Tigers acquire righty Alcantara from Angels

On the same day the Tigers brought back baseball's active saves leader Francisco Rodriguez, they also added a possible bullpen piece for the future.

Detroit acquired the then-Angels' third-ranked pitching prospect Victor Alcantara in exchange for Major League outfielder Cameron Maybin on Thursday. The right-hander slotted in as the Tigers' No. 23 prospect, No. 15 amongst the club's up-and-coming pitchers.

Los Angeles signed Alcantara as an international free agent in May 2012. The Dominican Republic native possesses a powerful fastball that can reach up to 99 mph as well as an above-average slider that ranges from 91-92 mph. He spent all of this season with Double-A Arkansas, where he went 3-7 with a 4.30 ERA, 57 walks and 79 strikeouts across 111 innings.

At times, the 23-year-old has struggled with command during his five-year Minor League career. His walks per nine innings dropped from 4.3 in 2014 to 3.8 a season ago before ballooning back to 4.6 this year. While he has worked almost exclusively as a starter, some think his stuff would be better suited for a short-relief role.

Alcantara currently plays for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, where he is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA and six strikeouts over six innings.

Maybin, 29, was taken by the Tigers with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 Draft. He sports a career line of .259/.322/.373 in 796 Major League games between Detroit, Miami, San Diego and Atlanta.