Not that this is a surprise, considering he was DFA'd last week hours after signing a $2.3M contract extension, but Armando Galarraga is officially a Tiger no more. The Tigers pick up minor league pitchers in return, which, fine. Call me in five years and ask me how it worked out.
This whole thing has been quite strange. Galarraga, struggled though he did last year (a perfect game aside), was looking like he would compete for the 5th starter spot. Then the Tigers signed Brad Penny, who pitched in a Dontrelle Willis-like 9 games last year, and apparently the competition was over. What we're left with is a rotation that includes Phil Coke, freshly converted from the bullpen, and Brad Penny making a comeback.
Does this seem strange to anyone else? Does nobody feel that maybe, just maybe there is a chance that one or both of those pieces won't work out? It doesn't make sense to have a little bit of an insurance policy in place?
Certainly, somebody thought this, but their math came up with a different result. Basically, the Tigers are saying that one of Furbush, Oliver or Turner (PLEASE GOD NOT TURNER, NOT YET) is a superior option to Galarraga in the event that Coke or Penny doesn't work out. Long-term I agree, but I'm not sure that that's the right way to think about it at the moment. I guess we'll see.
