In this look into Tigers trade rumors, the Detroit Tigers could have all the assets necessary to land Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon - provided that they are truly in the market for back of the bullpen help.
According to ESPN's Jim Bowden (via Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press), "Knebel has a mid-90s fastball with a hard curveball and occasional changeup; Ziomek throws in the low 90s with an above-average changeup and solid slider. This would be fair value based on where both teams are going."
However, according to Bowden, this scenario is highly unlikely: “The Tigers are more likely to trade for a setup man such as Joaquin Benoit or Brad Ziegler.”
With Joe Nathan already making $10 million per season through 2015, Papelbon's monster contract might also stand as prohibitive. He is currently signed through 2015 with a $13 million vesting option for 2016, a price that is likely to knock the Tigers out of the running before they begin.
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