’s only November.
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