A Shout Out to the Daily Fungo

I couldn't have said anything better than the following blogger. You can read The Daily Fungo anytime you want. What a total let down yesterday. I think the Tigers should ship Zach Miner to the Yankees for Kyle Farnsworth RIGHT NOW! Actually, I can't believe he's still with the Tigers.

Meet the candidates

By Doug Hill

With an inability to even get a game to their closer (which isn’t exactly a sure thing this year!) against the White Sox this week, is there any doubt Dave Dombrowski has to make some sort of move in the next few days to shore up a bullpen that continues to mystify.

Today’s meltdown was especially rich as the lefty specialist (Bobby Seay) walks the lefty he’s supposed to get out, then the righty known for the double play (Zach Miner) walks the dangerous righty he needs to get. And for good measure, the botched foul ball by C-Mo (who else thought Maggs makes that play in his sleep?), and then a return to PFP He** for the Motor City Kitties.

No, the team’s still a very real post-season candidate, but isn’t the goal to get back to the World Series? This pitching staff - as is - won’t make it out of the first week of October. When the starters deliver the bullpen fails miserably (see today’s game) and when the starters are brutal, the pen gets over-extended and has trouble closing games out (see this entire week).

So who do you go and get? Greg Gagne? Kyle Farnsworth? Octavio Dotel? Chad Cordero? Akinori Otsuka (on the DL)? Brad Lidge?

Who knows?

Who do you give up? Well, here are the prospects that will be most talked about. Is this list exhaustive? Nope. Do I, or anyone outside of the organization know what’s really going on down on the farm? Nope. At least this will give you an idea what kind of commodities will be shopped.

Jair Jurrjens, Age 21, AA Erie: 4-5, 3.81 ERA, 89.2 IP, 39 W, 70 K

Dallas Trahern, Age 21, AA Erie/AAA Toledo: 11-5, 3.41 ERA, 126.2 IP, 39 W, 69 K

Euglio De La Cruz, Age 23, AA Erie/AAA Toledo: 6-5, 3.20 ERA, 84.1 IP, 29 W, 67 K

Virgil Vasquez, Age 25, AAA Toledo: 9-3, 3.82 ERA, 115.1 IP, 26 W, 99 K

Jordan Tata, Age 26, AAA Toledo: 3-3, 3.29 ERA, 63 IP, 19 W, 30 K

Burke Badenhop, Age 24, A Lakeland: 10-5, 3.09 ERA, 116.2 IP, 33 W, 69 K

Lucas French, Age 21, A Lakeland: 5-8, 3.65 ERA, 111 IP, 29 W, 69 K

Gorkys Hernandez, Age 19, A West Michigan: .282, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 37 SB

You also have to figure Miner, Nate Robertson, and Craig Monroe might be able to fetch something. Sean Casey and Todd Jones both have contracts that are expiring ala the NBA so they could be intriguing for a team that’s kind of still in the hunt, but not sold on paying huge money for someone.