Putz, Wood Possibilities For Tigers?

by Dan Cash

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Tigers are looking at former Chicago Cubs star Kerry Wood and J.J. Putz as possible closers for next season. Tigers President and General Manager Dave Dombrowski is currently in Las Vegas at Baseball's Winter Meetings.

The Free Press says:

"LAS VEGAS — Now that the Tigers have acquired catcher Gerald Laird from Texas, they will be able to focus attention on perhaps their biggest off-season need: a closer.

The team has shown interest in free agent Kerry Wood in recent days and had preliminary trade discussions with the Seattle Mariners about J.J. Putz.

Both right-handers have been targeted by the New York Mets, so Detroit officials may need to move quickly in order to have their pick.

Putz, 31, would certainly make for a compelling storyline if he were to become the Tigers’ closer: He grew up in Trenton and pitched at the University of Michigan.

More importantly, he’s also shown the ability to be dominant in the late innings.

Putz might have been the best closer in all of baseball in 2007. This year, though, both he and the last-place Mariners had forgettable seasons.

Putz spent 49 games on the disabled list, first because of inflammation on his right side (at a point where cartilage attaches to a rib) and later due to a hyperextended throwing elbow.

He returned from the elbow injury in late July. From that point until the end of the season, he converted 8 of 13 save opportunities, maintained a 2.96 ERA and held opponents to a .240 batting average, according to STATS LLC.

He’s scheduled to earn $5.5 million in 2009, followed by a team option worth $9.1 million (or a $1 million buyout) in 2010."

Source: Detroit Free Press