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Right-hander Jose Valverde has been unconditionally released by the Tigers, the team announced. He had been pitching with their Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
Valverde, 35, signed a minor league deal with Detroit in April and briefly returned to the team earlier this season. He went 9 for 12 in save chances with an ugly 5.59 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings. The Tigers removed him from the roster in June.
In 11 games with the team's Triple-A affiliate, Valverde saved seven games with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings. He also made three tuneup appearances with the club's Single-A affiliate in Florida after signing.
The Tigers have since installed Joaquin Benoit at closer. They acquired Jose Veras from the Astros at the trade deadline to add some bullpen depth as well.
