Now that it’s increasingly apparent that hard-throwing rookie Bruce Rondon might not be able to handle the job, the Tigers are reportedly trying to acquire a closer. While it’s interesting to see this much uncertainty in the late innings for a team which is built to win right now, lefty reliever Phil Coke doesn’t see what the fuss is all about.
According to Jason Beck of MLB.com, Coke expressed confidence today that the Tigers will be fine even if they don’t have a clear cut option at closer to begin the season.“No, I think we have three guys that have done it already,” Coke said. “We’ve got a guy that we’re working on to have him do it. And if he doesn’t end up being able to do the job, somebody’s going to be there to do the job.
“I don’t understand why there’s a panic button. We’re not going to die. We’re not all going to die if we don’t have a closer. If we go out there and we need to have a guy step into a situation, we will. If it’s a closer by committee, it’s a closer by committee. If [Rondon’s] the closer, he’s the closer.”Coke only has six regular season saves to his name, but he made a big impression during the postseason after manager Jim Leyland soured on Jose Valverde, notching two saves while allowing just one run over 10 2/3 innings. However, since he’s left-handed, Leyland may prefer to use him in certain matchups. Right-handers Octavio Dotel and Joaquin Benoit have also closed in the past while Al Alburquerque could be a possibility if he gets his control in check. Of course, this potential committee could all be rendered moot if something suddenly clicks with Rondon or the Tigers acquire someone to do the job.
