Brandon Lyon News

01/24/09 7:15 PM EST
Lyon, Tigers agree to one-year deal
Righty becomes frontrunner for closer's job in Detroit bullpen

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Fans came to TigerFest on Saturday morning prepared to ask team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski what he was going to do about the bullpen. Dombrowski arrived with an answer.

By signing free-agent reliever Brandon Lyon to a one-year, $4.25 million contract, the Tigers addressed the one remaining void that they had targeted at season's end but had been lingering all offseason. They filled it with someone who reminds some of former Tigers closer Todd Jones -- not an overpowering pitcher, but someone whose ability to mix pitches and work the strike zone has quietly made him one of the game's better late-inning relievers.

It isn't the kind of signing that makes ripples around the league. At Comerica Park, however, it drew a healthy applause from a crowd that had been wondering what the Tigers were doing for their relief corps.

"He's an established big league pitcher -- quality makeup," Dombrowski told fans and a radio audience. "He's got good stuff. He's got an average to above-average fastball with some movement. He's got an outstanding breaking ball. He's aggressive. He goes after people. He's a proven big league pitcher."

Along those same lines, the Tigers signed former Major League pitcher Scott Williamson to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. He'll join Juan Rincon as non-roster invitees trying to regain some of their old form and crack a Tigers bullpen that has opportunities for the taking.

It's the opportunity that apparently won over Lyon when he weighed the Tigers against other teams. At least one club, Dombrowski said, offered him a two-year deal for more money. Detroit, however, offered a chance to regain a closer role that he had been seeking all along as the market on relievers slowly unfolded this winter.

Lyon won't have the closer's job going into Spring Training, but he's the favorite candidate to take it when the Tigers break camp.

For little more than half the season last year, Lyon was one of the more effective closers in the National League after filling the opening left by Jose Valverde in Arizona. He converted 15 straight save opportunities on his way to 19 saves over the first half of last season and put together a 25-inning scoreless streak over 24 appearances from April 9 to June 12. Combined with his solid 2007 season as Valverde's setup man, Lyon had emerged as a late-inning reliever of choice.

A five-run ninth inning to blow a three-run lead on July 20 against the Dodgers stunted that growth, starting Lyon on a second-half slide that led the D-backs to install Chad Qualls as closer in the season's final month.

Lyon finished with an 8.46 ERA and .381 opponents' batting average after the All-Star break, comparing to 2.43 and .243 beforehand. The Tigers relied on their scouting reports to determine what to make of that.

"I think stats can be misleading," Dombrowski said, "especially when you talk about a guy in the bullpen. We saw a lot of him, because we have a lot of scouts that live in Arizona. His stuff was still good. He was used a lot, and I think it caught up with him at times. I don't look at him as a dominant-type closer, but our people all felt he could pitch at the back end of the 'pen."

Lyon entered the offseason drawing interest as a hybrid reliever, someone who could close a game or set up for a closer. Like quite a few free agents, though, Lyon lingered on the market after the top relievers went their ways in December. With Lyon one of a few closing options left heading out of the holidays, the Tigers made their decision.

"We knew we couldn't go after the real big-salary guys," manager Jim Leyland said, "but we had all those guys on a list. And this guy was actually the next on our list after some of those guys were gone. Dave's done a great job. He stayed after it and got it."

Dombrowski completed the deal without a long-term commitment or a guarantee that Lyon will close. Barring a Spring Training collapse, however, he's expected to take the job over Fernando Rodney, who spent the final two months of last season closing once Jones was injured.

Rodney has the power and the offspeed arsenal that few, including Lyon, can match. Lyon, however, has the consistency that Rodney hasn't yet been able to find.

"I'm just going to lay low on that," Leyland said when asked whether Lyon has the job. "He certainly gets an opportunity. We'll look and see how this all plays out come Spring Training, but I'm really excited about it.

"I know he's excited about it. I know he had chances to go other places. He chose us."

Talks on Lyon picked up after the holidays, leaving him choosing among the Tigers, Twins and Cardinals heading into the week. Minnesota sought him as a potential setup man for closer Joe Nathan. St. Louis has been looking at closing candidates but has also looked at internal options to fill the role.

At least one team offered Lyon a multiyear contract, Dombrowski said, and one team approached Lyon with last-minute interest after he had committed to Detroit. Lyon didn't waver from his commitment, flying to Detroit for a physical on Friday before returning to Utah.

"He thinks he's going to win the job," Dombrowski said of Lyon. "That's what he thinks is going to happen, and that's why he wanted to come here on a one-year basis."

The Tigers took a shot at Williamson after scout Bruce Tanner watched the right-hander in a throwing session and came away impressed. The 32-year-old Williamson, who broke into the Majors as a hard-throwing setup man in Cincinnati a decade ago, pitched just 19 1/3 innings last season. All of it came in two stints at the Triple-A level after the Giants released him early in Spring Training, and both Triple-A stints ended with a release.

Pitching indoors off a portable mound with gym shoes on, Williamson fired fastballs at 90-92 mph in his audition, Dombrowski said.

"He's throwing harder than that," Dombrowski said. "He's been a guy that's been an established big league pitcher in the past, but he hasn't been healthy in a long time. We thought it's worth a gamble."

He's the second such pitcher the Tigers signed this week. Rincon, a former Twins setup man, agreed to a Minor League deal with a Spring Training invitation on Tuesday after showing signs of regaining his old form to scouts who watched him pitching this winter in the Venezuelan League.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

01/27/09
New Tiger Lyon excels at throwing strikes
Reliever has been compared to ex-closer Jones, says he chose Detroit for chance to win.

Tom Gage / The Detroit News

It's the most impressive stat about the Tigers' new relief pitcher and probable closer.

In the 51 saves he has in his career, Brandon Lyon has walked only four batters. Four walks in 52 2/3 innings. Four walks in 202 plate appearances.

If that doesn't fit right into the philosophy of pitching coach Rick Knapp, namely that strikes are essential, nothing does.

"Going out there and beating yourself is not the way to go about it," Lyon said Monday during a conference call with reporters. "Make the other team beat you."

By throwing strikes.

Not just about that subject, but on the potential of the Tigers, Lyon said all the right things during the call, things his new bosses and teammates like hearing.

About the Tigers, for instance, the right-hander who signed as a free agent on Saturday said, "I don't see a better team on paper in the major leagues. I want to win. I want to be on a winning team. That was the bottom line about where I was going to go."

Last year with the Diamondbacks, Lyon said that in preparation for a series against the Tigers "we went into the meetings to go over their hitters, and we wondered how they were putting up the runs they were," meaning so few.

Lyon said he chose the Tigers over clubs offering more than a one-year contract because "the situation just suited me better. I heard from other players that it's great to play in Detroit and that weighed in my decision."

Of whether he expects to be the Tigers' closer, Lyon said: "If I stay healthy, everything will play out well for me and for the team. If, by chance, I'm not the closer, I'm a team player and I'll be excited to help the team in any way I can."

Despite struggling in the second half last year, Lyon had 26 saves for Arizona. But he said of the second half, in which he had an 8.46 ERA in 23 appearances, "I just felt I didn't get enough work and I didn't know how to prepare myself when I wasn't pitching.

"I don't think I was mixing all my pitches. That was a big part of me struggling. I stuck to being a conventional two-pitch pitcher."

Lyon has been compared to former Tigers closer Todd Jones, from what he throws right down to his career 3.79 ERA in save situations. Jones' career ERA in save situations was 3.78.

"There are definite similarities," said Lyon, "from our aggressiveness to our style of pitching. He's a great person to be compared with. He had a great career."

Friday, January 23, 2009
Brandon Lyon and clean outings
Posted by Lee Panas at 1/23/2009

Nothing is official yet but it appears than Brandon Lyon is a Tiger. Thus, it's a good time to take a peek at one of my favorite new stats of the year. No, it's not WAR values. It's a lot less complicated than that. The statistic "Clean Outings" was introduced in The Bill James 2009 Handbook. A clean Outing is a game in which a reliever allows none of his own runs (earned or unearned) and also no inherited runners score. Going one step further, Clean Outing Percentage is the percentage of pitcher's games that were clean outings.

I like this measure because it's simple and I think valuable at the same time. It doesn't require a high leverage situation like the save statistic but it also doesn't allow for a game where a pitcher gives up runs but still gets a cheap save. It won't work as well for long relievers because it's unfair to compare a pitcher with a lot of multiple inning outings to a pitcher who is strictly a one inning pitcher. I think it serves as a good comparison of short relievers though.

In Table 1 below, Brandon Lyon is compared to current Tigers relievers plus Todd Jones in 2008. Lyon relieved 61 times last year and had 44 clean outings yielding a percentage of 72.1. That is 10 points better than Jones and 9 better than Fernando Rodney. It is better than any other current reliever on the Tigers other than Clay Rapada (76%).

Table 2 presents several free agent relievers who the Tigers didn't get or probably won't be getting plus J.J.Putz. Lyon stands up pretty well to most of them except Francisco Rodriguez (78.1) and Kerry Wood (76.9).

continued in next 2 posts

Table 2: Clean Outings for other pitchers in 2008

Pitcher	G	Clean Outings	%
Francisco Rodriguez	76	60	78.1
Kerry Wood	65	50	76.9
Takashi Saito	45	33	73.3
Trevor Hoffman	48	35	72.9
J.J. Putz	47	34	72.3
Juan Cruz	57	41	72.3
Jason Isringhausen	42	28	66.7

Posted by Lee Panas at 1/23/2009

01/27/09 4:04 PM EST
Jones thinks Lyon up to challenge
Former closer believes newest Tigers reliever has right makeup

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Todd Jones is flattered that Brandon Lyon would welcome the comparison between them. For two closers who don't overpower hitters with blazing fastballs, who don't walk many hitters at all, who get outs by mixing their pitches, it's a natural comparison, right?

But the Tigers' recently retired former closer sees more in Detroit's newly signed reliever who will most likely take over the job. And in his former Red Sox teammate from years back, Jones sees someone who's ready to take on the challenge of what at times can be the most pressure-packed job on the field at Comerica Park.

"Brandon has a better fastball than I do," Jones wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. "He definitely has the stomach for the ninth inning. He's got this quiet confidence."

Lyon's fastball hits the low to mid 90s, giving him a little power boost over Jones' arsenal. Lyon's strength, however, rests much like Jones in his mix of pitches -- in Lyon's case, a four-pitch repertoire that includes a big curveball to go with a slider and changeup. It was when he got away from that last year that he struggled.

Lyon has never had more strikeouts than innings in a season, but by fanning 44 over 59 1/3 innings last season, he more than held his own. Just as important, he walked just 13. Only one of those walks came to the first batter Lyon faced in an inning. The net result was a 3.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio that was the highest of Lyon's career and higher than Jones' ratios in his final three seasons in Detroit.

Lyon gets hit sometimes for attacking the strike zone, and his numbers the past few years reflect that. Even during his relatively dominant first half last season, opponents batted .243 against him, an average that rose to .301 by season's end because of a rough second-half stretch. His 2007 season as one of baseball's top setup men produced a .251 average.

Opponents batted .276 against Jones in 2006, .267 in '07 and .298 last season. The key for Jones, however, was to not allow the leadoff man to reach -- a .219 on-base percentage against in '06, then .274 in '07 before that number rose to .462 last season. Leadoff batters hit .283 against Lyon last season, and .350 in '07.

Even so, a 25-inning, 24-appearance scoreless streak early in the '08 season shows the kind of dominance Lyon can put together when he's on a roll.

"I think the similarities for me and Todd are [that] we're aggressive," Lyon said Monday. "We go right after hitters -- try not to beat ourselves out there. I've learned a lot from him after watching him pitch in Boston, and he's a great guy to learn from."

Jones appreciated the compliment from their time in Boston in 2003, but wouldn't take credit. Lyon, he suggested, had the tools to become successful.

"He's being nice about our time in Boston," Jones wrote. "He was, in fact, the young gun who Boston had great hope for. After all, he was part of the [Curt] Schilling deal."

That trade in 2003 is how Lyon landed in Arizona, where he spent the next five seasons. Jones suggested the cold in Detroit could take some getting used to, but that he'll adjust.

"[Manager Jim] Leyland will help him get used to all that it takes in Detroit," Jones said.

And as Jones can attest, closing in Motor City can be pressure-packed. Right or wrong, Jones was a focal point for media and fans after games when things went bad. He took losses and blown saves hard, even some saves he converted when he allowed an extra baserunner. But as a veteran leader, he took that responsibility and lifted some of the pressure off others. He knew Detroit from his previous stint here, and he knew most of the media.

Not only is the 29-year-old Lyon younger than Jones, he's 2 1/2 years younger than Fernando Rodney. But he drew credit for the maturity he displayed in Arizona last season, even after the D-backs shifted him to setup in September.

"Brandon is a star down in our bullpen," Arizona manager Bob Melvin told reporters the day he made the change. "He's a leader down there. He's about as accountable of a guy as I've ever had in the bullpen."

The quiet confidence to which Jones refers should serve Lyon well in Detroit. It certainly did when he was thriving last season. He won't be a high-strikeout, high-velocity reliever, which means he might never win over some who would prefer that style of closer. Jones battled that, too. But as he proved when he was on, the results justify the means.

"He's the type of guy, you can't tell whether he's winning or losing," Melvin said last April. "He's a little different. Some guys feed off emotion, and they like the theatrics. Brandon's the opposite. He's got ice in his veins."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Side session pays off for Lyon
Tigers reliever made adjustments before Sunday's game

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/13/09 2:15 PM ET

DETROIT -- Brandon Inge can take some extra swings in the cage every morning if he feels like he's in a slump. Brandon Lyon, however, can only do so much if he isn't throwing right, because he can't wear out his arm.

It was only one outing, but a Sunday morning side session with pitching coach Rick Knapp seemed to get some things going for him.

"Just working on throwing strikes," Lyon said Monday, "just focusing on not overthrowing, trying to get out there, get a feel for the mound, get my work in."

The result was a pair of scoreless innings against the Rangers, a victory in relief, and a much different reception than the round of boos that greeted him at Comerica Park before Friday's home opener.

When the Tigers came home after three losses in four games at Toronto, Lyon became the scapegoat for fan frustration. Never mind that he hadn't yet thrown a pitch in Detroit with the Tigers. He suffered the loss last Tuesday. The Jays took the lead off him in the eighth inning, then after Detroit tied it up, Toronto beat Lyon to win it in the ninth.

His struggles actually dated back to Spring Training, as he has tried to get a feel for his workhorse breaking ball and searched for consistent command all around. Sunday's morning work was good on both issues. Being able to take it into the game was better.

Not only did Lyon send down all six batters he faced, extending the bullpen's streak to 21 consecutive batters retired, he generally kept the ball on the ground.

"He had a better curveball," manager Jim Leyland said, "and he located his fastball."

The curveball was Lyon's big out pitch last year, accounting for more than a quarter of his total pitches. But he needs to get ahead on the fastball to set it up.

"Obviously, it's just one outing," Lyon said. "This is a game that's a marathon, not a sprint. Just go out there every day and work at getting better. You can't overwork yourself, or your arm's going to be sore.

"That's the bad thing about pitching. Hitters, if their swing's not right, they can go swing more and more and more. I can't do that, unfortunately. You can do extra work, but honestly, it's a matter of getting back out there and getting back on the mound and throwing again."

Throwing that well Sunday was a big help. It wasn't the closing role many expected Lyon to fill when the Tigers signed him as a free agent in January -- Fernando Rodney has that job for now. Yet the innings were big enough that they allowed the Tigers to battle back with a six-run eighth inning and take a series sweep.

"He was a closer for the first half of the season last year," Leyland said. "He had a little bit of a rough spring, getting broken in, and he did very, very well yesterday. This guy's got a little bit of a track record."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Lyon's role in bullpen becoming clear
Reliever penciled in for critical situations in seventh frame

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

05/20/09 8:24 PM ET

DETROIT -- Slowly but surely, the Tigers bullpen is starting to take shape from the closer on down. And Brandon Lyon, the would-be closer who became a man without a role when the season began, is starting to fall into place behind Joel Zumaya.

A day after Dontrelle Willis pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Rangers, manager Jim Leyland was still emphasizing the importance of the outs that came after Willis left. Lyon followed Willis and struck out Marlon Byrd before Bobby Seay ended the seventh inning with a popout to third from David Murphy.

If Leyland can line up his pitchers the way he wants, Lyon and Seay will see a fair number of those situations.

"My dream would be to use [Lyon] in the seventh inning with the lead against right-handed hitters," Leyland said, "and Bobby Seay with the lead against left-handed hitters, and to use [Joel] Zumaya as a setup man on a consistent basis in the eighth and [Fernando] Rodney in the ninth. That would be my dream."

If Seay and Lyon are on, it makes for a quality late-inning group. Leyland believes Lyon is getting there.

Statistically, Lyon was making a resurgence after his rough start until he gave up five runs in last Wednesday's 13-inning loss at Minnesota. All five runs, however, came in Lyon's third inning during a game in which he was the Tigers' last available reliever.

Take away that decisive 13th inning and Lyon would have 4 1/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball in May.

"I think Brandon Lyon's really coming on," Leyland said.

He thinks much the same of Zumaya, who still hasn't issued a walk since rejoining the team late last month. Leyland said Zumaya's perfect eighth inning Tuesday was one of the best nights he's seen from Zumaya since 2006, because he approached hitters with a plan.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cut fastball a boost to Tigers reliever Brandon Lyon
by Steve Kornacki
Sunday July 19, 2009, 9:30 PM

NEW YORK -- Increased velocity and an additional pitch -- the cut fastball -- have made Brandon Lyon a different relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

Lyon was 1-3 with a 6.88 ERA and four home runs allowed through 15 games on May 22. Since then, he is 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA and has given up one homer in 20 games.

"Lyon started using a cutter, something he had, but was not using," pitching coach Rick Knapp said. "And it's become a weapon. He throws his sinker in and his cutter away. And his velocity has come up from spring training, when it was 89-to-92 (mph). Now, it's 92-94. It makes him a different guy."

Lyon, who has been moved from middle relief to eighth-inning setup because of his development, said an improved delivery has been the difference.

"The more I pitch, now I can repeat my delivery," Lyon said.

Said Knapp: "The delivery and the consistency there is where it's all coming from. He's more compact and it's really made a difference."

He had a 1-2-3 eighth inning Sunday against the New York Yankees, striking out Alex Rodriguez before getting Hideki Matsui to ground out and Jorge Posada to pop out.

Lyon credited catcher Gerald Laird, saying he trusts his pitch-calling while in his first year in the American League since 2003.

Detroit signed Lyon for $4.25 million as a free agent after he had a career-high 26 saves for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I had a bad spring training and couldn't get anything rolling early," Lyon said. "But now, I'm able to use all my pitches to keep hitters off balance."

Wild pitches out of character for Lyon
Tigers reliever's errant 10th costly after strong ninth

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

09/29/09 6:29 PM ET

DETROIT -- Brandon Lyon's early-season problems were balls over the fence, not in the dirt. Wild pitches were never his problem this year.

He was at a loss to explain how it became a problem Tuesday afternoon.

"Sometimes it happens," Lyon said after Tuesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss in the front end of a day-night doubleheader against the Twins. "Obviously, you don't want to do it, especially in that situation, but it happens. Once it happens, you just try to pitch out of that situation. My focus is still the same, to be aggressive and try to make quality pitches. I didn't really make too many quality pitches in situations I needed to tonight."

Lyon's pitching in the ninth had helped the Tigers get to extra innings. His high fastball on a call from catcher Gerald Laird thwarted a sacrifice bunt attempt from Nick Punto, who popped up the ball in front of the mound. Lyon caught it, then waited for Brandon Inge to break for third before firing to double off Alexi Casilla and end Minnesota's threat.

With the heart of the Twins' order coming up in the 10th, manager Ron Gardenhire wasn't looking to bunt over Denard Span following his leadoff single. Lyon, in turn, wasn't preoccupied with the speedy Span, despite his 22 stolen bases in 32 attempts this year.

Once Lyon threw back-to-back pitches in the dirt, the Twins merely had to move Span home when Orlando Cabrera lined Lyon's next pitch to left.

The first wild pitch was an inside fastball that Lyon said he got too low. Span took second once the pitch skipped off Laird's pad and back to the third-base side of home plate.

"It's tough anytime for a catcher to try to block a ball like that when it's a fastball in the dirt," Lyon said. "Gerald has been doing such a great job back there, you feel comfortable throwing anything in any situation."

The next pitch was a slider that skipped past Laird's right side, allowing Span to take third.

"I don't know. I went out there and just didn't make pitches tonight," Lyon said. "I usually have better control than I did today. I didn't really take control out there."

Lyon had such good control, in fact, that he had one wild pitch all season entering Tuesday. He had one all of last season, too, with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had nine over the course of his eight-year Major League career until Tuesday.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Lyon files for free agency
Tigers have plenty of work ahead to reconfigure bullpen

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

11/09/09 7:46 PM EST

DETROIT -- The Tigers' free-agent filings are just about complete.

Brandon Lyon became the final member of the team's free-agent eligibles to file Monday, formally placing the late-inning reliever on the market as Detroit tries to sort out its bullpen situation for next season.

Lyon joins closer Fernando Rodney, left-hander Jarrod Washburn and infielders Placido Polanco, Adam Everett and Aubrey Huff as free agents. The Tigers retain exclusive rights to negotiate and sign them until Nov. 20, though other teams can express interest and talk about anything but contract terms during this time.

Outfielder Marcus Thames and catcher Matt Treanor are already free agents, having been released by the Tigers last Friday. They're free to negotiate immediately and sign with any team.

Lyon goes onto the open market for the second time in as many years, but with a strong season on his resume as Detroit's setup man. The 30-year-old right-hander signed a one-year contract in January with a chance to compete for the Tigers' closer job, but lost out to Rodney.

Lyon struggled in Spring Training, including allowing four home runs in one game against the Red Sox, then carried it into the early portion of the regular season. He entered June with three losses and a 6.43 ERA, having allowing five home runs in 21 innings.

With his signing looking like a disappointment, however, he turned his season around with an adjustment in the game and more of a power arsenal to hitters. The result was four months of dominance to close out the season.

Lyon allowed a mere 1.56 ERA and a .180 batting average from June on, scattering 35 hits over 57 2/3 innings with 48 strikeouts and just two homers. He never unseated Rodney as the closer, but he turned out to be one of the American League's better setup men.

With Rodney looking for a long-term contract, Lyon could be in the closer picture again. The Tigers have yet to talk with his agent, Barry Meister, about a new contract, but will likely run into Meister during this week's general managers meetings in Chicago, Meister's hometown.

The chance to close is not necessarily a requirement for Lyon.

If there's an opportunity to close, I think he still feels like he can close," Meister said last week. "But he enjoyed the job that he did with the Tigers. I think it's just kind of a question of putting all these variables together."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Reliever Brandon Lyon interested in returning to Tigers
By Steve Kornacki
November 10, 2009, 5:20PM

DETROIT -- Brandon Lyon and the Detroit Tigers have a mutual interest in his returning as a vital bullpen component in 2010.

Lyon, who was 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA, 15 holds and three saves this season, said he filed for free agency Monday.

“I don’t really have a hunch on what will happen,” Lyon said, “but I know the Tigers have some interest.

“Detroit has been in touch with my agent (Barry Meister) once or twice, and talked of their interest in bringing me back. And it would be great to play there again. I liked it and felt comfortable.”

Lyon spoke on the phone while driving with his family from Phoenix to their home in St. George, Utah. He said he planned to return to the Phoenix area this weekend to celebrate the 30th birthday of Tigers catcher Gerald Laird along with teammates Justin Verlander and Bobby Seay.

Lyon in Janurary left the Arizona Diamondbacks as a free agent, signing for $4.25 million and performance bonuses with Detroit for 2009.

“The main thing for me going into this after last year, and playing for two teams in two years, is a long-term deal,” Lyon said. “That’s more important to me this year. The shuffle is tougher, and I want to dedicate myself to one team and one city and have that peace of mind.”

Lyon, 30, is 27-34 with a 4.20 ERA and 54 saves in eight seasons with Toronto, Boston, Arizona and Detroit. He had a career-high 26 saves in 2008 for the Diamondbacks and has pitched in at least 61 games in four consecutive seasons.

“It could work out well in Detroit, or I could go in a different direction,” Lyon said. “But I really liked playing there. It’s a great situation.”

Lyon was the eighth-inning setup man for closer Fernando Rodney, who had a career-high 37 saves and also has filed for free agency.

“I want to come back to the Tigers,” Rodney told Booth Newspapers last week. “Detroit is the first team I will talk to, but right now, I have to wait. I want three years, maybe four. But I don’t know how it will work out.”

Agent for Tigers free agent reliever Brandon Lyon says he will get a multi-year contract
By Steve Kornacki
November 25, 2009, 4:00PM

DETROIT -- Detroit Tigers free agent reliever Brandon Lyon appears likely to get his primary consideration in signing his next contract.

“This will be a multi-year contract for Brandon,” his agent, Barry Meister, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

Lyon signed with the Tigers for $4.25 million in January, and was 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA, 15 holds and 3 saves for Detroit.

“The main thing for me going into this after last year, and playing for two teams in two years, is a long-term deal,” Lyon recently told Booth Newspapers. “That’s more important to me this year. The shuffle is tougher and I want to dedicate myself to one team and one city, and have that peace of mind.”

Lyon, 30, is 27-34 with a 4.20 ERA and 54 saves in eight seasons with Toronto, Boston, Arizona and Detroit. He had a career-high 26 saves in 2008 for the Diamondbacks, and has pitched in at least 61 games in four consecutive seasons.

“We’re still in the exploratory phase and a number of teams are interested,” Meister said. “The Tigers are interested and I will talk to them before anything happens.”

Lyon said he would like to return to the Tigers because he enjoyed playing in Detroit.

“He did,” Meister said. “I’m evaluating length, terms and dollars right now. And there will be more definite input from the Tigers.”

Astros, Lyon agree on three-year deal
Move to be finalized upon completion of physical

By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com

12/09/09 11:36 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS -- Right-hander Brandon Lyon, who has saved 54 games in eight seasons in the Major Leagues with Toronto, Boston, Arizona and Detroit, has reached a three-year agreement with the Astros, according to a baseball source. The deal is pending a physical.

Lyon went 6-5 with three saves in 65 games last season for Detroit and saved 26 games and had a 4.70 ERA in 2008 with Arizona. In 374 career games, Lyon is 27-34 with a 4.20 ERA. He posted a 1.56 ERA after June last season in the role as setup man for Fernando Rodney.

The addition of Lyon, 30, helps the Astros further bolster a bullpen which had been decimated by the departures of closer Jose Valverde and setup man LaTroy Hawkins. Houston earlier Wednesday made a trade to acquire right-hander Matt Lindstrom from Florida to put at the back of the bullpen. Astros general manager Ed Wade declined comment late Wednesday.

Barry Meister, the agent for Lyon, said the Astros have interest, but said he wouldn't confirm any deals until a physical is passed.

Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Lyon throws off mound for second time
Astros righty reliever could face hitters by this weekend

By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com

03/08/10 1:02 PM EST

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Another day, another step closer to a return for Astros right-hander Brandon Lyon.

Lyon, who hasn't faced batters or appeared in a game this spring after having a cyst drained in his right shoulder, threw 30 pitches off a bullpen mound Monday afternoon. It was the second time in three days he tossed 30 pitches from the mound.

"We'll see how my arm reacts again [Tuesday], but everything went well and the ball was coming out of my arm pretty good," Lyon said. "I'm comfortable where I'm at right now. We'll just come in [Tuesday] and see how it feels and kind of work from there. I don't know when I'm going to get on the mound again, but if I feel good maybe do a light thing [Tuesday]."

Lyon could possibly face hitters by the weekend. Houston manager Brad Mills said Monday he's not yet worried about Lyon not being ready for the start of the regular season.

"We still have plenty of time," Mills said. "Those concerns still aren't going to come for another week. If he stops progressing like he has, those concerns might come up a little bit, but it's not at that point yet."

Lyon remains confident he'll be ready by the end of the month.

"They always say Spring Training is for the starters and their pitch counts," he said. "As a reliever, we have the luxury of not having to throw so many pitches in Spring Training. Obviously, you'd like to get your full work in for six weeks, but I'm confident that if everything keeps going the way it's going I'll be ready go to."

Lyon is keeping his bullpen sessions to 30 pitches at varying intensity.

"Every day your arm feels different and you can't throw as hard as you want, and you have to take it easy to keep it loose and strong," he said.

Lyon, who signed a three-year, $15-million contact in December, could be Houston's closer this year. He went 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 65 games last year with Detroit, and saved 26 games for Arizona in 2008.

Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.