With less than two weeks to Opening Day, the Tigers are freeing up some room in the clubhouse. They trimmed nine more from the Major League camp today leaving 37 players still officially in camp.
Gone are Virgil Vasquez and outfielder Brent Clevlen to Triple A Toledo. Additionally, the club assigned righthanded pitchers Freddy Dolsi, Chris Lambert and Preston Larrison, catchers Max St. Pierre and Nick Trzesniak and infielders Michael Hollimon and Scott Sizemore to minor league camp.
Hollimon of course was injured yesterday, however the Tigers got good news from the MRI. It appears that no surgery will be required meaning that we’re talking weeks instead of months of rehab time. Add in the fact that it was his non-throwing shoulder and he can still help Toledo and Detroit this year.
As for those 12 superfluous players in camp, the real number is closer to six or seven. Fernando Rodney, Vance Wilson, and Joel Zumaya are all destined for the disabled list. Jordan Tata is headed for the DL, but in all likelihood his will be of the minor league variety. And Francisco Cruceta is kind of in camp, though he’s never actually been in camp.
That leaves Denny Bautista, Yorman Bazardo, Aquilino Lopez, Francis Beltran, Clay Rapada, Mike Hessman, Ryan Raburn, Dane Sardhina, Ramon Santiago, Freddy Guzman, and Timo Perez as candidates for the roster. Rapada is probably just going through the evaluation process most of his bullpen mates went through earlier in the month as he returns from injury. From a roster management stand point I think the team has to take Bautista and Bazardo. Both are legitimate risks to be lost if removed from the 40 man roster. The others bear no such burden to the team.
As for the bench, Hessman is likely the next cut barring a trade of Marcus Thames. Joining Thames and Brandon Inge as subs will likely be Santiago and one of Guzman/Timo.
Unless a trade happens, Sardhina will be one of those bench guys and not Guzman or Timo. Its too bad cause Raburn needs be on the roster as well.
Yeah. I’m just not seeing Inge played at catcher enough to believe the Tigers view him as a backup, so I’m convinced Sardinha goes north.
Why wouldn’t the Tigers just put Tata on the ML disabled list? Wouldn’t they have to burn his one remaining option to put him on the minor league DL?
Unless they plan on keeping him on the DL/25 man roster all season they’ll end up using his option anyways. Might as well not accrue the service time.
Also this is semi unrelated, but do you know if there is still some concern about Tata’s shoulder? I know that he expressed concern about it, but I haven’t heard about an MRI or anything.
I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Freddy Guzman will make the 25 man roster. A critique of Jim Leyland, in my opinion anyway, is that he seems to be in love with one tool guys for his bench (see Perez, Neifi). Guzman would fit that bill.
What tool did Neifi have, other than being one?
Well he was good with the glove (remember the Verlander no-hitter). And I guess if you consider taking amphetamines to be a tool, he was good at that too.
I think Tata stays on the Major League DL. This is his last option season, and with the shoulder problems could be out for the season. He may need one next season.