Tigers Recent Waiver Claim for Relief Pitcher Cannot Be Only Bullpen Move Made

The Detroit Tigers' bullpen has become a bit of an issue over the last few weeks.

Thus far this month, the relief staff has had a 4.98 ERA, which is the fifth-worst mark in the MLB. Surprisingly, that hasn’t led to a tailspin for the team, which still has the most victories in baseball with 47 entering play on June 16.

But the front office should already be on the lookout for some help in the bullpen, which has a few underlying concerns despite the overall success of the group.

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Looking to add some help, the Tigers claimed right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernandez from the Philadelphia Phillies, who was recently designated for assignment by the team.

The Phillies had big plans for the veteran, expecting him to help offset their losses for Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency this past winter.

Alas, things didn’t go as planned, with Hernandez struggling to consistently get the job done.

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He had a 5.26 ERA across 25 apperacnes and 25.2 innings with 23 strikeouts.

While the numbers don’t jump off the page, there is some to like about Hernandez, starting with excellent fastball velocity. He averages 97.8 mph, which means there is something for the coaching staff to work with and potentially coax some production out of.

However, he doesn’t address their most glaring need: the ability to consistently miss bats.

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Hernandez has below average whiff and strikeout rates at 22.3% and 18.7%, respectively. He also struggles to consistently induce weak contact, with his average exit velcity of 90.6 mph and hard-hit rate of 43.5% both being well below average.

Even if the coaching staff is able to put that velocity to better use, this move feels more like a stopgap and a precursor to something bigger coming in the near future.

It will be worth keeping an eye on, especially with Detroit awaiting news on what is wrong with their star, Will Vest.

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If he has to miss time, the team is going to be looking for more bullpen upgrades beyond Hernandez, who may have some value as a middle reliever if deployed correctly, but isn’t the upgrade this team needs to remain atop the league.

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