In this Phillies rumors and news update, the Detroit Tigers could present an intriguing fit for Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon - provided that the Tigers are looking to replace the struggling Joe Nathan.
According to ESPN's Jim Bowden (via Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press), the Philadelphia Phillies could command two of Detroit's top pitching prospects in a potential Papelbon deal: “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, Bowden isn't exactly convinced that the Tigers are looking for a closer at this point.
“The Tigers are more likely to trade for a setup man such as Joaquin Benoit or Brad Ziegler," Bowden asserts.
Adding Papelbon could very well push Nathan into the setup role for Detroit, but the Tigers could be content to hedge their bets with a dominant setup man who could slide into the closing role of Nathan continues to scuffle.
If that's the case, the Phillies will have to shop Papelbon elsewhere.
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