The Tigers have agreed to terms on a minors deal with righty Louis Coleman, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). Additional terms of the accord are not yet known.
Coleman, 31, has spent parts of six seasons in the majors, most recently in 2016 with the Dodgers. Though he struggled in his 48 frames with Los Angeles, Coleman was at least able to show again that he could stay healthy after missing the bulk of 2015. He posted velocity and swinging-strike (12.4%) figures in line with his career norms, but ended the year with a 4.69 ERA and 8.4 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9.
It came as no surprise when Coleman settled for a minor-league agreement with the Reds last winter, but it also seemed reasonable to expect he could earn his way back to the majors. After all, prior to landing with the Dodgers, Coleman owned a lifetime 3.20 ERA through 177 1/3 MLB frames.
As it turned out, though, Coleman failed to crack the Reds’ dreadful pen and also could not earn a shot upon signing with the Diamondbacks in the middle of the 2017 campaign. But he did rack up quality innings at Triple-A through the year, ended with 64 frames of 2.25 ERA pitching over fifty outings. Coleman averaged a solid 10.8 K/9 on the year, though he also surrendered 4.5 BB/9, reflecting a longstanding propensity to hand out a few too many free passes.
Now, Coleman will join the mix at Tigers camp in hopes of earning a spot in the pecking order — if not a MLB job out of camp. The organization is not exactly loaded with sure things in the relief corps. Unsurprisingly, the Tigers have brought in a few non-roster players already, including pitchers such as Travis Wood and Enrique Burgos, to boost the depth and provide competition this spring.
I actually like this signing for the Tigers, and think he’ll make the club out of spring training. Useful 7th, maybe 8th inning guy.
For a team with as wide open a bullpen picture as the Tigers have, this could be a decent move for them
Kinda shows how little depth they have.
I am a Royals fan and am very familiar with Coleman, and followed him with the Dodgers. He did not struggle in 48 frames as suggested in the article. He struggled in his last 6 games in September where he gave up 8 runs over 3 innings to blow up his 3.48 era to 4.69.
In August 2016 he struggled with arm fatigue as did several members on the staff being heavily used. From 2013-2016 he was part the best relief staffs in baseball. A good innings eater. In 2014, a broken middle finger on his throwing hand on the first day of spring training cost him a very poor first half of the season 7.59era but heathy second half 1.50 era. 2015 Coleman was victim of being odd man out on the best staff in baseball, and not injured at all as the article suggests,but pitching 1.69era in 64 innings in AAA. 2017 he did not make the Reds staff due to them tanking as they have for some time. The Tigers are in a rebuild, so the same could happen this year, however he could be a strong addition to a terrible relief core. Aside from 2014 broken finger and 2016 fatigue, he has proven to be a very durable arm.