Category Archives: Roster Management

Players, Roster Management, Trade Rumors

The Winter Meetings and Craig Monroe

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According to reports out of Disney World, Craig Monroe is the Tiger du jour in terms of trade rumors. Jerry Crasnick first mentioned Monroe’s name on Monday. Scott Miller indicated the Dodgers might be interested in Craig. Amy Nelson chimed in and reported that the Orioles asked about Monroe and that the Tigers asked about Nick Markakis.

Jason Beck got in touch with David Dombrowski and DD confirmed that the Orioles initiated discussions this morning, but he wouldn’t confirm it was about Craig Monroe. Basically the Tigers are listening but it sounds like they are pretty much set.

Here’s how I see it. The Tigers probably should trade Craig Monroe. I say this as a fan of Monroe. He’s a decent player, a really likable guy, and from all accounts a great teammate. I don’t really want to see him go anywhere, but he and Thames are duplicative. Marcus Thames won’t be a free agent until 2011 where has Monroe is a free agent in 2009. Both players are the same age but Thames has posted slightly better OBP and SLG numbers (316/491 vs 310/461) than Monroe, granted in a much less playing time. Monroe is faster and appears to have a better arm and cover more ground in the outfield than Thames. However, according to the Probablistic Model of Range Monroe was slightly below average while Thames was marginally above average. I’d say it’s close enough to be a push defensively.
Continue reading The Winter Meetings and Craig Monroe →

2007 Season, Minors, Roster Management

Tigers Rule 5 Primer

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Scout.com has a Rule 5 Draft Preview. This is particularly helpful for those of us who can’t keep tabs on all other teams minor leagues.

In case you’re not familiar with the Rule 5 Draft, players who are typically 3 or 4 years removed from their signing(although due to the CBA it’s 4 years this year) either need to be protected on the 40 man roster or they’re left exposed for other teams to draft them. As compensation, teams that lose a player are compensated $50,000. In other words it’s a cheap way to add talent. The catch is that the player must remain on the 25 man roster of the drafting team the entire season, or they need to be returned to the original club. (Here’s a more complete breakdown of the Rule 5 draft.)

The Tigers have one spot open on their 40 man roster meaning they could participate. The most likely need they’d target is a replacement for Jamie Walker. There are 2 interesting names who the Tigers could pursue.

1. Charlie Manning-27

Manning is a left-handed reliever who has posted a career mark of 45-29 and has averaged over eight strikeouts per nine innings in his six-year career. He doesn’t throw particularly hard, sitting around 86 MPH with his fastball, but he has a very good cutter and the development of his slider has made him a devastating opponent for left-handed batters. He held Double-A lefties to a .163 and his strikeout ratio against them was over 11 batters per nine innings this past season. Manning could be well worth the small financial risk in the Rule 5 Draft and find a home as a left-handed specialist on a big league roster next season.

2. Dan Smith -23

Smith was a non-drafted free agent signed the summer of 2003 after he missed his senior season in high school with an injury. The lefty was extremely successful as a reliever in the minor leagues, but the Braves moved him into the Double-A rotation in Mississippi late last summer to allow him to work on his pitches. Smith’s performance over eight starts was scary: 2.27 ERA, 24 hits in 39.2 innings pitched, 16 walks, and 53 strikeouts. The Braves still believe he can be a big league reliever, but the work as a starter may get him another chance in that role. He’s a kid that some scouts may feel is worth sticking in a big league bullpen.

Of course if the Tigers were going to try and fill Walker’s spot they could have just protected one of their own in Cory Hamman. The Scout article lists Ryan Raburn as another possibility to get drafted while Baseball America says Sendy Vasquez could get snagged(premium content).

2007 Season, Roster Management

Roster Finalized

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The Tigers turned in their finalized roster to MLB with one final addition. Virgil Vasquez, who pitched 28 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the AFL, had his contract purchased today. The streak is particularly impressive given the hitter friendly nature of the league.

The roster is set at 39 which means the team will be able to participate in the Rule 5 draft at the upcoming winter meetings. If they choose to participate I’d guess they would be looking for a lefty reliever. Of course if are going that route, they could have just added one of their own lefty relievers, Cory Hamman. Continue reading Roster Finalized →

2006 Season, Pitching, Playoffs, Roster Management

Playoff Roster Set

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Listening to the post game show on the way home from the game it sounds like Ramon Santiago is in over Chris Shelton and Zach Miner is in over Andrew Miller.

The Miller/Miner decision seemed pretty clear cut, even with Miner’s debacle on Saturday night. Miller hadn’t been that effective that he would warrant a spot over the other guys in the bullpen.

As for the last position player, I think this move is foolish yet understandable. Chris Shelton was given a few pinch hitting opportunities in the last week and he looked awful. If he does something, or anything positive in those at-bats and he makes the roster. Instead the Tigers take the Perez/Infante/Santiago trio of back-up infielders.

So the squad is as follows:

Infielders: Casey, Polanco, Guillen, Inge, Infante, Perez, Santiago
Outfielders: Monroe, Granderson, Ordonez, Gomez, Thames
Catchers: Rodriguez, Wilson
Starting Pitchers: Robertson, Verlander, Rogers, Bonderman
Relief Pitchers: Jones, Rodney, Zumaya, Walker, Ledezma, Grilli, Miner

It was also announced that Nate Robertson would start game 1 and Justin Verlander would start game 2. Interestingly, Nate Robertson was warming up and looked to be next in line if the game continued. And with Verlander starting game 2, I won’t have to finish that Rick Ankiel article I was writing.

2006 Season, Minors, Roster Management

Durbin and Rabelo Up, Lewis DFA’d

The Tigers purchased the contracts of Chad Durbin and Mike Rabelo today. They had one spot open on the 40 man roster, and to free up the other spot Colby Lewis was designated for assignment.

Durbin is a 28 year old right hander coming off an excellent season for Toledo. He posted a 3.11 ERA and fanned 149 against 46 walks in 185 innings.

Mike Rabelo is 26 and posted a 779 OPS between Erie and Toledo. He would most likely become the backup catcher in the event that Ivan Rodriguez or Vance Wilson were to become injured in the postseason.

Because both players were in the organization on August 31st, they could both be placed on the playoff roster as an injury replacement.

2006 Season, Injuries, Players, Playoffs, Roster Management

Tigers claim Matt Stairs

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The Tigers today picked Matt Stairs off of the waiver wire. Considering he was one of the names the Tigers were considering at the trade deadline, the cost of free is pretty appealing.

Stairs is 38 and is on his 3rd team this season. He typically hits in the 260’s with a respectable OBP around 350. Texas picked him up at the trade deadline and he was pretty awful in limited playing time. In 81 at-bats he hit 210/273/370 with 22 K’s. The strike outs were out of line with his career numbers.

Defensively he’s a designated hitter and shouldn’t be allowed near a glove.

The move doesn’t bother me in the sense that there was nothing given up, and this is as short term a move as you can make. He won’t be eligible for the postseason. However in the aftermath of the Neifi Perez trade I’m worried that Stairs will actually be used and either a)force Marcus Thames into another platoon situation or b)take away from the already limited playing time that Chris Shelton sees.

The good news is that Jeremy Bonderman won’t have to pitch against Stairs.

In another move, Roman Colon was transferred from the 15 day to 60 day DL. This just means the Tigers can make another pitcher eligible for the post season roster.

2006 Season, Game Post, Roster Management

Game 142: Tigers at Twins

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PREGAME: I’ve got a good feeling about tonight. After all, there are 2 Tiger blogger birthdays today and the club just couldn’t let us down now could they. Those birthday bloggers are myself and Samara.

Wil Ledezma is charged with making today a Happy Birthday. He’s been outstanding since his move to the rotation. Leyland didn’t let him throw more than 71 pitches in either start, in part due to a stretching out phase, and in part because he was going on 3 days rest. (Speaking of Ledezma, Kurt did some interesting work extending research done by Nate Silver and found that under Silver’s methodology Ledezma may be the current rotation candidate that would most benefit from a move to the pen)

He’ll be opposed by Matt Garza. Garza has made 5 starts, 2 of them good (against Baltimore and KC), 1 of them okay (against Cleveland), and 2 of them bad (against Toronto and New York). I think it is pretty clear that the quality of competition had a considerable influence in those games.

Carlos Guillen returns to the lineup at short (cross your fingers that he doesn’t blow it out) and Infante retains 2nd base duties.

In other news, Don Kelly cleared waivers and was outrighted to Erie while Chris Spurling was claimed by the Brewers. I’ve updated the Roster and Organizational Tree pages to represent the newly configured 40 man roster.

Game Time 8:10

POSTGAME: Sorry ’bout the much delayed postgame report. The game was, umm, frustrating? Who would have thought that on a night when the Tigers drew 3 walks in first 3 innings and Sean Casey pickedup an infield hit, and Magglio had good at-bat after good at-bat, and Carlos Guillen was back in the lineup along with Omar and Thames, that the Tigers would lose. Then again who would have thought that a nobody on, 2 out situation would turn into 7 runs either.

It was just one of those nights. The Tigers made some mistakes defensively and pitching, and the Twins took advantage of them – especially Mauer and Morneau.

I do think that Jim Leyland has become way too platoon happy. He insisted on lefties facing Morneau and Mauer, but if you look at their splits, they are good hitters no matter who they are facing. And Alexis Gomez over Chris Shelton in the 9th?

Wil Ledezma wasn’t sharp. He was both wild outside the zone and couldn’t find the edges of a very large and erratic strike zone, and even the strikes he through he wasn’t locating them well.

And then there was just the bad luck. Thursday night every ground ball with a runner on was a double play, last night it was a hit.

2006 Season, Roster Management

Dmitri Young Released

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The Tigers unconditionally released Dmitri Young.

I have no idea what happened at this time. The press release just came across.

UPDATE: In the News Dombrowski said the move was strictly performance related. I don’t buy it. Something else went down. There are lots of guys slumping, and the Tigers DFA’d Spurling earlier in the day to free up a roster spot for Maroth. This had something to do with what transpired in today’s game, or during the rain delay.

2006 Season, Injuries, Roster Management

Maroth back, Spurling DFA’d

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Mike Maroth was activated from the 60 Day disabled list today. To make room the Tigers designated for assigment the contract of Chris Spurling.

This move is curious on several fronts. First, unless there is a roster rule I’m not familiar with, the Tigers could have moved Tony Giarratano to the 60 Day DL freeing up the spot on the 40 man roster. (And to the best of my knowledge making another player eligible for the post season roster).

Second, Chris Spurling is actually decent. He had more success than he probably should have last year given his strikeout rate, but he proved to be effective. And in his time in Toledo he posted a 2.05 ERA spanning 66 innings and 49 appearances with only 10 walks allowed.

Even if Spurling wasn’t going to be part of the Tigers long term or short term plans, it seems he could have returned some value in offseason trades.

This isn’t a huge disappointment to me, but it’s just odd in that the Tigers had another option to free up that spot.

2006 Season, Game Post, Roster Management

Game 139: Mariners at Tigers (and Bloggers)

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PREGAME: The long awaited bloggers night is here. If you’re heading down to the game, plenty of tickets are still available. Of course you could sit anywhere, but the cool (aka geeky) kids will be sitting in section 212 row 1.

We’ll be watching the struggling Jeremy Bonderman take on Jake Woods. Hopefully a bunch of bloggers will inspire Bondo onto victory, and help Omar continue to stake a claim to the second base job – even after Neifi is healthy.

And Brent Clevlen has been recalled

Game Time 7:05
Happy Hour 5:15 @ Nemo’s