Yearly Archives: 2006

Injuries, Pitching, Roster Management

Todd Jones Injured

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With one out to go in spring training, Todd Jones left the game with a pulled hamstring. According to Danny Knobler Jones is headed to the DL. A replacement hasn’t been determined yet, and I’d guess that the Tigers are waiting to see the severity of the injury.

I’m not worried about the loss of Jones as closer. I actually think that Fernando Rodney, who is yet further removed from Tommy John surgery will have a pretty good year, and should post comparable numbers to Jones. It’s more an issue of cascading roles with the loss of Jones in a bullpen that has several question marks.

If it looks like Jones will only miss a couple weeks, I’d imagine that the Tigers would go with one of the players currently on the 40 man roster like Mark Woodyard or Roman Colon. My guess would be Woodyard because I really think the organization wants Colon working as a starter.

If it looks like the injury will take a long time to heal, the team may be more inclined to look at a non-roster player. Unfortunately, there don’t appear to be any likely candidates in that group.

If you’re wondering about Franklyn German taking the last spot, I wouldn’t count on it. To me it didn’t seem like German was that close to making the team. His longevity in big league camp was probably more due to his option status than him being the last player cut. Adding German also gets tricky because he’s no longer on the 40 man roster. While there is room to add him, I believe a later demotion would mean him once again clearing waivers.

In other roster moves, the Tigers officially designated for assigment the contracts of Franklyn German and Rob Bowen. They also put Troy Percival on the 60 day disabled list and Craig Dingman on the 15 day DL. Why only the 15 day DL for Dingman? I’m not really sure.

Roster Management

Last cut is German

Danny Knobler reports that Franklyn German is on the waiver list.. German stands a pretty good chance to make it through waivers because any team that picked him up would have to retain him on their 25 man roster (or try to clear him on waivers). Fortunately for the Tigers there probably isn’t much of a market for relievers who average 9 walks per nine innings. According to the radio broadcast yesterday, German has made some mechanical changes which he is still getting used to. Whether or not it helps improve his control remains to be seen.

The end result is that Bobby Seay is 25th man and the big league roster is complete barring any last minute deals.

By my count the Tigers will also have two spots available on the 40 man roster. Seay and Santiago will require spots, but those should come from Carlos Pena and Franklyn German. The two spots will open up when Craig Dingman and advance scout Troy Percival are placed on the 60 day DL.

2006 Season, Pitching, Players, Previews

A heaping helping of Zumaya

There were several Detroit Tiger mentions over the last two days, and many of them included references to Joel Zumaya.

The Free Press had a piece on Zumaya’s new curveball/slider.

“My curve can be a slider,” he said. “If I throw it from over the top, it’s a curve with a 12-to-6 break. If I lower my arm angle, it has more of a slider movement. You’ll see me do that when the count is 0-2.”

His secondary pitch combined with the fastball has Buster Olney making Zumaya his Rookie of the Year pick. (Insider link)

Joel Zumaya has added a curve to his repertoire. I’m picking him to win AL Rookie of the Year. Based on what scouts are seeing in him, he won’t be in the Tigers’ bullpen for long.

Continue reading A heaping helping of Zumaya →

Roster Management

Tigers acquire Rob Bowen

And in yet another transaction today, the Tigers claimed Twins catcher Rob Bowen off of waivers. He is out of options, so I don’t anticipate him staying with the team long. The Tigers will most likely try to get him through waivers and have him join Brian Peterson and Max St. Pierre in Toledo.

Roster Management

Tigers cut six

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The Tigers have trimmed six more players. Optioned to Toledo are Nook Logan, Don Kelly, and Mark Woodyard. Assigned to minor league camp are Hector Mercado, Alexis Gomez, and Mike Hessman.

That leaves 29 players “in camp” but two of those are technically Troy Percival and Craig Dingman who are destined for the 60 day DL.

This means that the Tiger position players are set and the bench will consist of Ramon Santiago, Omar Infante, Vance Wilson, and Marcus Thames. I never thought I’d be thrilled to see Thames make the team, but given the way things were shaping up I am definitely happy.

The Tigers needed a viable bat on the bench, and Thames will provide that. Also, he was out of options so that if he didn’t make the 25 man roster his Tiger career would have been over. On the other hand, Nook Logan had an option left so he could be sent to Toledo.

I still think that Santiago and Infante are redundant. I understand the need for Santiago if Infante’s shoulder precludes him from playing in the infield, but in that case maybe Infante needs to be on the DL. The fact they were testing him at first is definitely a concern, especially because the Tigers just cut a player that could play first.

As for the last bullpen spot, it apparently is down to Bobby Seay, Roman Colon, Franklyn German, and possibly Jason Grilli. I still think that Grilli makes the team because like Thames, he is out of options. I also think German is still in camp only because the Tigers are still trying to deal him. German is also out of options, but hasn’t really shown much in the last several years or this spring.

My feeling is that the Tigers will keep Bobby Seay to provide the second lefty. This will also allow for Roman Colon, who still has an option, to work as a starter at Toledo. The Tigers have a log jam of potential starters/long relievers and I don’t see the need to have Colon given that Grilli and Zumaya will be filling similar roles.

Pitching, Previews, Roster Management, Trade Rumors

Tiger Linkfest

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Roster Issues

I’ve said pretty much all I have to say about the Carlos Pena release in that I don’t like how the roster sets up. Knobler’s blog today didn’t make me feel any better

Leyland raved again after the game about Ramon Santiago. Santiago is very likely to make the opening day roster, in part because they need a backup shortstop and Omar Infante’s right shoulder tendinitis makes it hard to consider him for that spot. Infante is on the team, though. In fact, they had Infante and Alexis Gomez work out today at first base. They need someone else able to play first, in case they pinch-run for Shelton in a game where Dmitri is the DH. Pretty good indication that Gomez has a very good chance to be on the team as the extra outfielder, too.

If Infante can’t be the back-up infielder because of his arm, maybe he needs to go on the DL. I’ve got nothing against Infante, and I think he’ll probably do okay this year, at least along the lines of his 2004 season. However, if he is your best pinch hitting option and he can’t play the left side of the infield there will be problems. I have a bad feeling that this bench is going to scare me more than opponents.
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Players, Roster Management

Carlos Pena Released

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The Tigers have unconditionally released Carlos Pena, thus ending his career as a Tiger. By releasing him now, the Tigers only have to pay 45 days of Pena’s $2.8 million salary, thus saving $2.1 million.

While the move isn’t surprising, I can’t help but be disappointed. I’m sure every effort was made to trade Pena, but there probably weren’t takers. While Pena has been frustratingly erratic, he still provides a powerful left handed bat, as well as plate discipline. While the Tigers weren’t lacking for first basemen, they are still lacking in those areas. And even despite Pena’s horrible first half, he still managed an 802 OPS in 2005.

This move definitely weakens the Tiger bench. While there isn’t a need for a first baseman/DH right now, one of the players that Detroit it relying on to man those positions is Dmitri Young who’s played one full season in his Tiger career. Omar Infante and Vance Wilson will occupy two of the 4 bench spots. A third spot will go to a backup outfielder who can probably play center – so Nook Logan or Alexis Gomez. That leaves one additional spot.

If the last spot is used to keep Marcus Thames in the organization, it will temper my disappointment somewhat. I don’t want to see the spot go to a light hitting infielder such as Ramon Santiago, or an error prone infielder such as Don Kelly.

Meanwhile, somebody will get a 28 year old power bat for cheap. Maybe Pena will never be an everyday player, and he may not be worth $2.8 million. However, he’d be a heck of a platoon option on the right team.

Managing & Strategy, Offense

Leyland settles on a lineup

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According to Danny Knobler, Jim Leyland has settled on a lineup.
Granderson, cf
Polanco, 2b
Rodriguez, c
Ordonez, rf
Young, dh
Monroe, lf
Guillen, ss
Shelton, 1b
Inge, 3b

Now if your reaction was similar to mine, you’re probably thinking “Guillen and Shelton at 7 and 8 while Pudge is hitting third?!?” Yes, the lineup is unorthodox, and one I probably wouldn’t advocate. However, I’m not sure how much of a difference it would actually make.
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Pitching, Roster Management, Spring Training

Zumaya reactions

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I liked reading this quote from Leyland in today’s Freep

“Our 13 position players — and this is a big factor — would look at me like I was nuts if I didn’t take those two guys,” Leyland said. “I think I would lose some credibility. They’d look at me and say, ‘What are these guys doing? What are they looking at?’ “

Alan Trammell made a mistake last spring by taking Bobby Higginson instead of Marcus Thames. Higginson was clearly on his last legs while Thames tore up spring training. In the process it seems like he lost some other members of the team. Leyland seems very aware of the situation and didn’t want to make the same mistake.

However, I didn’t like reading this quote, also from the Freep

Leyland doesn’t rule out that Zumaya will someday return to starting. But he doesn’t plan to insert him in the rotation if a starter gets hurt soon.

“We’ve got him programmed,” Leyland said of the relief role.

Zumaya being typecast into a relief role is my only qualm about him moving to the bullpen. While that may ultimately be his best role, he has way too much potential at age 21 to not be given the opportunity to start.