If I'm Detroit I'd rather give up the low-minors starter than the ML ready closer, just based on where they're at and the timeframe in which they're trying to win. They already had to trade for ML pitching, no sense trading a reliever they might desperately need and have to make another trade in the offseason or next trade deadline to recoup.
But for us, I'd love Ruffin. League, Ruffin, Furbush, Lueke, with Laffey as the 2nd lefty? Find me a long man ya like and I'd be interested to see that pen perform. Lot of kids in it, though - I'm sure the Ms would want a more veteran long reliever. Scott Patterson's earned his keep - he could hop in the pen for LR duty.
That'd give you 4 relievers who've run a season with 10+ Ks in the minors with decent-to-great control, and none of em are your closer...though he did have that 9+ K year in the bigs, so we'll forgive him.
I'd love a deeper, nastier pen, even though ours has performed admirably this year for the most part.
Maybe some improved hitting could give us some leads worth protecting, too.
~G
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