Lyon Looking for Multiple Years

Detroit Tigers reliever Brandon Lyons is looking for a multi-year deal this offseason. Buster Olney of ESPN says that the relief pitcher is open to various roles if it helps him get what he wants and that Lyon’s agent expects him to get such a deal. After the season he just had it wouldn’t surprise me that a team gives him one and not just any team, but a World Series contending team.

Lyon had a solid season posting a 2.86 ERA (1.56 after June 1st) in 65 appearances going 6-5 with 3 saves and 3 blown saves, holding 15. His walk numbers were fairly high 31 in 78 innings but held batters to a .205 batting average.

There’s plenty of contenders looking for pitchers to help their bullpens, actually that would be every contender. There was only one playoff team to have its closer go without a blown save and that was the New York Yankees. While Lyon wouldn’t be a closer for one of those teams, he’d be a valuable setup guy who can close in a pinch.

There’s four teams that I think could really use his services.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies bullpen struggled mightily down the stretch and during the postseason. With better performances in the late innings they could of actually repeated as World Series Champions. Brad Lidge is under contract for two more seasons and a major liability in the closing role, the natural replacement would be Ryan Madson. But problem is Madson became a liability himself. Adding Lyon to the mix could help reduce the pressure off both of these guys.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – The Angels are another team with serious issues in their bullpen. They had Brian Fuentes in the closer role and he did fairly well, 3.93 ERA with 48 saves. He got the job done but did make things interesting. After Fuentes their was no one reliable. Anyone can tell that when Darren Oliver is one of the Angels key bullpen guys. Adding Lyon would definitely add some stability to the middle relief and give the Angels someone who could close should Brian falter.

New York Mets – The Mets aren’t a World Series contender but they definitely have a need for a setup man. They put their trust in J.J. Putz last season and that blew up in their faces due to injury. Francisco Rodriguez did his job as the closer well, like he always does, but he can only do so much. If the game doesn’t get to him then he can’t do what he gets paid for, and that was the Mets problem in 2009. They couldn’t get the game to K-Rod enough. Plugging Lyon into the 8th inning role could definitely change that.

New York Yankees – Like I said earlier the Yankees were the only team who didn’t have a blown save by their closer in the playoffs. During the season Phil Hughes became the lock down setup man in the 8th inning but imploded during the teams playoff run. That’s one reason the Yankees will be looking for a new setup man, another is that the team has planned to move him back into the starting role all along.

There’s a third reason that may push the Yankees hand with a relief pitcher like Lyon, and that’s Curtis Granderson. The Yankees are very interested in the Tigers outfielder but any trade would involve one of their young guns, Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. If one of them was traded then the other would definitely be back into the starting rotation.

Lyon would be a solid addition to this unit as long as he can lower his walk ratio. Joe Girardi tends to over manage the pen, especially when his pitchers start walking batters.

Those are four teams that could really use a pitcher like Brandon Lyon. Luckily for all of them Lyon is only a Type B free agent so no one would lose a draft pick should they sign him. With Olney suggesting that Lyon’s agent expects a multi-year deal then the Tigers should definitely offer arbitration. There’s almost no chance that he’ll accept it, which means the Tigers can get a draft pick in return.

Will the Tigers be smart enough to offer arbitration thou?