Andy Oliver Optioned to Toledo

The Tigers announced this morning that left-handed reliever Andy Oliver was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.  That leaves four pairs of players battling for the last four spots on the opening day roster.  Here is how the remaining position battles look:

Fifth Starter

Duane Below
Drew Smyly


Manager Jim Leyland was impressed by Smyly's performance versus the Cardinals yesterday and he appears to be the front runner at the moment.  In the long run, top prospect Jacob Turner is likely being prepared to take the fifth starter role and probably would have gone north with the team if it were not for shoulder tendinitis early in the spring.      


Seventh Reliever
Luis Marte
Brayan Villareal


This is a toss up, but I'm leaning towards Marte who has shown better control this spring.  There is also a chance that Below could join the team as a reliever if he is not going to be a starter. 


Back-up Outfielder
Andy Dirks
Clete Thomas


I said at the beginning of the spring that Thomas was the favorite because he's out of options and is the superior defender.  I'm starting to waver though.  They are certainly giving him an opportunity for playing time this spring, but he has continued to struggle offensively.  Dirks has had an excellent spring, so it's going to be hard to not bring him north.

Infielder 
Brandon Inge
Danny Worth


Worth appears to be the logical choice given his ability to play all three infield positions.  I doubt he'll hit much but Inge won't either.  The Tigers beat writers have been tweeting quite a bit the last couple of days about the possibility of an Inge trade.  I'll doubt they'll be able to trade him, so a release might be in order.     

Can Quintin Berry Make the Tigers Roster?

Ever since outfielder Quintin Berry hit a ninth inning grand slam in a come-back win over the Pirates on Friday, there has been a lot of discussion within the Tigers internet community as to his chances of making the opening day roster.  He came into spring training as a non-roster invitee and a long shot to make the big-league team.  He's still a long shot but the chances of his making the team appear to be more than zero.

As reported by Jason Beck of MLB.com, Manager Jim Leyland has been impressed by the 27 year old career minor leaguer:

"I don't know him very well.  All I know is that he can fly.  He's looked good.  He's had a good spring."

When asked about the position battle between outfielders Andy Dirks and Clete Thomas, Leyland declared that there's more to it than that:

There are more people involved than you think.  There are definitely more than two guys."

Lynn Henning of The Detroit News thinks that Leyland was talking about Berry and he's probably right.    

The left-handed hitting Berry has seen quite a bit of action this spring with 18 games played mostly in the late innings.  He is hitting .333 with three walks and three extra base hits in 34 plate appearances.  He has also flashed a good glove and there are no questions about his baserunning.

The question some of you might have at this point is: "Who is Quintin Berry?"  He was originally drafted by Philadelphia in the fifth round of the 2006 draft.  He was named the Phillies minor league player of the year in 2007 after batting .312/.395/.386 with 55 stolen bases with Single-A Lakewood of the Sally League.  In the three years that followed, he did not came close to repeating that performance playing in the Philadelphia and San Diego organizations.   

After joining the Reds organization in 2011, the six-foot 175-pound Berry seemed to rediscover his offense hitting .312/.395/.386 with 42 stolen bases in 49 attempts for Double-A Carolina of the Southern League.  He also displayed the best plate discipline of his career with walks in 13.7% of his plate appearances.  However, the skeptics will point out validly that this was his third season at Double-A after two years with OPS of below .700.

Minor league defensive metrics are not very complete, but the consensus seems to be that the San Diego State product is a competent center fielder who covers a great deal of ground with his speed.  According to the 2009 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, Berry is a "slightly above average center fielder who adds an average arm and excellent range."

The Tigers signed him as a minor-league free agent this winter and now he's trying to make the most of his opportunity.  Can he make the team?  They would probably have to release Thomas and option Dirks to Toledo in order for it to happen.  Alternatively, they could release Brandon Inge, option Danny Worth and carry Berry as one of two extra outfielders.

Neither scenario seems very likely to me, but it would not be the first time the Tigers surprised us at the end of spring training.  Both Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski have talked about the need for more speed and Berry has plenty of that.  He also has some on base skills and can play defense.  I don't think he'll make the team, but I wouldn't rule it out.

For more on Berry's background, also check out an earlier article by John Verburg of Motor City Bengals.

Adam Wilk Optioned to Toledo

The Tigers optioned southpaw Adam Wilk to Triple-A Toledo this morning reducing the competition for the fifth starter spot to three.  Wilk does not have the upside of some other pitchers in the system, but was a candidate for the starting staff largely due to his impeccable control.  He posted a 3.24 ERA and walked just 14 batters in 102 2/3 innings with Toledo last year.  He was hit hard this spring though registering a 7.50 ERA and allowing 19 hits in 12 innings.

The remaining candidates for the fifth slot are lefties Duane Below, Andy Oliver and Drew Smyly.  Below will be pitching Sunday against the Yankees.  The move also trims the field for the final reliever spot to four - Below, and right handers Chris Bootcheck, Luis Marte and Brayan Villareal.

Tigers Reassign Four More Players

The Tigers have reassigned outfielders Jerald Head and Matt Young, catcher Brian Holaday and utility man Eric Patterson to minor league camp.  None of these players were expected to make the team.  Head, Young and Patterson will probably start the season in Triple-A Toledo, while Holaday will catch at either Toledo or Double-A Erie.  The moves leave the Tigers with 38 players in camp, so they need to drop 13 more players by opening day.

Matt Hoffman, Jose Ortega Optioned to Toledo

The Tigers optioned left-hander Matt Hoffman and right-hander Jose Ortega to Triple-A Toledo this morning.  Assuming Jacob Turner's shoulder tendinitis eliminates him from the competition, Today's move leaves seven pitchers battling for two spots - the fifth starter and the seventh reliever.  The sure things are:

Starters
Justin Verlander
Doug Fister
Max Scherzer
Rick Porcello

Relievers
Jose Valverde
Joaquin Benoit
Octavio Dotel
Phil Coke
Daniel Schlereth
Collin Balester

The seven remaining pitchers in camp include:

Duane Below SP, RP
Chris Bootcheck RP
Luis Marte RP
Andy Oliver SP
Drew Smyly SP
Brayan Villereal RP
Adam Wilk SP, RP

The favorites for the final rotation spot seem Oliver and Smyly and I'll guess that the slightly more experienced Oliver has the edge at the moment.  The final bullpen spot could be anyone, but I'll guess Marte makes the cut. 

Casey Crosby Optioned to Toledo

The Tigers announced earlier today that they have optioned pitcher Casey Crosby to Triple-A Toledo.  Cosby had been in competition for the team's fifth starter job, but struggled with his control this spring allowing six walks and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.  Crosby is one of the Tigers top prospects - ranked number four by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospect Nation.  The 23-year-old left hander posted a 4.10 ERA with a 121/77 K/BB ratio in 132 innings at Double-A Erie last season.

With the Tigers number one prospect Jacob Turner sidelined with shoulder tendinitis, we can probably assume that he won't begin the season in the starting rotation. Thus, the fifth spot appears to be up for grabs between four young southpaws - Duane Below,  Andy Oliver, Drew Smyly and Adam Wilk.   Wilk, Oliver and Smyly are scheduled to pitch on Saturday.

The Tigers are also said to have interest in veteran starter John Lannan, who pitches for the Nationals. They may not have been too impressed if they scouted him today though, as he gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings against the Yankees this afternoon.  Lannan is a soft-tossing lefty who had a 3.70 ERA in 184 2/3 innings last season.  His best asset is his ability to induce ground balls as evidenced by his 54.1% ground ball rate last year.  With big Miguel Cabrera at third and generally poor infield defense all around, Detroit might not be the best environment for a left-handed ground ball pitcher.       

David Pauley Released and Other Notes

The Tigers made their first moves of the spring today including the release of reliever David Pauley.  Pauley came into camp with a chance to win a spot in the Tigers bullpen, but he struggled in early games just as he had last summer.  After coming over from Seattle in the Doug Fister trade, Pauley allowed 26 hits and posted a 5.95 ERA in 19 2/3 innings for the Tigers.  The 28-year-old right hander is now a free agent.

The Tigers also announced the first round of  "cuts",  or more appropriately - reassignments.  Catchers Rob Brantly, Curt Casali, Patrick Leyland and James McCann. third baseman and top hitting prospect Nick Castellanos and outfielder Justin Henry were all reassigned to the minors.  At the same time, outfielder Avisail Garcia was optioned to Double-A Erie and infielder Hernan Perez to Single-A Lakeland.

None of the moves were surprising.  It was becoming clear that Pauley wasn't going to make the team and none of the others are close to being ready for the majors.  Teams always invite a bunch of catchers to spring training because there are so many pitchers in camp.  If I recall correctly, they usually hang on to most of them longer than this.  It's not a big deal either way though.  They can always bring one of them back if they need an extra catcher for pitchers to throw to on a given day.

In one other move, designated hitter Victor Martinez was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Fifth Impressions

The Tigers played to a tie for the third straight day.  This time, it was a 7-7 10-inning game versus the Mets.  Three pitchers vying for the fifth starter job appeared in the game with varying results.  Andy Oliver made a good impression with four scoreless innings at the end of the game.  Jacob Turner made a far less favorable impression allowing six runs in 1 2/3 innings.  Drew Smyly started the game allowing one run in two innings.  

A Few Spring Training Questions

The Tigers won again today making them 4-0 for the spring not including their victory over Florida Southern on Friday.  While spring training records are pretty much meaningless, it always feels better when the Tigers are winning.

 I'm mostly just hoping the Tigers get through the spring without any significant injuries, but there are a few questions to be answered.  The biggest question is how easily Miguel Cabrera can adjust to third base.  Few people expect him to be good or even average at the position, but even if he is at the bottom third of the league as a defender, he should be one of the two best third basemen in baseball overall (along with Evan Longoria of the Rays).

Regardless of how productive he is at the plate though, Cabrera will have to be able to handle the hot corner at some acceptable level in order to remain there.  He has played the position before, but he's bigger and less mobile than he once was, so there are no guarantees.  My feeling is that he'll be able to play a passable third base, but will be moved to designated hitter in a good number of games depending on match-ups.  In particular, you might sometimes see Brandon Inge or Don Kely at third when a ground ball pitcher like Rick Porcello on the mound.

Speaking of Inge, there is a position battle brewing at second base.  What was shaping up to be a job share between Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago has turned into three-way or four-way (if you include Danny Worth) competition.  Manager Jim Leyland has hinted that he thinks Inge will be able to field the position, but isn't sure whether he'll bounce back offensively.

By bounce back, I'm talking about Inge getting back to where he was in 2009-2010.  That would be a .700+ OPS which is probably better than what Santiago will produce and could make him an adequate starter.  I suspect Inge won't get there though and will have to settle for more of a utility role.  I expect that nobody will really seize the position and that they'll have a revolving door at second again this year.

The other big thing to look for among position players this spring is how the left field/designated hitter situation unfolds.  Delmon Young will be playing mostly every day at one of those spots once the regular season starts.  Some fans have penciled in Andy Dirks as the platoon left fielder, but I think he might not get quite that much playing time, at least not initially.  I believe that Raburn will end up playing more left field than second base leaving less of an opportunity for Dirks.

Will there be a spring surprise this year?  My early pick is Clete Thomas winning the last spot on the roster over Dirks.  Thomas is a better defender than Dirks and they might decide to let Dirks get regular at bats in Toledo if it looks like he won't get them in the majors.  That Thomas is out of options and a favorite of Leyland might also be in his favor.  He's going to have to show a lot this spring in order for it to happen though.

Tigers Play Some Softball Versus Braves

 The Tigers have been accused by some of having a team built more for softball than baseball.  They are big and slow and not the most athletic team in the league.  They are are going to give up their share of runs in the field mostly due to lack of range,  Offensively, they will play station to station baseball and have a difficult time manufacturing.  However, they should make up for their shortcomings in the field and on the bases with their slugging.

Today, the Tigers gave us an example of what we hope see during the regular season. They belted nine home runs in an 18-3 rout of the Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.  Spring training performance doesn't mean very much but nine homers in one game is pretty impressive even in slow-pitch softball.  How rare is it for a team to hit nine home runs in a game?  I don't believe the Tigers have ever done it before.  They haven't done it in a game that counted and it's difficult to imagine that it ever happened in spring training either.  

Ryan Raburn led the home run parade with two including a grand slam.  Alex Avila, Brennan Boesch, Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson, Jhonny Peralta, Danny Worth and Delmon Young added one apiece.  Six of the blasts came against Braves top prospect Julio Teheran.

Tomorrow, the Tigers host the Blue Jays with MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander making his first start of the spring.  

Tigers Make Final Cuts

The Tigers reduced their roster to 25 this morning by optioning infielder Danny Worth to Toledo and reassigning outfielder Andy Dirks and pitcher Adam Wilk to minor league camp this morning. These moves mean that pitchers Enrique Gonzalez and Brayan Villareal and outfielder Brennan Boesch will be heading north. Outfielder Casper Wells has also officially made the team, although that's been pretty obvious all spring.

Since Gonzalez needs to be added to the Tigers 40-man roster, somebody else will need to be dropped.  That will most likely be infielder Audy Ciriaco.  Ciriaco was once a promising teen-age prospect with good raw tools, but he has never hit at any level and is now 23-years old.

Tigers' 25-Man Roster

Starters:
Justin Verlander
Max Scherzer
Rick Porcello
Phil Coke
Brad Penny

Relievers:
Jose Valverde
Joaquin Benoit
Ryan Perry
Daniel Schlereth
Brad Thomas
Enrique Gonzalez
Brayan Villarreal

Catchers:
Alex Avila
Victor Martinez

Infielders:
Miguel Cabrera
Will Rhymes
Jhonny Peralta
Brandon Inge
Ramon Santiago

Outfielders:
Magglio Ordonez
Austin Jackson
Ryan Raburn
Casper Wells
Brennan Boesch
Don Kelly

Surprise Cuts by the Tigers

Thought by many to be the favorite to win the second base job, Scott Sizemore was reassigned to Toledo this morning.  This leaves Will Rhymes and Danny Worth to battle for the keystone position.  Or perhaps they will platoon.  Other reassignments include relievers Robbie Weinhardt and Fu Te-Ni, outfielder Clete Thomas and catcher Max St. Pierre.  Weinhardt is also a surprise since some saw him as a lock for the opening day bullpen.

With 28 players still in camp, the Tigers need to make three more cuts before the regular season starts. One will be a reliever and it seems that Enrique Gonzalez, Adam Wilks and Brayan Villarreal would be battling for the final two spots.  With Phil Coke starting the season in the bullpen, it's possible they might go with 11 pitchers the first week.  In that case, they would have to cut two more pitchers.

They will also drop one or two position players by the end of spring training.  Players probably still on the bubble are outfielders Brennan Boesch, Andy Dirks and infielders Will Rhymes and Danny Worth.  Leyland has already said that Don Kelly will make the team.  Otherwise, I would have put him on the list too.

What's Happening with the Tigers Infield?

You may be wondering why Ramon Santiago is starting at second base for the second consecutive game.  It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense given that Scott Sizemore, Will Rhymes and perhaps Danny Worth are competing for the second base job.  Steve Kornacki of MLive is asking the same question and has some interesting quotes in today's article. 

Manager Jim Leyland said that he is happy with the backup outfielders and relievers as the spring winds down.  However, he also says:

“There’s only one thing that sticks out and it sticks out like a sore thumb.”
He would not elaborate, noting that reporters should be able to figure it out.

Leyland also gives a lot of praise to Danny Worth:

“Danny Worth quietly has had a nice spring,” Leyland said. “He can play defense with anybody. He’s one of the best young defensive infielders in baseball.”...
“He has a cannon for an arm. And he’s hit the ball well this spring. He’s a pretty good player now. He’s awfully good, so we have to wait and see.”

It sounds to me as if Worth is going to make the team.  So, what's "sticking out like a sore thumb?" One thought is that Worth may have passed Sizemore and Rhymes and seized the second base job.  If that were the case, then why has Santiago started at second base the last two games?  Is he he the new second baseman? 

Santiago taking over at second wouldn't be the first infield surprise that Leyland has given us during his tenure. He has shifted Carlos Guillen all over the place the last few years. A more likely possibility is that the Tigers are shopping Santiago.  The Phillies and Orioles are known to be looking for infield help gives the health of their starting second basemen Chase Utley and Brian Roberts respectively.

Who could the Tigers get for Santiago?  Probably not much more than a fringe prospect, maybe one of those hard throwing double-A relievers that Dave Dombrowski loves.  Given the not ready or just not very good options at the back of the pen right now, this guy could even make the opening day roster. 

The trading of Santiago is pure speculation, but it looks like some kind of little surprise is going to happen in the infield before opening day.

Alburquerque is going to Toledo.

Some fans  were hoping that right-handed reliever Alberto Alburquerque would make the Tigers roster just because they like his name.  That possibility came to an end this morning when he was re-assigned to the minors along with left-hander Charlie Furbush, shortstop Argenis Diaz and first baseman Scott Thorman.  Alburquerque and Furbush had shots at making the opening day roster at one point, but they both need to work on their control.  Diaz and Thorman never had any real chance of making the team barring catastrophic injuries.

With Carlos Guillen and Joel Zumaya heading to the disabled list and 33 others still in camp, the Tigers now have eight more cuts to make before spring training.  They have 15 pitchers still competing for a roster spot and they will carry 12, so there are three more moves to made there.  Locks to make the team are

Justin Verlander
Max Scherzer
Rick Porcello
Brad Penny
Phil Coke
Jose Valverde
Joaquin Benoit
Ryan Perry
Brad Thomas.

That leaves six pitching battling for three spots:

Daniel Schlereth
Robbie Weinhardt
Brayan Villarreal
Enrique Gonzalez
Fu-Te Ni
Adam Wilk

Schlereth and Weinhardt are the safest bets unless Schlereth's control issues of his most recent appearance linger into the next game or two.  Beyond that, it is anyone's guess.  Brayan Villareal has the advantage of being on the 40-man roster and he also the most upside of the remaining candidates.  However, they may prefer that both he and Wilk get more work in the minors.  I'm going to guess they go with Gonzalez , who has MLB experience and the ability to eat up a few innings at a time. 

They will also carry 13 position players with the following players a virtual lock for the opening day roster:

Alex Avila
Victor Martinez
Miguel Cabrera
Jhonny Peralta
Brandon Inge
Ramon Santiago
Don Kelly
Austin Jackson
Magglio Ordonez
Ryan Raburn
Casper Wells

The Tigers have not said that Wells is going to make the team, but it's difficult to see how he won't.  He plays all three outfield positions, hit well at the end of last year and continued his hitting this spring.  Most importantly, they need a right-handed hitter to play when Avila sits versus lefties and Wells is the only one available.  So that leaves seven players for two spots:

Scott Sizemore
Will Rhymes
Danny Worth
Brennan Boesch
Clete Thomas
Andy Dirks
Max St. Pierre

St. Pierre is not going to make the team so it's really six players.  He is mainly still around because they need an extra catcher to handle all the pitchers still in camp.

One spot will go to the starting second baseman which manager Jim Leyland says is still undecided.  I don't think either Rhymes or Sizemore has done anything to firmly seize the job this spring.  So, I still think they will go with Sizemore, who has more potential as a hitter.  Danny Worth can't be ruled out yet, but he's more of a utility infielder.

The last spot will most likely go to a left-handed hitting outfielder - Boesch, Dirks or Thomas.  I don't think they'll clear space on the 40-man roster for Dirks, so he is probably out.  So, it comes down to Boesch's power potential versus Thomas's defense.  I've gone back and forth on this, but I'm now leaning towards them keeping Boesch and hoping that he recaptures last year's first half magic.  I'm still rooting for Thomas though.

Tigers Make First Spring Cuts

The Tigers removed 18 players from their spring camp this morning in the biggest one day roster pruning I can ever remember.  Because they've had a lot of split squad games this spring, they have needed a lot of extra players for longer than usual.  However, they felt it was time to limit themselves to mostly serious competitors for the opening day roster. The list of reassigned players includes:

Pitchers

Chris Oxspring
John Bale
Jacob Turner
Duane Below
Andrew Oliver
Lester Oliveros
Jose Ortega

Catchers

Rob Brantly
Bryan Holaday
Patrick Leyland
John Murrian
Omir Santos

Infielders

Ryan Strieby
Brandon Douglas
Audy Ciriaco
Cale Iorg

Outfielders

Ben Guez
Avisail Garcia

There are no major surprises unless you were thinking someone like Bale had an outside shot at landing in the bullpen. The moves leave the Tigers with 40 players in camp including non-roster invitees.

What will Brennan Boesch do Next?

Nobody is quite sure what to expect from slugging outfielder Brennan Boesch in 2011.  Everybody knows his story.  He was promoted to from Toledo to Detroit in late April and went on to have an all-star caliber first half batting .342/.397/.593.  His second half, however, was described by Baseball Prospectus as the worst half season for a regular in the 21st Century.  His final line was an abysmal .163/.237/.222.  Corey Ettinger of AL Central in Focus took a look at his statistical tendencies and tried to project his future.  He is hopeful but not all that optimistic. Now, I'll give my thoughts.

Since being selected in the third round of the 2006 draft, the left-handed hitting Boesch was regarded as a free-swinger with the potential to hit a lot of home runs.  He was somewhat of a disappointment hitting just 22 home runs combined from 2006-2008.  The 6-6 210 pound beast finally broke out in 2009 hitting .275 with 28 homers in his first year at Double-A Erie.

Even after his 2009 season, scouts were divided on his future in the majors.  Some felt he had enough power potential to make  a contribution at least on a platoon basis.  Others feared that he would never make enough contact to stick as a major league regular.  The statistical projections were bleak including a .228/.278/.358 PECOTA projection.  He beat his projection by a substantial margin last year, but his crash and burn finish didn't inspire any confidence among either his skeptics or supporters.       

So, what can we expect from him in 2011? He'll be 26 in April, so we can't expect him to make any dramatic improvements.  He's always going to be a guy who can hit for power but struggles to make contact or draw walks.  His 2010 35/121 BB/K ratio probably won't get much better.  He's got surprising speed for a big guy but is an awkward defender.  The question is can he make small gains in his his plate discipline, contact and defensive skills?  If he can improve just a little in those areas, he can have a career as a platoon corner outfielder.

 The statistical projections are still not optimistic.  ZIPS pegs him at .247/.295/.390 and PECOTA has him batting .250/.302/.424.  I think he can hit for more power than that, maybe slugging between .450-.470.  If he gets a lot of at bats mostly versus right-handers, I would guess he'd bat around .250/.300/.460.

I don't think he'll get a chance right away though.  The outfield is set with Ryan Raburn, Austin Jackson and Magglio Ordonez and Victor Martinez will be the primary DH.  Boesch may make the team as a backup outfielder, but his best chance might come if he goes to Toledo, gets hot and comes up due to an injury.

I don't see him ever being a star or even a consistent regular because I doubt his plate discipline will allow it.  He could become a left-handed version of Marcus Thames, which would not be a bad thing.

Tigers Starters Almost Flawless

It's been almost too easy for the Tigers starting rotation this spring.  There have been 12 starts so far without a hint of trouble in any of them.  It's been smooth sailing for all five starters  - Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Phil Coke and Brad Penny.  Even their two rookies - Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver - have been rock solid in early action.  The numbers tell the story:

12 GS
41 IP
4 ER
0.88 ERA
26 H
29 K
7 BB
1 HR

It's been so good that there is nothing to even analyze.  You can say it doesn't mean much and you would probably be right.  Still, I can't remember a spring where every starting pitcher started out so strong.  Even though we know there is little correlation between spring performance and the regular season, I'd  rather have them pitching well than struggling.

This is better than having Nate Robertson get hit hard in every appearance  It's better than Jeremy Bonderman giving up five runs in the first inning because he's trying to learn a change-up.  It's better than Dontrelle Willis walking a batter an inning and saying that he feels great.  It's better than hearing Leyland scold the staff because they aren't throwing strikes.  It's certainly better than reading that one of the starters has a sore arm and that the MRI is clean and trainer Kevin Rand says he'll be OK but it still hurts.

In the past, we worried about bad spring pitching performances because we feared it would carry into the season.  And it usually did because they had starters who were either bad or injured or both.  This year we are hoping that the early spring pitching DOES carry into the regular season. Even though we tell ourselves it doesn't matter, it still feels good.

Schlereth and Zumaya Injuries

At the beginning of spring training, there was basically one roster spot up for grabs in the bullpen.  It appeared that the first six jobs would be won by Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit, Joel Zumaya, Ryan Perry, Brad Thomas and Dan Schlereth.  That still may be the case, but some early spring injuries are complicating matters. 

Schlereth, who is being counted on to be the top left-hander in the Tigers bullpen, injured his hamstring in Monday's game and is expected to be out of action for 10 to 14 days. The Tigers don't seem concerned at the moment, but anything beyond two weeks could make it difficult for him to get ready for opening day.

Also, the oft-injured Zumaya hurt his surgically repaired right elbow in Sunday's contest.  There is some inflammation, but it's believed to be just scar tissue tearing.  They don't think it's serious, but I'm thinking any Zumaya injury has the potential to be serious given his history.  Even before this news, you would have to consider any contribution from Zumaya to be a plus. 

If Schlereth is not able to start the season, then he could be replaced by non-roster invitee southpaw John Bale. Another possibility might be Charlie Furbush, although the Tigers would probably prefer he be getting regular work in Toledo's starting rotation.  Some of the right-handers most likely to win one of the last bullpen spots include Robbie Weinhardt, Al Alburquerque and Chris Oxspring. 

Guillen to Bat Sixth if Healthy

According to Steve Kornacki at MLive, Jim Leyland said this morning that Carlos Guillen will bat sixth if he's healthy at the beginning of the season:

“If Carlos is healthy and ready to go I’d like to bat him behind Victor,” Leyland said.He likes the thought of having a pair of veteran switch-hitters behind Cabrera to confound late-inning pitching changes and for their proven run-production abilities.

Guillen being healthy is always a big "if" but Lynn Henning writes that he is in good shape and may be ahead of schedule. 

With Austin Jackson leading off, and Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez batting in the three through five spots, the question is: Who will bat second? Leyland's answer was:

“Whoever makes the team,”

What does he mean by that? He could be trying to avoid the question or perhaps he doesn't want to give any young or developing players the impression that they have won a job.   Anyway, if Guillen is playing second base, then I think the obvious choice for the second slot in the order would be Ryan Raburn. In that case, the line-up would look like this:


Jackson CF
Raburn LF
Ordonez RF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Guillen 2B
Peralta SS
Inge 3B
Avila C

Even if he's healthy, I suspect Guillen would only be playing second base four or five games per week.  Perhaps, he would be designated hitter versus left-handed starters.  This might yield the following line-up

Jackson CF
Raburn LF
Ordonez RF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez C
Guillen DH
Peralta SS
Inge 3B
Rhymes/Sizemore 2B

Regardless, if Guillen is playing and there are no surprises (like a long rehab for Cabrera), I can't see anybody else that makes sense over Raburn in the second spot. 

Of course, we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves here.  Guillen staying healthy for a full season would certainly be a nice bonus, but not something I'd expect.

What's Next for Cabrera?

It's spring training and I'd rather talk about baseball, but the biggest issue on Tigers fans minds right now is Miguel Cabrera's alcohol problem.  He is currently back home in Boca Raton, Florida after being charged with a DUI Thursday morning.  By all accounts, he is in excellent physical shape and would like to be in Lakeland working out with teammates right now, but he'll have to wait.

Early next week, the Tigers first baseman will meet with doctors selected by MLB and the player's union to decide the next course of action. General Manager Dave Dombrowski reports that Cabrera understands that he has an alcohol problem and is being very cooperative:

"He's cooperative and realizes he's had an alcohol problem in the past that he's addressed and has worked through, and he fell off of that program," Dombrowski said. "He acknowledges that and he will do what's necessary to get back on track. But I will also say he's extremely down. He wants to be here. He feels terrible but he understands the importance of making sure that this is properly evaluated." 

The Tigers slugger already underwent outpatient treatment for a few months at the end of 2009 following his late season drinking incident that year. It may have worked for a while, but this relapse could prompt further action.

There are a few different courses of treatment Cabrera could take. He could start off in a detoxification program for a week or two if necessary.  It does sound as if he is functioning well enough where that would not be necessary though.  Another possibility is that he would go in into inpatient treatment which could last a month or more.  It also might be a matter of more outpatient treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. It's possible they will decide that he doesn't need treatment at this time, but that seems unlikely.

How long will he be out if he needs treatment?  If it's something like AA then he probably wouldn't miss time.  If he needs intensive inpatient treatment, then he won't be able play for a while.

There is some recent precedent of alcohol treatment for a major league player.  Last year, Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario was late for spring training after he was charged with a DUI in his native Venezuela and could not secure a work Visa.  That is not quite the same as Cabrera's situation.  However, later in the year, Belisario was placed on the restricted list when he entered substance abuse treatment.  As a result, he missed a month of action between early July and early August.   

If Cabrera follows the same course as Belisario, he could go into treatment next week and be out shortly before spring training ends.  In that case, he would miss very little of the regular season if any.  He would probably require follow up treatment on an outpatient basis after that, but it probably wouldn't require him to miss much time.

I still don't expect this problem to affect the baseball season much.  I expect him to play and to hit like he always does.  I also trust that Jim Leyland won't let the situation become too much of a distraction to the team.

Speaking as a baseball fan, I don't think we'll be affected too much by this situation other than tiring of hearing about it.  Speaking as as a compassionate human being, I hope he gets help for his sake and his family's sake.

Cabrera Arrested for DUI

Things were looking really positive in the opening days of spring training. The Tigers had a productive off-season, most of the key players were reportedly in good health and all seemed well in Lakeland.  That all changed this morning when Miguel Cabrera was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol.

This is the second major incident involving Cabrera, the other one being the notorious confrontation with his wife occurring at the end of the 2009 season.  In today's arrest, he was reportedly uncooperative and confrontational with police and even continued to drink in front of the officers as he was being arrested.  This is a drinking problem that probably requires intervention and we can only hope he gets help at some point.

Unfair or not, the biggest concern for baseball fans is how his problems will affect his ability to play baseball. It sure doesn't seem as if it has hurt him as a player to this point. All you have to do is look at his numbers to see that.  If he hits .328 and slugs 38 home runs again next year, most of us will forget about his drinking incidents. You've got to think think that it could get to him eventually though and prevent him from having a long career.

How will the Tigers deal with it? Will they suspend him? Require him to go to rehabilitation? It seems unlikely that they'll let their star hitter and $20 million man miss much time, if any.  Of immediate concern is whether this latest incident could be a distraction to a team that seemed to have a lot of good things going for it this spring.
 
Instead of hearing reports on the second base battle or whether Brad Penny and Phil Coke can fill out the rotation, all we are going to hear about is Cabrera's drinking problem all spring. Hopefully, that's the worst that comes out of this.