# Tell me about Joaquin Benoit new Tiger **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 17, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002 "2010-11-17T18:26:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/1 "2010-11-17T18:26:10Z")
Middle relievers get ignored and Benoit has not been on my radar. The Tigers signed Benoit to a 3 yr deal for 16.5 mill. That seems like a lot . But a shutdown middle reliever can help save a lot of games. That means they will not rely on Zumaya coming back. So is this guy a power pitcher? The Tigers are in love with fast ballers. His numbers look impressive last year but was that a freak? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/2 "2010-11-17T19:37:52Z")
Yes and no. He’s a power arm, pretty young, and I think he could be closer-type material. He’s got some injury risk, though. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/3 "2010-11-17T20:07:35Z")
I don’t know that I’d call him “pretty young.” Maybe compared to Jamie Moyer. He’s not going to repeat his numbers from this year, but he can still be very good. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/4 "2010-11-17T20:11:08Z")
He had a really good year in middle relief. Lots of middle relievers have a really good year. The odds that he has three more great and healthy years and justifies the contract aren’t especially high. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/5 "2010-11-17T20:56:38Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > I don’t know that I’d call him “pretty young.” Maybe compared to Jamie Moyer. > > He’s not going to repeat his numbers from this year, but he can still be very good. Huh. I remember him being younger than that. Mea culpa. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/6 "2010-11-17T22:24:03Z")
For a one year deal to shore up a shaky bullpen, this is a good deal. For three years at that contract, the Tigers are going to lose out on other free agents down the road because they won’t be able to pay them. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/7 "2010-11-17T22:37:00Z")
We really liked him in Tampa. He had some great outings. He fools hitters more than blowing them off the plate. Sorry to see him go. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/8 "2010-11-18T03:26:39Z")
He may be a great counter point to Zumaya ,assuming he is healthy. Zumaya does not rely on fooling hitters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/9 "2010-11-18T05:18:53Z")
When I first saw the thread, I racked my brain trying to remember a golfer named “Ben-Wa” who was about to steal Tiger Woods’ thunder on the golf course, but they don’t even play big tournaments in the US this time of year, do they? ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-joaquin-benoit-new-tiger/561002/10 "2010-11-18T06:00:49Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Huh. I remember him being younger than that. Mea culpa. Eight seasons with the Rangers organization, bub–no spring chicken here! He’s got a decent fastball, but not overpowering. Throws a good mix of speeds & breaking pitches to stay alive in the major leagues. The Rangers mostly used him as a setup man, and briefly tried him out as a closer, which did not work out well at all. He showed flashes of greatness, but was very inconsistent, and I think they eventually cut him–couldn’t get anyone to bite on a trade. He looked much better in Tampa this season than in his very best year with Texas; it could be a fluke, or just another symptom of Arlington being the place good pitchers go to die. (Prior to 2010, that is. :D)