Ahh, what could have been.
Four outstanding closers who have totaled 1,081 saves were let go by the Detroit Tigers . Each now ranks in the Top 45 for all-time saves, but only 18 of those saves came for Detroit.
Troy Percival, No. 8 all-time with 352 saves, had eight saves during injury-plagued years with Detroit.
John Wetteland, 11th with 330 saves, was a Rule 5 draft pick the Tigers sent back to the Los Angeles Dodgers after spring training in 1988. They opted to give the last roster spot that year to utility infielder Jim Walewander instead of Wetteland. Who knew?
Mike Marshall, the 1974 Cy Young Award winner for the Dodgers with 188 career saves, was an expansion draft pick of the Seattle Pilots after getting 10 saves for Detroit in 1967.
Francisco Cordero didn't get any saves in 20 appearances for the 1999 Tigers before being traded to the Texas Rangers in the ill-fated Juan Gonzalez trade and accumulating 211 saves. He had 49 saves for the 2004 Rangers.
John Smoltz is best known for his 210 wins. But Smoltz, traded by Detroit to the Atlanta Braves for Doyle Alexander in 1987, also had 154 saves.
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