Chris (Dallas, TX): So the Tigers seem to think Ryan Perry could pitch out of the ‘pen in ‘09. What are your thoughts on that? Read he has the great velo, but what about the command/secondary stuff?

Keith Law: Slider and changeup had good action but he was leaving them belt-high when I saw him in March. If he’s able to change the hitter’s eye levels better, yes, he could pitch in the majors in 2009.

So anyhoo, there’s a possible option for the bullpen at low cost. He was the #1 pick after all. I think they could build a bullpen on the cheap and use the extra $$ to upgrade C and SS, but that’s just my armchair GM opinion.

So… Lopez, Dolsi, Seay. Rapada, Rodney, Zumaya, hand the ball to Fien and say, “You’re the closer, kid. Sink or swim.” Is that the plan? Yeah, all those young guys might be ready in 2010. But that’s 2010.

Another desperate scheme for moving Sheffield: Bad contract swap with Boston for Julio Lugo. But wait, there are multiple years of Lugo. OK, Sheffield to the Yankees, along with Nate Robertson and Fernando Rodney, for Johnny Damon. The Tigers would then trade Damon for pitching, of course. No, wait – Sheffield to the Yankees for the guys we got him for. No, wait – Sheffield to the Yankees along with Robertson. Take Sheffield and pay him, and we’ll give you Robertson.

It’s a coping mechanism, that’s all.

* By definition synonymous with “absolute truth.”

There just isn’t a SS available under favorable terms that can justify relegating Santiago to the bench again. So I see more of a need for infield depth. Nick Punto could provide it. Is there someone else along those lines, only better, that I’m missing? It’s either that or groom Inge to back up SS, and keep Raburn and Larish/Hessman as your infield bench. Which still doesn’t leave room to keep both Joyce and Thames, either of whom have more value to the team than Raburn. With better options at 3B, Raburn’s only infield value is at 2B. If I could trade Raburn for a guy with a similar bat that could play a decent SS-2B, I would. I just haven’t seen that guy out there yet. Any ideas?

How about Gregg Zaun? Switch hitter, consistently good OBP.

Any hope for the return (resigning) of Vance Wilson?

I’m going to disagree, partly.

I don’t know to what extent the contract and its timing had on the move from 3rd to 1st…I suspect it had something to do with it, and I do recall reading similar somewhere (I’ll try to dig that up). Now, on that point, don’t believe everything you read…it happened to be something I read, and I thought it made some sense and could have been a factor.

“They paid him like a 3B, which is a more premium defensive position.”

Maybe so, but I think his contract had everything to do with his numbers, of both the production and age variety, and little if anything to do with what position he played. They weren’t looking for a 3B, Illich saw a chance to get .300/+30HR/+100RBI and said, “I want that”. That Cabrera happened to play 3B was secondary, as evidence in part to the uncertainty of where he would play once the trade was announced.

What I’m getting at is that there’s likely, the sweet baby-Jesus willing, going to be less uncertainty of the “where is Tiger X going to play” sort. They seem pretty sure of where they want to put the existing pieces, while still looking to address shortages at SS and C.

Who are you? Where am I?

Anyway, as I was saying, OK, sure, on Rogers. Let’s have a look, if he still wants to pitch.

Worth examining (or revisiting endlessly, take your pick). If the 25 HR were worth the 95 K in 342 PA, why couldn’t the 40 HR be worth the 153 K in 550 PA? I don’t think we have any reason to believe that Thames’s power is going to nosedive with too many PA. Dude won some games! Coulda won more! Thames! Woo! Thames! Woo!