Armando Galarraga - the Tigers pitcher who, of course, was at the heart of the imperfect perfect game last season - agreed to a $2.3 million, one-year contract last week. Shortly thereafter, he was designated for assignment, and on Monday the Tigers have swung a Galarraga trade that sends the righty to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Kevin Eichhorn and Ryan Robowski.
Armando Galarraga Trade Sends Righty From Tigers To Diamondbacks For Two Prospects
The two sides had been working on the trade for much of the weekend. With the Diamondbacks, Galarraga will join a pool of rotation candidates including Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, Barry Enright, Zach Duke, and Aaron Heilman. He may win a spot, or the Diamondbacks may choose to cut him in Spring Training for a fraction of his salary.
The 29-year-old Galarraga originally broke through with a strong 2008. However, he declined in 2009 and struggled through a rough 2010 that saw his strikeout numbers plummet. He doesn’t miss many bats, nor does he possess pinpoint command, which makes him a fringe fifth starter.
In return for Galarraga, the Tigers add two arms. Eichhorn is a nearly-21-year-old righty who made 15 low-level starts in the minors last season. He has a broad repertoire but a straight fastball in the high-80s. Robowski, meanwhile, is a nearly-23-year-old lefty reliever with a big fastball but little else. The Tigers didn’t add much quality here, but then they didn’t lose much, either.
For more on the deal, check out Bless You Boys and AZ Snakepit.
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