Verlander, Zumaya make Tigers roster
He knows Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya will have their struggles in the Major Leagues, and he isn't certain whether they'll be a success. But he's most certain that the two young pitchers have pitched well enough in Spring Training to deserve a shot.
Thus, after some speculation and an organizational meeting Thursday night, Leyland made it official Friday morning: Verlander and Zumaya will both make the Opening Day roster. Verlander was named the fifth starter, while Zumaya was added to the bullpen.
The decision came after both pitchers tossed two scoreless innings Thursday afternoon against the Phillies -- Verlander as a starter, Zumaya in relief.
"I talked to the coaches [Thursday night] and I talked to [president/general manager] Dave [Dombrowski]," Leyland said. "It was a unanimous decision. Nobody had any reservations. ...
"There's no doubt in my mind they're two of the 12 best pitchers [in camp]."
Talentwise, there was no contest. Both have shown off fastballs in the upper 90s to go with offspeed pitches that can be nasty, justifying their status among the top prospects in baseball. But what impressed Leyland as camp wore on was their ability to mix their pitches and look like they know how to pitch.
"When you see them early in camp and you see that stuff," Leyland said, "and you look at their numbers last year, there was really no track record there. So you just look at the stuff and say, 'How does it compare to what we have? How do we think they'll handle it?' You take all those factors, and I think it's the best thing to do."
Despite just one season of professional baseball, Verlander beat out Zumaya, Roman Colon and Jason Grilli to capture the lone opening in the rotation alongside Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth. Though Verlander pitched just two scoreless innings Thursday due to a 44-minute rain delay, he had impressed in most of his five Spring Training appearances. He gave up four runs on 12 hits in 13 2/3 innings with five walks and 12 strikeouts, including back-to-back strikeouts on Thursday to end his outing.
Two years ago, Verlander was a junior at Old Dominion University. Now, he's a full-fledged big-league starter. His spot will not be skipped if the Tigers encounter an off-day, Leyland said, and he won't be held to any special pitch counts. The only special consideration he might receive is a start April 1 or 2 to keep him on close to regular rest. He'll make his next start Monday against the Astros knowing he need only worry about getting in his work instead of making an impression.
As Spring Training went on, Zumaya progressed from a starting candidate to a prospective reliever, a move that seemed to gain momentum last weekend. It's been a microcosm of the long-term debate on the 21-year-old right-hander, whether he fits in a rotation or a bullpen.
Friday's announcement, Leyland said, isn't a long-term decision on Zumaya's career, so the debate might well carry on. For this team, however, he'll be a cog in the bullpen, and a potentially big one at that. Short of a situation, pretty much any opportunity could be one for him.
"Not only is Zumaya going to pitch on this team," Leyland said, "I think he's going to pitch in some huge situations."
Zumaya has given up seven earned runs in 11 2/3 innings, but four of those runs came in his first outing March 4 against Cleveland at Winter Haven. He has struck out 10 batters while walking four. His biggest competition has been his own energy, causing him to become almost hyperactive at times, but he settled down to string together solid appearances.
Leyland has said he would never judge whether a guy makes a team on one outing, instead taking longer-term performances and track records into the equation. But he saw something in the way the two approached their outings Thursday, knowing the pressure they were under. Both were relatively calm, and both pitched to get outs rather than trying to make an impression.
"They smelled blood, it looked like to me," Leyland said.
In reality, they were pitching to confirm what Leyland had in his mind. The announcement was improvised enough that Leyland told Colon and Grilli before he could tell Verlander and Zumaya. However, Leyland had it in his mind for days, and he wanted to end the speculation.
Besides, Leyland has said all along that players decide the roster, not the manager, and this one was clear.
"I think our 13 position players, whoever they are, would look at me like I was nuts if I didn't take those two guys," Leyland said. "And I would lose some credibility."
As for Grilli and Colon, the other two contestants for the rotation job, Leyland said they're in the running for the three open spots left in the bullpen. Both, one or neither could make the team. Zumaya, Todd Jones, Fernando Rodney and Jamie Walker already have spots sealed in the seven-man bullpen, according to Leyland.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com.