Percival Comeback?

According to Ken Rosenthal, former Angels and Tigers closer Troy Percival may make a comeback attempt.  Percival's agent says the chances are 50/50, and that he was clocked at 97 recently.  As Rosenthal says, someone will give him a shot if he does come back.  Percival will likely decide today, and he'll call the Angels first.

Percival turns 38 in August.  He received an ill-advised two-year, $12MM deal from Detroit prior to the 2005 season, and ended up pitching 25 innings over the life of the contract. 

I want to somehow work in Percival's hilarious exchange with Sam Walker and his associate in the book Fantasyland, but it's unprintable.  Check it out though.

Comments

[TNS]

If he really is throwing 97, teams will be knocking down his door to sign him. With that said, he's probably not throwing that hard but if he's throwing well, there will be an open door for him.

[RotoAuthority]

Umm, please don't print the Troy Percival quotes that I just called unprintable. Thanks.

[schellis]

Even if he's hitting "only" the low 90's and can do so without pain and pitch regularly teams will be knocking down the door to give him a chance.

I wouldn't mind for the Reds to take a flyer on him, he can't be any worse then some of the ones they've ran out there so far this year.

Its probably one of the few bullpens where someone like Percival could step into and be the closer of in short order.

Plus this is the type of move that I feel a small market team like the Reds needs to do in order to get a closer. You either buy low on a middle reliever and convert him into a closer (like the Twins did with Nathan), sign a injury risk/major down year type guy, or develop your own (like the A's have done with Foulke previously and Street now)

Giving a closer a high dollar contract or paying a high price in talent really isn't the way to go for a small market team unless it is the last piece of a potential championship team.

By low on Percival now, see if he has anything left, and perhaps get a second year in the deal in case he does.

[WestCoastBias]

Yikes. I honestly thought you were being sarcastic. I've seen some crude comments on the board before so I didn't realize you had truly cleaned things up. Sorry about that.

[beaminack]

if chan ho park can get a 600k contract i bet percival can get a mill or 2. he adds to almost any bullpen in the majors if hes healthy. i wouldn't be surprised if hes picked up soon. every one goes after the BP help around the allstar game

[ErroRod1985]

Well if I was the cubs, I'd be giving him a call.Chicago has a good offense, decent rotation, its just that miserable bullpen that will drive Pinella nuts. That said; He'd be better off in the National League after the layoff but money talks.

[JayTheRed]

The way the Reds have been blowing games with the bullpen crew I would love to see the Reds take a shot at this. We have Weathers move to his rightful spot pitching the 8th inning then let Percival pitch the 9th until Guardardo comes back in early June. The we end up with three decent relievers by early june and please god dump Stanton he is not performing at all. Narron keeps sending out Stantion even though his ERA is around 8 or so. I just don't get the Reds sometimes. Oh well here is to another losing season most likely.

[was385]

I could see a couple teams getting in on this. The Braevs are one that could possibly make a run with the recent struggles in the pen and money from Hampton's insurance that they didn't think they'd have at the beginning of the season.

[A2000]

Yeah I definitely agree that the Braves could want to get in on this. The pen hasn't really struggled this season, but with Mike Gonzalez's arm acting up again it might be a good idea to get someone who has closing experience and throws hard to go with te rest of the pen. Also takes strain off the pen while Mike is on the DL.

[was385]

That and Chad Paronto has been awful. Once Boyer and Devine get brought up too, you couldn't be put in a better situation than to learn from Wickman and Percival.