WXYT is citing a report from the Asheville Citizen Times that Cameron Maybin will join the Tigers tonight.
There is no word yet on corresponding roster moves for either the 25 man or 40 man roster. It did appear that Marcus Thames tweaked his hamstring last night and Craig Monroe has had the flu. I don’t know if it is simply a matter of them being shorthanded in the short term or if possibly a trade was made involving Craig Monroe who most likely cleared waivers.
UPDATE: it sounds like the Tigers inquired a couple days ago whether he was ‘ready’ making it sound this may be less likely to be a response to something that happened last night.
I have lots of thoughts on this but I’m on my blackberry so those will have to wait.
UPDATE & Comments: Now that I’m back from the zoo, and not doing this on a blackberry, a little more info. As was posted in the comments, this was one of a series of moves. Craig Monroe has been designated for assignment, thus freeing up a spot on both the 40 man and 25 man rosters. The Tigers have ten days to try and work out a trade, or release him. I would be shocked if he hadn’t been placed on waivers at the beginning of the month, so that process is probably complete. The other shuffle was Omar Infante being optioned out in favor of Ramon Santiago.
Maybin
First the outfielders. I’m both excited and nervous to see Maybin make his debut. The limited results from Erie are certainly encouraging, as were the results when he came back from the disabled list. Prior to his shoulder injury he hadn’t been hitting for a ton of power in Lakeland and I wonder if that stemmed from a back injury suffered earlier in the year. He came out of the gate strong, missed a little bit of time, and then came back and went in a homer drought. I wonder if the time off to recuperate the shoulder also helped with his back? I don’t really know, just a possible theory.
He’s essentially jumping all the way from Hi A to the pro’s considering his time in Erie was so brief, and that is a quick progression no matter who you are. With that comes some risk, and in Maybin’s case the biggest cause for concern would be his strikeout rate as he fanned once every 3.5 at-bats in Lakeland.
Still I’m excited to see him play and I do think he can help the club. I have some of the same concerns I had with Miller being rushed, but to a much lesser extent. I believe that Maybin will be asked to do a lot less than Andrew Miller. I anticipate he’ll get some platoon starts against lefties and will be used a late inning defensive replacement. The latter is a role I think he can fill with no problem. The former will be putting him in a situation that should help him have success. And as a position player, I don’t have the same concerns about fatigue and workload that I did with Miller.
Monroe
There was a reason that Craig Monroe received a one year deal after a 27 homer season and a post season that saw him set the team record for homers. It was because Cameron Maybin was waiting in the wings and Monroe was holding the spot in the meantime (Marcus Thames proved that he could have served the same function at 1/10th the cost, but that’s another issue). Monroe floundered all year and never showed in sign of breaking out of a season long funk. He’s never been strong from a batting average or on base perspective and the power that he did possess seems to have vanished. He was capable defensively, but that’s about it.
I’ve always rooted for Monroe because he seemed like a guy that worked hard, liked being a Tiger, and quite frankly was a nice guy to the fans. Those aren’t the types of things that mean you should keep your job though. With Monroe having lost his starting position to Thames, and not being a particularly enticing pinch hitting option given his struggles, there just wasn’t a lot of ways that Monroe could contribute to the club at this point. Meanwhile Craig’s confidence which is already probably shaken takes another huge hit as he ponders “I must be worse than Jason Grilli.”
Infante & Santiago
I totally get that Carlos Guillen is a huge issue at shortstop. The errors have been a problem all season long, but with Guillen’s knees aching, the decent range he had earlier in the season has become reminiscent of a statuesque Shane Halter. I was perfectly comfortable with Omar Infante backing up Guillen, and when he reached base 4 times the other night in Cleveland and made a nice play deep in the hole I thought that Jim Leyland might have thought so too. But Leyland just doesn’t trust Infante in that capacity, and Ramon Santiago is the superior defender.
Against lefties I’d imagine that Santiago starts at short and Carlos Guillen plays first. You’re improving the left side defense, but you are inserting a black hole into the lineup. Granted, it’s a much more inexpensive black hole than Jack Wilson will provide so in some respects that’s good.
As for Infante, he’ll be back when the rosters expand in September. Ryan Raburn is now filling Infante’s former role and it would be hard to send his bat to the minors given how he’s been swinging. And with Tony Giarratano on the disabled list, Infante could still be placed on the playoff roster if need be.
Very interesting…..
Nate is going to need lots of run support tonight, so here’s hoping Maybin produces like he did on his original promotion!
Holy crap…I never thought he would be a possibility this season. This will be very interesting to watch.
wow. I am excited to see this guy play.
Wow. I’ve got mixed feelings on this. He K’s so much that he very well could come up and .200 or worse and reallllllllly struggle.
He won’t struggle. The kid has amazing talent. And pitchers don’t know him yet. Expect him to contribute right away, then tail off if he gets more than 30 at bats.
Oh – and I think it’s fun to note that billfer beat “Tiger Insider” Danny Knobler online with this story…
Trade Maybin!
Listen i just ound out that i have to drop 500 on a new alternator for my car but all i can think about is maybin tonite!
The more I think about it, really what are our options if Thames is hurt? I don’t want Monroe everyday in LF or getting substantial AB’s, and he’s sick anyways. After that it’s who? Timo Perez? Brent Clevlen? Andres Torres?
We’re really handcuffed with who we can run out there that will be effective.
Makes a lot of sense if Thames needs to be DLed again or if Monroe is traded/goes on the DL with a tired arm. With the miserable performance of Timo and the rough season for Clevelen, he is probably the best OF in the Tiger system right now. He will play good defense, and may contribute at the plate. Plus, he was almost guaranteed to come up at the roster expansion anyway, this just pushes it forward a couple weeks. If Thames is DLed, he’s probably a better LF option than Monroe right now. If Monroe is gone, there are worse things than a backup LF who can definitely get to and catch the ball. If the incredible screwing of Thames by the baseball gods continues, however, expect him to go on the DL and Maybin to hit the cover off of the ball.
How bad is Thames hurt? Where’s the news there.
I think I’d rather just leave Maybin down and put Raburn in LF and Omar at 2nd base if Monroe/Polanco can’t go. No need to use Maybin right now, though he would be a defensive upgrade.
Danny Knobler:
The Tigers are making a series of roster moves today, and the biggest is to promote the 20-year-old Maybin, the organization’s top prospect and one of the best in baseball, from Double-A Erie. Maybin takes the spot of Monroe, who has been designated for assignment. The Tigers have 10 days to trade or release Monroe.
In the other move today, the Tigers have optioned Omar Infante to Triple-A Toledo, replacing him with Ramon Santiago. This gives the Tigers more of a true backup shortstop, which is important because of Carlos Guillen’s continuing leg problems.
I like the idea of putting Monroe on the DL with tired arm.
I dont know if I like us having to put Maybin on the 40 man already. Plus is costs us someone who was on it possibly, which probably isnt a good thing (unless its finally good bye Grilli time)
I really didnt see this coming. I figured he wouldnt finish up in AA and then start next year in AAA and we would see how ready he is. This seems like a lot to be dumping him into right now. He no doubt has the talent, but there were definitely some signs that he wasnt ready yet (at least before AA).
I wish I wasnt in SF for work right now. I wont get to see his debut if its tonight (though I pray I get the Tigers-Yankees on national broadcast tomorrow on Fox instead of the Cubs-Cards).
I didn’t know Omar had options left. Didn’t he come up as a SS, anyways? Ramon Santiago should’ve broke spring training as the back up SS anyways over Neifi.
Wow. This is nuts to think about.
Wow… Mr. Monroe has certainly ridden the rollercoaster; designated at the same stadium he made such a splash last year. I hope the team handles this well, and I wish him luck.
DD and JL have a cool propensity to throw rookies right into the Yankee Stadium fire, don’t they?
Not really that nuts. It sucks for Infante and i bet he take the full 48-72 hrs to report. (I would) But he’ll play every day for 12-13 days and be back 9/1. He hasn’t been yo-yo’d back on forth to Toledo so I’m not surprised he has an option left. It sets up a potentially scary day game after night bottom of the lineup tomorrow of Rabelo, Maybin, Santiago and Inge.
I sure hope the same people who said Miller needed to be kept in the minors aren’t go to be extolling Maybin jumping to the majors after 10 days in AA.
Quite the move… I’m seriously going to buy MLB.tv tonight just so I can watch the game – since I just moved from the Detroit area a few months ago.
Also, note DD saying last weeks there was no chance of a Maybin call-up. GM’s are paid to lie. It suggest how naive and lap-doggish the beat reporters are if they either a). don’t call him on it b). didn’t predict a week ago that there was a possibility DD was snowing them.
Journalists in general Stephen are cowards. No one ever calls anyone out on anything anymore and it’s sad. No one’s held responsible for things sports-wise.
Also, I am for keeping Maybin in the minors. And I will stand by that, as I do my thoughts on keeping Miller in the minors.
Hey, careful! you’re talkng about my profession. I, for the most part, tend to agree.
This is worth another look on this day of days:
http://www.cameronmaybin.tv/
You’re a journalist, Stephen? What and where?
So crazy! This is the weirdest bunch of moves I can ever remember! At the beginning of the season when they only gave Monroe a 1 year deal in arbitration it was the beginning of the end for C-Moe.
Newsflash…Rod Allen has to be talked back in from the ledge of a NYC skyscrapper by Mario
**Also, note DD saying last weeks there was no chance of a Maybin call-up. GM’s are paid to lie**
Nothing more true ever said. Which is why 90% of all the “rumors” and “speculation” and “media eplanations” on what trades were or were not made by trade deadline were all rubbish.
From a post on the Detroit News discussion board…
Pittsburgh’s SS Jack Wilson has apparently cleared waivers today and they have indicated interest in Monroe, which could set up a deal between the Tigers and the Pirates.
That does make a little bit more sense when it comes to the timing of this whole thing.
I take offense to the “journalists are cowards” comment to, Mike. While I’m not currently in the profession, I was a reporter for many years, both news and sports. You walk a fine line as a “beat reorter,” whether it’s city hall you’re covering or the Tigers. It’s your job to report the news and ask the tough questions. Many times you do ask those tough questions, and you get blown off. Guys like Dombrowski and other folks that know what they’re doing when they talk to the media never let out more than they want you to know. You can talk to other sources or ask the same thing in different ways, but bottom line is that you depend on the source for the news. Some times you just can’t get the information you’re looking for, or at least get verrified. And if you’re a real journalist, you don’t run with stories that aren’t substantiated.
What’s the point of bringing up Santiago if we’re interested in grabbing Jack Wilson of the waiver wire for Monroe? That makes no sense to me at all. And, I don’t want Wilson anyways. Please keep him from Detroit.
Thinking Man:(This is admittedly from an outsider’s prospective not knowing what goes on on the inter-workings so you’ll probably think it’s a lot of garbage from me) It was more hyperbole then my actual opinion, however I do feel that the media, not just in sports but elsewhere, don’t hold people accountable for things. People seem to be too busy keeping their jobs instead of doing their jobs.
Wow, they were so he’s not going to be on the roster this year and now look. After last’s night’s game and seeing Marcus grab his hammy, I was very concerned although he did go out and finish the game. This move is sort of mind-boggling to me right now, but very exciting.
I’m confused by the Infante/Santiago move. Is Santiago’s defense enough to offset Omar’s better bat? I suppose if this is just temporary it’s not such a big deal, but Santiago gives you a rally-stopping whole in the line-up.
I’m definitely not asking or hoping for Wilson myself… but it’s definitely coincidental timing if nothing else until we hear more details about where Monroe’s headed.
Thinking Man:
Good explanation to Mike R. However, would it be fair to say that journalists in a market like Detroit, or Cleveland, or Minneaoplis, say, are more “timid” that say, journalists in NY?
Perhaps it’s just me, but it just seems NY reporters are more willing to ask hard questions and call out dubious preformances, moves, etc.
I think Cameron got jealous of Justin Upton’s promotion and went on a rampage
Monroe’s gone???? There is a God!
I like the move, lets see what Maybin can do. It was almost a sure thing he’d be up to start next season, so why not now?
I’m so glad that if I ever have to see another Monroe at-bat, it will be him closing his eyes and swinging as hard as he can against one of the Tigers’ pitchers. It Watching his at-bats will go from disgusting to wildly entertaining.
Stephen, this sentiment doesn’t make sense to me. You’re essentially saying that people need to believe that every player should be handled the same way, regardless of their individual progress and circumstances.
No one argued that Miller should be in the minors because every player should stay in the minors for a certain amount of time. They were concerned about his lack of a third pitch, and the difficulty he had throwing his breaking ball for strikes. Or they were concerned about the number of innings he would have to throw if he stuck in the bigs.
Obviously, none of these things are a concern for Maybin. I’m not sure if I like this move. I certainly like parts of it: Leyland can’t give Monroe any more chances, so we’ll likely see more Thames and Rayburn — that can’t hurt. On the other hand, as you point out, we’ll see some ugly 7-9s with Santiago, Rabelo, and Inge in them. As for the Maybin part, I just don’t know.
I think that would fair to say, T Smith. The New York media is a breed unto itself … they are rabid!
The point I was trying to make is that there are a lot of factors why certain things make it into print and others don’t. The biggest thing I see with our major papers in Detroit, as far as sports coverages goes, is that it’s stale. For the most part, you see the same reporters covering the same teams year after year. How long has Tom Gage covered the Tigers for the Detroit News? 20 years? How about John Lowe at the Freep … 10 years?
At a lot of the papers I worked for, we rotated beats periodically. When you’re on a beat for a long time, it’s almost natural to get lazy. You wind up being “co-opted” by your sources, meaning you stop asking the tough questions and doing the tough stories and just spew back the company line.
Monroe’s gone but Grilli still has a job
I think Grilli will be gone when Zoom-Zoom comes back … at least that’s the move I would make. Everyone they’ve brought up from Toledo has done a better job than Grilli. I’d rather have Lopez that Steve-O.
It would be nice if the Tigers got Wilson for Monroe. They can move Guillen to 1B full time and put Casey on the bench. He is clearly not a starter any more.
I know Leyland likes talent over experience, but I think they’ve rushed Maybin. How many minor league at bats does he have total …500? I though they would let him finish out at Erie and then let him play at least a half-season there next year. It’s hard to believe that he’s really ready.
Speaking of roster moves, I’d like to see Inge move back behind the plate next year. I really like him defensively at 3B, but he just isn’t going to hit enough. Call me old-school, but I want a better hitter playing 3B. I think Inge would be doing himself a favor, career-wise. His numbers look a lot better as a catcher.
I don’t understand the rush to bring up Maybin, with Raburn hitting well so far.
It’s exciting to see Maybin, but wonder who’s going to play CF when he and Grandy play. If it weren’t for Ichiro, I’d put $$ on Curtis winning his first Gold Glove out there this year.
I can’t believe we didn’t trade Monroe for a pack of chewing gum before the deadline. I wonder where his spring training entourage is now?
I feel bad for Omar and agree with TBone’s question: Omar’s been solid at the dish and in the field all year and see no reason to move him in favor or Neifi-lite Santiago, especially if we’re considering Wilson.
As for Thinking Man’s musings on Inge, I seriously doubt he’d move back to full time catching – though his defensive prowess is very good, his career numbers are 40 pts. lower when he was there. That said, I’d love to see him become more of a nearly-every-day utility player again, where his athleticism is of more value than at third and his below-average offense isn’t as much of a detriment.
Please no trading for Wilson unless Pitt picks up his contract.
He’d have the same value as Santiago, but for $5+ mil this year, $6+ next year and $7+ the year after.
We really dont need that. Even if its only for Monroe
Mike R
Yes, Stephen is a journalist and a very good one. I’ve read some of his work and it is very good.
Also, I read somewhere today that CMO has already cleared waivers. Not sure if that is a fact, just something I read somewhere. I wish him the best and hope he finds success with another team.
Ooooh! I’m so excited bout tonight
I don’t really get the timing of this move, I have to say. Polanco’s been sick for a couple days, so Raburn has had to play 2B (over Infante, which was a telling sign), but once Polly gets healthy, wouldn’t Raburn slot back in naturally as the backup OF, with Thames starting in LF. Do we really need to deprive Maybin of regular at bats in the minors now, right when he is starting to justify the superstar prospect hype? And I definitely am among those who question whether the addition of Santiago’s glove is great enough to offset the loss of Omar’s bat on the days when he’s in the lineup.
Finally, responding to a few others comments – 1.) Inge will never play catcher again. He’s a gold glove third basemen now and he showed no ability to produce at the plate while juggling catcher responsibilities. 2.) Grandy can win a gold glove even if Ichiro does too. They do not award gold gloves based on position, they just give it to 3 OF’s, mostly based on previous reputation, so it’ll be hard for him to do it this year.
Wow, so much to think about! I am an Omar fan myself, I think I have a soft spot for him because of his persistence and good attitude during the bad years. I hope that maybe this move is just to be able to see what Santiago looks like at short, as long as Omar was not out of options and can be brought back, you know, checking out all of the options with Carlos having the knee issues. At least that’s what I’m telling myself!!
I am really psyched to watch tonight, too.
I was just reading the posts about this on the Free Press website and came across this one:
“Hello Detroit
I was just looking up about Craig Monroe and came across your comments. I am a sports writer for a small paper in New York and was speaking to Craig last night. He was upset about the season he had been having and felt he let the Tiger fans (whom he loved) down. Last night at Yankee stadium although sick as a dog he was in the batting cage from noon till almost game time working on his swing. Today as I read your comments Tiger fans have that what have you done for me lately feeling with Craig. My sources in New York tell me that BOTH the Yankees and Mets have inquired about Craig. Joe Torre who is good friends with Jim Leyland has gotten good reports from Jim. Stay tuned. You might be seeing Mr. Farnsworth again in Detroit. A little showcase last night from Mr. Torre.”
I’m with Kathy, I know it’s baseball but the MOM in me feels the heartache for the Monroe situation. Anyone think there’s really still a possibility of seeing Farnsworth??
I think a big part of Maybin’s call up is to be a late-inning defensive replacement for Thames while his hammy is still balky.
With Raburn’s bat and versatility, the only spot Infante was the primary backup was SS. I think it may be worthwhile to go from a .260 hitter to a .220 hitter to get lights-out defense. Thames becoming the starting LF freed up platoon games at first for Guillen, and when you have Guillen playing first, a very good defensive SS will be required. Plus, I think all the Jack Wilson rumors should now be dead for at least the season. Hopefully Omar takes it well; the Tigers will need him again this season.
Best of luck to C-Mo. It was hard to watch a good guy in his prime crumble before our eyes. Hopefully a change of scenery will help him have many productive years ahead.
*** It would be nice if the Tigers got Wilson for Monroe. They can move Guillen to 1B full time and put Casey on the bench. He is clearly not a starter any more. ***
Casey, in spite of his shortcomings, is a much much better hitter than Neifi Wilson. Putting Wilson out there on a regular basis would really downgrade the offense.
I’ve got no ill will towards monroe at all, and I think 10 years from now every real tiger fan will vividly and fondly remember the tear-ass 2006 postseason monroe had, as well as his great attitude and hard work through the bad years. The fact is though, that he’s really never been all that good of a hitter and the tigers just don’t have room to carry him anymore since he’s been struggling so badly all year. That’s baseball, I bet Craig’s taking it well and I bet he’ll bounce back somewhere soon. There’s not really a what-have-you-done-lately vibe in this string of posts, but there are on other message boards.
Dromboski possibly just changing his mind after Maybin’s recent performance should be characterized as lying without some sort of proof.
I’d swap Monroe for Farnsworth….is that seriously a possibility?
And Cecil, when exactly did Inge win a Gold Glove?
Even if he was hands-down the best defensive 3rd baseman in the league its still hard to justify having him there with his salary and his numbers. You have to make something happen offensively if you’re a 3rd baseman.
I figured that’s why we got to take a look at Farnworth last night. They were showcasing him.
I get your point, Jeff. I do like Casey, too, great guy and has a good glove. I guess I just view him as a spot starter/defensive sub at this point in his career. A couple of HR’s and 40 something RBI from your first basemen in late August doesn’t cut it in my book. I can live with Wilson’s shortcomings at the plate if he plays a good shortstop. We have enough offense without getting tons of production from him.
Man, do I dislike Farnsworth. But if he can take over the Grilli innings, I can definitely deal.
This is an absolute SHOCKER……..I mean, I get dropping Monroe, sending down Infante is fine with me because I don’t think he adds that much, but bringing up Maybin in the middle of a penant race? Maybe he turns out to be Al Kaline, but given the strikeout numbers at that level, I have my concerns. The timing of this is very odd as well…….but I like that they are shaking things up…it may be just what the doctor ordered…but I still don’t get keeping Grilli up…I hope he gets sent down/released Tuesday when Zumaya hopefully comes back.
A) I saw the showcase and I still dont want Farnsworth. Or Wilson! Omar/Santiago/Raburn are perfectly adequate, I say we address SS in a more significant way next year.
B) This is good news, just to see Stephen post Cameron’s genius website again! cameronmaybin.tv is the future of the Internet!
C) I’m gonna miss Monroe, even though Thames looks strikingly similar to him. Parts of me wish he clears waivers and they are allowed to send him down to Toledo.
2 thoughts:
I’d be very surprised if Monroe ends up on the Yankees before season’s end. DD hates to deal in his own division, I can’t imagine he’d want to deal with a potential playoff matchup, even if he helps the bullpen in the process. At the same, I could be wrong, and we’ve seen that DD will do what he thinks is right to help the team.
Also, Maybin will now be eligible for the postseason roster (if we get that far) while he would not have with a 9/1 callup.
I happen to be in NY this weekend visiting a friend and we’re going to tomorrow’s game. Hopefully they keep Maybin out of the lineup until then!
Now that I’m thinking about it…..Andruw Jones and Miguel Cabrera were in their teens and played on World Series Champ teams, so maybe Maybin can come up and tear it up. I’m also sad in a way to see Monroe go, I stuck up for him on here when everybody else was bashing him, I thought he’d turn it around, be he never did. I think a change of scenery will be good for him as well…and I HOPE they don’t get Kyle Farnsworth.
yep. this is exciting. I like the options Jim will have on the line-up and you can bet your boots he’ll make the most of all that! Go Jim!
the thing I’m looking at is– if Thames is hurt then and C/Moe is option off we are weak out there in LF and so it’s a very good thing we got a couple new guys who can play.
speed out there is vital– critical I think — players who can move have a lot of range in fielding and are devastating on the pads.
cib – Thanks for sharing that. Like I said, I’ve always rooted for Monroe. At a Tigerfest a couple years back my 4 year old was getting C-Mo’s autograph but was being shy. Craig kind of held things up for a couple moments and talked to him and high-5’d him. Going the effort with my son made me a fan.
One other Craig story, and one I’ve told here before. Last year coming out of a rain delay at Comerica, Monroe took his warm up tosses with a kid in the front row that had a glove.
So as much I like him, he wasn’t just not helping the team, he was hurting the team this year. And they did give him plenty of time to try and break out of it.
From WXYT: Cameron Maybin will START TONIGHT IN LEFT FIELD.
Appointment viewing, folks.
Wow, they aren’t wasting time throwing him in there. I guess they brought him here to play, so it’s sink or swim.
The Cameron Maybin era begins.
On Craig:
He is a good guy, he loved the team, he wanted to be a Tiger, he was great with the fans (as billfer pointed out) and for those reasons, it’s a disappointing letdown that he didn’t work out. He’s the kinda player you want to root for. But I think those very same reasons are precisely why he didn’t work out. He tried too hard to live up to the fans (let alone Rod Allen’s) expectations. The minute he was deemed Mr. Clutch, in my view, he was ruined as a Tiger.
I saw the effect of these expectations in his eyes at the beginning part of the year, when he started chumming with Sheff, as mentor figure, in hopes to pick up his game. He fiddled around with his swing and experimented with a quasi-Sheff waggle. I know I’ve said it before, but I truly think the mental part of the game got too much into his head this year, and he just couldn’t break free from it.
I don’t think his carreer is over. I think he should go a team like the Nats. I don’t think he’ll excel one bit with the Mets or the Yankees — but mark my words, if he lands a job with the Nats, or the Pirates, or some place like that, he may just ressurect himself into a marque player. The trick, once he gets there (and I truly hope he does), is to figure out a way to believe in himself as something other than a Cinderella.
Tonights lineup from the Free Press, Maybin batting second.
CF Curtis Granderson
LF Cameron Maybin
DH Gary Sheffield
RF Magglio Ordonez
SS Carlos Guillen
C Ivan Rodriguez
1B Sean Casey
2B Ryan Raburn
3B Brandon Inge
wow. throwing Maybin into the fire right away. too bad about C-Mo, I think he’s being made the scapegoat for our offensive stuggles lately. Red Sox just traded Pena to the Nats so he could go there. As for Infante, just another victim of Leyland’s infatuation with National League skills at shorstop. The guy’s still only 25, if we’d give him any time to develop he could be a full time guy once Guillen moves to first permanently. I still don’t think Grilli will be sent down any time this season, just not used to the workload he’s had since Zumaya/Rodney went down.
Maybe if everyone just stops talking about the Jack Wilson rumors it won’t happen.
Rod Allen was just on the radio saying that there are many scouts that believe that Infante could be a starter on many American League teams. I hope we keep him, just to block potential talent from going to other teams.
jim-mt:
***Drombroski possibly just changing his mind after Maybin’s recent performance should[n’t] be characterized as lying without some sort of proof***
I’m assuming this is what you meant to say, as I edited your statement based on what I think you meant, added in brackets… If so:
I would prefer language from DD to the effect, “….there is very little chance the Tigers organization will call Maybin up….” or even, “slim to none chance” both of which at least leaves room for “changing your mind”. When you emphatically state, “THERE IS NO CHANCE FOR A MAYBIN CALLUP,” I’m sorry, that’s just lying if it turns out differently just a couple weeks later.
Again, everybody’s allowed to be a politician from as far as the media’s concerned.
Didn’t Dombrowski say that Maybin wouldn’t be a September call-up?
At first I was going to just post this as a joke, but upon thinking a little more a September call-up is often a different breed of promotion. It’s often a chance to get a player a little exposure or see what you have if you’re season is done.
Maybin’s being called up now to help the team.
Yes it may be semantics, and it still may be BS. But I could really see a scenario where 2 weeks ago Dombrowski had the mindset he wasn’t going to go that route with Maybin, and after some really strong play he decides that Maybin can help the team right now.
T. Smith, DD said there was no chance of a September call-up. This is August!
As long as we’re chit-chatting, last night Jim Price and Dan Dickerson talked about the rumors going around regarding Pudge and whether the Tigs will pick up his option. This was when Jorge was up to bat and rumors floating about the Mets interested in acquiring him. They said the Mets might be interested in Pudge, too. They both agreed it is not a decision either one of them would want to make.
Man, if we want give DD a break by parsing he didn’t say ‘no’ to an August call-up, well, somewhere Richard Nixon is smiling and rooting for the Tigers.
Nate, the correlation between Maybin and Miller is this: do you ruin someone’s confidence by throwing him from veritably high A ball to 50,000 plus at Yankee Stadium. What if he goes 2-32? I’m not subscribing to that–I have no earthly idea–but to have one view on Miller–this will stunt his growth!– and the opposite on Maybin–what a great opportunity–seems not to be consistent in the logic department.
It’s only inconsistent logic if Player A = Player B is accepted as a given.
I don’t believe its at all irrational to say the following: I observe the following characteristics of Player A, which lead me to believe that he could use further seasoning the minors; when I look at Player B, I do not see these characteristics; therefore, I believe its a good idea to take a look at him in the majors.
You seem to be saying that, because I believe Robin Yount was ready to play in the majors at age 18, in order to remain “consistent”, I am forced to believe that every prospect is ready to play at that age. That position doesn’t account for the variable — i.e., the prospect in question.
Again, I’m rather agnostic on the question of both Miller and Maybin’s MLB readiness. But I think you’re wrong to call supporting one being in MLB and one being the minors illogical.
I don’t get to watch most of the games, but the Infante move strikes me as kind of strange…he seems like a guy we need around permanently.
As for Monroe, sad to see him go, but it wasn’t working…I wish we could have traded him last December, but that’s life.
Fox tomorrow…is ESPN showing either tonight or Sunday’s games?
Well, if you’re arguing that Pitcher A, who has pitched at the highest level of college baseball, is not ready to be your fifth starter based not so much on his talent level but because he’s green, then it’s somewhat illogical to argue that Player B should be jumped up after 10 days in AA and w/o any college experience. One could argue if they both have immense raw talent, indisputable, you shouldn’t be pushing for the promotion of one and not the other. Maybe Miller could use a third pitch, maybe Maybin could work on hitting an intermediate level curve ball before facing Clemens. I just don’t think you can argue both sides on this one. I’m for both of them being on the big league roster as long as they can contribute.
Wow, I don’t get the Infante move. He’s such a better player than Santiago and I thought he had finally cemented his position on the roster…Hope he’s called back up in time to be on the playoff roster.
I think the Tigers keep Ramon around just because it reminds everyone they got Guillen for Santiago in one of the great heists of all time.
Fair enough, Stephen, but, in that case, I think you’re no longer arguing about logic. Instead, it’s about how your estimation of Maybin and Miller’s relative talent lines up with someone else’s evaluation. And two people could have very different, but logically coherent evaluations of their respective position on the development curve.
Just found this website after searching the web for some comments from Craig Monroe (would love to know what his statement on this whole wild and shocking situation would be!). Look I’m as anxious as anybody to see Cameron Maybin, and if he’s half as good as they’re saying he’s really going to be something! I just hope Marcus Thames doesn’t get pushed to the back once again cause I would just love to see what he could do for a full season. I don’t think 40 homeruns is unreasonable at all, and he’s no slouch defensively either! If he’s not starting for Detroit he will be starting somewhere else someday, cause he’s no second stringer. And did You see Detroit’s won-lost record with, and then without him in the starting line-up??!! Just like Leyland says “When Thames is in the line-up good things happen.” Marcus needs to play!