JJ Putz to Detroit Tigers Makes Too Much Sense Not To Happen

Last off season, JJ Putz was the best move the Tigers didn't make.  If not for an injury to Fernando Perez that killed a three-way deal involving the Rays, JJ Putz may have been hamstringing Detroit in 2009 and not the Mets, and Edwin Jackson may have formed a dominant pitching tandem with Felix Hernandez instead of Justin Verlander. Putz became a free agent today when New York declined his nine million dollar option. This time around, the Tigers have much less to lose in taking a shot on the Trenton native and former Michigan wolverine. Putz's story this year was one of injury and inconsistency. As recently as Spring Training 2008 however, he was being mentioned in the same sentence with Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera (that was the pecking order at the time; sickening I know) as one of the game's elite closers. He lost his closer's job to the aforementioned Rodriguez when the Mets traded for him last year. At the time, he accepted the role but word on the ... (link)