Signing the Jordan

Jordan Zimmermann makes a deal with the Tigers:

The Detroit Tigers have reached agreement on a five-year, $110 million contract with free-agent starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. Completion of the deal is pending a physical.

Zimmermann averaged 4.0 fWAR over the last three seasons. The 2014 season at 5.3 fWAR, was a bit of an outlier. He came in between 3.0 and 3.4 WAR in four of the last five seasons, and $22 million a year puts his expected WAR a little under three. It’s a fair price, and the term is short enough that the Tigers are likely to get their money’s worth.

My only reservation is that Zimmermann’s home run rate jumped in 2015, and moving to a tough division in the American League won’t help in that regard.

The Tigers’ rotation, as it currently stands, is expected to be comprised of Verlander, Zimmermann, Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris, with the fifth spot still to be determined either by another free-agent signing or an internal option.

Zimmermann is a nice piece of the puzzle, but the Tigers also need Verlander and Sanchez to stay healthy.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1Iiii8W