Detroit Tigers Trade Nate Robertson to Florida Marlins

Apparently the Detroit Tigers and Florida Marlins really enjoy trading with each other.

A couple of years ago, these two teams got together in the blockbuster trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers and Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller to the Marlins. Now these two teams have gotten together again.

The Tigers sent LHP Nate Robertson and cash to the Marlins yesterday for minor league reliever Jay Voss. The Tigers are paying $9.6 million of the $10 million owed to Robertson in 2010.

Robertson is going from Detroit to Florida.

For $400,000 I would take a chance on Robertson too.

Robertson has been a walking injury the last couple of years, but the Marlins are willing to take a chance on the 32-year-old lefty. While Robertson pitched mostly out of the bullpen last year, he will be moved right into starting rotation for the Marlins.

“Robertson is going in the starting rotation,” said Larry Beinfest, the Marlins President of Baseball Operations. “He is left-handed, which is something we didn’t have in the rotation. And he has experience.”

With Robertson moving into the rotation, Clay Hensley is now bumped from the starting five. The Marlins are hoping Robertson can toss about 170 innings so he can help mask their weak bullpen.

For the Tigers, trading Robertson allows them to put the previously mentioned Willis in their rotation. Essentially, the Tigers had no more use for Robertson.

The Tigers also received Voss in the trade, who was the Marlins’ 23rd ranked prospect, according to Baseball America . In three minor league seasons, Voss is 6-14 with a 5.66 ERA, but has averaged 7.3 K’s/9 in those three seasons.

Robertson is 51-69 in his career with a 4.92 ERA in eight seasons. In other words, if he wasn’t a lefty, he would be hosting tractor auctions back in Kansas instead of pitching in the major leagues.

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