SB Nation - Carlos Guillen

Evening Prowl: Still Roaring, D-Town Baseball, Kelly Johnson, and Those in Favor of the Grandy Trade

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:00:18 -0000

With the demise of MVN, many have wondered what will happen to Roar of the Tigers, Samara Pearlstein's fantastically illustrated blog. Thankfully for us all, Sam will keep on trucking, and has moved RotT to a Wordpress site. You can find the new address here, and check out the Floating Head Raft of Tigers.

(I also feel the need to point out - whether Sam would prefer me to or not - that her self-portrait is less than flattering. I always admire an illustrator/cartoonist willing to portray themselves as flawed, but Sam isn't being fair to herself, as funny as the image may be.)

As the smoke still clears from last week's roster upheaval, Tiger Tales' Lee Panas looks at where the Detroit lineup, rotation, and bullpen stand right now. Left and center field are question marks, as are the final two spots in the rotation.

Whenever the Tigers make a deal involving Edwin Jackson, D-Town Baseball is on it. After a year-long absence from the Tigersosphere (since the Tigers acquired Jackson from the Rays), Eric Jackson (no relation, I assume) posted some thoughts on the big deal. Eric's in favor of the trade, and lists four reasons why.

Kelly Johnson is one of the non-tendered players that's drawn much interest among Tigers fans. Dan Wade took a look at him for Baseball Digest Daily, and expects his batting average to bounce back in 2010. His walk rate and defense are concerns, however.

(Hat tip to The Detroit Tigers Weblog)

Tigers Tracks' "By the Numbers" series has reached Number 9. And with that comes the first current Tiger on John Parent's list. Next year's presumed left fielder, Carlos Guillen, gets profiled.

Also liking the Granderson-Jackson trade is Blake VandeBunte of The Spot Starters. While Blake thinks Dave Dombrowski has some more work to do, he likes that Brandon Lyon was let go and that most of the roster has been shopped around this offseason.

It kind of snuck out there over the weekend, but the Tigers are apparently not going to be making a serious bid (perhaps we can assume that means no bid at all) on Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

One more in favor of the Grandy trade: Rogo at DesigNate Robertson wonders if the Tigers got some value for a player on the decline while he was still marketable.

It's almost a week old now, but if you missed it, The Dugout responds to Jim Leyland's expressed belief that managers and players shouldn't be able to argue out-safe calls at first base. Who would've guessed that Magglio Ordonez was such a skilled debater?

"Scattered Interest" in Carlos Guillen?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:30:28 -0000

At times, it's felt like Jon Paul Morosi is the shadow author of this blog, given how many of his rumors and reports have been recycled here. Having said that, Morosi mentioned late last night (or early this morning) that there was "some scattered interest" around the Winter Meetings in Carlos Guillen.

This seems like the wishiest of wishful thinking on the part of the Tigers, as Guillen is really a man without a position in Detroit (despite Jim Leyland promising him the left field job next season.) But maybe other teams are checking if the Tigers would be interested in picking up part of his contract while unloading him.

Guillen's still a decent bat, who can presumably play every infield position, as well as left field, though injuries restricted him to only 81 games this season. He batted .242/.339/.419 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 322 plate appearances.

Guillen is owed a total of $26 million on the remaining two years of his contract.

Let the Guillen-for-Milton Bradley talk resume... now.

Lunchtime Prowl: Sizemore's Ankle, Guillen for Pierre, the Second Base Dilemma, and Trading Closers

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:20:16 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

There may be no bigger question for the Detroit Tigers this offseason than whether or not to re-sign Placido Polanco.

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The Detroit Tigers Weblog talked to Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus, the industry's resident injury expert, about Scott Sizemore's ankle injury. Carroll said Sizemore should be ready for Spring Training. However, he's never seen a second baseman with the sort of tendon injury that Sizemore suffered, so "it's tough to judge."

On his blog, the Detroit News' Tom Gage addresses speculation that the Tigers might pursue outfielder Juan Pierre this winter. But with Pierre owed $18.5 million on the remaining two years of his contract with the Dodgers, Gage thinks the only way Detroit could take on that kind of money is if they shipped a big salary of their own to L.A. For instance, the two years and $26 million they still owe Carlos Guillen.

Pierre batted .308/.365/.392 with 30 stolen bases in 42 attempts this season for the Dodgers.

At Mack Avenue Tigers, Kurt Mensching looks at the choices the Tigers face at second base next season. Do they let Placido Polanco go entirely or do they offer him arbitration? One key point Kurt brings up - and this is worth considering when reading Gage's article, as well - is that we don't know exactly what the Tigers' budget will be.

Speaking of second base, Fire Jim Leyland looks at Polanco's total value to the Tigers this season. How much did Polanco contribute to the Tigers with his bat? How much value did he provide with his glove? And how does Polanco compare with other second basemen in baseball?

Lynn Henning wonders how the Tigers can make their offense more potent next season. Are they mostly relegated to hoping most every batter on the roster just puts up better numbers in 2010? Henning says he expects Dave Dombrowski to add "a bat or two" this winter. But seriously, where would you put them?

How did the Tigers rate defensively this season? Lee Panas looks at each player's Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), and finds that Detroit was above-average in the field. Will that continue next season? Or might the Tigers have to sacrifice some defense for offense? (Lee also rates Detroit's offense in another post.)

If you missed it over the weekend (I posted it to the front page late on Friday), John Kmiecik filed his latest review for the 2009 Tigers. This time out, he takes a look at Carlos Guillen's season.

Over at The Daily Fungo, Mike McClary lists five reasons why he won't be watching the World Series. I think he could be missing out on a good one, though I generally agree with most of the reasons he listed. (Though I find the Phillies an intriguing team.)

Aaron Gleeman wonders if this might be the right time for the Minnesota Twins to consider trading Joe Nathan. (Just to clarify, he's not saying they should.) Nathan, by the way, just had surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow.

This might be a theme. Sam Mellinger thinks the Kansas City Royals should look into trading their closer, Joakim Soria. As he puts it, "What good is that fine scotch if you don't drink it?"

With the news that Tony La Russa might hire Mark McGwire as the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach, Lookout Landing imagines how a coaching session with McGwire might go.

The Dugout has a funny take on the story, too. It took me a while to figure out who the "SonOfJorEl" nickname was for. Maybe I need another cup of coffee.

I know some fans aren't thrilled that the World Series is an all-East Coast affair. But regardless of convenience, I think it's pretty cool that the Phillies traveled to New York by train, rolling into Penn Station last night. Maybe not so cool for commuters and Amtrak employees, though.

Beck on WDFN: Guillen Frustrated with Leyland Since September

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

According to MLB.com's Jason Beck, Carlos Guillen was just waiting for the end of the season to voice his frustrations over Jim Leyland's handling of the Detroit Tigers' lineup.

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MLB.com Tigers beat writer Jason Beck appeared on WDFN Tuesday afternoon with Matt Shepard and Drew Sharp to discuss the Carlos Guillen situation.

(I know 'DFN has been back on local programming for a few weeks now, but it's nice to have more Detroit sports talk for these kinds of interviews. 97.1's afternoon drive-time show isn't doing stuff like this.)

You can listen to or download a podcast of the segment at the WDFN website, but here are some bullet points from the conversation.

According to Beck, Guillen began showing frustration with his role in early September, but didn't want to talk about it during the playoff race. He knew Guillen wanted to talk after the season was over, though.
Guillen had a problem with Jim Leyland constantly changing lineups, and bringing this to the team's attention may have been why he chose to voice his complaints through the media.
When asked by Sharp if Guillen could be traded, Beck said he "can't see a scenario" in which that would happen.
Shepard wonders if this is "a Latin America thing," in that Latin players seem to take pride in playing the infield, especially shortstop.
Beck believes it would take "a heck of a deal" for the Tigers to consider trading Curtis Granderson. Outfielders from other teams have talked about how difficult it is to play centerfield at Comerica Park, so why trade a guy who's shown he can do it? (Especially if Guillen and Ordonez play the corner spots.)

Carlos Guillen's Complaining Pays Off... For Now

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:10:28 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Carlos Guillen is exasperated with his role on the Detroit Tigers. Should the Tigers be fed up with him, as well?

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First, Carlos Guillen let it be known that he wants to be an everyday player next year.

According to him, being taken out of games in late innings for defensive replacements or pinch-runners didn't allow him to prove he was fully healthy. And apparently, Guillen told Jim Leyland as much after the final game of the season versus the Twins.

Yet can Leyland be entirely blamed for not trusting Guillen's health? Guillen played in only 81 games this year, missing almost three months of the season due to a shoulder injury. And even when Guillen was activated in late July, that shoulder was still problematic enough to prevent him from playing left field or batting right-handed, which kept him out of the lineup whenever the Tigers faced a lefty pitcher.

It took 17 games before Guillen saw the field again, when he got a start at first base. In another six games, he finally started in left field, the position he was expected to play this season. It took 39 games before he was able to bat right-handed. So there was plenty of opportunity for Leyland to get used to playing someone else.

When told of Guillen's comments, Leyland said that he'd love to see him play everyday too. But staying healthy and producing was a part of that.

To stick up for himself, Guillen mentions that he's played several different positions over the past couple of years, moving from shortstop to first base, then to third base, and then to left field. In fairness to him, he's been moved around quite a bit and did so willingly. However, it's also worth pointing out that those position changes were made out of necessity, as Guillen showed diminished range at shortstop and third, and had problems with his footwork at first base.

Apparently frustrated that he'll be pushed into the same role in 2010 that he played in 2009 (sharing the left field and designated hitter spots), Guillen told Jason Beck over the weekend that he didn't want to play left field next season.

"I don't want to play left field," Guillen told MLB.com on Sunday, "because it's going to be the same stuff this year, the same excuses. He doesn't have confidence in me [in left field]."

The "excuses" Guillen refers to are presumably taking him out of the game for defensive or pinch-running purposes. But perhaps what Guillen seeks most is some respect from his manager for changing positions to help the team, moves which Guillen seems to think are behind many of his recent injuries.

"I never asked to change positions," Guillen said Sunday. "I decided to play a different position [when asked]. I want to win. But I don't want to play [left field] when [Leyland] uses it as an excuse. ...

"I did the best I can. I made the move for the team. When I was playing shortstop, I stayed healthy."

Guillen played in 153 and 151 games in 2006 and 2007, when he was the Tigers' full-time shortstop. Yet he also had league-leading error totals (first in '06, second in '07) at that position in those seasons. No, errors don't tell the complete story of a player's defensive abilities. But in Guillen's case, the majority of those errors were fielding, not throwing mistakes, which would seem to indicate he was having difficulties at shortstop. (UZR/150 doesn't look too kindly upon him, either.)

So is that the root of Guillen's dissatisfaction here? Does he want to move back to shortstop? Beck asked Guillen which position he'd like to play next season.

"Obviously, I can't play first base," Guillen said. "Obviously, [Leyland] doesn't want me at shortstop. He doesn't want me at third base."

What about left field?

"Ok, if they let me play, maybe," Guillen said. "But I don't want to play the way they played me [this year]."

And now, maybe it's becoming clearer why Leyland smokes so much. A supposed leader on his ballclub is now a high-maintenance complainer.

To make sure this issue didn't linger throughout the winter and into Spring Training, and to prevent continued discussions through the media, Leyland contacted Guillen in Venezuela, and apparently there's now an understanding between the two. Guillen will be the Tigers' full-time left fielder next season, according to Leyland.

"Carlos Guillen is our left fielder," Leyland told MLB.com. "He's our everyday left fielder, and hopefully he'll be productive. If he's looking for reassurance, we want him to play every day."

It's just like the old saying goes: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

But is that really the best thing for the Detroit Tigers in 2010? Leyland gave himself some wiggle room with that quote, basically saying it's Guillen's job to lose. Meanwhile, he's got Ryan Raburn and his .291/.359/.533 from this season waiting, if Guillen can't stay healthy. (Raburn should be in left field every time Detroit faces a left-handed pitcher, anyway. Maybe Guillen moves over to DH in those match-ups - that is, if it's okay with him.)

After reading all this, I can't help but think about the last player who complained about his role, one which became increasingly limited due to diminishing skills and creakiness in his body. Hmm, whatever happened to that guy... ?

Unfortunately, the Tigers face a much more expensive decision with Guillen than they did with Gary Sheffield. Detroit had to eat $14 million when they released Sheffield at the end of March. But Guillen is still owed $26 million over the remaining two years of his contract (the market value of which was determined by Guillen playing shortstop, by the way).

So is this the end of Guillen's belly-aching or will there be more of this squawking to come if and when his health prevents him from seeing the field regularly?

Playoff Teams Defense Analysis - How They Got There and What to Expect - American League Edition

Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:32:12 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. catches a fly ball in front of a mural honoring Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, during practice in preparation for the team's upcoming playoff baseball game in Anaheim, Calif. Adenhart died in a car accident last April. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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A couple days ago I publish the look at the defensive stats of the teams that made the playoffs in the National League. Now it is time for the American League. For this analysis, I will be using UZR data from from Fangraphs.com. I computed the numbers a few days ago and waited for the season to end. Fangraphs updates their numbers on Monday so these UZR are not from this Monday but the Monday before that.

First, here are the totals of all the AL teams in the playoffs:

As it can be seen, the Angel's defense this season was the best of the four teams with them saving about 30 more runs than the Yankees and Red Sox and about 45 more runs than the Twins.

Besides the team totals, the UZR can be broken down to individual positions. Here is a comparison of each of the 4 teams by position totals.

None of these team were great in the field and shows by the variations from position to position.

Even though these graphs show how a team did during the season, it doesn't show what to except in the post season. For example, the Angels missed Tori Hunter for a while due to injury and the players that replaced him might explain the low ranking in CF for the Angels (actually Tori had a pretty bad year in CF). For each team, I went ahead and calculated the true UZR value of each player projected to start in the playoffs.

For those that need to know, it was a 5-4-3-2 weighted average of seasonally regressed values to 125 games with no final age adjustment. For example, Derek Jeter had a 6.4 UZR for 2009, but taking into account his previous seasons his true talent level is near -1.7 UZR.

So here is a look at each team's 2009 numbers and the true talent level of the players expected to play during the post season (I will add more as needed - when injuries happen or if I happened to miss someone).

Minnesota Twins (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Justin Morneau	0.67
1B	Michael Cuddyer	-0.13
2B	Nick Punto	0.81
2B	Alexi Casilla	-2.73
3B	Matt Tolbert	-0.03
3B	Joe Crede	7.44
3B	Brendan Harris	-1.2
SS	Nick Punto	2.59
SS	Orlando Cabrera	-0.11
LF	Delmon Young	-10.2
LF	Denard Span	2.12
CF	Carlos Gomez	7.6
CF	Denard Span	-0.72
RF	Jason Kubel	-1.39
RF	Michael Cuddyer	-7
RF	Denard Span	1.82

LA Angels (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Kendry Morales	3.0
2B	Howie Kendrick	1.8
2B	Maicer Izturis	1.5
3B	Chone Figgins	6.6
SS	Erick Aybar	3.7
SS	Maicer Izturis	1.0
LF	Juan Rivera	5.9
CF	Gary Matthews Jr.	-5.4
CF	Torii Hunter	-6.0
RF	Bobby Abreu	-11.3
RF	Gary Matthews Jr.	-1.0

New York Yankees (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Mark Teixeira	1.5
2B	Robinson Cano	-1.9
3B	Alex Rodriguez	-3.7
SS	Derek Jeter	-1.7
LF	Johnny Damon	-2.4
CF	Melky Cabrera	-1.5
CF	Brett Gardner	3.2
RF	Nick Swisher	2.1
RF	Eric Hinske	0.6
RF	Melky Cabrera	-0.3

Boston Red Sox (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Victor Martinez	-0.1
1B	Kevin Youkilis	3.2
1B	Casey Kotchman	4.5
2B	Dustin Pedroia	6.9
3B	Mike Lowell	2.3
3B	Kevin Youkilis	-0.1
SS	Alex Gonzalez	4.5
SS	Nick Green	-2.0
SS	Jed Lowrie	4.2
LF	Jason Bay	-9.6
CF	Jacoby Ellsbury	-6.7
RF	Rocco Baldelli	-0.6
RF	J.D. Drew	4.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------

First, thanks to Justin for supplying the graphics and let me know if any players might be seeing playing time in the first 2 rounds. I am not going to go through all possible lineups once the DH is added and removed in the World Series until two teams qualify.

The Tribe is Swept Again: Tigers 6, Indians 5

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:06:43 -0000

More photos » by DAVID RICHARD - AP

Justin Verlander got into a bit of trouble when he tried to overpower his way out of a jam. But he eventually settled down and earned his 17th win of the season.

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If you looked at the pitching match-up before this game and thought, "Well, Justin Verlander should pitch better than Carlos Carrasco, so the Tigers ought to beat the Indians," you'd have been exactly right. Verlander gave up two runs in seven innings, with 11 strikeouts. Carrasco allowed four runs in five innings, with three walks.

Of course, there's usually more to the story.

As is often the case in one of Verlander's starts, he had one of those innings. Thursday night, it was the third inning, as Verlander put the first four Cleveland batters on base, resulting in two runs. Making matters worse was Verlander trying to throw his way out of trouble, figuring no one could touch his 98 m.p.h. and above heat. He was right about that. Except the Indians just let the hard stuff go by, and waited for the soft stuff.

Once Verlander resumed pitching instead of throwing, however, he began getting hitters out and escaped with only hose two runs allowed.

Carrasco wasn't so lucky in his half of the inning. He wasn't fooling anyone in the Tigers lineup, giving up four singles to the first five batters he faced. (And he walked the other one.) By the time Carrasco could finally get someone out, Detroit had scored four runs and essentially taken control of the game.

The Tigers added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but it turned out they needed that cushion. Bobby Seay came in fo face the big lefties in Cleveland's lineup, but couldn't get either Shin-Soo Choo or Travis Hafner out. Worse, it appeared that Seay just wasn't feeling right. (And he'll have his shoulder looked at today.) Fortunately for Detroit, Brandon Lyon was able to clean up the mess and finish the inning.

Fernando Rodney, however, had a bit of trouble closing out the game. It didn't look that way initially, as he retired his first two batters. But Rodney then had difficulty locating his fastball, and walked Jamey Carroll. He got ahead of Choo 0-2 with change-ups, but once again couldn't find the control on his fastball. So Choo sat on the change-up and when he got another one, he blasted it for a two-run homer. Uh-oh.

Rodney forgot about the change-up against Travis Hafner, and finally found the strike zone with his fastball. But Hafner singled on a pitch right down the middle, giving Cleveland a chance to tie the game. Jhonny Peralta bailed Rodney out swinging at a high-and-inside fastball. Yet that might have been a base hit, if not for a lunging stop by Brandon Inge to end the game.

Much closer than it should've been. And the final result wasn't all that pretty. But the bullpen could afford a bad night, thanks to those extra runs. With the win (their fourth straight), the Tigers sweep the Indians yet again and gain a half-game over the Twins in the AL Central.

How does a 14-4 record against Cleveland this year look to you?

Roar:

Carlos Guillen racked up three hits for the second consecutive night, batting 3-for-3 with a RBI.

Whimper:

Curtis Granderson drove in a run with a groundout, but finished his night 0-for-5. And in this three-game series, he batted 2-for-16. That's dropped his OPS to .769, the lowest it's been since mid-April.

Comment of the Night:

I hate Nick Punto.

Just thought I’d put it out there.

by 13194013

Rake By the Lake: Tigers 11, Indians 3

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:25:10 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Carlos Guillen brought his home run face to the ballpark on Wednesday night, hitting two in a Tigers romp over the Indians.

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Lloyd McClendon will probably put this game on his coaching resume, don't you think?

And maybe some of us were a bit hard on Carlos Guillen. (Yes, I am looking at me.)

After enduring quite a few pitching duels recently (except when getting beat up by the Royals - argh), the Detroit Tigers' lineup flexed their muscles Wednesday night in Cleveland and put a long-awaited beating on an opponent.

Justin Masterson was not the latest unfamiliar pitcher to throw a gem against Detroit. He ended up the roadkill beneath the tire of a Tiger-striped truck, getting squashed for eight runs (six earned) and seven hits in four innings of work.

Guillen and Miguel Cabrera both hit home runs off Masterson, and BigMig's bazooka shot probably would've landed in Lake Erie if Progressive Field's left field bleachers hadn't gotten in the way. (I don't know if that's actually geographically correct. Indulge my hyperbolic description, won't you?) The homer was actually measured at 440 feet.

But Guillen found hitting a homer so nice, he decided to do it twice. And the second time around, he did it batting right-handed, against the lefty Mike Gosling. So it looks like he's getting pretty comfortable hitting from that side (unlike his first time last week, when he smacked a weak pop-up off Bruce Chen).

Overall, Guillen went 3-for-4 on the night, with four RBIs. It'll be interesting to see if that means he stays in the lineup against lefties now. Who would get squeezed out in such a scenario: Curtis Granderson in centerfield (sitting for Ryan Raburn), or Marcus Thames at DH?

Benefiting from the run parade was Rick Porcello, who continued his success against the Indians, though this may not have been his smoothest effort. Maybe Kid Rick's focus let up a bit with a 4-0 lead when he took the mound. Perhaps this umpiring crew's continally fraudulent strike zone got into his head a bit. Three walks in five innings was an unusual number for him (showing how good he's been recently, by the way), though Porcello only gave up one run.

With a series win in hand, the Tigers go for the series win tonight. The Twins are off, so this is a chance to add a half-game to their AL Central lead. Since Minnesota hasn't been losing (thank you, White Sox), Detroit should really try to capitalize on the opportunity.

Roar:

Guillen and Cabrera (2-for-4, three RBIs) had their feats of strength, but Clete Thomas also put together a nice night. Thomas batted 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and made a fantastic catch on Lou Marson's drive to the right field wall in the second inning.

Placido Polanco and Ramon Santiago also totaled two hits. (Everyone in the starting lineup got a hit, actually.)

Whimper:

Jeremy Bonderman walked two of the three batters he faced in the ninth, so you really can't call that a good night. (Jim Leyland seemed rather ticked about it after the game, not wanting to waste more relievers than necessary in a blowout.)

In Bondo's defense, he didn't miss by much on almost all of his pitches. That's not to say he was sharp, but he was around the strike zone.

Comment of the Night:

Cue fixing that run differential problem?

by demondeaconsbaseball

Tigers Win! Game 151 Afterglow

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:10:14 -0000

Things that go "Boom!" in the night? Tonight, it was the Detroit Tigers' bats. The road team was swingin' in Cleveland. Everyone in the starting lineup got a hit. Carlos Guillen homered from both sides of the plate.

And Justin Masterson probably has tire tracks (or should that be Tiger tracks?) on the front of his jersey. Not a good night for the young man. He'll probably learn from this or something.

Tigers beat the Indians 11-3! Full recap later on. But for now: glow, baby, glow.

Plus, it looks like the White Sox might actually give the Twins a game at The Cell tonight. So a few of you might be keeping track of that.

Six Pack (of questions) With Bless You Boys' Ian Casselberry

Jesse — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:08:37 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge will be in Minneapolis this weekend, doing his best Joe Crede impression. At least, a healthy Joe Crede impression. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Last night I exchanged a few questions with great Tigers mind and general all-around good guy Ian Casselberry from the best Detroit Tigers blog on the net, Bless You Boys.

Who's going to start for the Tigers on Sunday? Is there a secret weapon in store, or is MLB.com just playing it fast and loose with their probable pitchers page?

Up until Thursday morning, Sunday's pitcher was such a secret weapon that even the Tigers themselves didn't know who would start. Jarrod Washburn, Armando Galarraga, and Nate Robertson were all hurt.

But as it turns out, it's going to be Robertson. Apparently, that "pelvic inflammation" he was experiencing (which just sounds like an entirely different malady than "groin injury") has cleared up. And before he got hurt, he was pitching pretty well, so this might end up working out for the Tigers.

How has Magglio Ordonez been able to rebound for such a terrific second half after being so horrendous in the first half? What's the difference that's got him back to third in the batting order?

I think part of the difference is that Ordonez just got to play, and had the opportunities to work on what was needed to correct his swing. But he got those chances because no one else in the outfield was hitting well. Had someone else been able to keep Ordonez on the bench while he was struggling, he might still be there and wouldn't have reached the plate appearances to trigger his contract option for next season.

Ordonez still isn't hitting for any power, but he does seem to have made some adjustments with opening up his stance. That's allowed to him to make up for some of the bat speed he's lost, and he can turn on pitches he was missing earlier this season.

Justin Verlander is awesome. Please agree. That's not a question, so it doesn't count.

I agree.

Good, I'm glad that's settled.

Aubrey Huff has been getting the nod against right-handers and has been blowing chunks. Is there anyone better who should be getting his at-bats?

The best candidate to get Huff's at-bats against right-handers might be Alex Avila. Then the Tigers could have Avila's bat in the lineup and Gerald Laird's glove behind the plate. But it's too important for Avila to catch regularly and hone his defensive skills (which really aren't bad).

Carlos Guillen is probably their best left-handed DH, but Detroit seems to think left field would be an offensive black hole without him playing there. But really, Ryan Raburn has hit well enough to justify him paying full-time (though he butchers some plays in the outfield), which would allow the Tigers to move Guillen to DH.

Tactically, what's the one thing you hope the Tigers focus on in their gameplan this weekend?

The Tigers often have success when they get to the Twins' middle relief. So if they can tire Minnesota's starting pitchers out, and get them out of the game after five innings, that might be their best chance to win. (I'd say they should just pound the starters if they can, but the Tigers don't seem capable of doing that to anybody.) Of course, Detroit's starting pitching also has to keep it close for that to work in their favor.

If the Tigers maintain and win the division, how do they stack up against the other candidates from the West and the East?

Their pitching gives them a chance against anyone they might face. That is, if their top starters aren't worn out by the end of the regular season.

But the Tigers played the Angels tough, winning the season series (5-4) and showing they can go out to the west coast and win on the road.

I know their season record versus the Yankees looks bad (1-5), but all of those games but one were close. And Detroit had a chance to win each of the three games in New York. A break here or there (and the Yankees got some breaks in a couple of those games), and their record would look much better.

This might sound like a loaded question but it's not--who gets your vote for MVP this year?

Wait a minute, hasn't the MVP already been awarded to Joe Mauer? Is this a trick question? Because that's who I would've voted for.