News and Notes: 12.28.2010

Not a lot going on over here, hopefully everyone is enjoying the holidays.

Thanks Coleman.

– John Lowe analyzes offseason moves, and gives the Tigers a comfortable edge over the Twins.

– Do you have energy?  Do you like fun?  Do you like the Tigers?  Apply here.

Brad Penny as a challenger for the 5th spot?  I could go for that.

Danny Knobler of CBS goes out on a limb and eliminates the Indians and Royals from the 2011 Central race.

– The imperfect Perfect Game was SI’s 2nd best story of the 2010 season.

Jacob Turner was a hot topic at the winter meetings, so says Captain Smokey.

Maggs is back for a year

1 year, $10M.  I love it.

Freep reports that Maggs turned down 2 year offers (via Jon Heyman’s twitter feed) elsewhere.  Not sure how much those were for.

– Tom Gage breaks down the payroll implications.

I love the 1 year commitment.  If he does well, we’ll overpay for another year, but we don’t have to do that now.

Jackson
Raburn
Maggs
Cabrera
Martinez
Guillen
Peralta
Inge
Rhymes

I can deal with Inge as a #8, maybe a #9 if Rhymes starts to hit.

News and Notes: 12.14.2010 (updated)

– The Cliff Lee race is over, and the Phillies win by a mile.  Lee reportedly left $50-$60M on the table to sign with Philly, who now boasts Cole Hamels as their #4 starter.  Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels. Wow.  Kudos to Lee, it really wasn’t about the money.

– Henning writes that the Tigers’ next move should be to sign Maggs.  If he falls through, they might be looking to reunite with Ryad Ludwick.

– Word is that the White Sox are entertaining offers for Buehrle.

– What about Max St. Pierre?

– I think this line from the Free Press last week pretty much sums up Zumaya’s career.  ‘For the fourth straight off-season, Joel Zumaya looms as the Tigers’ “X factor.”‘  We all know how brilliant he can be when he his healthy, but I think it would be silly to pencil him in as a reliable guy for the 2011 pen.

A few things that I found this morning, enough to share, not enough for a new post:

– Posnanski wrote a great article in SI yesterday, with Bill James, discussing the best 4-man rotations of all time.  He listed the 15 true no. 1 starters” today, JV is on the list.

Figaro’s contract was sold to a Japanese team.  Meh.

– Laird will be backing up Yadier Molina next year in StL for a cool $1M.  Not sad to see him go, and this should not be a surprise to anyone.  Good speed for a catcher, he likes to drink beer (can’t fault him for that), not a great ML starter.

2010 Winter Meetings: Day 3 (updated)

(updated as necessary)

Tigers talking to the Cubs about a a borderline 5th starter, but at least he’s a lefty.

– Ordonez is the apple of Boston’s eye, reports Danny Knobler, though Boras suggests that there are several serious suitors.  Maggs worked out today in Florida to show everyone how is ankle is doing.  Tigers are mum on what they saw.

Thoughts on how to use Guillen in 2011 from Lynn Henning.  Henning also had a good piece on how this has really been a seller’s market (blame Werth) and the Tigers may be able to rely on what they already have.

– Sheffield and Damon to unite in Tampa?

UPDATE – Crawford to the Red Sox

Jon Heyman of SI is reporting that the Red Sox have signed Crawford to 7 yrs for $142M.  (Just over $20M per year).  I’m guessing that the Red Sox are no longer interested in Maggs, and I’m wondering if they were using him as a means to play it cool around Crawford.

Look for the Tigers to settle with Maggs at around 2 for $19M in the next few days.

2010 Winter Meetings: Day 2

– Things seem to be moving pretty slowly in Orlando.  I still feel that Ordonez is their #1 target, but the always scheming Scott Boras may be waiting for Crawford to rake (and decrease OF supply) before starting a bidding war for Maggs.  I like Maggs, but not at what the Red Sox are likely to offer him.  I’d rather take our chances with the kids, and look to make a move at the deadline if we’re in the hunt.

– Crawford’s current asking price may be too much for the Tigers.

– Joaquin Benoit was named the comeback player of the year.  Yay.  But that usually means that he was injured, or not very good the year before.  Have I mentioned that I’m not crazy about the Benoit deal?

– Look for Figaro to be in an alternate Tigers uni next year.

– Did you know that the Tigers had the fewest LH starts by an AL team last year?  Stephen – remember the guy that had most of them for us?

2010 Winter Meetings: Day 1

With Werth off the market, Lee and Crawford should get the majority of coverage this week.  But even without big name free agents, the Winter Meetings are always hopping, and the Tigers are no stranger to dropping news bombs this time of year.

Sure, I’d love to be on the hunt for Crawford, Lee, or even Grienke (whom the Royals are openly shopping around), but realistically, those guys are not on DD’s radar.  Lee is definitely going to join the $20M/yr club, and Crawford may be seeking $180M (surely not…right?).  But here is who DD might be honing in on:

1) Maggs – We need someone to hit in the 3 or 5 hole, Maggs can still hit.  He’s probably only good for 120 – 130 games next year, but Guillen could probably fill in the other ABs, and Maggs is still serviceable in RF.  Yes, Crawford is the sexier player, but he just doesn’t make sense for the Tigers.  Not at Werth+ type numbers.

2) Left handed bullpen help.  Brian Fuentes.  You heard it here first.   With Coke moving to the rotation, we’ll need someone to complement Schlereth.

3) A starting pitcher.  Seemingly, the Tigers have their 2011 rotation set at Verlander/Scherzer/Porcello/Coke/Galarraga.  But with the questions marks at 4 and 5 there, it might make sense to make a run at a Brandon McCarthy type to provide some competition in Spring Training.  With Turner and Crosby likely a year away, the back of our rotation is not likely to get much support from inside the organization next year.

4) Jim Thome – for $2M a year, I’m sure we could find 200 ABs for him.  Especially with the lack of power up the middle (2B, SS, CF).  He could be a great late inning bat.  If he doesn’t do it for you, does Manny?  Considering the Tigers let Jermaine Dye sit at home all summer last season, I don’t see Manny as a possibility here.

Thus, barring a blockbuster trade (I don’t think we have the pawns), I’m not looking for the Tigers to make too much of a splash this week.

A few other items of interest:

– Boston was happy about the Tigers not getting Werth, as it all but guarantees that the Bo Sox will get the Tigers’ first rounder next year as compensation for losing Martinez (only Lee and Soriano were ranked higher).
– Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports admits that this is his own speculation, but suggests there could be a mystery darkhorse team that’s in on Lee, perhaps the Angels or Phillies or Reds or Tigers or White Sox.

– Tigers weren’t willing to go 6 with Werth.  Rightfully so.  Here’s what Keith Law had to say on the matter:  “Giving a 32-year-old position player who has qualified for the batting title exactly twice in his major-league career a guaranteed seven-year deal for over $100 million isn’t just a bad move. It’s irresponsible.”

– If you haven’t seen them yet – the 6th annual DIBS (Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes) awards were released last week.  The voters are a compilation of Tigers bloggers.

– Tom Gage had a great column on Friday about why Martinez is a better fit in Detroit than Dunn.

– White Sox making a hard push to resign Konerko.  Seems like slow-footed 1B overkill to me.

News and Notes: 11.30.2010

– Zach Miner has been designated for assignment. Assuming he clears (I’m sure he will), he’ll be a free agent on Friday.  But the Tigers are likely to bring him back.  He’s been a great spot starter and will be a good long man starting off in 2011.  Good info on the rationale for taking Miner off of the 40 man in lieu of a minor leaguer in yesterday’s Freep.

– Expect the Tigers to offer contracts to Armando Galarraga and Joel Zumaya before Thursday’s deadline.  According to one source, 2011 is make it or break it for Zoom.

– Don’t expect either Juan Gone or Higginson to be inducted anytime soon.  The Detroit News didn’t mince words regarding Juan Gonzalez’ candidacy.

Raburn to start in LF next season?  Someone is reading our comments.  If this is the case, I don’t see a spot for Damon, perhaps he’s heading west.

2010 Minor League Wrap, Part 1: Pitchers (by Nick D)

This is the first of a two part series composed by DTW member Nick D.  Look for Nick to cover the minors in detail in the upcoming season(s).

As any Detroit Tigers fan knows, most of the organization’s top prospects spent a significant amount of 2010 wearing the Old-English “D”. Names like “Rhymes”, “Boesch”, “Jackson”, and “Sizemore” surely bring back memories of summer.

While the top prospects made more news than usual this year, the rest of the farm system shied from the limelight. In fact, according to MLB fanhouse, it was in the stale, dark, depths of a cellar. http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/01/26/2010-farm-system-rankings/. It should be noted, however, that Detroit’s pitching prospects, headlined by Turner and Crosby, should give Tiger fans something to look forward to in the coming years.

What follows is part 1 (pitching), of a 2 part series, examining the year that was. It should be noted that the rankings below are based on scouting predictions and historical performance as well as 2010 stats. Without further ado the pitching prospects:

1. Jacob Turner, RHP

At 6’5’’ and 210 lbs. he’s got the frame of a big-time hurler. Turner pitched in 24 games for West Michigan and Lakeland with an ERA of 3.28. He logged 115.1 innings while striking out 102 and only walking 23. Turner featured a 90-94 MPH fast ball last year but has reached as high as 97-98 MPH. He’s also got a quality curveball and a plus changeup. At only 19, and just one season with professional pitching instruction, Turner’s upside is enormous. Look for him to impress during spring training and start the season with Lakeland and probably end up in Erie.

2. Casey Crosby, LHP

Crosby’s season was almost entirely lost to injury. He opened the season at West Michigan with pain in his forearm and elbow. This is especially troubling because Crosby underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007. After recovering, he was given a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League where he went 0-1 with an ERA of 8.76 over 3 starts. He was shut down for the season in July. Crosby still has tremendous upside. He features a fastball between 94-97 MPH, a changeup, slider, and curveball. If he can avoid the injury bug, 2011 should be a great year for the young lefty.

3. Adam Wilk, LHP

Wilk started the season in Lakeland and ended by pitching 3 quality games in Erie. He posted a cumulative record of 11-5 with an ERA of 2.74. Wilk struck out 114 batters and only walked 24. In his last three starts he pitched at least 7 2/3 innings and allowed a total of 3 earned runs on 6 hits. Wilk features a 4-seam and 2-seam fastball, a curveball, changeup, and cutter. He’s shown continuous improvement throughout his tenure on the farm and looks to continue the trend in 2011. Wilk is set to begin the next campaign in Erie, but, if Tiger injuries require a lefty at some point this season, look for Wilk to get a surprise call to the bigs. Otherwise, I imagine he’ll continue to get better and move up the ranks of Tigers pitching prospects.

4. Cody Satterwhite, RHP

Another pitcher ravaged by injury during 2010, Satterwhite sat out the entire year after undergoing shoulder surgery in May. In 34 appearances in 2009 Satterwhite averaged an impressive 9.49 K/9; however, he’s had problems with the command on his fastball giving up 4.93 BB/9 through 2009. Fans interested in the Tigers farm system should keep an eye on Erie to see how Satterwhite’s rehabbed shoulder fares this season.

5. Andy Oliver, LHP

Last year Oliver spent time between Erie, Toledo, and the Tigers. He wasn’t quite ready for the show, going 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA in the majors. Oliver features a mid to high 90’s fastball with life, a slider, changeup, and splitter. His arsenal proved effective at the AAA level as Oliver struck out 49 in 53 innings of work while maintaining a 3.23 ERA. Dave Dombrowski seems to be a fan despite Oliver’s rough trip to the majors and I look to see Oliver tested again at the Major League level at some point in 2011.

6. Daniel Schlereth, LHP

After coming over from Arizona last year, Schlereth got to work at AAA Toledo. In 38 relief appearances, he maintained an ERA of 2.37. At the big league level, Schlereth continued to have some success. He recorded 1 save and went 2-0 while posting an ERA of 2.89 over 18 2/3 innings. Schlereth needs to improve his BB rate – it’s hung around 4.5 per 9 throughout his time in Toledo and Detroit. If he can improve the command on his fastball, Schlereth will be a big-league ready middle relief pitcher.

7. Robbie Weinhardt, RHP

Weinhardt was one prospect who benefited from Tigers injuries during 2010. He spent time between Connecticut, Toledo, and Detroit. He impressed while in the minors, posting an ERA of 1.64 over 38 1/3 IP. His minor league WHIP of .95 surely impressed Tiger brass. Weinhardt struggled in Detroit going 2-2 with 2 blown saves and posting a bloated ERA of 6.14 over 29 1/3 IP. It will be interesting to see if Weinhardt can take the lessons learned in the big leagues into the off season and show quality improvement in spring training.

8. Alfredo Figaro, RHP

Baseball Prospectus believes that Figaro’s ceiling is an average middle-relief pitcher.
His 2010 numbers seem to support this conclusion and were somewhat pedestrian. In 23 minor league starts he went 10-6 with a 4.14 ERA. However, Figaro did manage to strike out 112 batters in 124 innings. Figaro spent some time with the Tigers last year and did not fare well: in 14 2/3 innings he struck out 5, walked 8, allowed 8 earned runs, and lost 2 decisions. Figaro’s problems with control have followed him into the winter leagues where he’s walked 5 in 12 2/3 innings of work. Figaro has the arm to be a successful big league reliever but needs to master his control issues in 2011.

9. Wilsen Palacios, RHP

Palacios posted great numbers in 2010: a 2.43 ERA over 74 innings of mostly relief work. He also struck out 67 while only walking 13. Opposing hitters only hit .206 against him, which led the Tigers’ minor league system. Palacios also led the Tigers minor league with an impressive .95 WHIP. He features a good fastball and slider and will make a quality big league reliever at some point in the future. He’s shown improvement from 2007 with his control and has also improved his strikeout total. He’s starting 2010 assigned to Connecticut.

10. Miguel Mejia, RHP

Mejia split time between Lakeland, West Michigan, and Connecticut during 2010. He posted a cumulative ERA of 2.80 over 70 2/3 innings. Mejia really showed improvement in Connecticut, his last stop of the season, where he pitched in 13 games with 2 spot starts. During this time his ERA was an impressive 1.02. Like many young players, Mejia needs to improve his control before he will really excel.

11. Charles Furbush, LHP

Furbush sat out 2008 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His 2009 numbers were pretty solid (111 1/3 IP, 93K, 3.96 ERA for Lakeland). However, 2010 showed that Furbush has the work ethic and upside to become a pretty decent big league starter. Over 159 innings and 27 starts for Lakeland, Erie, and Toledo, Furbush struck out an impressive 183 batters while only walking 40. His cumulative 183 strikeouts led the Tigers’ minor league system. He also posted ERAs of 3.39 and 3.24 at Lakeland and Erie, respectively. Furbush faltered somewhat at Toledo, giving up 34 earned runs in just 9 starts. Furbush features a low 90’s fastball, change up, and curve. He’ll need to refine those pitches against AAA level competition before getting a crack in the big leagues.

12. Brayan Villarreal, RHP

The 6’0’’ righty pitched 129 1/3 innings between Lakeland and Erie. In 24 starts he posted an ERA of 3.55 while striking out 136 and walking 39. In the winter leagues, he’s off to a hot start with a 1-0 record, .95 ERA and 1 save over 19 innings of work. Villarreal is still a prospect with room to grow but is worth keeping an eye on in 2011.

13. Ramon Lebron, RHP

Lebron split time between West Michigan, GCL Tigers, and Connecticut. He improved somewhat from his 2009 totals, although his ERA was substantially higher in 2010 (5.57 up from 3.73). He did manage to improve his strike out to walk ratio from 1.48 in 2009 to 2.03. Lebron has got a high-ceiling and a live arm but will need to continue to work on his control issues in 2011.

14. Melvin Mercedes, RHP

He has a quality reliever’s arsenal with a power fast ball; however, the 19 year-old righty needs to demonstrate he can consistently throw strikes. In 2010 he improved his BB/9 to 8.69 from 11.57 in 2009. He also K’ed more batters, at a rate of 5.49 per nine up from 3.86 the year before. Mercedes is still young and could be a decent big league set-up man if he can get his control issues down.

15. Luke Putkonen, RHP

In 27 games for Lakeland, Putkonen threw 152 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.18. He struck out 87 and walked 44. His ERA ranked 4th best among Tigers prospects in 2010. He finished 2010 strong, going 6 or more innings in 8 of his last 10 starts and only allowing more than 3 runs once during the same period.

16. Luis Marte, RHP

Marte spent most of 2010 in Erie but made one appearance in Toledo. For the season, he threw 49 innings of relief with an ERA of 4.96. He struck out 53 batters and walked 27. Again, control seems to be his biggest problem.

17. Jay Sborz, RHP

Sborz made his major league debut in New York last season. It went about as well as Custer’s last stand – Sborz is the proud owner of a big league ERA of 67.50 after getting two outs and allowing 5 runs in a June game against the Mets. Notwithstanding, Sborz has “good stuff” according to Ol’ Smoky and was rewarded for his work in Toledo. In Toledo, Sborz produced better results, although nothing brilliant, with an ERA of 4.74 over 43 2/3 innings pitched. However, he did manage to save 19 games for the Mud Hens. He’s had problems locating the strike zone and needs to improve his control before attempting to pitch at the next level.

18. Austin Wood, LHP

Drafted in 2009 in the 5th round from the University of Texas, Wood has had high expectation since joining the organization. In his debut in April, Wood struck out the side in one inning of work. Wood only pitched in 2 games for Lakeland and did not allow an earned run or walk.

19. Jeff Ferrell, RHP

Ferrell split time between GCL Tigers and Connecticut, although he only threw 6 1/3 innings at the latter. His cumulative ERA was 3.25 with 64 K’s and 15 BB’s. In 11 starts he also managed to throw 2 CG shut outs. At only 20 years old, Ferrell is still young and has shown that he has great potential. Watch for him to rise quickly through the system.

20. L.J. Gagnier, RHP

The 6’2’’, 210 lbs. right-hander spent most of 2010 in Toledo where he went 7-7 and posted a 3.51 ERA. Over 120 2/3 IP while in Toledo, he struck out 94 while walking 44. That ratio was off his pace from Erie where he struck out 28 and walked 8 over 35 IP. He’ll need to find his command while pitching against higher quality hitters, but could improve this year as he benefits from the Toledo coaching magic.

21. Trevor Feeney, RHP

Feeney threw 184 2/3 innings for West Michigan. His strike out to walk ratio was other-worldly as he K’ed 123 and only walked 22. His ERA of 3.46 was pretty solid. Feeney will have to test his stuff against higher level hitting competition but has obviously shown good results thus far.

Other Notable Pitching Prospects:

Jared Gayhart, RHP – Got roughed up in Erie and showed improvement after being sent to Lakeland.

Brooks Brown, RHP – Went 12-9 with a 4.15 ERA for Erie. In 18 starts he threw 4 complete games, 2 of which were shut outs.

Lester Oliveros, RHP – Saved 23 games for Lakeland and Erie. His ERA and BB’s inflated after being promoted to Erie. Watch to see if he can continue to improve against better hitting this year.

Kenny Faulk, LHP – Saved 12 games and went 5-4 for West Michigan while producing an impressive 2.16 ERA over 58 1/3 innings. He also struck out 78. Another live arm with control issues.

Mark Sorensen, RHP
In 147 1/3 IP for Lakeland, Sorenson struck out 113 while only walking 29. His ERA was slightly high at 4.03, but he clearly demonstrated an ability to generate swings and misses. Watch for continued improvement in his second year of professional baseball.

More on Victor Martinez

Despite this guy’s negativity, I really like the deal for a number of reasons.  (You really should check out that link if you want to see a good example of how to poorly build  an argument).

1) Other than his injury year of 2008, he’s had a WAR of 3.9 or higher (see Fangraphs here) in each of the past six years, and an OPS+ of at least 122 (see B-R here).

2) His middle name is “Jesus” and as we all know, you don’t ___ with the Jesus.

3) He’s a catcher.  And we really, really need a more than a back-up catcher.  I understand that he’s arguably a liability defensively, but what other options did DD have?  I feel that all too often people ignore the available market when talking free agents.  Alex Avila has an opportunity to be a serviceable catcher for a long time, and VMart definitely bridges that gap.

4) He’s a switch-hitter.  How great is that?  Talk about ultimate protection for Cabrera.

5) He’s durable.  In the past 7 seasons, he’s had 538+ PAs in 6 of them, and 600+ in 4 of those 6.  Not too shabby for a guy who squats for a living.

By all accounts he’s a great clubhouse guy, and it looks like he really wanted to be in Detroit.  Several outlets are reporting that Martinez turned down 3/$48 from the White Sox, and a similar offer from the Orioles.  Moreover, I agree with Lynn Henning that DD is not yet done.

Keith Law was pretty neutral on the deal (which means that he really likes it), though he did express concern over the spend to win strategy: “My main concern with the deal is neither its length nor its size, but what it says about the Tigers’ current strategy…this time around, the Tigers’ system is in much worse shape.”  (read the whole article on insider here)

Can’t wait to see what pops up next.  Hot stove is heating up.

News & Notes: 11-23-10 The Victor Martinez Edition

Lots of stuff to get to…

– Rumor is that Tigers and Victor Martinez are close to 4 yrs/$50M.   Terry Francona is already weighing in on the loss of Martinez.

– Tigers declined arbitration on Bonderman, Seay, Laird, Damon and Ordonez, and thus forego any compensation picks if any of these players are signed by another team.

– Aburey Huff resigned with the Giants today, 2 for $22M.  Which is a real indictment on what they thought of Renteria.

– AL MVP Voting coming shortly…
UPDATE: Hamilton wins in a landslide, receiving 22/28 first place votes.

(sorry for the brevity, I’m looking forward to everyone’s feedback, to be updated later)

News & Notes: 11.20.2010

– DD’s latest interview infers that a big bat is top priority now.

– Ni was sent down, and Alberto Alburquerque (not to be confused with “Albuquerque”) signed to minor league deal and added to the 40.

– Ordonez news – Boras is already doing his thing, and Jason Beck thinks this means that Maggs will sit deep into free agency before making a decision.

– Heyman furthered the notion of a Grienke deal, and ponders – why not Soria too?  Interestingly, Soria has a limited no-trade clause that gives him the right to veto deals to the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees.

– Apparently, no trade to the Tigers clauses are popular these days.

Tigers sign Benoit (and Adam Dunn talk)

3 years at $16.5M is a hefty price tag for a setup guy who has really only had three good years over his 8 year career.  Benoit had a sick .68 WHIP last year with 75 Ks in 60.1 IPs.  Problem is, that he’s never had a WHIP lower than 1.17 in any of his other 8 full seasons (3 of them primarily as a starter), and he has a career 4.47 ERA, and 1.35 WHIP.

I’m not fond of 3 year deals for middle relievers, and I’m not fond of overpaying for a career year.  Though I will say props to DD for addressing a huge need, and doing so quickly.  I think we’ll get one more in the pen before camp next spring.

I also thought this was interesting – at least some are reporting that Phil Coke will be in the starting rotation next year.

>>>>>

Dunn – It was reported around noon central that talks were heating up with Dunn, but Jon Heyman recently sent this out via Twitter: “hearing dunn isn’t close yet with any 1 team, tho tigers are showing keen interest.”)