Adam Dunn's time is running out, Rowand in DC, Jack Wilson heading to Detroit, More Trouble For Matt Bush, and the end of Gerald Laird's Ranger career, all coming up!

Adam Dunn May Be Done In Cincinnati

Adam Dunn may be in his last season with the Reds.   It's not because of the strikeouts, or because of the Reds' woes, or even the fact that the Reds want to cut payroll to help supplement other areas of the staff.

It's because of Jay Bruce and Joey Votto.

Bruce is a talented Reds prospect is nearly ready after jumping several levels in the minor leagues and now holding his own in Triple A.  He's got power, a solid eye, a capable defender and a good arm, all things that the Reds could use.  As far as who he projects to be, Larry Walker is a common comparison.

Josh Hamilton has already established himself as the Reds' centerfielder, with Griffey holding down right field, which leaves left field as the only place for the uber-talented Bruce to start.

First base isn't an option either, beucase of Votto, a solid hitting first baseman that plays better defense than Dunn at first and blocks him.

Without the DH rule, that would render Dunn a very expensive bench player at $12 million.

However, the Reds won't let him leave without them getting something valuable back.  It's possible that the Reds could pick up the option and look to trade Dunn this off-season, hopefully for much less than they asked the Angels when they looked into getting him.

A trade with the Rangers is possible because of the Rangers' needs for a first baseman/outfielder.  However, the Rangers won't give up much for a one year rental, unless Dunn consents to an extension, which won't happen with free agent prices skyrocketing.  Nor would the Rangers part with valueable prospects in return, in particular Eric Hurley and Taylor Teagarden, two of Texas' top prospects that the Reds would demand in return.

San Francisco may be a fit, as the Giants will need a power source on the team with Bonds not likely to return, however, prospects will be hard to exchange because the Giants have none and they will not consent to trading Jonathan Sanchez, a talented lefty that may be able to start that the Reds would target in return.

Were I to hazard a guess, the best fit for Dunn could be the Yankees, who need a first baseman not named Andy Phillips or god knows what else they've been running out there.  They have the prospects to spare for Dunn, as they have several starting pitchers that could succeed in the National League that are of no use to them, and it wouldn't be a long term commitment, as the Yankees would be able to let Dunn go in order to pursue Braves first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Should be an interesting off-season in Cincinnati.

Monroe For Wilson Swap In The Works?

Detroit wants to find an NL club that is willing to take Craig Monroe, who was DFA'd, in parts of keeping him out of the AL. 

Pittsburgh has been interested in Monroe in the past and would be willing to trade shortstop Jack Wilson if the Tigers pick up all of the $14.35 million remaining on the final two years of his three-year, $20.2 million contract.

The Tigers inquired about Wilson and nearly had a deal done for him at the deadline before talks fell apart becaue the Pirates asked for...Craig Monroe.

Surely the two clubs could work something out.

Rowand To DC?

Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand is a free agent after the season, and while he hasn't revealed much on what he's doing after the season, he does like Washington, whom he feels is a up and coming team and will be a contender in a couple of years. 

Rowand would be a solid addition to Washington and would be marketed as a face of the franchise and would be a team leader there. 

However, I don't see it happening.

Washington is already experiencing a logjam in the outfield, with Wily Mo Pena, Ryan Church, Nook Logan, Austin Kearns and potentially Dmitri Young all vying for playing time.

Furthermore, Rowand will likely recieve more lucrative offers from his three top suitors, the Rangers, the Phillies, and the White Sox (not in that order.)

So as nice an idea it is, it won't happen.

More Trouble For Matt Bush

The Padres have confirmed that Matt Bush, the first overall pick in 2004, will need Tommy John Surgery on his pitching elbow, saying he should be good to go again in a year. 

This is only the latest setback for Bush, who has been injury prone and under performed by the Padres, who took him instead of Tigers Ace Justin Verlander (fear of a holdout) and then Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew, who the scouts recommended to take, but were overruled because of cost.  Also passed up was Jered Weaver, who fell to the Angels.

Bush was converted in June to pitching and has posted good results until recently, when in his Single-A debut for Fort Wayne, Indana on Thursday, Bush threw a pitch and reportedly ruptured a ligiment in his elbow and left. 

It's unfortunate because Bush actually seemed to respond to the change, throwing a upper 90's fastball along with a promising curve. 

Oh well.

Gerald Laird Is Available

Gerald Laird, the current Rangers catcher, is likely headed out of Arlington and headed elsewhere.

Laird likely was headed out anyhow, with the Rangers already having highly regarded catching prospect Taylor Teagarden coming on nicely, plus catcher Max Ramirez coming over in the Kenny Lofton deal.

However, with the acquisition of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Laird's fate was sealed earlier.  Salty has a solid bat, but it profiles better at catcher and ultimately, that's where he will remain, as the Rangers have put an emphasis at looking elsewhere for a first baseman.  That means that Laird will be out of a job and likely out of Texas.

Laird should be very highly coveted, as there are very few young backstops available on the market.  There will likely be interest from several teams, including Detroit, Pittsburgh, the Mets and Yankees, as well as the Cubs, who inquired about Laird shortly after the trade of Teixeira was made.

See you all tomorrow for the Rangers Report!

The Rangers Report

Record As Of June 13, 2007

23-41, Fourth In The AL West

Top 30 Rangers Prospects – 16 through 20

Note:  These Rankings Will Not Include The Recent Draft Candidates

16 – German Duran (INF)

• DOB:  8/3/84
• Drafted:  6th Round, 2005, TCU
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight: 5-10/185
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  Duran hit .284 last year at Bakersfield, while hitting 13 homers and 72 RBIs.  He did all of this playing mostly shortstop and finished strong with a huge August, where he hit six homers and drove in 23 runs.  He's versatile and will turn 23 this summer.
• The Good:  Duran has some power to him as well as some speed on the baselines.  His biggest trait is that he’s flexible and can play shortstop and second base well, and has recently been learning how to play third as well.  His defense is excellent and many love his work ethic.
• The Bad:  Duran may not be able to be a regular at any position in the majors.  Hence, he may be a utilityman in the future, though he could be a very good one.  He also needs to work a bit more on his plate discipline.
• Projection: Medium.  Duran is an interesting prospect in that he’s excelled in wherever he’s played, mostly on grit and determination.  It’s very possible that he could play his way out of a superutility role and into a starting shortstop role.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A super utility player
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Duran entered the year as sort of a fringe prospect, but his dominance of Double A has elevated his stock.  It will be interesting to see what happens to him next year.

17 – Michael Schlact (RHP)

• DOB:  12/9/85
• Drafted: 3rd Round, 2004, Georgia High School
• 2007 Club:  Bakersfield (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-8/220
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Selected in the 3rd round of the 2004 Draft along with Thomas Diamond and Eric Hurley, Schlact bears watching.  He was 10-7 with a 4.17 ERA at Clinton in 2005 and helped the Lumberkings, along with Hurley, to go into the playoffs.  Many expected that Schlact would be able to make a seamless transition to Advanced A ball like Hurley did, but instead, he was hammered throwing too many pitches and going 4-13 with a 5.99 ERA.  The opposition hit nearly .320 against him and he walked 61 in 138 innings.   so he'll be back in Bakersfield, at least at the outset.  However, this doesn’t mean he can’t rebound.  The California is very hitter friendly and Schlact is still only 20. 
• The Good:  Rangers Minor League Pitching Coordinator Rick Adair raves about how Schlact is now hitting 93-94, as a result of adding mass, and thinks that he can add a couple of more miles to his fastball.  John Lombardo, the Rangers’ director of Minor League Ops speaks highly of Schlact’s maturity and his makeup.  Schlact also has a great sinker to go along with the four seamer and he’s got a promising curveball & changeup, both of which could become plus pitches.  He’s also got a nice clean delivery as well.
• The Bad:  As with all large pitchers, Schlact needs to keep all of his moving parts in check in order to make sure he won’t break down.  He also needs to make sure the breaking balls solidify, though he may be able to succeed with just the four seamer and sinker, much like Brandon Webb.  Plus, he needs to maintain his command, so he won’t get hammered hard.
• Projection: Medium.  Schlact is still young and he could stand to add more weight to his frame.  He could wind up being, at the very least, a slightly shorter version of Chris Young.  He’s also grown an inch, as seen from his jump from 6-7 to 6-8.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A number two starter.
• 2007 Course Of Action:  The Rangers are hoping that it was only because he was playing above his age group that resulted in  Schlact’s horrid season.  So far, he's done pretty well for himself, but with the lack of rotation spots in Frisco, the Rnagers will probably leave him in the California

18 – Paul Kometani (RHP)

• DOB:  12/24/82
• Drafted:  15th Round, 2005, Pepperdine University
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight:  6-4/200
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  Drafted in the 15th round by Texas in 2005 draft, Kometani is overlooked most of the time whenever prospects are evaluated.  However, Kometani has had nothing but success every stop he’s made and may be one of those prospects that just happens to fly under the radar until he bursts on the scene.  If Kometani becomes an above average major leaguer, he’ll be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
• The Good:  When he was first drafted, Kometani was reported to top out at 86-87.  He’s now added at least four miles per hour as he’s filled out (he was rail thin when he came into the system) and is now sitting at 92.  Scouts and trainers thing that he may be able to get up to 94 in another year.  As for his other pitches, Kometani has an excellent splitter, a promising slider and he could benefit from being taught a sinker as well.  He induces a lot of groundballs, a plus in Arlington and he has also begun to overcome one of his biggest criticisms when he was drafted, his fastball. 
• The Bad:  The biggest criticism of Kometani is that he’s very hittable. However, his control is excellent and despite the hits, he doesn’t give up the long ball often and he works low in the zone. 
• Projection: Medium.  It will be interesting to see if Kometani gets any more velocity on his fastball to go with the splitter and sinker.  But aside from that, he seems to be progressing well and has just a bit of development left.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A Solid Starter
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Kometani is currently in the bullpen thanks to Doug Mathis and he's excelled in the role.  Nonetheless, I do expect the Rangers to move him back into the rotation once the promotions after the various Minor League All-Star games are done.

19 – Tim “Tug” Hulett Jr. (INF)

• DOB:  2/28/1983
• Drafted:  2004, 14th Round, Auburn
• 2007 Club: Oklahoma (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 5-10/185
• Bats/Throws:  L/R
• The Skinny:  The son of former major leaguer Tim Hulett, who played for 12 seasons with the White Sox, Orioles and  Cardinals, Tug Jr. was drafted by the Rangers back in 2004 and since then he’s pretty much done nothing but succeed, rising through the ranks quickly enough that the Rangers felt no reservations about sending him to Triple A in essentially his third season of pro ball (we’ll see how that works out.)  Tug impressed the Rangers staff enough during Spring Training with his moxie and work ethic that he’s very highly regarded among the organization.
• The Good:  Hulett has the best plate discipline in the minors, simply put, and is extremely selective of his pitches and draws walks.  He’s immensely versatile and has played second, third, and shortstop in the minors.  The Rangers love his grit and determination and his work ethic is second to none.
• The Bad:  The same thing as German Duran.  Size.   Hulett Jr. isn’t the biggest player around and it’s likely that that could result in him being overlooked as anything but a utilityman.  However, Hulett’s determination and work ethic, plus luck, could have him become another David Eckstein type.  Hulett also has little power.
• Projection: Low.  There is little else that Hulett can develop in the minors. What you see is what you get with him.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: As much as I hate to say it, a scrappy, gritty David Eckstein type player.
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Hulett has booted Drew Meyer to the bench and is currently the Redhawks’ starting second baseman.  A good year will land him in the big leagues in September.

20 – Ben Harrison (LF)

• DOB:  9/18/81
• Drafted:  7th Round, 2004, Florida
• 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
• Height/Weight:  6-4/200
• Bats/Throws:  R/R
• The Skinny:  A 7th Rounder back in 2004, Harrison has always had good tools to work with.  The main problem is that he’s never been able to stay on the field long enough to work with them.  Hamstring and vision problems limited him in 2005 and a broken hand cut his season short that same year.  Last year was his first full season and he showed some impressive numbers.  In a season spend with Frisco and Bakersfield, Harrison hit .289 with 26 home runs and 101 RBI’s, while boasting an OPS of .889.
• The Good:  Harrison’s best tool is power and he’s got enough of it be a decent threat in the majors in the future.  He’s got some speed and he crushes fastballs.  He’s also beginning to catch breaking balls more and more.  He’s also got a good arm in the outfield as well.  He plays the game hard and emerged as a clubhouse leader this past season.
• The Bad:  Harrison is limited in his range in the field, making him pretty much a fit in left.  He still has problems with the strike zone, as seen from his 117 strikeouts. 
• Projection: Low.  At Harrison’s age, there’s probably little chance of a breakthrough..  He’s as good as he’s going to get, though if he can serve as a power bat off the bench, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
• In A Perfect World, He Is: A Power Bat Off The Bench
• 2007 Course Of Action:  Harrison has done well so far until he was injured,

 Explaining To Jim Reeves Why The Rangers Didn't Draft Porcello

Jim Reeves took his shots at the the Rangers' draft on Sunday.  Oddly enough, he really liked the draft.

But there was one thing that he really ripped Texas on.

Passing up on Rick Porcello.  Here's the quote that bugged me:

For $7 million-$8 million, the Rangers might have had their ace of the future. Seems like a lot of money until you stop and think: Hmmmm, didn't the Rangers cough up their own No. 1 draft pick, 16th in the country, to Toronto to sign free agent Frank Catalanotto over the winter? And didn't they sign him to a $13.5 million contract over three years?

It wasn't the Signing Bonus that was the problem.  If it was just money, I think the Rangers would have gladly paid up to take him.  Tom Hicks has been a little more generous as the years have gone by with the draft.  It was the contract that Boras wanted for him.

Boras wanted Porcello to sign a major league contract, similar to what Josh Beckett signed when he was drafted a few years ago.  That is what turned off a lot of teams.

A major league contract starts a players options automatically and guarnatees them a spot on the 40 man roster.  As a result, you quickly burn through the options as the player develops and you lack any options to send the player down if he's struggling and if he's out of options.

Had Rick Porcello had been Rick Porcello, University of Conneticut, instead of Rick Porcello, Conneticuit High School, I think the Rangers would have gladly pulled the trigger.  But it was the major league contract that turned off every team except the Tigers, who now have the dubious task of trying to sign him while hoping that Boras backs off the major league contract.  

Oh, here's one other example that cracked me up:

Let me give you another example, though it's apples and oranges. The Cowboys just cut guard Marco Rivera after paying him an $8.5 million signing bonus for two injury-plagued seasons. That's a team that's doing whatever it takes to win.

No it's not.  It's called a bad free agent deal.  If that was the case, then wouldn't Chan #### Park's contract, Alex Rodriguez's contract, and the Phil Nevin debacle all be prime examples of a team doing whatever it takes to win?

507

Mark Teixeira went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps muscle Saturday afternoon, ending his consecutive games streak at 507, a club record.   Though it was thought that Teixeira may have been aiming to beat Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive game streak, Teixeira said he had no visions of beating it.  To help fill the void, Michael Young will now be batting third with Marlon Byrd hitting in Young's normal second spot.  Brad Wilkerson will now take over first base in the meantime, and Travis Metcalf will be recalled to fill Wilkerson's spot on the bench.

The Implications Of The Borbon Pick

The drafting of Borbon has one other important implication on the Rangers. 

It means that Torii Hunter will almost certainly not be coming to Texas.

Drafting Borbon that high means that the Rangers are pretty much signaling that Borbon will be their centerfielder of the future.  It would make no sense to roadblock him with a long term deal given to Hunter.  Instead, expect the Rangers to sign another player as a short term solution, either Eric Byrnes of Arizona or (maybe) Ichrio Suzuki from Seattle, though I doubt that the Mariners would allow him to walk.

Rangers Notes

• Congrats to Justin Verlander on the No-No.  Also, congrats to Ivan Rodriguez, who also caught Kenny Rogers' Perfect Game nearly 13 years ago.
• One other note about Blake Beavan: he's confident.   He also riled some feathers when he made some comments after being drafted that his slider was the "filthiest" he'd ever seen and he'd seen some pretty good pitchers.  Another one is that, given the state of the Rangers' current rotation that he could "do as bad" as some of them right now.  It didn't take long for those comments to make their way around the Rangers clubhouse and general offices.  Jon Daniels said that he felt Beavan used some bad judgement and Brandon McCarthy, said he understood Beavan's confidence, but he thinks the natural process of working through the minor leagues will help Beavan separate confidence from cockiness.   My take is this:  Beavan is going to be provide some entertainment while he's down in the minors.
• Immediately following their victory over the Giants on Saturday afternoon, the A's announced that they had traded backup catcher Adam Melhuse to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations.   Melhuse wasn't being played in Oakland, as he's appeared in only 12 games this year and has gotten just 26 at-bats.  Melhuse isn't being brought in because of his bat, as he was hitting .231 prior to the trade., but rather for his game calling skills, as there has been some question as to how starting catcher Gerald Laird has been calling games.
• To make room for Wilkerson, the Rangers optioned pitcher Kameron Loe to Triple-A Oklahoma.  Loe doesn't blame the team, but rather acknowledges that he's screwed things up for himself.  The Rangers are hoping that Loe would work on controlling his sinker, as well as to further develop his two secondary pitches, a changeup and a slider.  The only real question that I ask is that Loe has really had some awful outings the past couple of years as a starter and he gets hammered the second time through a lineup.  I'm wondering if maybe it's better to leave Loe in the bullpen.
• With Loe now in Oklahoma, Washington said starter Jamey Wright could come off the disabled list and start next Saturday at Cincinnati.  Wright is scheduled to start on a rehab assignment Sunday at Oklahoma.  This may be simply a way of putting warm bodies out there in order to allow the prospects to develop, but surely there are better options than Wright?  Like, ummm, Mark Redmond, and ummm, John Koronka, and ummm, John Rheinecker, and ummm.....oh screw it.
• Don’t be surprised to see not only Eric Gagne traded at the deadline, but also Akinori Otsuka, Willie Eyre and Joaquin Benoit traded as well.  There is a high demand on relief pitching and the Rangers have seemed to have identified a solid core of young relievers in C.J. Wilson, Frank Francisco, and Wes Littleton.  Eyre’s value appears to be peaking after a terrible year in Minnesota and Benoit is slowly developing into a lights out reliever, but his price tag is becoming expensive.  All four would be able to net some nice prospects if they are deal, with Atlanta, Detroit and Cleveland all looking to upgrade if any of them are made available. 

Three more previews after this.  Let's see who we got left...

Two words.

Le Tigre

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers arrived on the season two years earlier than most people expected, winning the Wild Card and making the World Series for the first time in ages, riding the backs of solid veterans and electrifying rookies.  They could have won the Series, if the Tiger pitching staff didn’t seem so keen to help the Cardinals.  The Tigers have made some additions to the lineup, hoping to add some more plate discipline and power to a team that lacked a lot of it during the course of the season.  Will it work?  Let’s find out.

Starting Rotation

1. Justin Verlander (RHP) – Verlander has some of the best stuff in baseball and can easily become one of those rare ace pitchers that can dominate on any given day of the week, no matter who he’s facing.  However, I do think Verlander will experience some growing pains, as his arm has been such a drastic workload over the past two years.  He rose very quickly through the ranks of the Tigers’ farm system and piled on the innings on what is still a very young arm, and the effects were seen during his terrible August.  Even though he had rest this past season, I do think Verlander will labor come summer.
2. Kenny Rogers (LHP) – Rogers provided leadership to a young staff and was dominant in the post-season (though that was tainted thanks to whatever the hell was on his hand during Game 3 of the World Series), plus was able to log in innings, keeping a dynamic bullpen rested.  It’s not known what he’ll be able to give the Tigers this year, as he’s getting older and 40 year old pitchers are a bit of a ticking time bomb.
3. Jeremy Bonderman (RHP) – Bonderman just continues to get better as he distances himself from that horrible rookie year when he went 6-19 with a 5.55 ERA.  He recently signed a four year contract extension, buying out the first two years of his free agency and ensuring that this young rotation stays together for as long as possible.  Bonderman should continue to improve and go over .500 for his career sometime this year, plus break the 4.00 ERA barrier.
4. Nate Robertson (LHP) – Robertson is a solid young lefty who throws with some surprising velocity for a lefty, with his fastball clocking in the low 90s most of the time.  His slider is a plus pitch and that mixes well with it.  The real problem is that he tends to lose control as the innings go one, causing him to throw it up in the zone.  He’s a solid fourth starter, but he’s better than that.  He needs to get more consistent.
5. Mike Maroth (RHP) – Maroth was off to a great starter in 2006 until bone chips ended his season.  Maroth doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but his command is impeccable, giving him a chance to locate the ball wherever he wants to.  There is talk that Maroth is on the trading block, but until he’s actually dealt, he’s the fifth starter and should be one of the best ones in the league.

Bullpen

• Todd Jones (Closer) – Jones is merely a serviceable closer that can get guys out mostly due to smoke and mirrors.  I really don’t expect him to be the closer at the end of the year.
• Joel Zumaya (Setup Man) – Zumaya is setting up for the moment, but he’s going to be the closer next year, if not sooner.  Zumaya has that amazing fastball plus a solid breaking ball that he mixes in to give him a solid mix.  Should Jones falter, expect Zumaya to take the job and run with it.
• Fernando Rodney (RHP) – Rodney was effective as a setup man as well and also did some spot closing as well.  It’s possible that Rodney could be shopped if a team is in desperate need of a possible closer. 
• Jose Mesa (RHP) – Mesa has been a closer through much of his career, but the Tigers have brought him in to help the setup corps, possibly as a 6th or 7th inning guy.
• Wilfredo Ledezma (LHP) – One of the reasons why the Tigers are eager to trade Maroth is that they view Ledezma as a starter.  His stuff is certainly good enough to handle the role, but right now as the lone lefty in the bullpen, Ledezma will function as a reliever until a spot opens for him.
• Edward Campusano (LHP) – Campusano was picked up in the Rule V Draft and was tremendous at Double A.  He’s got a great fastball that clocks in the mid 90’s plus a strong slider that sets it up well.  As a Rule Five pick, Campusano has to stick in the majors to stay with the Tigers, but he’s got enough of a track record of success that he’ll be a solid lefty bullpen option right now.
• Jason Grilli (RHP) – This solid right hander completes the bullpen, giving even more depth to a strong position.

Starting Lineup

1. Curtis Granderson (CF) – Granderson is miscast as a leadoff man, as his high amount of strikeouts kind of negate his average and kill his on base totals.  The Tigers would love to be able to try and help him out by moving him out, but the only other guy on the lineup that can leadoff is Polanco, and he doesn’t really have the speed to do it.  Granderson is a capable centerfielder that has good range and hands, and he’s got some power.  Realistically, he should be batting about 7th.
2. Placido Polanco (2B) – Obtained from Philly in the Uggie Urbina deal (when the hell is he going to get out of jail anyway?), Polanco has been a solid second baseman for the Tigers, hitting well with a bit of power and displaying something most of the other Tigers don’t have: plate discipline.  He can steal the occasional base and, hitting in the two hole, should be very productive in setting up the other hitters.
3. Gary Sheffield (DH) – The Tigers needed a middle-of-the-order hitter who provides more power and will walk more than he strikes out and that’s what they got in Sheffield, who will now be the DH most of the time.  Sheffield is coming off a down year thanks to injuries, but his vendettas seem to motivate him into producing.  He should be okay, especially since his departure from the Yankees was, to be blunt, fugly.
4. Magglio Ordonez (RF) – Part of the reason for the Tigers’ great rebound is that Ordonez was healthy for the first time in three years.  Ordonez put up great numbers, though his power numbers weren’t the same as they were when he was in Chicago.  Ordonez should be good for at least another year, but keep in mind that he’s 33 and that’s about the age when outfielder corners begin to get hurt.  With three guaranteed years left in his contract, the Tigers are hoping that he doesn’t revert to his 2005 form.
5. Craig Monroe (LF) – Monroe is an underrated outfield corner that lead the Tigers in home runs last year.  Monroe has great raw power, enough to maintain a 25 homer, 90 RBI output for a few more years.  The big problem with him, as it is with most of the Tigers, is the strikeouts, which is why he isn’t hitting lower in the order. 
6. Ivan Rodriguez (C) – People thought that Pudge was done as a starting catcher, but he’s actually been able to rebound and resurrect his batting average.  Pudge has actually become a better catcher over the years and still calls a great game, but his power is beginning to go, which is trouble.  He should be serviceable for this year, but long term, the Tigers need to figure out what exactly they’ve got to succeed him.
7. Sean Casey (1B) – Acquired last season, Casey was the one Tiger that showed up for the playoffs and as a result, earned a one year contract to stay with the team.  Casey is a good defender, but it's his bat that makes him valuable.  Casey has great plate discipline and is one of the few Tigers that can take a walk.  He won't hit for power, but a average near .300 while batting second (he should be) will give the middle of the order some more RBI opportunities.
8. Carlos Guillen (SS) – Guillen is a so-so shortstop that was extremely productive last season, hitting .320 with 19 home runs and 85 RBI’s.  It’s also the most time he’s stayed healthy over a season in his career.  I don’t expect him to make it a habit, which is why he’s in the back.  He also lead all AL shortstops in errors as well, making it possible that he could be switched to first base.
9. Brandon Inge (3B) – I’ve always thought that Inge was overrated.  He’s got some power, but his lack of plate discipline negates a lot of that.  Hence, Inge has the potential to be dangerous at the ninth spot, but he’s just so damn inconsistent. 

Bench

• Nelfi Perez (UTIL) – Perez was acquired after it looked that Polanco was done for the season.  They since regard him as a mistake, but he’s stuck on the roster anyway. Perez is very limited offensively, but he’s versatile enough to handle second base, shortstop and third base. 
• Marcus Thames (OF) – Thames is a useful fourth outfielder that can display some great power off the bench at times.  He should see some time in order to spell both Inge and Ordonez.
• Vance Wilson (C) – The Tigers are confident enough in Wilson to keep them in games when Pudge takes a day off, but long term, he’s not the answer to succeed him.
• Omar Infante (UTIL) – Infante is able to play most of the infield, as well as centerfield and can hit decently enough where he doesn’t take away for the offense too much.

Down On The Farm…

Like the New York Yankees’ farm system, the Tigers system is rich in pitching, but is lacking in positional players, with their best player, Cameron Maybin, being years away from any sort of contribution to the big club.  Still, pitching is valuable and it’s possible that some of these kids may be valuable chips at the deadline.

• Andrew Miller (LHP) – Miller has already seen time as a middle reliever last year (though that was mostly due to the fact it was mandated in his contract), but long term he projects to be a starter, much like Jeremy Bonderman.  Miller has great size and his stuff was considered to be the best in the draft.  He had a low to mid 90’s fastball that touches 98 at times and a hard slider that breaks nasty and is already considered to be major league ready.  However, he has some control issues that he needs working out and he needs to refine his changeup some more into a plus pitch.  All in all, he’s got the makings of a stud and could rise quickly if everything falls together properly.
• Chris Shelton (1B) – Shelton is a bit mystifying at the moment.  He had a great April last month, hitting .326 with 10 home runs, but only hitting four more for the rest of the year, resulting in him getting demoted.  At the moment, it’s unknown where Shelton will end up.  He’s a great bat of the bench, but the Tigers still have an option left on him and will likely demote him if they feel he needs more time to prepare, but clearly, time is running out for him to establish himself.
• Roman Colon (RHP) – Colon is a flamethrower in the mold of Zumaya, who’s fastball clocks in the mid to uppe r90’s and he’s got great secondary pitches in his slider and splitter.  Lefties murder him and there’s questions about his durability, making it possible that he may have to adjust to being a fifth starter or a long man.
• Zach Miner (RHP) – Miner is another nice middle of the rotation pitcher that is has great success with good command of a low 90’s sinking fastball and a plus slider.  Like Colon, efties murder him and his biggest critique is that he’s a little too tentative on the mound, but he’s an excellent three or four starter.  Unfortunately, he ‘s going to be shut out of the Tiger rotation until a spot opens. 
• Jordan Tata (RHP) – Tata is a decent pitcher that can be a suitable swingman, as his secondary pitches aren’t strong enough to merit more than a fourth spot in the rotation.  Tata, however, has good movement on all of his pitches and he maintains good control and command.  He’ll likely be down in the minors again, though he could possibly beat out one of the other bullpen guys for the long relief job.
• Eulogio De La Cruz (RHP) – At 5-11, 170, De La Cruz is a smaller player, but he’s got a relatively good arm.  De La Cruz has a mid 90’s fastball that touches 98 and he has hit 100 in previous years. He sets it up with a great curve that has a lot of movement.  The problem is that De La Cruz’s height works against him, resulting in less height, which means a little less movement.  Depending on whether or not he develops a third pitch, De La Cruz could be either a power starter or a power reliever. 

In Conclusion

Can the Tigers make it back to the World Series?  Not this year.  I think there is bound to be some sort of attrition for the Tigres as far as their starting pitching, but mark my words, they will be in the post-season.  And sooner or later, they will win a Title, thanks to the strong pitching depth they have.  But I do think that this club’s pitching will take a bit of a step back before they take that next step forward.

Final Standing:  Second In The American League Central, Wild Card Winner