Friday, November 23, 2012

Detroit Tigers Top Ten Prospects for 2013

By Sean Gagnier

After trading away two of the two top prospects in the Tigers farm system during the 2012 season, what is left on the farm that could help Detroit in the near future?

  1. Nick Castellanos 3B/OF
  2. Avisail Garcia OF
  3. Bruce Rondon RHP
  4. Jake Thompson RHP
  5. Austin Schotts OF
  6. Danry Vasquez OF
  7. Tyler Collins OF
  8. Casey Crosby LHP
  9. Eugenio Suarez SS/2B
  10. Adam Wilk LHP
Everyone in Detroit knows who Castellanos and Garcia are. Castellanos is a natural SS, who was moved to 3B and then to the outfield when Miguel Cabrera moved to third base. General Manager Dave Dombrowski has maintained that Castellanos will remain in the outfield, which could work for Detroit. With the Tigers still searching for another outfield bat, having a solid young bat like Castellanos in the minors is a good backup plan.

Garcia is an electrifying outfielder who came to the majors at the end of August and made his presence known in Detroit. He has a plus bat and an incredible arm from the outfield. One problem with him however, is that Manager Jim Leyland only played him against left-handed pitchers, which he did well against. But, being a young player, if he only ever sees action against lefties, then his numbers against righties will only continue to fall. Garcia will be a very good outfielder, but he needs to play every day, and if he can't get that in Detroit, then he should spend half the season in Toledo getting everyday action before he moves permanently to right field in Detroit.

Bruce Rondon has had his name thrown around a lot lately, as a solution to the closer vacancy in Detroit. Rondon is known for his blazing fastball that can easily hit triple digits, but he also possesses what could be the best slider in the Tigers organization. If Rondon has a third pitch that even comes close to his fastball and slider, then he will earn the closer role in 2013 and will not relinquish it for years.  

Jake Thompson and Austin Schotts were both drafted by the Tigers in 2012. Thompson has a good arm and is capable of making hitters miss, but he is still very raw and will require several more years in the minors before he will be ready to break into the big leagues.

Schotts however, could have been the steal of the 2012 draft. The outfielder is said to have 80 speed and said to be able to beat Mike Trout and Michael Bourn in a footrace. Schotts elected to join the Tigers rather than go to college, and Detroit couldn't be happier about it. In his first 22 games as a pro, Schotts hit .388/.440/.538 with 7 doubles, a triple, a homerun, and 11 stolen bases in 13 tries.

Schotts will not take much longer in the minors before he is ready for an everyday job in Detroit. With his exceptional speed, he could be a great fit in the massive Comerica Park center field. This would shift Austin Jackson to left field for the Tigers, which could work well, as Detroit has been on the lookout for a good left fielder for a decade.

Danry Vasquez was signed when he was 16-years old and given a seven figure signing bonus by the Tigers in 2010. There have been some mixed reviews on his fielding, but he stands out as being a good player even when not in the spotlight. Vasquez does possess a strong arm from the outfield and as his fielding improves he will only become more and more inticing for Detroit to either place in the lineup or trade for a top-tier MLB talent.

The Tigers continue the glut of outfield talent with Tyler Collins, who won the National Junior College Athletic Asssociation Player of the Year from Howard College in Texas in 2011. He batted .488 (105-for-215) last spring with 34 doubles, 19 homers and 82 RBI. Collins was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB draft and will likely be a trade piece before he makes it to the majors in Detroit.

Casey Crosby is another name Tigers fans should know, he has spent some time in the Detroit rotation the last several years. Crosby has struggled to stay healthy since being drafted in 2007, and following Tommy John's surgery in 2008 Crosby needs to get some innings under his belt. He possesses a heavy, mid-90's fastball and while he has a good curveball, he needs work to consistently throw it for strikes. A changeup adds depth to his repertoire, but it needs a bit of work still.

Eugenio Suarez breaks the outfielder daze, and the switch-hitting infielder is a breath of fresh air for the Tigers. Although Suarez is on the smaller side, but he possesses good defensive ability while also hitting well. It appears as though the Tigers scouts found gold with this IFA prospect. The lack of infield prospects and his good skill set should have him in the majors quickly.

Adam Wilk is yet another familiar name for Tigers fans. Wilk is a control pitcher, who does not have great velocity, but he does have great control. He consistently throws strikes, but it is hard to see Wilk as anything more than a bullpen pitcher who could see occasional spot starts.

Below is a graphic representation of the Detroit Tigers 2016 projected lineup, there is a text version further down the page.



Projected 2016 Detroit Tigers starting lineup

Catcher- Alex Avila
First Base- Prince Fielder
Second Base- Jhonny Peralta
Third Base- Nick Castellanos
Short Stop- Eugenio Suarez
Left Field- Austin Jackson
Center Field- Austin Schotts
Right Field- Avisail Garcia
Designated Hitter- Miguel Cabrera
No. 1 Starter- Justin Verlander
No. 2 Starter- Max Scherzer
No. 3 Starter- Doug Fister
No. 4 Starter- Drew Smyly
No. 5 Starter- Rick Porcello
Closer- Bruce Rondon

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Tigers Rumored To Be Pursuing Stephen Drew






By Sean Gagnier

After the Oakland A's turned down their $10M option on Stephen Drew, the free agent began popping up on several team's radars, including the Detroit Tigers.

Oakland is not out of the hunt for Drew though, they just want to ink him to a less rich deal. Other teams in the hunt are the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, although both teams see Drew more as an excellent insurance plan for their everyday shortstops.

Detroit however, despite picking up the option on Jhonny Peralta after the World Series, consider Drew to be a starting shortstop and are rumored to be pursuing him.

Picking up Drew doesn't add much to the Tigers roster, it is not a positive move, but more of a horizontal one. In 2012 Peralta hit .239/.305/.384 in 585 appearances while Drew turned in a .223/.309/.348 performance in 327 appearances.

Drew however, was coming off a year of rehab from a severe ankle injury, something Detroit believes held his numbers down.

If Detroit does indeed sign Drew, they will likely shop Peralta who has drawn interest from several teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks. Should Drew don the "Olde English D" then the Tigers could trade Peralta quickly to get a prospect or two in return.




Monday, November 12, 2012

Tigers Close In On Hunter, Make FA Signing





By Sean Gagnier

It's no secret that the Tigers are targeting corner outfielders this offseason. With the struggles of Delmon Young, who is now gone, and the inexperience of Avisail Garcia, Detroit wants to add a veteran presence to the outfield, and Torii Hunter is perfect.

Hunter is being pursued by several teams, but the top two appear to be the Tigers and the Texas Rangers. One team will have their prize sooner rather than later, as Hunter told MLB Network that he expects to "sign quickly."

Detroit sees Hunter as a near perfect fit on and off the field in the Motor City. The corner outfield spots are important to the Tigers, and adding a veteran presence could help give the team the leadership in the clubhouse that appeared to be lacking during the 2012 season.

Texas is also an option for Hunter, who makes his home close to the Ballpark at Arlington in Texas.

Other teams in the hunt for Hunter are the; Red Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Braves and Angels.

Free Agent Moves

Detroit has signed right-hander Shawn Hill to a minor league contract. Hill opted for free agency after appearing in just one game for the Blue Jays last season. The 31-year old rightie spent most of the 2012 season in Triple-A and posted stats of; 4.52 ERA, 5.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in 89 2/3 innings.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Tigers Bring Back Bonderman....Maybe


By Sean Gagnier

Former-Tiger hurler Jeremy Bonderman is looking to return to the game, and the Tigers reportedly are interesting in bringing him back. It was reported on Friday that the team and Bonderman had reached a deal, but no details were released and when contacted by MLB.com's Jason Beck, Bonderman said that the deal was "news to him."

So, maybe Bonderman isn't on his way back to Detroit, or maybe he is, who knows.

Bonderman last pitched for Detroit in 2010 before suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to have surgery. In eight seasons with the Tigers, Bonderman posted a 4.89 ERA and 1.402 WHIP,  not exactly numbers that are going to blow the world away.

If the Tigers do indeed sign Bonderman, it will likely be to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Should Detroit like what they see out of Bonderman in the spring he could wind up with the club, otherwise he could spend some time in Toledo returning to form.

Closer News

The Tigers have said that they will not pursue former-Yankee reliever Rafael Soriano for the vacant closers role. Instead, Detroit has indicated that the closer role will be filled from within and has marked 21-year old reliever Bruce Rondon as a candidate.