Major League rosters expanded to 40 effective today. Being in a pennant race Detroit wasn't going to be calling up 15 players since they will be playing meaningful games and they don't have 15 players ready to jump from the minors to the glare of a pennant race.
But they did reactivate Carlos Guillen from the 15-day DL and call up Will Rhymes, Andy Dirks, Jacob Turner, and right handed pitcher Luis Marte from AA.
Rhymes and Dirks of course have big league experience, and Dirks was on the big league roster until a couple weeks ago when he was sent down to make room for Delmon Young after that trade.
Justin Turner is being brought up to start against Kansas City today. Detroit wants to give Justin Verlander one more day of rest so he can pitch against the White Sox, who are trying to make a move in the Central, tomorrow.
Luis Marte is a hard throwing reliever who has averaged well over a strikeout an inning in the minors. Bringing a pitcher with nasty stuff, who major league hitters haven't yet seen and scouted, can be an edge in a pennant race and even in the playoffs.
The Angels were successful unveiling Francisco Rodriguez that way during their run to the World Title some years ago. Tampa Bay did the same thing with David Price a few years ago when they went to the World Series. Detroit also took advantage of that with Joel Zumaya in 2006, though he was up for pretty much the entire season.
Maybe it will work here. If Al Alburquerque is back to form after his return from the concussion DL in a few days (he was hit in the head with a ball during batting practice a couple weeks ago) that will be another power arm in the pen. Alburquerque, Marte, Benoit, and Valverde. Phil Coke is also getting back to his nasty form. That could make for a formidable bullpen even if David Pauley doesn't duplicate what he'd done in Seattle.
Honestly Pauley might not even make the 25 man post-season roster if Marte does pan out.
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