Comments on: Game 65: Devil Rays at Tigers

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:47:09 +0000

old saying in baseball: “a team NEVER has enough left-handed pitching.” Do not trade any LHP’s any time soon, unless he’s “damaged goods” and we can get another in exchange. And, do we really have enough depth on the mound to start trading some away? I don’t think I would, yet. Inge’s fine defensively at 3B, but a .217 BA is a bummer. Shelton K’s way too much; he needs to learn the strike zone and lay off the “high ones.” Pitchers are finding him “easy meat” for the letter-high fastball. Both Monroe + Thames have power, but K too much, too. Granderson’s turning into the team “spark plug.” Barring injury, he’s got CF locked up for years. I think Vance Wilson will do a fine job if he’s ever needed if Pudge’s injured.

By: Walewander

Walewander — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:25:54 +0000

No, I’m not Jim – its just a tribute.

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 05:17:41 +0000

I take a long hard look at trading one or two of Maroth, Robertson, or, dare I say it, Bonderman. Their value will probably be at its absolute peak and with Zumaya Sanchez, Tata, Grili, Colon and Ledezema, I like my chances to find two decent starters for the rest of the rotation.

No one is untouchable, but I would be very, very careful. Verlander is lightning in a bottle. Very few pitchers can step up and contribute immediately like he has. Hell, he can regress a good deal and still be a lock for ROY. It remains to be seen what Z and Sanchez can do, but Tata, Grili, Colon and Ledezma would are #5 guys at best. We should be in “win now (and the next few years)” mode, so it would have to be a very sweet deal for me to favor a losing a 3 or 4 guy, hoping a second tier prospect could fill out the rotation respectably.

If a deal like that is made, it should only be made if our scouts are sure that a starter is overachieving. If they know something the opposing teams don’t, it makes sense to sell high. But if the pitcher is for real, it would be ludicrous to trade him, just because his value is high. We’ve gained a lot of depth over the past few years, but enough to trade away a legitimate starter in his prime. They’re just too expensive to replace.

If a stud catcher prospect was available

Be careful with the word “prospect”. We’ve arrived. Any trades that are made should be made for immediate impact.

By: Lou

Lou — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:58:00 +0000

If I’m DD at the end of the year, I take a long hard look at trading one or two of Maroth, Robertson, or, dare I say it, Bonderman. Their value will probably be at its absolute peak and with Zumaya Sanchez, Tata, Grili, Colon and Ledezema, I like my chances to find two decent starters for the rest of the rotation.

Room for improvement in my mind is at 3b (although Inge’s defensive contributions should not be forgotten) or LF. If the right 2B came along, I might also consider that and slide Polanco over to 3rd. Also, we can’t forget Pudge isn’t here forever. If a stud catcher prospect was available, that might be worth a trade too.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:50:30 +0000

nice to see Grilli throw some strikes after his last horrid outing. And Rogers’ defensive play was superb! He could’ve had a complete game, if it meant anything. Obviously, to Leyland, it doesn’t. Rogers has 9 wins now; tied for the league lead. Bonderman tomorrow. If we get decent pitching, we can sweep these guys; their staff is horrible. Then we start interleague play, which totally disgusts me; I’m a real traditionalist when it comes to baseball.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:46:27 +0000

don’t look now, but Humberto Sanchez was wheeling and dealing for Toledo tonight tossing 7 shutout innings and lowering his AAA ERA to 0.71 to go with his 2-0 record.

What exactly would he need to do this year to earn a spot in the rotation next year? He had a 1.76 ERA at Erie with something like 10 or 11 Ks per 9 IP. Now he’s 2-0 in 12.2 innings at Toledo with 9 hits, 3 walks, and 12 Ks and a 0.71 ERA. I’ll assume Bonderman, Rogers, and Verlander are locks for the rotation next year. Does Sanchez have any hope at all of unseating Maroth or Robertson?

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:36:19 +0000

Nope… Jason Grilli is pitching. Not a bad move; get him some work with a good lead.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:26:12 +0000

What do you mean stockpile wins. Wins in June count as much as wins in September. Do you mean he is overworking his team so they can win a few more games now why they are hot? I have heard he likes to rest his players so they can perform for the long 160 game season.

I think Kenny Rogers is going to get a complete game tonight. It’s as good as a day off for the bullpen.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:16:27 +0000

…Does anyone else think Leyland is trying to stockpile wins early b/c he worries about post all star break fade?…

If that’s the case Dave, he’s not the only one. That seems to be the line on the Tigs these days, especially Rogers. But anyway, don’t you want to win as many as you can no matter what? And nice job by Rogers pitching through the 7th. Our bullpen needed it!

Hey Walewander, you aren’t Jim Walewander, are you?

By: Walewander

Walewander — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:47:03 +0000

Looking nice so far….

I think Jamie Walker has shown that he can pitch over the last four years. Nice to get this lead so the pen can pitch some low-leverage innings.

By: Dave T.

Dave T. — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:47:22 +0000

Tonight is a huge game for the bullpen to prove how deep it is. Rogers needs to prove he is the #1 starter and eat some innings. Seay, Grilli, and Walker need to show they can pitch. Does anyone else think Leyland is trying to stockpile wins early b/c he worries about post all star break fade?