5:39PM Monday
March 11, 2013

If rumors are to be believed, and really why wouldn't we believe them, the Detroit Tigers are getting some seriously cold feet about rookie reliever Bruce Rondon serving as their closer in 2013. As a result, CBS Sports is reporting that the Tigers have begun scouring the market for a more proven option to assume the closer role. That's a pretty untenable position for a contender to find themselves in, but the Tigers really only have themselves to blame for this predicament.

This whole saga started off with a smart move by the Tigers which was letting incumbent closer Jose Valverde leave via free agency after he imploded in the post-season. Papa Grande was clearly washed up and needed to be replaced, which is where the hard-throwing Rondon entered the picture. The prospect is a classic flamethrower that matches up with the prototype closer that teams love. The only problem is that Rondon has had issues with his command, yet the Tigers were ready to hand him the job anyway...