Chicago — September isn’t always the best month for player evaluations. Especially for teams playing out the schedule and not revving up for the postseason like the Tigers. Triple-A rosters in April and May are often littered with September heroes from the previous season.
Reliever Bryan Garcia comes to mind. He earned the closer role last September and made four saves, allowing one earned run over his last 11 outings. This season he barely made the team out of spring training and was optioned back to Triple-A at the end of May.
Best to take late-season performances with a rasher of perspective.