Tigers Get Busy – Exercise Options on Jhonny Peralta, Octavio Dotel – Extend Leyland

Jim Leyland will return as Detroit Tigers manager in 2013

The Detroit Tigers, fresh off their World Series loss are making moves to help get them back to the World Series next year. The team announced it had exercised its team options on shortstop Jhonny Peralta and right-handed reliever Octavio Dotel.

Peralta batted .239/.305/.384 with 13 homers and a .689 OPS this year. The list of free-agent shortstops for 2013 is weak and may have contributed to the Tigers decision to sign Peralta.

Dotel served as a setup man for the Tigers in 2012, and pitched to a 3.57 ERA, and 62/12 K/BB ratio over 58 innings.

Meanwhile indications are that manager Jim Leyland will be coming back for his eighth season. Leyland will turn 68 years old in December and is the third-oldest manager in baseball behind Washington’s Davey Johnson and Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel and and has compiled a 607-528 record with two AL Central titles and two AL pennants in seven seasons with the Tigers.