Bereavement Hiatus

I lost my father to cancer on Dec. 22, so I will be taking a brief hiatus from writing to deal with family matters and mourn his loss. See you all soon.

Tigers top five prospects for 2012

Tigers 3B prospect Nick Castellanos will soon be a stalwart in the Detroit lineup

At one time the farm system of the Detroit Tigers resembled the system that the Kansas City Royals enjoy today, but through multiple trades - both good and bad, the Tigers farm system no longer has the same luster it once did.

However, the future is not entirely bleak, there are many bright spots on the farm for the Tigers including Jacob Turner, Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly.

A majority of the stock the Tigers enjoy in the minors are pitchers but Detroit is flush with talent across the diamond as well; the five best of those prospects are listed below.

1. RHP Jacob Turner, 20
A first round pick in 2009 Turner has been a prized commodity in the Tigers farm system for years and has even cracked the big league roster - making three spot starts in 2011. In his three starts with the Tigers Turner has a 0-1 record and an inflated 8.53 ERA. His WHIP is in good shape through his time with Detroit at 1.65. Despite his praise and potential his name has been mentioned in trade talks - should he remain with Detroit in 2012 expect him to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

2. 3B Nick Castellanos, 19
He is the real deal. Tigers fans may agree to another season or two with Brandon Inge struggling his way to retirement just so that they can see Castellanos play. In his first full season in the minors he has proved to be everything that the Tigers wanted in him. He exhibits power to all fields and is an exceptional fielder at third, I stop short of calling him a "five-tools player" after seeing Moneyball. After a full 142 game minor league season Castellanos' BA is .313, hitting 7 HR and 76 RBI. An OBP of .367 shows that he is capable of getting on base consistently.

3. LHP Drew Smyly, 22
Smyly was also mentioned in the possible trade for Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland Athletics. In that trade A's General Manager Billy Beane wanted Turner, Castellanos and Smyly in return for Gonzalez. In 22 minor league starts last season, across high A ball and into AA Erie Smyly posted a 11-6 record with a 2.07 ERA, a 1.103 WHIP and 9.3 SO/9. If he continues on this path Smyly will find himself with a spot on the roster very soon.

4. LHP Casey Crosby, 23
He struggled with control throughout the 2011 season posting a 4.10 ERA for a career ERA of 3.55 and a 19-12 record. Crosby has shown, when healthy, that he is capable of being dominant, having a WHIP of 1.37 and a 1.89 SO/9. In the past he has had Tommy John surgery but like many pitchers has come back stronger than he was previously - expect to hear his name quite a bit in 2012.

5. C Rob Brantly, 22
Drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft Brantly is one of several impressive catching prospects the Tigers find themselves flush with. He has shown that he is capable with the bat and has shown that he has the ability to play effectively behind the plate. In his two years in the minors Brantly has posted a .988 fielding percentage and has caught 32 percent of runners attempting to steal off him. Offensively, Brantly is hitting .269 with a .333 OBP between Lakeland and West Michigan. With Gerald Laird only being signed through the 2012 season expect for Brantly to take over the back-up duties in 2013.

Weekend hits on the Tigers

On Monday, the Detroit Tigers offered arbitration to all of their eligible players, except for one, Will Rhymes. Rhymes had bounced between the AAA Toledo Mudhens and the Tigers over the last several seasons as Detroit was attempting to find a solution at 2B. Technically, Rhymes was not close to being arbitration eligible because he has less than one year of major league experience, but the Tigers chose to non-tender him a contract.

Over the 2010 and 2011 seasons Rhymes had established a .283 BA with a .341 OBP but only 21 RBI, 19 coming in the 2010 campaign. After Detroit signed Ramon Santiago to a two-year deal earlier in the off season it was assumed that things would stay status quo at 2B for the Tigers - with Ryan Raburn, Santiago and Rhymes battling each other all year to become the next mediocre starter at the fourth position on the field.

Detroit's 3B search continues

Wherever Brandon Inge is sitting must always be hot, because the Tigers are again rumored to be checking into another third baseman to replace Inge in 2012. The latest to be connected to the Tigers is the 3B for the San Diego Padres, Chase Headley. 

Headley is due for arbitration this season and should be awarded $3MM by the arbitrator. The 27-year-old has a career .269 BA and a .343 OBP in his four seasons with the Fathers. Reports have the asking price in San Diego for Headley being pretty steep - in this case, the market has justified the increased price of Headley as the 3B market has all but dried up.

Detroit has inquired as to the cost of Headley and reports have them coming away thinking the price is too high - that's not to say that they have closed the door forever on the 3B from San Diego, but they will be looking elsewhere right now.

Tigers ship Perry to DC

On Friday the Tigers completed a straight-up player-for-player trade with the Washington Nationals that sent former first-round pick Ryan Perry to D.C. for a former fourth-round pick Collin Balester. Both players are right-handed relief-pitchers that haven't proved much with their time in the big leagues.

In his four seasons with the Washington Nationals, Balester has complied a 5-16 record with a 5.17 ERA and a 1.473 WHIP. While he started his career on the Nationals as a starter, in 2008, he has remained in the bullpen for the last three seasons and has shown that he is anything but consistent.

Balester's numbers have bounced around from season to season -  in 2009 he posted a 6.82 ERA and then in 2010 that number drops to 2.57 before ballooning to 4.54 in 2011. While much of this may be able to be attributed to the nature of being a relief pitcher, it doesn't exactly instill much confidence in him. He will still have to battle David Pauley for the final bullpen spot on the Tigers during Spring Training.

Ryan Perry seemed to have worn out his welcome in Detroit - General Manager Dave Dombrowski showed a lack of patience in dealing with former 2B prospect Scott Sizemore, but showed much more leniency with Perry, allowing him to struggle through three seasons at the major league level.

In his time with Detroit since 2009 Perry has amassed a 5-6 record and a 4.07 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. His numbers essentially mirror those of Balester, making this trade all but meaningless. Regardless of if it was Perry or Balester they would have to be able to prove their worth in Lakeland, FL in February in order to beat out Pauley for the final bullpen spot.

Octavio Dotel, the Tigers and the Winter Meetings

As the 2011 Winter Meetings came to a close the Detroit Tigers hadn't made the big splash that fans had come to expect, but several deals are in the works. Most notably for reliever Octavio Dotel and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes hasn't yet been posted on the free agent market, but the Tigers are seen to be the most aggressive and leading candidate to secure his services. Coming out of the final day of the Winter Meetings on Wednesday the buzz surrounding the Tigers was about a reliever, Octavio Dotel.

Detroit had headed to Texas with the intention of adding a few small pieces to their bullpen and to search for a potential fifth starter. It appears as though Dotel will be the extent of the Tigers haul this winter, which is perfectly fine with the Tigers brass and fans alike.

As of Wednesday night the Tigers were seen to have Dotel in the bag, although reports had him enamored with the St. Louis Cardinals. As the night progressed Dotel and the Tigers appeared to grow closer and according to reports were only negotiating contract length.

Rumors surrounding the Tigers and Dotel have the contract being between four and five million dollars for one year with a vesting option for a second. The addition of Dotel to the Detroit bullpen creates a formidable beast out beyond the left-field fence. With the new addition the Tigers appear to have their seventh, eighth and ninth innings sewn up with Joaquin Benoit, Octavio Dotel and Jose Valverde.

Bullpen battle brewing

Should the ink finally dry on the Dotel deal it would create a battle out in the bullpen during Spring Training between Ryan Perry and David Pauley for the final roster spot. Seeing as how Manager Jim Leyland was hesitant to use Pauley after his acquisition last season it would seem as though he would have to truly outplay Perry to make the 40-man roster in May.

Addition by subtraction

While the Tigers may not have come away from the Winter Meetings with the usual haul of players fans have become used to, it's not to say that the past week hasn't been beneficial for Detroit. During the meetings White Sox General Manager Kenny Wilson all but conceded that his club is entering a rebuilding phase with the trading of closer Sergio Santos and the fact that most of the White Sox high impact players have been placed on the trading block.

Former White Sox left-handed starter Mark Buehrle further helped the Tigers by signing a four-year, $58 million deal with the Miami Marlins. While his transition from the American League to the National League may be rocky, the Tigers can rest easy knowing that an elite left-hander will no longer be in their division.

Over the Winter Meetings the Minnesota Twins also pitched in to aid the Tigers by trading right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey to the Colorado Rockies for a player-to-be-named-later. Once again, the Tigers will benefit from the removal of an excellent pitcher from their division.

So while the Winter Meetings may not seem like a success on the surface, the Tigers come out as the clear winners in the American League Central so far this off-season.

The Tigers and Yoenis Cespedes

After defecting from Cuba the 26-year-old free-agent to be has landed in the Dominican Republic and has drawn the interest of very nearly every Major League team. The leading candidates for his services remain the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals. And for good reason, this outfielder holds the Cuban-league home run record and is nicknamed, "The Talented."

The Detroit Tigers have emerged as the most aggressive team in the hunt for Cespedes with General Manager Dave Dombrowski flying down to the Dominican Republic to watch the outfielder work out. Cespedes has drawn more interest from the Tigers than any player in recent memory with one staffer saying of the Dombrowski trip to the Dominican, "I can't remember (Dombrowski) ever taking a similar step before."

All of this attention is well deserved as the slugger has regularly contributed to the success of his Cuban-league team. While the stats out of the Cuban-league are spotty and the competitiveness of the teams is unknown, Cespedes projects to be a very good major leaguer.

Many have equated the Cuban-league to a high-AA ball competition, which ask any baseball savvy individual is where major leaguers are born. His numbers out of Cuba look like this;

Year      BA      OB      SLG      HR      RBI      SB
'08        .243    .290      .388        21        77         5
'09        .262    .322      .410        19        75         5
'10        .269    .329      .412        18        66         6
'11        .266    .332      .445        27        98         13

Those numbers are very impressive and translate well to the MLB, which is what the Tigers are hoping. They believe that Cespedes can come over and play right field and lead off immediately. Austin Jackson will remain as the center-fielder, but the addition of Cespedes would free Detroit up to trade Delmon Young, they would prefer for a middle-infielder, and allow the Tigers to slide Brennan Boesch over to left field.

And if his numbers out of Cuba aren't convincing enough his representatives have released a highlight video that includes the longest introduction of all time, including a "Star Wars" style lead in.

Cespedes projects out to be a similar player to Aaron Rowand and even beyond, his numbers make him head-and-shoulders better than any other center fielder on the market. While his numbers show that he will be a very respectable major league player, he will not become a star - his stats just don't seem to support that.

The only down side to Cespedes is the contract that he is asking for; prior to his settling down in the Dominican it was assumed that he would command Aroldis Chapman-type money. That is close to the truth, Cespedes is using his fellow Cuban-defector's contract as a measuring stick. Chapman made $30 million out of Cuba, Cespedes wants double. 

The $50-$60 million price tag may scare away many of the smaller market teams and quite possibly the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox who want a bit more certainty before shelling out such sums of money. It appears as though the road is clearing for the Tigers to secure their outfielder, with his contract expected to be posted after the Winter Meetings this week.

A look into the future shows that Cespedes will develop into a very respectable outfielder with an ability to get on base and drive in runs.

Year     BA     OBP    SLG    HR     RBI     SB    WAR
'12       .270    .331     .435     23        86        9        3.3
'13       .269    .331     .439     23        84        9        3.4
'14       .267    .330     .435     22        83        8        3.2
'15       .268    .330     .436     22        86        8        3.1

Those stats aren't earth-shattering by any standard, but they are solid and appear to remain solid for many years into the future. While the Tigers don't appear to be looking to make a big splash during the Winter Meetings, they may simply be waiting to make their splash once Cespedes is posted. Look for the Cuban-phenom in the Old English D next season.

Breaking down the new MLB collective bargaining agreement

Earlier this month Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that would make major changes to the sport, but also avoid the heated clashes seen in the NFL and NBA labor talks. Changes include tweaks to the playoffs, the draft, international players, luxury taxes, free agents and the All-Star Game. When broken down parts of this collective bargaining agreement may negatively impact the MLB, but as a whole it is a step in the right direction for the game of baseball.

Italicized portions come directly from the MLB CBA summary.

III-a-3. Article XX(D) major league free agents signing minor league contracts who are not added to the Opening Day roster or unconditionally released 5 days prior to Opening Day shall receive an additional $100,000 retention bonus and the right to opt out on June 1. 

This does not refer to players drafted by a team who have not yet reached the majors for more than six seasons; so don't worry Kansas City your farm system is safe. What this means is that a player who has six or more seasons of major league experience who is signed by a major league team and sent to the minors is able to seek additional funds for their services in the minors or opt out of their contract on June 1st and seek employment elsewhere. Think about Dontrelle Willis for this one. This has no real impact on the game that we see on the field.

B. A free agent will be subject to compensation if his former Club offers him a guaranteed one-year contract with a salary equal to the average salary of the 125-highest paid Players from the prior season. The offer must be made at the end of the five-day free agent "quiet period," and the Player will have seven days to accept the offer.

Meaning that fewer free agents will carry draft pick compensation with them, so the plundering of the Tampa Bay Rays last season would have been a net loss for them as they wouldn't have been awarded with more draft picks than their average attendance. Basically the rule says that the big name players will still carry draft pick compensation but that the less known relievers and reserve outfielders won't. A benefit for the game of baseball in my opinion, teams that can't hold onto their players will no longer show up to the draft with truck loads of jerseys to hand out to all their first round picks.

e. Rule 4 Draft
1. The draft will continue to be conducted in June, but the signing deadline will be moved to a date between July 12 and July 18 depending on the date of the All-Star Game.

Again, another good thing in this CBA. What this is doing is simply moving the signing date of draftees up a few days. Players tended to hold out to the deadline anyway in hopes of bigger contracts, so nothing will really change - they'll still hold out, it'll just take place earlier. Teams want to get their draft picks onto the field as soon as they can and this change allows them to do that.

3. Signing Bonus Pools
A. Each Club will be assigned an aggregate Signing Bonus Pool prior to each draft. For the purpose of calculating the Signing Bonus Pools, each pick in the first 10 rounds of the draft has been assigned a value. (These values will grow each year with the rate of growth of industry revenue.) A Club's Signing Bonus Pool equals the sum of the values of that Club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the draft. Players selected after the 10th round do not count against a Club's Signing Bonus Pool if they receive bonuses up to $100,000. Any amounts paid in excess of $100,000 will count against the Pool.
B. Clubs that exceed their Signing Bonus Pools will be subject to penalties as follows:
Excess of Pool Penalty (Tax on Overage/Draft Picks)
• 0-5 percent; 75 percent tax on overage
• 5-10 percent; 75 percent tax on overage and loss of 1st round pick
• 10-15 percent; 100 percent tax on overage and loss of 1st and 2nd round picks
• 15-plus percent; 100 percent tax on overage and loss of 1st round picks in next two drafts 

I know that was a long one to read, and probably a bit confusing but all it says is that major league teams will be assigned a flat amount from which they can doll out signing bonuses - and if they go over that number they will be hit with luxury taxes and the loss of future draft picks. This would be a victory for the owners more than the players, but it can also go a long way to help the MLB appeal to the average fan who disapproves of the astronomical dollar figures these draftees are receiving.

5. Competitive Balance Lottery A. For the first time, Clubs with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets will have an opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery. B. The ten Clubs with the lowest revenues, and the ten Clubs in the smallest markets, will be entered into a lottery for the six draft selections immediately following the completion of the first round of the draft. A Club's odds of winning the lottery will be based on its prior season's winning percentage. C. The eligible Clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first round, and all other payee Clubs under the Revenue Sharing Plan, will be entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the completion of the second round of the draft. A Club's odds of winning the lottery will be based on its prior season's winning percentage. D. Picks awarded in the Competitive Balance Lottery may be assigned by a Club, subject to certain restrictions.

Finally, a victory for the little guys. It's a round-about way of doing it, but this awards the small market teams and the least competitive teams with more draft picks at the end of the certain rounds. While this does nothing to help these teams pay for their draft picks, it gives them the opportunity to sign more players and therefore have a better chance that they will develop into players that will benefit their club. Good move MLB.

IX. DRUG PROGRAM Commencing in Spring Training 2012, all players will be subject to hGH blood testing for reasonable cause at all times during the year. In addition, during each year, all players will be tested during Spring Training. Starting with the 2012-2013 off-season, players will be subject to random unannounced testing for hGH. The parties have also agreed on a process to jointly study the possibility of expanding blood testing to include inseason collections. 

This portion of the CBA is huge -  while the NFL CBA did include a HGH testing claus, the NFLPA has not allowed for the implementation of that testing. This would make the MLB the first major sports league to test for HGH; furthering it's hardline stance against performance enhancing drugs. The only question is to when the MLB will be allowed to test players - before or after games, only on off days, on random days?

X.. OTHER a. Participation in the All-Star Game will be required unless the Player is unable to play due to injury or is otherwise excused by the Office of the Commissioner. Players Trust will receive an increased contribution and players will receive additional benefits.

I'm including this one just so I can say this; A-Rod if you're voted to the All-Star Game...play in it! Rant aside, this is a good move for baseball - fans who voted for that player, clearly want to see that player play, see how that works? Suck it up and get out there A-Rod.

b. All Players will be subject to a policy governing the use of Social Media.  

Logan Morrison will have to watch what he tweets.

f. Instant Replay will be expanded to include fair/foul and "trapped" ball plays, subject to the Office of the Commissioner's discussions with the World Umpires Association.

Thank God. It's about time the MLB took a step into the 21st Century - finally umpires will be able to tell Curtis Granderson or whichever outfielder that, no, you didn't catch that ball, good luck on the Oscar though.

With that being said the new CBA is a gain for the MLB - some may disagree, some may be upset about the addition of more playoff teams, the NBA and NHL have about half of their teams make it to the post-season, I think the MLB can make due with a third of their teams getting in. Others may disagree with the move of the Astros from the National League to the American League, the schedule might finally be, gasp, balanced. Whichever way you choose to look at it is fine, but in the end the MLB is better off with this CBA being agreed to months ahead of deadline and not falling into the same quagmire as the NFL and the NBA.


 

Why Verlander Deserved the American League MVP

Over the past two days Major League Baseball handed out their two most important individual awards to Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander - the Cy Young award and the Most Valuable Player award.

Verlander had battled Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's Jered Weaver for the Cy Young down the stretch but after beating Weaver in a head-to-head matchup and throwing 100 more pitches than Weaver and still posting better numbers Verlander walked away with the highest award for a pitcher unanimously.

Verlander posted impressive numbers throughout the 2011 season; becoming the American League pitching Triple-Crown and winning the AL Cy Young award with a 24-5 record, 2.40 ERA, 250 SO and a 0.920 WHIP. Those numbers are impressive, and near the top, if not at the top, of the Detroit Tigers record books - meaning that the Cy Young was Verlander's to lose, but the MVP was a different story.

Many sports writers have refused to vote for a pitcher as the MVP in the past, saying that a players that plays every fifth day cannot have the same impact as an everyday player. It appears as though that thought process has subsided in past years and an acceptance of pitchers as valuable to their clubs and sabermetrics has moved MLB post season awards to be handed out to the most deserving players. He became the first pitcher to win the MVP since Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1986.

The Baseball Writers of America got their AL MVP correct, with 13 naming Verlander their top choice and another 13 selecting him for second place. He appeared on 27 of 28 ballots being left off by Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio, who said that he could not place a pitcher on the MVP ballot in all due conscience.He went on to say that Verlander did not appear in 79 percent of the Tigers games, meaning that pitchers don't play often enough to be the MVP.
Yes, Verlander played in 35 games for the Tigers in 2011, but breaking down the numbers shows that his statistics are comparable to any position player in the game. In Verlander's 35 starts he faced on average 35 batters; therefore in his 35 games he affected 1,225 plays. Conversely, a player who starts all 162 games for his team and averages four at-bats and four plays in the field affects 1,296 plays. The 91 play difference a season is hardly call for Verlander's exclusion from the MVP consideration.

What made Verlander the MVP aside from his eye popping numbers were his 16 wins following a Tigers loss - that is what makes a player truly valuable. Throughout the 2011 season Verlander was in a Tigers rotation that featured an inconsistent Rick Porcello, the oft-maligned Brad Penny and the on-again off-again Max Scherzer. It wasn't until the deadline addition of Doug Fister that Verlander had a true option to back him up in the rotation.  

While others may argue against the selection of a pitcher as the most valuable player they must agree that the numbers that Verlander posted throughout the 2011 season were quite impressive. Some might even say his numbers make him very valuable.

Off Season Moves the Tigers Need to Make

First off, it's been a while since the last post, I hope many of you return and start reading this again on a regular basis because I plan on updating it regularly once again. Thanks to everyone for reading.

Detroit nearly hobbled its way into the World Series in 2011 and despite coming up short of the ultimate goal, the team still finished as one of the last four playing and came within one game of representing the American League for the second time in five seasons.

2011 was a year that provided many insights into this team; Alex Avila became cemented as the No. 1 catcher for the foreseeable future, Doug Fister will push Justin Verlander to be even better than he currently is, and Delmon Young, while expendable, is a power outfielder who comes up huge in the clutch.

Last season also showed the many weaknesses the Tigers have, and other teams exploited those weaknesses to get by them in the playoffs. Once Victor Martinez came up lame in a game he was never able to back up Avila, which led to Avila catching all but two games down the stretch. That over use wore down the young backstop to the point where he resembled Kirk Gibson limping around the bases. The Tigers needed to find a back up catcher for Avila, and they found that in ex-Tiger Gerald Laird.

While not a fan favorite, Laird has proven that he is one of the most efficient defensive catchers in the game. His bat may be the equal to that of Brandon Inge but as long as he stays healthy enough to catch every fifth game and can help to mentor Avila, that's all the Tigers are looking for. This pick up was a good one by the Tigers.

The two remaining glaring holes for Detroit are at third and second base. While Inge is under contract for another season, it won't take long for the Tigers to grow tired of his inability to hit anything resembling a baseball. And after his tirade against the fans last season, his popularity in Detroit is wavering and won't withstand another season from hell like 2011. 

The 2012 free agent class for third basemen isn't exactly chock-full of star athletes; while Wilson Betemit served the Tigers well down the stretch he is not an everyday player and the Tigers brass seems to see things that way as well. Betemit has not been offered a contract for next season, which is the best thing for the team.

Notable free agents that would fit well with the Tigers would be either Jorge Cantu or Kevin Kouzmanoff. Through eight seasons Cantu has a career batting average of .271 and an on-base percentage of .316. Cantu is a good fit with Detroit because he is a utility player who specializes at third base, but has the ability to play either second or first as well. He has struggled to remain healthy and his numbers have slipped recently, but because of that his asking price could be driven down quite a bit from his hay-day in Miami.

Kevin Kouzmanoff is available for arbitration for the next two seasons so if the Rockies see what others see in him then the Tigers won't be able to snag him until he's a free agent until 2014. Kouzmanoff has a career batting average of .255 and a .300 on-base percentage. And he boasted a .713 OPS while playing over 100 games in the expanses of Coors Field.

The Tigers should pursue either of these third basemen diligently as either would bring a solid defensive front to the hot-corner as well as a powerful bat to the line-up.

Second base has become a glaring hole for Detroit, with the position being a platoon for the entire 2011 season, with six players taking the position in the field. Ramon Santiago, Ryan Raburn, Will Rhymes, Scott Sizemore, Danny Worth and Carlos Guillen all played second last year.

With a revolving door at second, Detroit has no true prospects or options at second base. Once again, the free agent class of second base is quite barren. After the Diamondbacks snapped up Aaron Hill to a new contract the only appealing player on the market is Kelly Johnson, but a contract with him would require the Tigers to send a first-round draft pick to Toronto in return.

Recent rumors have the Tigers trading Delmon Young to Atlanta in return for Martin Prado. This deal would incredibly bolster Detroit and add a powerful, consistent lead-off hitter to the line-up. Prado is a career .293 hitter in his six seasons in the majors with a .341 OBP. He has had experience and success being a lead-off hitter for the Braves and would be able to relieve some pressure from Austin Jackson in that role.

Should the Tigers complete this trade they would need to fill the vacancy left in left field by Young, and the solution is sitting in the free agent pool waiting to be snatched up. Coco Crisp, traditionally a center fielder, is available and would thrive in the vast left field of Comerica Park.

Detroit has long needed to build a team to fit Comerica Park and the addition of Crisp would do just that. Having two center fielders would save the Tigers multiple runs that they would have lost if Young would have continued to play. Crisp has a .271 career batting average and a .330 OBP, not to mention he can bring speed to the basepaths in Detroit. In 2011 he swiped 49 bases for the Athletics and with that speed and clear skill he can teach Jackson how to improve on the paths. 

The off-season is still young and there are still plenty of moves to be made, but the Tigers must address the weaknesses that showed through at the end of the 2011 season. If they do that successfully, they will be back in the playoffs and will be representing the American League in the World Series in 2012.

Experiencing History. Thome's 600th Homer.

Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey Jr., these are the names that will forever be engrained in baseball fans minds. Those four men are all members of the 600 Home Run Club, and the only four without links to steroids.

The addition of Jim Thome brings that number to five. 

It was a homer that put the game well out of reach, but the fans in Comerica Park stood and game the Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome a well-deserved ovation, he had just made history. He became just the eight player in the history of the game to hit 600 career home runs. Seeing something like that in person is a one in a lifetime event, and I can count myself as one of those who was there.

Thome has been in the league for twenty seasons, jumping from team to team but in almost every stop setting home run records. He holds the record for most home runs for both the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. In each of his stops he brought his blue-collar attitude and just put his head down and played the game as it should be played.

The burden that Thome will have to bear is that he played through a dark time in baseball; the steroid era. This era has tainted so many to have come out of it and it is still being felt today. In 2010, Jose Bautista came from nowhere to hit 50+ home runs and the first thing many thought was; is he on steroids?

Thome has never had that shadow cast over him and for good reason, he has stated that his father had told him if he ever took steroids that he would beat him. That's the mentality that more players need to have in this day.

While he has never been in the spotlight for very long, Thome is without question a future Hall of Famer. He has gone into every clubhouse and he has made it better. Teammates and opponents alike both characterize Thome as one of the nicest people in the league. Thome responded to this characterization by saying he treats people the way he expects to be treated.

At his press conference following the game Thome again showed his true colors when he said; "If you dream big enough, there's nothing you can't do."

Not only is this man kind and a great teammate, he is a great family man as well. Following his 600th blast to left field at Comerica Park he was greeted at home plate by his wife and children and his father. The man who had threatened to beat him if he ever took steroids was able to embrace his son who had just passed into history.

Maybe if Thome had played in New York or Boston people would be more excited about his accomplishment, but having watched him demolish my Tigers for my entire life I can say I am proud to have been in the crowd when he reached that mark. 

Congratulations Jim, you deserve it.

"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die."

Tigers Alburquerque Lands on DL After Suffering Concussion

The Tigers suffered a big loss before a pitch was even thrown in Baltimore last night; during batting practice Alburquerque was playing catch with a teammate with his back to home plate when an Orioles batter launched a fly ball to left field.

Alburquerque never saw the ball, which caught him flush on the head, knocking him to the field. Team trainers quickly responded to his injury and called for an ambulance to take Alburquerque to the hospital in Baltimore. He was taken out on a stretcher and was complaining of some dizziness.

FSD Video: Alburquerque Hit By Fly Ball

Once at the hospital Alburquerque was diagnosed with a mild concussion and was kept over night for observation. Manager Jim Leyland said that there was some internal bleeding, which made the decision to keep him overnight a must.

With the number of concussions on the rise across all sports, Major League Baseball created a new disabled-list just for players who have suffered concussions. A team may place a player on this DL for seven days while the player recovers.

When Alburquerque was released from the hospital on Saturday morning, the Detroit Tigers placed him on the 7-day DL with a concussion. The measure was taken because concussions are frequently difficult to come back from, see Justin Morneau, and when dealing with someone's brain the safest route is usually the best one.

The Tigers sent Alburquerque back to Detroit to recuperate and get himself ready for the upcoming homestand, however he will not be flying aboard Red Bird II or on any commercial plane, he will be driving back to Detroit. Those who suffer concussions are barred from flying on airplanes because the constantly changing pressure around them could cause harm to their brain.

There is no timetable set on his return to the team as the Tigers will want to play things safe with their talented rookie. He is also being put on anti-seizure medication as a precautionary measure.

With Alburquerque heading to the DL the Tigers made a move to fill the hole he left in the bullpen, recalling Ryan Perry from Toledo.  Since being sent down to Toledo earlier in the season, Perry has appeared in 20 games and has accumulated numbers like this; 3-0, 3.03 ERA, 7 SV, 30 SO and .207 AVG.

Perry is not the long term answer the Tigers are looking for in the bullpen, but he will be a good replacement while Alburquerque is on the DL. He has already joined Detroit in Baltimore and will be available to pitch Saturday.

Dombrowski and Leyland Given Extensions...What the Hell?

It was announced today that the Detroit Tigers had reached agreements with both General Manager Dave Dombrowski and Manager Jim Leyland to extend their contracts. Leyland was renewed for just one more season, putting him under contract through 2012 whereas Dombrowski was handed a new four year deal through 2015.

In July both of these men were feeling the pressure of the ownership and fans alike, so much pressure in fact that they fired pitching coach Rick Knapp to try to appease them. That move has indeed worked as new pitching coach Jeff Jones has had an effect on the pitching staff. Prior to his promotion the Tigers had a 4.39 ERA, since he has taken the helm that has dropped to 3.64.

The Tigers have shown that they don't understand the game of baseball; they're handing out extensions like candy. They gave out extensions without winning anything, there was no proving ground. This team is up by four games and still have to play the Cleveland Indians twelve times to end the season. It's not far fetched to say that Detroit could find itself in third place.

Are the Tigers going to be as willing to hand out extensions in two or three weeks from now if they're only up one game or maybe six weeks away in the midst of a full blown collapse? From the looks of it, they don't care.

Neither of these men needed an extension at this point. With the track record that both of them have the conditions of an extension should have been; make the playoffs or your fired. This team isn't great, in fact it isn't good. It's just the best polished turd in the American League Central.

Before the All-Star Break, Owner Mike Illich basically said that Leyland and Dombrowski needed to win in order to keep their jobs. That must have been a kick to the pants of both men right? Not at all. Since the All-Star Break the Tigers are 12-10.

Detroit has managed to run away with the division because it's a terrible division, not because they're a good team. And it's only a four game lead, it's not 10 or 11 games. The Indians were up in the 7th inning in most of the games on their road trip; they ended up losing those games. But they could easily be one game back or even ahead of the Tigers.

It's not even like Detroit has a farm system to fall back on, Dombrowski managed to completely gut that and get nothing in return. In the entire farm system the Tigers have two prospects that have the potential to actually make it to the majors and do anything.

When Dombrowski took over the Tigers they boasted one of the best farm systems in the league, now they are ranked 28th. The dismantling of prospects without getting anyone of any worth back in return is what Dombrowski does, he's not some baseball genius. It's not Billy Beane sitting up there in the press box, it's some guy who can't tell a dud from a stud.

Why did the Tigers have to extend their contracts now? It's not like these guys were the going to run off to other clubs after the end of the season. Leyland isn't going to run off to Chicago as soon as the season ends. Dombrowski doesn't have teams lining up for his services. Just wait! There's almost two months of baseball left to be played.

Mike Illich said that Dombrowski gives the Tigers the best chance to win in the future; he's losing his mind. Handing out extensions at this point send the wrong message, it shows that the Tigers reward mediocrity. What happens if the Tigers collapse down the stretch run? Then you have Leyland for another season and Dombrowski for four!

This team is not good, it only looks good comparatively in the division. That won't be the case for long, because the other teams in the division have good GM's and managers. In 2009 the Tigers gave Jim Leyland an extension during the season and what happened? They collapsed down the stretch. Why would you do it again?

Terrible move for the Tigers, it just shows that Illich is impatient and has little understanding of what it takes to build a winning baseball club. Fire Dombrowski, fire Leyland, sell the Tigers. Detroit deserves better than this.

The Phil Coke Experiment Has Run It's Course

The Detroit Tigers ended up beating the Kansas City Royals on Friday night but it was forced into extra innings because of the continued ineptitude of Phil Coke. Rick Porcello had pitched masterfully and again a lack of an average caliber defensive in-field and poor bullpen pitching cost him a chance at the win.

When Porcello got into trouble Manager Jim Leyland went to his bullpen to try to stop the problem before it got out of hand. His choice was to go with Phil Coke, who was called in to face a left-handed batter and promptly allowed him to reach base.

Although this runner did not ultimately come around to score the "Phil Coke Experiment" has proved to be a grand failure.

As a starter Coke was unable to get things together and win more than one game, becoming for all intents and purposes a liability for the team. Finally, the front office and Leyland realized their mistake and moved Coke to the bullpen where they could use him in specific situations.

However, this plan too backfired. Similar to David Purcey, who was blessingly outrighted to Toledo, Coke has exhibited a stunning ability to miss the plate on a consistent basis. While he does show his work ethic every time he sprints from the pen to the mound, the product that he displays once there is sub-par to say the least.

A look at Coke's numbers reveals just how much he has struggled this season; 1-8, 4.84 ERA and a 1.522 WHIP. His WAR further shows his problems this season, he has a -0.3 WAR this season. Meaning that he costs the Tigers 0.3 games a season as opposed to his replacement.

Purcey was sent down to Toledo because he displayed a complete and total inability to find the strike zone even if the umpire pointed it to him. Coke is not to that point yet, but his struggles with the Tigers so far this season have showed that he is not to be called on in clutch situations, not a good tag to have in a playoff stretch run.

In the end the Tigers need to do what is in the best interest of both the club and Coke; and the best option right now is to send Coke to Toledo to work on his control. He has the work ethic, which means that a demotion to Toledo would do a world of good for Coke. Send him down, for everyone's sake.

This Tigers Team Looks Like AL Central Champs

Despite falling to the Texas Rangers on Thursday the Tigers were able to take two out of three from the American League West leaders. In doing so they were able to improve to eight over the .500 mark on the season and pull to a season-high four games ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

Detroit learned that their two trade deadline acquisitions are going to perform well for them down the stretch. David Pauley came out of the bullpen and pitched well for the Tigers in the game on Tuesday night. And newly acquired starter Doug Fister benefited from having run support and was able to convert his first start in the "Old English D" into a win.

In competing against another division contender in Texas, Detroit is proving that they are able to hold their own against quality opponents and are showing no signs of declining. And with the addition of Fister to the starting rotation the Tigers have found the pitcher that will put them over the top in the AL Central.

Coming into his first start for Detroit, Fister had the second-lowest ERA on the staff, essentially making him the Tigers second starter. As long as the Tigers are able to play good defense behind him Fister will continue to impress on the mound. He will also be able to teach Rick Porcello a thing or two, both pitchers are ground ball pitchers who pitch to contact.

Alex Avila appears to be coming out of his slump so far in August; he had no RBI in July and only 10 total bases. As of August 3rd, Avila had two home runs, five RBI and 14 total bases. Despite his July slump Avila was able to keep his batting average around the .270 mark and it is already on the rebound.

With Magglio Ordonez continuing to play well the Tigers boast one of the best team batting average's in the entire league. Second hitter Brennan Boesch is hitting .296 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI and a .352 OBP. While the lead off hitter position is fluctuating between Austin Jackson and Andy Dirks and Boesch is on a tear, the bases usually have runners on when the Tigers big hitters come up to the plate. 

The Tigers 4-5-6 hitters are some of the most fearsome in the league with Miguel Cabrera batting .314, Victor Martinez batting .317 and Jhonny Peralta hitting .317. These batters have proven time and time again that they are the heart of the team and have maintained their batting averages around the .300 mark all season.

Detroit is leading Cleveland, who despite the addition of Ubaldo Jimenez still have no hitting, and with their major players all clicking right now, the Tigers should finally run away with the division down the stretch.

Doug Fister Trade Is Exactly What Tigers Needed

July 30th was a very busy day for the Detroit Tigers, they called up super-prospect Jacob Turner to make his major league debut and were in the midst of making a deal with the Seattle Mariners to bring two pitchers to the club.

Turner's debut was everything the Tigers could have wanted; he showed poise and skill against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and wasn't rattled when things got tense. However, Turner is not the answer to Detroit's problems this season, which is why General Manager Dave Dombrowski made a deal with the Mariners.

In the middle of the day last Saturday the Tigers announced that they had reached a deal with Seattle that would bring right-handed starter Doug Fister and right-handed reliever David Pauley to their team. In return Detroit sent left-handed reliever Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third base prospect Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later to the Pacific Northwest.

Furbush had shown flashes of what he could become for the Tigers, he particularly excelled coming out of the bullpen in the sixth and seventh innings while struggling in his two starts. With further development Furbush could become an excellent reliever or a middle of the order starter without much trouble.

Wells proved that he could compete at the major league level, but right now the Tigers has a plethora of talented outfielders and had no room for him. When Wells was sent to Toledo a week ago to bring up Duane Below Manager Jim Leyland said he felt bad about doing it because Wells, didn't deserve to be sent down, but he was the odd man out. This trade is great for Wells as he will get a chance to play in the major leagues on a regular basis in Seattle.

Martinez was ranked as the Tigers No. 4 prospect, playing third base his trade may raise some eyebrows with the struggles of Brandon Inge and the trade for stop-gap Wilson Betemit. But, Detroit was looking farther down in their farm system, they felt that they could afford to trade Martinez away because they have Nick Catellanos in the wings developing into a third baseman Detroit can use.

Detroit received right-handed starter Fister in the deal, which will help to bolster their rotation. Fister does not have the most outstanding record, but keep in mind he was playing for the Mariners. This season he has a record of 3-12 but a 3.33 ERA and 1.171 WHIP. While in Seattle he got the least run support of any major league pitcher, meaning that when he pitches for a team like Detroit that can score runs, he should be racking up the wins.

Some have pointed out that he has only won three games away from Safeco Field in Seattle and have said that he will struggle pitching in Detroit. While Safeco is definitely a pitchers park, Comerica Park isn't exactly a bam box. Safeco has a park factor of .840 opposed to Comerica's .956, both of which prove that hitters don't exactly like playing in either stadium. A rate lower than 1.000 in park factors means the stadium favors the pitcher.

An added bonus to Fister is that he is not a rental player, he is signed for several seasons and is available for arbitration in 2013. Not to mention he becomes one of the lowest paid players on the Tigers roster, at $437k a year. While he may come cheap he will most certainly provide the Tigers with a solid arm that will help steady their rotation.

Also included in the trade was reliever David Pauley. Pauley is an excellent addition to Detroit's bullpen, he comes in with a 5-4 record and a 2.15 ERA and a .994 WHIP. His true value appears when his WAR is examined, to date he has a 1.7 WAR. This means that Pauley contributes 1.7 wins to his team through his efforts on the mound. 

While this deadline deal may not be the splashy deal that Tigers fans have become used to with Dombrowski at the helm, it has an opportunity to be one of the most worth-while. Detroit was able to add two solid arms to their team while not having to give up anyone from their starting lineup or top-prospect Jacob Turner. Look out for the 2012 Tigers rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Doug Fister and Jacob Turner.

Phil Coke Shows Jacob Turner How Not To Pitch in His Debut

In a late night announcement the Detroit Tigers called up super prospect Jacob Turner to take the hill against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This pushed Saturday's probable starter Duane Below into the Tigers bullpen and brought intense excitement to Detroit about Turner's MLB debut.

Turner was impressive in his debut, dueling with Dan Haren through 5+ innings of work. He threw 5.1 innings on Saturday surrendering only three hits and giving up just two runs on the day. His second earned run came around to score when Phil Coke hit a batter to drive him in.

In all, Turner was impressive; he showed that he still has to work on pitch location, as his pitch count was what drove him from the game, but he proved that he is everything that Tigers fans have been told about him. It may also has been due to jitters about starting in the show for the first time, but Turner struggled holding runners on the day, allowing four stolen bases behind him. With six strikeouts in his favor and the Angels hitting just .158 against him, Turner appears to be well on his way to the big club on a regular basis.

The Tigers played good defense behind Turner on Saturday, running down several long fly balls that he allowed and throwing out runners attempting to stretch singles to doubles. With any run support Turner may have won his debut, but he drew the short straw and had to attempt to out duel Haren. When he left the game in the 6th inning, Detroit was still tied with the Angels. The problem came when Manager Jim Leyland pulled Turner to bring in Phil Coke.

Coke entered the game and promptly allowed a double to Erik Aybar, pushing Howie Kendrick, Turner's runner, to third base before intentionally walking Mark Trumbo to load the bases. The walk of Trumbo was made to set up a possible double play to get the Tigers out of the inning; however, Coke hit Peter Bourjos driving in Kendrick to give Turner two earned runs on the day.

Jeff Mathis was then able to get a sacrifice fly off Coke to drive in another run, pushing the score to 3-1 in the Angels favor. With first base open and two outs Coke hit the very next batter to load the bases again for Torii Hunter, who flied out to right.

The Tigers were able to get runners on base against Haren but poor base running cost them at least one run in the later innings. In the 7th inning, Detroit was able to get runners on first and third with no outs before Victor Martinez grounded into a double play that could have been avoided. Magglio Ordonez was not coming home on contact and once Trumbo threw to second base to get Miguel Cabrera out Ordonez was tagged out at home plate. 

In the next inning Coke continued his struggles by surrendering two more runs before Leyland finally relieved him for Daniel Schlereth. Schlereth was able to keep the Angels from scoring any more, but the damage had already been done. The Angels lead 5-1 and that's all Haren needed.

Haren finished out the game on 113 pitches to get the win and spoil Turner's MLB debut. Coke has struggled in recent games and today was no different; he may be the one to benefit the most from the Tigers trade for Doug Fister and David Pauley. Pauley may be a right-handed reliever but his addition to the bull pen should allow Leyland more options in the later innings. Coke will benefit by not being counted on as often to come into situations with the game on the line, some time off may be just what he needs.

In all, Turner's debut was successful and Tigers fans should be very encouraged by his performance. With the addition of Fister to Detroit's rotation the Tigers pitching future is quite bright. Look for a rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Fister and Turner in 2012 and beyond.

Baseball Needs Replay...Now

Tuesday night's Pirates vs. Braves game was a long one to say the least, the game went on for more than six hours, but it was the last few minutes that everyone will be talking about.

On a fly-out the Braves sent the runner from third base to try to score and break the tie in the bottom of the 19th inning; the throw from Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was strong and on target, beating the runner home by a wide margin and the tag was made...or was it?

Home plate umpire Jerry Meals called the runner safe, saying that he believed that Julio Lugo was able to avoid the swipe tag by Pirate catcher Michael McKenry.

“I saw the tag, but he looked like he oléd him and I called him safe for that.  I looked at the replays and it appeared he might have got him on the shin area.  I’m guessing he might have got him, but when I was out there when it happened I didn’t see a tag.

“I just saw the glove sweep up. I didn’t see the glove hit his leg.”

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle exploded from the dugout and immediate started berating Meals for his call. From several replays from different angles it appears that Hurdle had an argument; the throw clearly beats Lugo to the plate and it appears as though McKenry is able to swipe Lugo's leg well before he reaches the plate. 

Lugo tells the story differently however, saying simply, "I didn't feel a tag." Despite his comments after the game his reaction immediately following the play show that he assumed he was out, but Lugo has been around long enough to know that you back the umpire when he makes a call in your favor.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted after the play, "If there was ever an argument for five-man umpiring crews--with one in the booth, overseeing replay to correct mistakes-- it was just made."

Olney has a point, with all the cameras that are scattered around the ball park this call would have been easy to take to the replay booth and make sure that they got it right, but baseball refuses to take the step into the 21st century.

It wouldn't take much to have a fifth umpire in a replay booth in the press box reviewing all close plays in order to assure everyone involved that the calls that were being made on the field were the correct calls. Having the extra umpire would eliminate delays that are common now when the umpires have to review home run calls, because he would have it streaming in front of him and would be able to call down to the field and quickly change a call.

On Wednesday the Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly issued a statement regarding the call made by Meals.

"The Pittsburh Pirate organization is extremely disappointed by the way its 19-inning game against the Atlanta Braves ended earlier this morning. The game of baseball and this game in particular, filled with superlative performances by players on both clubs, deserved much better.

"While we cannot begin to understand how umpire Jerry Meals did not see the tag made by Michael McKenry three feet in front of home plate, we do not question the integrity of Mr. Meals. Instead, we know that Mr. Meals' intention was to get the call right. Jerry Meals has been umpiring Major League games for 14 years and has always done so with integrity and professionalism. He got this one wrong."

The Pirates needed this game against the Braves as they are in the hunt for the playoffs for the first time in 19 years and they need every win they can get in the closely fought National League Central where they are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. The last thing that Pittsburgh needed was to lose a close game in extra innings, let alone on a blown call. 

After the Pirates filed their complaint with Major League Baseball, Joe Torre the executive vice president of baseball operations for the MLB released a statement on the call and its subsequent impact.

"Unfortunately, it appears that the call was missed, as Jerry Meals acknowledged after the game. Many swipe tags are not applied to the runner with solid contact, but the tag was applied and the game should have remained tied. I have spoken with Jerry, who is a hard-working, respected umpire, and no one feels worse than him. We know that this is not a product of a lack of effort.

"Having been the beneficiary of calls like this and having been on the other end in my experience as a player and as a manager, I have felt that this has always been a part of our game. As a member of the Commissioner's Special Committee for On-Field Matters, I have heard many discussions on umpiring and technology over the past two years, including both the pros and the cons of expanding replay. However, most in the game recognize that the human element always will be part of baseball and instant replay can never replace all judgment calls by umpires. Obviously, a play like this is going to spark a lot of conversation, and we will continue to consider all viewpoints in our ongoing discussions regarding officiating in baseball."

Although many may agree with Torre on replay, some will continue to call for replay on all plays, but the human element does indeed have a place in baseball. While the addition of a fifth umpire to the officiating crews to handle replays would greatly benefit the game, he should not make a call on every play in the field. While he may review each play made a change should only be made if a manager issues a challenge of an umpire's call.

Similar to the NFL the challenge system in the MLB should be limited to prevent abuse by the managers, limiting each team to only one challenge a game should help to clean up any mistakes made in the field while maintaining the feel of the game. That being said, something does need to change and baseball does need to embrace replay for the improvement of the game.

It's Time To Send Purcey Packing

The David Purcey Experiment for the Tigers has more than run it's course. General Manager Dave Dombrowski told fans that he had been trying to acquire the pitcher for some time before finally being able to secure him in a trade that cost the Tigers Scott Sizemore. He might want to back away from that statement any time now, because Purcey is garbage.

In his first several outings he struck out eight of nine batters he faced, but since then Purcey has demonstrated exactly why he is on his third team this season.

In a recent outing against the Oakland Athletics the Tigers put Purcey on the mound with a lead and he went on to promptly walk the bases loaded and hand the ball off to someone else to deal with the mess he had just made. All three of those walked batters came around to score, meaning that Purcey's line looked like this; 0 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 3 ER and an undefined ERA.

And it wasn't just a one time thing either, in his last nine appearances Purcey has a 12.46 ERA. His outings have broken down like this; 15 H, 12 BB, 12 ER. Now is this the arm that Dombrowski said he had been trying to get for a few years? Let's hope not.

Many Tigers fans remember each outing by former closer Todd Jones as a mix of excitement and sheer terror, lending Jones the nickname "Roller Coaster Jones." It seemed as though he wanted to make each one of his appearances exciting and would walk several batters and allow a hit or two before closing out the game.

If Jones was "Roller Coaster Jones," then Purcey is on a whole new level, possibly "Hindenburg Purcey." He comes out and gives the appearance of being capable and may even start his appearance going well but regardless of how it starts he always manages to go down in flames. 

Dombrowski has made it abundantly clear that he is trying to win now, possibly to save his own job, but if that's the case then why is Purcey still on the 40-man roster? These kind of numbers have sent others to the minors before, they should send Purcey down as well. Although Mud Hens fans may not want him either.

With the recent move to send Lester Oliveros back to Toledo in order to bring up Chance Ruffin, it brings up the question; What exactly do you have to do to be sent down around here? It took an eternity to send Brandon Inge to Toledo and now the clock is ticking on Purcey. Oliveros by no means has had an outstanding few weeks in Detroit, but he has performed much better than Purcey.

Granted Purcey is left-handed, but that shouldn't factor into an evaluation of his performance. He is not performing and needs to be sent somewhere where he won't hurt this club any more. Either send him to Toledo or tape a twenty to his forehead and try to trade him for a bucket of baseballs.

At least the baseballs would be useful.

Trading For Shields Will Only Weaken Tigers

It's no secret that the Tigers are in the hunt for pitching at the trade deadline this season; and reports have them looking for a left-handed starting pitcher to help back up Justin Verlander.

Despite those reports Detroit has been rumored to be very interested in Tampa Bay Rays' right-handed pitcher James Shields. Last Thursday the Tigers had two scouts at Tropicana Field to watch Shields take on CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees. Shields outdueled Sabathia on that night and may have increased his trade value in the process.

His value is obvious; he is a top of the rotation guy who has several years left on his contract. This season he is 9-8 with a 2.53 ERA, 7 CG and a 1.01 WHIP. Those kind of numbers are staggering, if the Tigers were to add a player of his caliber to their rotation they would run away with the American League Central.

If Shields were to join the Tigers he would fit into the second spot in the rotation behind Verlander. The rotation that Detroit would throw out would be one of the best in the American League. It would allow Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello to drop to third and fourth in the rotation and move Brad Penny to the fifth spot to continue his successful season.

The only problem with a possible addition of James Shields would be that the Tigers would have an entirely right-handed rotation and would strip Detroit of either a heavy portion of their prospects or of a producing outfielder currently on the 40-man roster.

Reports have the Rays looking for several prospects in return for Shields, but seeing as the Tigers have a dearth of talent in the minor leagues the cost of adding the hurler might be rising star Brennan Boesch.

The 26-year old Boesch is in his second season with the Detroit Tigers and has made a good impression on the club. He got out to a scorching start in his rookie season last year before slowing down in the second half, but this season he has calmed his swing down a bit and has become much more consistent. In addition to giving Detroit a consistent two-hitter in the line-up, Boesch has given them something that they have long been searching for at the deadline anyway; a power-hitting left-hander.

Boesch has 14 home runs this season with 24 doubles, 48 RBI and a batting average that hovers around the .300 mark. Standing 6'4" and 235 lbs he is an intimidating figure in the batters box; in addition, he has also calmed his swing a bit and has reduced his strikeouts. He gives the Tigers a fearsome bat that will only continue to grow into a better player as the years go on.

While the addition of Shields is a tempting one, the cost that it be to the Tigers would be one that would only weaken them in the long run. The pitching staff would drastically improve, yes, but the outfield would suffer for it. By trading away Boesch it would force the Tigers to play either Andy Dirks, Casper Wells, Don Kelly or God-forbid Ryan Raburn in his place. While most of those names, not Raburn, are quality players, they are not as good as Boesch.

While Boesch is often lifted in the later innings for Andy Dirks or Casper Wells as defensive replacements, none of his potential replacements can measure up to his offensive abilities. Not to mention, the Rays are already sporting a former Tigers outfielder, rising star Matt Joyce. As much as Tigers fans may want to add Shields to their team, having to give up Boesch to get him only makes the team weaker as a whole.

Tigers Roster Moves Put Team In Risky Position

Following Tuesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics the Detroit Tigers made several roster moves, sending down Andy Wilk and Casper Wells to Toledo and recalling Charlie Furbush and Duane Below.

Below will be making his major league debut on Wednesday, in the place of Justin Verlander. He has a 9-4 record with a 3.13 ERA this season in Toledo. With the Tigers looking to find a fifth starter, if Below impresses enough people he could be that man.

Optioning Wilk to the MudHens for Below isn't the problem; Wilk needed to be able to pitch, he hadn't pitched in nine games with the Tigers and Detroit needed to explore more young pitching talent. The problem lies with the demotion of Casper Wells to AAA.

Charlie Furbush is a good pitcher, no one is knocking him, in fact the Tigers are a better team with him on the ball club. But with Wells being sent down, Detroit is now put in a position late in games that could cost them games.

Instead of sending down Ryan Raburn, who according to reports still has an option left on his contract, the Tigers cut short a rising outfielder. Detroit has plenty of infield help; with Carlos Guillen being handed the starting second base role and Ramon Santiago being more than able to handle the utility role.

Late in games several defensive changes frequently take place; Don Kelly comes into the game to play third base, Andy Dirks replaces Magglio Ordonez in right field and Wells replaces Brennan Boesch in left field. These replacements boost the Tigers defensive abilities and ultimately help the Tigers save runs and games.

Now that Wells has been sent to Toledo, Detroit finds itself in a position late in games that isn't the best. Finding themselves down an outfielder the Tigers will now have to place Kelly in left field late in games to replace Boesch, keeping Brandon Inge at third base. While Kelly isn't a terrible outfielder, he has proved this season that he is a good infielder and should be utilized as such.

With the trade for Wilson Betemit from the Kansas City Royals, the Tigers may have found a solution to this problem. Detroit traded two Class-A prospects for Betemit, neither of which were ranked in Baseball America's Top 30 Prospects for the Tigers at the beginning of the season.

Adding Betemit should buoy Detroit defensively, allowing them to jettison Bradon Inge from the team. In an interview with Bob Wojnowski, Dombrowski was asked, "Will Inge be on the roster?" 

Dombrowski replied, "I am not talking about the roster."

The Betemit trade is a set in the right direction, but unless Below stuns the A's tonight the Tigers next roster move should be to recall Wells from Toledo and keep him on the roster for good. He deserves it.

Inge Tells Fans He Doesn't Care What They Think

Following his 0-3, 2K performance against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge voiced his feelings on being booed by the fans at Comerica Park.

"If they boo me, they're not true fans, and if they boo me then I don't care what they think," Inge said.

The remark was completely unlike what Tigers fans had come to expect from Inge, who had been a fan favorite for years. He had always been the fun, easy to talk to guy in the clubhouse who was willing to go out of his way to help the new guys.

After the game on Sunday Inge's batting average sits at .183 with a .249 OBP. Advanced sabermetrics paint an even bleaker picture of Inge's struggles, he has a -16 Rbat and a -9 oRAR. Meaning that he produces 16 less runs a season than the average third baseman and nine less runs a season than his replacement.

The one area of Inge's game that had consistently found him the starting role was his defensive ability; but that too has waned this year. As of July 17, Inge had a -15 Rdrs/yr, meaning that he surrenders 15 more runs a season defensively than the average third baseman.

These stats give an accurate image of the struggles that Inge has had all season long, and now Tigers fans have begun to turn on him. Manager Jim Leyland had previously said that Tigers fans at Comerica were the hardest fans to get to boo their own players. He went on to say that Detroit fans are some of the most well versed of all baseball fans and that if they boo you at home, then you're really not doing well. At the time he was talking about the Bronx cheer that Ryan Raburn was getting, but he now could easily say the same about Inge.

Tigers fans have picked up on his struggles and for a long time have given him some slack to regain his footing, but it appears that they have had enough. In Sunday's game Inge went 0-3, striking out twice, one of which he was K'ed up when he swung at a pitch that would have been ball four.

Inge is stumbling through his season and adding the boo's to it, must have been too much for him. When he lashed out at fans he may have just burned his last bridge. Fans watch the games every day, and know the game well and as such have every right to boo the players that they see are hurting their team.

They can keep booing him at Comerica and hope that every lineup card published doesn't have his name on it, but just remember, Inge doesn't care what you think because anyone who doesn't like him isn't a true fan.

Don't Expect Big Moves From Tigers at Deadline

After the All-Star break the focus in baseball shifts to the next biggest mark on the calendar; the trade deadline. It's at this point when a fan can tell whether their team is calling it quits for the season or if there is a legitimate chance at going to the post season.

The Detroit Tigers aren't any different than most baseball teams; they are in the hunt and are looking to be buyers at the deadline.

Fans have suggested all sorts of trades, none of which show much knowledge of the game. Trades such as the Tigers trading Ryan Raburn and Brandon Inge for any number of players, including; Jose Reyes, Hunter Pence, David Price, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw.

First of all, none of those players will be heading to Detroit. They cost too much and the Tigers have one of the weakest farm systems in the majors. The Mets are clearing salaries in order to make a play for Reyes in the off season, they won't trade him because he's their shortstop of the future. Pence has burst onto the scene in recent seasons, but seeing as he is one of the only bright spots in Houston they will be unlikely to trade their franchise player away for a handful of prospects.

David Price is one of the most ludicrous proposals suggested; he is arguably the best pitcher in the Tampa Bay rotation and they're just supposed to trade him away? Not a chance, this guy nearly won the Cy Young and will only continue to dominate batters in the future. Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw have the unfortunate luck of having to play for the Dodgers, despite their financial troubles it's unlikely that Los Angeles would have a fire sale when they're trying to become competitive again. A losing team isn't as appealing to potential buyers as one that has a chance at winning.

The Tigers have several holes to fill at the deadline, but it remains to be seen whether they will address those via trades or by promoting from within. They will have to look at either second or third base and look to find a fourth or fifth starter around the deadline in order to remain in the hunt for the post season.

One of the most glaring holes in the Tigers is at third base, Brandon Inge is currently the starter but is on the verge of being relieved of that role. He is batting .182 at the All-Star break and was threatened by Manager Jim Leyland to either step up his production or be ready not to play. Detroit can either promote Don Kelly to the full time third base position or they can go out and make a deal for a third baseman who would also be able to fill in at second base to help the struggling Ryan Raburn.

Infield Targets;

Adam Kennedy, 2B, Seattle Mariners
-- 242 AB, .259 BA, .308 OBP, 30 RBI

Kennedy can provide a solid defensive presence at either third or second for the Tigers in the stretch run, and with him having already been ousted from his role by a rookie in Seattle he will be available for relatively cheap. His bat isn't the best, but it is nearly .08 points higher than Inge and is more consistent all around than Raburn.

Jack Wilson, 2B, Seattle Mariners
-- 124 AB, .226 BA, .252 OBP, 6 RBI

While Wilson doesn't have the same type of numbers as Kennedy does, he may be available for an even cheaper price. He too, brings an increased fielding ability to the infield and has proven to be more consistent than Raburn. Given his relatively few at bats this season it is hard to get an accurate picture of his abilities with the bat, but he has to be better than Inge.

Detroit will also need to address the pitching problems on their team, the bullpen is in a state of flux right now, but with Phil Coke being in the pen and Joaquin Benoit appearing to be getting back on track. With Al Alburquerque on the mend, the bullpen will only improve as the season continues. What the Tigers need is a fifth starter, they can't keep going with the "Phil Coke/Charlie Furbush Experiment," and expecting anything good.

If the Tigers make a move to improve the infield they may want to keep the pitching improvements in house and look to the minors for help.

In-House Talent;

Thad Weber, RHP, Toledo MudHens
-- 4-6 record, 18 G, 5.68 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

While Weber's ERA stands out as being a bit high,but he has showed that he can handle nearly big league talent. His 1.51 WHIP is the number that should really stand out to Tigers fans, it means that he gives up only 1.5 hits or walks each inning that he pitches. And he currently ranked fifth on the organizational depth chart for the Tigers organization.

Jacob Turner, RHP, Erie SeaWolves
-- 3-3 record, 15 G, 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

Turner's name has been tossed around all season as being on the fast track to the big leagues; much has been made about General Manager Dave Dombrowski's affinity for advancing players from the minors rapidly. Turner's numbers indicate that he may be capable of holding his own in the majors, but facing the Minnesota Twins is much different than facing a AA opponent. His numbers may be tantalizing, but should also come with caution, he could end up performing like Furbush. It's better to take things slow and move him to Toledo before bringing him to Detroit.

Should the Tigers choose to go the trade route to fix their pitching staff, there are a few candidates that they could consider. Most of the pitchers that Detroit will target will not be high profile and will be more rent-a-player's than anything else.

Pitching Trade Targets;

Aaron Harang, RHP, San Diego Padres
-- 7-2 record, 14 G, 3.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

Harang's name has begun to surface in trade speculations with the Tigers, although it is unclear whether or not the Tigers have contacted the Padres the thought of Harang to Detroit is a good one. He has one year left on his contract and will not be very expensive to pry away from San Diego. His ERA is in decent shape for a pitcher playing in front of the Padres defense and his WHIP is in excellent condition going into the second half of the year. He would fit well into the third or fourth slot in the Tigers rotation.

Hiroki Kuroda, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
-- 6-10 record, 18 G, 3.06 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

The Dodgers are embroiled in both divorce proceedings and bankruptcy proceedings, not to mention the MLB is sitting just to one side waiting to jump in and take control of the team. Meaning, they will be looking to make some deals that could shed some salary while bringing in a bit of talent for the future. Kuroda has been rumored to be frequently talked about by the Tigers front office, and for good reasons. While posting a losing record, Kuroda has maintained an almost 2-ERA and a WHIP that is flirting with 1.0. He is a skilled pitcher who could become a solid spot in the rotation for the Tigers.

It remains to be seen just what exactly the Tigers will do at the deadline but they do need to do something. Being only ahead of the Indians by 0.5 games and with the White Sox only going to improve, Detroit needs to shore up some holes and make the push to the post season.

Can Detroit Win the AL Central?

Now that the MLB All-Star Game is in the past the focus squarely lands on the remainder of the season and the prospect of October baseball. The question in Detroit is; can the Tigers win the American League Central?

Short answer; yes.

The long and rather nerdy answer is much more revealing. This answer is a little less definitive. Can the Tigers win the American League Central? Maybe.

Despite a few rough patches over the course of the first 92 games of this season the Tigers find themselves in first place over the Cleveland Indians by 0.5 games. Sabermetrics show that if the Tigers continue on the exact same pace as they have had for the first 92 games, they will win the AL Central by 0.884 games.

Those same sabermetrics show that Detroit is on pace to win 86.282 games this season, which is physically impossible but given the nature of baseball can't be put out of the question. They are also on pace to lose 75.71 games this year. 

So, statistically speaking, the Tigers can indeed win the American League Central, albeit by only 0.884 games. But just making it to the postseason isn't good enough, do the Tigers have a shot at advancing in the playoffs?

Although nothing is impossible, the fact of the matter is that the Tigers may win the Central but they would be the weakest team in the postseason. At the All-Star break the Tigers would be in third place in the American League West, trailing the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In the AL East, Detroit would be sitting in fourth place a whole seven games behind the Boston Red Sox.

The Tigers can win the AL Central, simply because it's the weakest division in the American League. But don't expect too much from Detroit should the statistics prove to be true. They're the sixth best team in the American League for a reason.

Assessing the Tigers at the All-Star Break

The Detroit Tigers are in first place in the American League Central at the All-Star break, but just how good is this team?

After 92 games the Tigers are 49-43, above .500 but nothing to write home about. Their series against the Kansas City Royals was their first series win in quite some time. At the break, the Tigers aren't playing badly but they're not looking like World Series Champions either.

There are many success stories on this Tigers team, but it looks more like the haves and the have nots for Detroit. Detroit sports five, almost six, All Stars on their roster but beyond that there isn't much there. The Tigers have one of the best hitting first basemen in the league in Miguel Cabrera. And with the protection he is getting in the lineup from Victor Martinez they very well could be the best 4-5 hitters in the league.

It's difficult to put an exact value on just how important Justin Verlander is to this team, aside from being the clear ace of this staff he is often times needed to be the stopper as well. In his last nine starts Verlander has gone 7+ innings and surrendered two runs or less. He leads the league with a 0.87 WHIP and trails only CC Sabathia in wins going into the break (12). Verlander is also tied for the league lead in strikeouts with Clayton Kershaw at 147.

Short stop Jhonny Peralta is having a career season, and was honored by being named to the All-Star team after Derek Jeter pulled out of the occasion. He joins Jose Valverde in Arizona after Valverde completed 24 of 24 save opportunities before the break.

While there are multiple bright spots on this Tigers team, there are many more holes that continue to hamper Detroit's success. Mainly Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn.

Since returning from a bout with mononucleosis Inge has not lived up to expectations, not that he had before his illness. At the break Inge is batting .184 with 1 HR and 17 RBI, leading even him to call his performance so far "embarrassing." Manager Jim Leyland has stated that unless Inge can improve his numbers he will have to make adjustments.

This threat on his part is backed up by the surprising play at third base by Don Kelly. Kelly had been utilized more as an outfielder prior to Inge's ailment but was placed at third base during his absence. He has shown that he is not a stranger to outstanding fielding at the hot corner, handling his new position quite well.

While most days he puts on his third baseman's glove he has shown that he can literally do anything asked of him playing; all of the outfield positions, third base, second base, catcher and pitcher this season. In his career Kelly has played at all nine positions on the field, showing his outstanding versatility.

Raburn is another thorn in the side of the Detroit Tigers, while he has shown some flickers of being an average player he has struggled mightily this season. After beginning the season in the outfield Raburn was moved to second base when the Tigers traded Scott Sizemore to Oakland. This move was supposed to help improve the infield defensively and provide more offense than Sizemore did. With Raburn struggling to stay over the Mendoza Line this season, it hardly seems to be working.

The solution that the Tigers seems to be mulling to fill the hole at second base is to bring Carlos Guillen back as a second baseman. Guillen has been bothered by knee problems this season having spend the overwhelming majority of it on the DL or in the minors.

In nine games with the Toledo Mud Hens Guillen is batting .281 with 1 HR and 7 RBI. Adding in his four games with the Lakeland Flying Tigers his minor league batting average is .255 with 1 HR and 9 RBI. He was sent to the Erie SeaWolves to continue getting games in while both the Mud Hens and the Tigers are on All-Star breaks.

While Guillen may seem to be an easy fit for the second base spot, his lack of mobility and offensive struggles will not help this team in the playoff push. He was relieved of his short stop duties because of the wear and tear on his knees, then when he was moved to the outfield he again encountered knee troubles. It seems as though it is not the positions at which Guillen plays that is the problem, but Guillen himself. His body is deteriorating and with it, his value.

But the major problem facing this team is starting pitching, beyond Verlander the Tigers rotation is streaky. Brad Penny consistently gives a heroic effort but consistently gets very little in the way of run support. He is more of a fourth or fifth starter as opposed to the second man in the rotation.

Max Scherzer began the season on a tear, but his WHIP caught up to him stalling him at nine wins at the break. Scherzer frequently provides the Tigers with quality starts and then finds himself unable to find the plate, but he is a good fit for the third spot in the rotation. Rick Porcello shows flashes of what he could be, but can't consistently give Detroit the quality starts it needs. Porcello is a contact pitcher and does get many ground balls, but the Tigers inept defense frequently allows these to find the outfield. He could be a second starter in the future but for the time being, he is well suited for the fourth spot.

The fifth starter is more of a problem for the Tigers, with Leyland demoting Phil Coke back to the bullpen Detroit is left to find a starter from within. Their latest attempt was with Charlie Furbush, a pitcher who nearly made the club out of spring training. He had been clutch out of the bullpen for the Tigers and gave an admirable performance in his first major league start. In his second, however, he was hammered in 2 2/3 innings and subsequently sent down to Toledo to get more work.

Detroit will be buyers at the trade deadline, but don't expect any big names to be donning the Olde English D, the Tigers don't have the farm system to facilitate such a trade. General Manager Dave Dombrowski will need to make a decision on which aspect of the team to attempt to fix, should he choose to fix the second base position his options are limited. The most likely targets would be players who have been ousted on their teams by upcoming rookies, such as Adam Kennedy or Jack Wilson.

Should pitching be the area that Dombrowski choose to work on the Tigers could go after Wandy Rodriguez, Jason Vargas, Erik Bedard or Jeremy Guthrie. Rumors also have Detroit attempting to secure a trade with the Dodgers for Hiroki Kuroda. If the Tigers would rather stay in house to attempt to fix their pitching woes they may choose to call up Jacob Turner from AA-Erie.

At the break, the Tigers are in first place, and that is a good thing, but they are far from being playoff bound. This team has many holes that need filling and is consistently under performing on the field. However, with the American League Central being as weak as it is this season should a few key players step up or the Tigers make a few moves at the deadline this club could find itself as AL Central Champions.