When the Tigers designated Armando Galarraga for assignment, it was pretty clear his time with the team was over. Obviously he wasn't going to clear waivers because he's the sort of pitcher who you could pencil in the #5 spot in about half the rotations in baseball. Someone would've made room for him.
Of course, his status as a capable back-end starter also gave him value as a trade target for any of the teams that would've placed a waiver claim. Despite my vehement opposition, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski clearly felt as though the options he had internally, be it Andrew Oliver or Charlie Furbush, would be adequate in the event that one of his five opening day starters became injured or proved ineffective. And so Galarraga immediately became trade bait.
It didn't take long for Dombrowski to find a deal he felt was worthwhile and yesterday went ahead and pulled the trigger, sending Galarraga to the pitching hungry Diamondbacks for Minor League pitchers Kevin Eichhorn and Ryan Robowski.
Eichhorn has spent most of his career working for the Diamondbacks rookie ball affiliates the past two seasons where he posted strong marks in both strikeouts and walks. Of course as a 20 year old working against competition a year or two younger on average, that shouldn't come as a huge shock. When moved up to make two A Ball starts, his numbers were less impressive. Stuff-wise he features a high-80's low-90's fastball, curve, slider, and change up. He profiles as someone who's upside is as a back-end rotation candidate.
Robowski, a 22 year old lefty, spent his 2010 season working with the Diamondbacks High-A team. He's a bit more promising in my book, having already posted solid K/BB numbers in A ball and as a lefty, his low-90's fastball and solid slidermake him a surer bet for a bullpen spot sometime in the future.
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