The Detroit Tigers have strengthened their struggling bullpen. Late Wednesday night, the Tigers acquired reliever Joakim Soria from the Texas Rangers in exchange for pitching prospects Jake Thompson and Coery Knebel. MLB.com's Tigers beat writer Jason Beck announced the news shortly after midnight EDT.
Soria gives the Tigers an extra reliever who can both set up current closer Joe Nathan and close out games himself. Soria is 17 for 19 in save opportunities this year, and he has 177 saves in his career. He was 1-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 35 appearances with the Rangers. He also struck out 42 hitters in 33.1 total innings.
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski made the move to strengthen his bullpen, which is 12th in the American League in ERA at 4.37. Nathan has saved 20 games, but he has also blown five and has a 5.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 39 appearances. Nathan has won four games, but a win for a closer typically follows a blown save. He is 4-3 on the year.
Dombrowski, though, still has faith in Nathan, and he reiterated that faith in an email to MLB.com. Beck quoted Nathan as saying, "Nathan is our closer."
Entering play on July 24, the Tigers hold a 6.5 game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the A.L. Central.