Nate Cornejo isn’t working out as the fifth starter, and while I suspect that Julio Santana will get smoked by any lineup with four or five left-handed bats in it, it’s better to let Cornejo work and learn in Toledo than make him a punching bag on a bad team.
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Detroit 3, Kansas City 0
Now that’s the Jeff Weaver we’ve been waiting to see
Home Team Challenge
Here’s a fantasy game where you pick people to play against the Tigers. The trick is to find people who will do worse than the Tigers. It’s going to be tough to find a worse keystone combo than Macias and Halter.
Denver Post.com on fastball pitchers.
They ranked Matt Anderson second behind Kyle Farnsworth for best velocity. But they also say he has “the most hittable 100mph fastball int he majors.”
I did find some more good news about the Tigers, and I only had to look to double A club Erie. Seth Gresinger has struck out 21 in 21 innings, and his opponents are hitting .160. Also, Andy Vanhekken has thrown 16 innings and given up only one walk, amongst 17 strikeouts.
Roster Moves
The Tigers made a bevy of roster moves. Meluskey was placed on the 15 day DL retroactive to 4/21. Brandon Inge was recalled to be the backup catcher. Damian Jackson was activated off the DL and Craig Monroe was sent down to Toledo to make room for him. Also, reliever Julio Santana was brought up from Toledo and Matt Perisho was designated for assignment.
I have my reservations about having Nate Cornejo up right now this instant. He had a bad camp, he’s scuffled in two starts, and it’s hard to ask any young pitcher to work with an infield defense that has Shane Halter at shortstop, waving at grounders. Perhaps letting someone a little more experienced, like Matt Perisho, work every fifth day, while Cornejo gets ironed out at Toledo, makes sense. You’d hate to see a young, talented starter get into bad habits because he starts thinking twice about his stuff on the basis of outcomes he can’t entirely command.
Randy Smith’s supporters argue that he didn’t have enough time to develop the talent stream, and that while the current team — with three utility players and three DHs in the lineup — is undertalented and overpriced, there is some hope. Jeff Weaver is a frontline starter, and Steve Sparks is not only good, but invaluable to a young team. Nate Cornejo has a chance to be a command starter, and former No. 1 pick Seth Greisinger is nearly ready to join the rotation after years of injury. RHP Kenny Baugh and LHP Andy VanHekken are legit prospects, so Pujols can develop a pitching staff in a pitchers’ park. But while Andres Torres looks like a keeper in center, there are mixed reports on infielders Omar Infante and Ramon Santiago and 1B Eric Munson. Impossible? No, but it may be awhile before they get into 90-win level.
Jayson Stark’s Rumblings & Grumblings
It isn’t the Yankees’ system or the Astros’ system. But Baseball America just ranked the Tigers [farm system] ahead of the A’s, Indians, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Cardinals, among others. And one scout who covers the minor leagues told Rumblings and Grumblings he would give Detroit’s minor-league talent a “B” grade, based just on the number of prospects at Double-A last year.
Rivera to take over as starting catcher
This article also says that Pujols told Halter to be ready because Meluskey wasn’t available and Halter is the emergency catcher. Why wouldn’t Fick be the emergency catcher?