Don't trade for Carlos Marmol

I do not like Carlos Marmol, Sam-I-am. I do not like him more than the big ham (and potatoes).

The talk about the Tigers being interested in Carlos Marmol, I believe, I hope, was a bunch of insider rumor talk and nothing more. Looking over his career, it's hard to see any reason to trade for him other than the fact he has a positive figure under the "SV" column at baseball-reference.com. Great. He's got 115 saves.

He also has about as much control as Andy Oliver. Yet somehow this was the solution proposed for the Tigers' supposed closed woes? Look, when people say "anyone can close" Marmol might be one of the poster boys. He's also a poster boy for not paying for the saves stat. He's owed $9.8 million this season.

I'm going to have to take a pass on that one.

Looking over the other available names, I'm going to have to take a pass on all of them too. Only Rafael Betancourt has any draw at all, and he's going to cost more than a smile. The Tigers should not even think of trading a starting pitcher for a closer. So, again, I say, let's go into the season with the back of the bullpen looking as it does. If Jim Leyland can't find a solution that works -- and with all those players in the bullpen with experience, I find it hard to believe he can't -- then you may as well make a trade later on. You really think the market is going to be all that much worse? It's not.

Bonus: Last week's column in the News! Outfield mess!