Tigers skipper Ron Gardenhire confirmed today that right-hander Joe Jimenez will function as the team’s primary closer, Craig Mish of Sports Grid reports on Twitter.
This hardly rates as a surprise. Gardenhire had already made clear he viewed Jimenez as the top ninth-inning option heading into camp (as The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen tweeted late last year).
Still, the confirmation of Jimenez’s role is worthy of note, as it wasn’t fully assured when camp opened. The 25-year-old has a dozen saves under his belt but hardly entered Spring Training with a lengthy history of locking down victories. After four scoreless appearances, Jimenez remains on track for the gig.
More importantly, the decision is critical to Jimenez’s contractual future. He’s readying for a key platform season. Reliever arbitration salaries are highly dependent upon saves tallies, so the opportunity to accrue them from the jump promises to boost his earning power substantially.
It’s possible to imagine some different outcomes for Jimenez’s future. The Tigers could consider approaching him about an extension. It’s also possible to imagine a mid-season trade.
Jimenez was reportedly asked about by contending teams at last year’s trade deadline. While he ended the season with only a 4.37 ERA, his second-straight campaign in that ballpark, Jimenez racked up a hefty 12.4 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 while delivering a 14.8% swinging-strike rate. If he can make a few tweaks — such as limiting the long ball (nearly two per nine in 2019) — Jimenez could emerge as a truly dominant late-inning reliever.
Doh!
Jose Jimenez will be in short relief. (Comedian Bill Dana character for you youngsters)
Former Rockies closer for us middle-aged types.
I mean… what are their other options? Buck Farmer? Their bullpen is really weak.
This is the opposite of a “lockdown” closer. Joe gets hammered when it matters.
It’s not like the Tigers have other options. They have groomed this guy for years, which pretty much no other team would have bothered doing. By May 15 they will be casting about for their next in-house candidate, of which there are none.
The bright side, Bengal fans, is that there will be no fear of catching the coronavirus at Comerica Park in 2020. You will have no one else within 6-feet of you.
Wow what an ignorant thing to say
Now now, it’s not ignorant if it isn’t true.
If it’s true
I think he was just trying to be funny with the coronavirus comment.
Right and detroitfan69 was basically calling sergefunction out for a joke in poor taste, given COVID-19 is a deadly virus currently replicating at a phenomenal rate in our midst and having ever wider impacts on our lives. Not exactly a good target for humor at the moment. Just sayin’.
You must be the guy who bought all the Purell.
Yeah Bruh. They did and they do. Climb out of your head every now and then. It’s smart and sunny out here.
That’s the tenth time I heard that same with with different teams. Work on your material dude
Bengal fans? Nobody calls the Tigers that bro…
Well I guess if Matthew Boyd is your Ace then Joe Jimenez can be your closer.
Wow, good guess
Mize, Manning and Skubal are potential aces to be. Faedo is not far behind them. I wouldn’t fret about Detroit’s lack of pitching talent. Boston wishes they had even just one pitching prospect of that caliber. I wonder if one of them might eventually fit as a high leverage bullpen guy for Detroit until he is stretched out. Skubal would be nasty.