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Joaquin Benoit | Relief Pitcher

Team: Detroit Tigers
Age / DOB:  (35) / 7/26/1977
Ht / Wt:  6'3' / 220
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
Contract: view contract details
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Latest News

Recent News

Joaquin Benoit earned his fourth save of the season Sunday as the Tigers beat the Twins 5-2.
Jose Valverde has been shaky lately so Tigers manager Jim Leyland decided to give this one to Benoit, who entered the game in the eighth inning and closed it out with 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Benoit remains a solid stash in standard mixed fantasy leagues. Jun 16 - 5:00 PM

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Player News

Date:
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit recorded his third save of the season with a scoreless inning in Sunday's win over the Indians.

With Jose Valverde having pitched three days in a row, Benoit was called upon in the ninth and responded with a two-strikeout scoreless frame. Valverde still has some leash, but Benoit is the guy to own for saves in Detroit if Papa Grande falters.
Jun 9 - 3:52 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit hasn't allowed a run since April 27.

One of the league's most underrated relievers, Benoit's career took off when he was no longer asked to start. Unfortunately, he's never been given an opportunity to close. Despite having clearly been Detroit's best bullpen option over the last three years, he's notched just six saves when Jose Valverde has needed a break. Benoit owns a 1.50 ERA and 0.94 WHIP through 18 innings. In holds leagues, he's an asset.
May 17 - 2:30 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

With Jose Valverde unavailable, Joaquin Benoit got one out for his second save Monday against the Twins.

Drew Smyly did the hard work, getting two outs in the eighth and two in the ninth against the heart of the order before Benoit induced a groundout from Trevor Plouffe. The Tigers went to Benoit tonight because they didn't want Valverde pitching three straight days.
Apr 29 - 10:36 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

After Brayan Pena's RBI groundout in the top of the 14th, Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning -- by the skin of his teeth -- to earn his first save in Detroit's 2-1 win over the Mariners.

Benoit gave up a two-out double to Dustin Ackley with Justin Smoak on first base. Had it been the ninth inning, Smoak probably would have been gone for a pinch-runner. However, in the 14th, there was no one left to use. The Mariners tried to score Smoak on the double anyway, but the throw beat him easily and Smoak was unable to jar the ball loose, though he did his best to run over Pena at the plate. That gave Benoit a save, whether he deserved it or not.
Apr 18 - 2:56 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Tigers manager Jim Leyland reiterated Wednesday that Joaquin Benoit will be the primary ninth-inning man.

But Leyland also left open the possibility that Phil Coke, Octavio Dotel and Al Alburquerque could still see random save opportunities. "On a lot of the days, if it's doable, I think Benoit is the most experienced and versatile enough against righties and lefties to pitch the ninth," Leyland told reporters. "But it's not going to be doable every day. You're liable to see anybody at any time."
Related: Octavio Dotel, Phil Coke, Al Alburquerque
Source: Tigers.mlb.com
Apr 11 - 11:24 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Pitching the ninth in a five-run game, Joaquin Benoit gave up a homer and a double before finishing off the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Manager Jim Leyland talked about Benoit getting a chance in the closer's role Saturday because of his ability to get out righties and lefties. Except today Benoit gave up a long homer to a lefty in Colby Rasmus and then a double to a lefty pinch-hitter in Adam Lind. Things are obviously far from settled in the Detroit pen right now. Benoit is as good of a bet for saves as anyone, though.
Apr 9 - 4:11 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he would like to see Joaquin Benoit emerge as the team's closer.

Leyland said he likes Benoit's ability to retire both left-handed and right-handed hitters, something the Tigers bullpen is sorely missing in the late innings. Benoit, 35, has never saved more than six games in a single season. But he's got swing-and-miss stuff, and if the Tigers do decide to look to him regularly in the ninth inning he's got the potential to be a No. 2 closer option for fantasy purposes. Monitor the Tigers' save opportunities in the coming days.
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter
Apr 6 - 7:04 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit worked a scoreless inning Thursday to lower his spring ERA to 1.64.

Benoit has allowed two runs and posted a 12/3 K/BB ratio in 11 innings. It's still likely that the Tigers would prefer someone else step up in the closer's role, but Benoit is their most proven reliever and he's been as effective as anyone in the pen this spring. He's worth picking up in any leagues in which he's available.
Mar 28 - 4:38 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit pitched another scoreless inning Sunday to lower his spring ERA to 2.00.

The Tigers ruled Benoit out as a closing candidate months ago, questioning his ability to bounce back after outings. Of course, he did struggle coming down the stretch last year, but he still pitched 71 innings and had a 3.68 ERA. And, as these things usually work, he'd almost certainly have a lesser workload as a closer than he would as a seventh- and eighth-inning guy. Anyway, manager Jim Leyland doesn't want him to close, but that doesn't mean he can't end up in the role should he perform well and the alternatives fail. He's not to be forgotten about.
Mar 17 - 5:19 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Tigers manager Jim Leyland indicated Saturday that Joaquin Benoit isn't a candidate to close because he doesn't fare well pitching on back-to-back days.

"Joaquin Benoit physically, I don't think he can do it," Leyland said. "With all due respect to Benoit, he doesn't bounce back." Benoit fared well in 2011 when pitching with no rest, but he did struggle last season, posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Leyland admitted that he doesn't "really know what I'm going to do" at closer, but it's no secret that the Tigers hope Bruce Rondon runs away with the job. "We do have some others who can do the job if he needs a break, but to me, the leading candidate is Rondon," general manager Dave Dombrowski said.
Related: Bruce Rondon
Source: Detroit News
Jan 27 - 9:13 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Picked over Jose Valverde to close Thursday, Joaquin Benoit gave up a game-tying homer to Billy Butler in the ninth, but ended up with the win after the Tigers scored in the bottom of the inning.

Valverde was supposed to be available, so it seems manager Jim Leyland simply felt more confident in Benoit in a one-run game. With the way both have thrown of late, it's hard to blame him. However, since Benoit took the blown save, one guesses it might be his only ninth-inning duty during the final week.
Related: Jose Valverde
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 03:41:00 PM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit made an inauspicious return to the mound Thursday, giving up the tying and go-ahead homers in a loss to the Yankees.

Benoit has dealt with a little shoulder soreness recently, and perhaps it affected him as Mark Teixeira and Eric Chavez took him deep. He's now allowed a pair of homers each of the last two times out and has surrendered a whopping 11 in 50 1/3 relief innings this season.
Fri, Aug 10, 2012 03:01:00 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit was unavailable Tuesday night due to soreness around his right shoulder.

"He’s been a little sore, but he’s ok," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "No red flags." Leyland thinks he could have pitched Tuesday if needed, but they wanted to play things safe. Look for him to be available in a set-up situation Wednesday.
Source: MLBlogs.com
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 08:43:00 AM
Joaquin Benoit - R - Tigers

Joaquin Benoit is expected to get save opportunities while Jose Valverde rehabs a sprained right wrist.

Phil Coke is also a candidate for some ninth-inning chances, but Benoit has the most dominant stuff in the Tigers' entire bullpen and is the best option for fantasy leagues. He's registered a superb 1.99 ERA and 44/13 K/BB ratio in 31 2/3 innings this year.
Related: Phil Coke
Source: MLBlogs.com
Wed, Jun 20, 2012 05:09:00 PM

Depth Charts

Batters
PosRoleName
C1Alex Avila
2Brayan Peña
3Bryan Holaday
1B1Prince Fielder
2B1Omar Infante
2Ramon Santiago
SS1Jhonny Peralta
3B1Miguel Cabrera
LF1Andy Dirks
2Matt Tuiasosopo
3Avisail Garcia
CF1Austin Jackson
2Don Kelly
RF1Torii Hunter
DH1Victor Martinez
Starting Pitcher
PosRoleName
S1Justin Verlander
2Max Scherzer
3Doug Fister
4Anibal Sanchez
5Rick Porcello
Relief Pitcher
PosRoleName
R1Jose Valverde
2Joaquin Benoit
3Phil Coke
4Octavio Dotel
5Luke Putkonen
6Darin Downs
7Drew Smyly