SB Nation - Jeremy Bonderman

Dodgers Offseason Path Appears Set

Eric Stephen — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:01:01 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Juan Pierre may be traded to fill a hole in the starting rotation.

Through three days of the winter meetings, the Dodgers haven't made any deals, but we do have a better idea of their plans this offseason. Randy Wolf signed with the Brewers today for $29.75 million over three years, leaving the Dodgers with a sizable void to fill in their starting rotation.

Actually, there are two holes to fill, behind Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. It appears the Dodgers are still in the market for one starting pitcher, but general manager Ned Colletti said he is looking to fill one of the two open rotation slots from within. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported:

Colletti said he's comfortable holding the last rotation spot for a Spring Training competition involving James McDonald, Scott Elbert, Josh Lindblom, Charlie Haeger and Ramon Troncoso. Colletti added left-hander Eric Stults to that group he originally listed on Tuesday.

In my mind, Elbert is the favorite of that group, with his electric left arm, but there is plenty of time for that to get sorted out. McDonald had success out of the bullpen (2.72 ERA, 8.70 strikeouts per nine innings), and I can see him returning to that role in 2010, even though I'm not ready to give up on him as a starter just yet. Both Haeger and Stults are out of options, so they will not only be fighting for a starting role at Camelback Ranch, but also will be fighting for their baseball lives.

How the Dodgers fill that other starting rotation slot has yet to be seen, but the Dodgers don't have much room in their budget without getting creative. If the Dodgers wanted to pay a pitcher $10 million a year, they would have either offered Wolf arbitration, or made an offer to him when presented the opportunity by Wolf's agent, Arn Tellem, today. Wolf's deal, coupled with Brad Penny's deal with St. Louis (one year, $7.5 million plus incentives) and the oft-injured Rich Harden's deal with Texas (one year, $7.5 million with an $11.5 million option for 2011), made it clear that most free agent pitchers are simply out of the Dodgers' price range. If they sign a free agent pitcher, it might be someone like a Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland, again. That is, if they come cheaply enough.

Another option to fill the starting pitching void is to trade Juan Pierre. The idea here is to swap Pierre's contract (two years, $18.5 million) for a high-priced pitcher in a swap of inflated contracts, using that money to pay for a position in need rather than for a fourth outfielder. Options here include:

		2009		2010 Projected
Pitcher	2010 Age	ERA	FIP	ERA	FIP	Contract remaining
Bronson Arroyo	33	3.84	4.78	4.11	4.49	2010: $11m; 2011: $11m option ($2m buyout)
Aaron Harang	32	4.21	4.14	4.18	4.14	2010: $12.5m; 2011: $12.75m option ($2m buyout)
Paul Maholm	28	4.44	3.83	4.29	4.20	2 years, $11m total, plus $9.75m option for 2012
Nate Robertson	32	5.44	4.55	4.89	4.67	2010: $10m
Jeremy Bonderman	27	only 10 IP		4.43	4.22	2010: $12.5m
2010 Projections from Bill James Handbook					Contract info courtesy of the amazing Cot's

I would have thought Kevin Millwood was another trade option (due $12 million in 2010), but he was traded to the Orioles earlier Wednesday. Maholm may be a pipe dream, as his contract isn't all that onerous, but the Pirates seem interested in Pierre, so maybe there is a fit.

Matching up Pierre with a team directly might be tough, so a three-team trade may be the way to go. In fact, Pierre may be traded to fill a different hole, second base. Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports tweeted this on Wednesday night:

Dodgers are more concerned about 2B than letting on publicly, but 3-way trade tries at offing Pierre while filling 2B aren't working yet.

This is interesting, because in the report by Gurnick, Colletti showed a faith in Blake DeWitt manning the second base next season:

At second base, he's sounding more and more comfortable with DeWitt, although he still hopes to add a veteran from a group of free agents that includes Ronnie Belliard, Craig Counsell, Juan Uribe, Jamey Carroll and Felipe Lopez.

"Barring something not on the radar, it will be Blake DeWitt plus a veteran if we started the season today," Colletti said

Whether or not any budget constraints forced this philosophy, Colletti appears to have a faith in the Dodgers' young talent to play a big role in 2010. If you ask me, I think the Dodgers bring back one of Garland or Padilla, and bring back Belliard to caddy for the Blakes -- DeWitt at second and Casey at third. Which means the 2010 Dodgers will look a lot like the 2009 Dodgers in many ways, and the returning cast will have to step up.

Diamond Leung reported that Colletti expressed that same sentiment while showing faith in Chad Billingsley in an interview with Sirius XM:

"Sometimes, you have to make your guys better. You just can’t continue to expect to fill everything from the outside and continue to sign free agents and continue to trade away players. You end up in the same spot more times than not and most of the time worse off than before you started making moves…

The 2010 Dodgers need their guys to be better if they want to stay atop the NL West.

Bondo Gets Busted: Three-Game Suspension

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:55:27 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Jeremy Bonderman was issued a three-game suspension by MLB for hitting Delmon Young with a pitch on Thursday. He will appeal the ruling.

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Yesterday's little fracas in the ninth inning between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins wasn't harmless, after all. Several were worried that throwing pitches at players and ejections might result in suspensions. And the MLB offices did not disappoint.

Jeremy Bonderman has been suspended for three games for plunking Delmon Young in the leg with a pitch. Bondo will appeal, however, which probably means that he'll be serving his penalty sometime next season.

But the pitcher who arguably started the hostilities (especially among his own teammates), Jose Mijares, was only penalized with a fine. No suspension for him.

I suppose you could argue that he didn't actually hit anyone, but Mijares did prompt a warning to both teams from home plate umpire Angel Hernandez when he threw a pitch behind Adam Everett in the eighth.

That warning, by the way, is why Lloyd McClendon was handed a one-game suspension. McClendon was the acting manager at the time of the plunking (Jim Leyland had been ejected after Hernandez issued his warning), and since an official warning was given, the penalty is automatic.

Leyland and Gerald Laird were also fined, along with Bonderman and McClendon.

Twins Stave Off Elimination, Detroit's Magic Number Remains 2

Jesse — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:38:08 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Twins' Delmon Young (21) throws down his helmet after being hit with a pitch from Detroit Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman as home plate umpire Angel Hernandez, second from left, ejects Bonderman and catcher Gerald Laird, left, in the ninth inning of a baseball game on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 in Detroit. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, right, comes out to calm Young. The Twins defeated the Tigers 8-3. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Which, of course, means any combination of Twins defeats and Tigers wins leading to two equals see ya next year.

I'll keep this short because I'm writing something for tonight, and Adam is more than welcome to add to this if he so chooses later on, but here's the big deal for today's game: TWINS WIN. SEASON NOT OVER. NOT YET.

Already I've been getting flack from friends for not "just admitting it, already", but there's a good reason for that. It's only three games, but stranger things have happened; just go back to 2006 and ask the Tigers, who lost the division crown to a team that had recorded the final out of their own season an hour prior. Like I've said to my friends--I'm just dealing with reality as it comes. I'm not setting myself up for disappointment, because I know exactly how the odds are stacked. But there's no point in saying it's over when it's not, and you know why? Because it's not actually over. It's like asking a Pirates fan to admit they have a zero percent chance of doing jack squat in 2010. Sure, it's probably true, but why take the chance of having to eat your words? [Expletive deleted] happens.

Yes, I put the [expletive deleted] in there. I've already cursed enough for one day. Just check the overflow thread. Which, of course, brings me to my next point.

Jeremy Bonderman needs his clock cleaned. That's my point. Let's go back to the beginning, shall we?

In the bottom of the eighth inning, it looked pretty clear that Jose Mijares was, for some inexplicable reason which may have a history from earlier in the series but that's still no excuse, anyway, that Mijares was trying to bean Adam Everett. Yes, the same Everett who, if hit by a strong wind, will dissipate into nothing more than a cloud of dust. Only his shoes would remain. But yes, Mijares was trying to hit him. And he failed. Home plate apprentice umpire Angel Hernandez warned both benches, something we've seen before.

Out comes Jim Leyland, and good for him because I'd be just as ticked as he was if I was being warned for something that, thanks to Jose's inability to hit the broad side of a barn (or toothpick as the case may be), hadn't even happened. Leyland gets tossed. Top of the next inning, very first pitch, Bonderman throws at Delmon Young. Not just at Delmon, but as his knees.

Delmon? Angry at Mijares for starting it in the first place. Bonderman? Tossed. Laird? Tossed. And for what?

NOTHING.

Listen, I said this in the overflow thread and I'll say it again: I don't blame Bonderman for throwing at Young. That's his action to take and his call to make. But I do take issue with Bonderman throwing at Delmon's knees. You want to defend your players after both teams have been warned? I'm fine with that, I get it. Getting hit is a part of the game, and it’s not like the Tigers were about to come back and win the game. But you throw at somebody’s knees you’re getting serious; you're playing with somebody's career.

It's over now, and that's fine. I hope it's done with. It sounds like Gardy might be a little upset with Mijares as well.

Twins win, 8-3, and pull back within two games of the Tigers. Well done, boys. Too bad we couldn't get those hits on Tuesday night, but that's the way it goes. All you can do is come out and win tomorrow. If you can, try not to make an error every time you touch the ball.

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

A Royal Flogging: Royals 11, Tigers 1

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:20:54 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Jarrod Washburn can't bear to look at the four-run carnage he and his aching left knee left behind on the field Tuesday night.

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The less said about this, the better. Tonight's game was a disaster for the Detroit Tigers from the start.

How would Jarrod Washburn fare after skipping his last start to rest his aching left knee? Well, he struck out David DeJesus to begin the game. And his highlight reel ended there.

Washburn could not find the strike zone, throwing most everything off the plate as he tried to pitch away from the Kansas City hitters. The first Royals run was scored on a pitch far outside Alex Avila's reach. (It was scored a passed ball, but Avila would've had to be Plastic Man to catch that one.)

And when Washburn did throw a strike, it was up in the zone and hit hard. The Royals scored three more runs when Alberto Callaspo crushed a fastball deep to left-center field.

Somehow, Washburn got two more outs to end the inning. But that was the end of his evening. He was clearly having problems with that knee, limping around the mound after he got one of those outs. And the location of most of his pitches showed he wasn't getting a good push off the rubber. With that, Jim Leyland apparently decided he'd seen enough.

Washburn wasn't the only one who pitched badly tonight, however. Casey Fien served up a three-run homer to David DeJesus, eventually giving up four runs in three innings. Jeremy Bonderman gave up a three-run shot of his own to Miguel Olivo.

Actually, the pitching star of the evening was Zach Miner, who pitched two scoreless innings taking over for Washburn.

The only other thing worth noting about this game is that Don Kelly came in for Miguel Cabrera at first base and Brent Dlugach took over at third for Brandon Inge in the sixth inning. At that point, Leyland basically told everyone this game was lost.

Remember that comeback, walk-off win over the Blue Jays on Monday night? That was awesome.

Whimper:

Magglio Ordonez celebrated triggering his $18 million contract for next season by going 0-for-3. But really, it's unfair to single him out. This game was lost before the Tigers even came to bat.

Comment of the Night:

Did anyone else suddenly get a Beach Boys song in their head?

maybe it’s just me.

by MackAveKurt

Morning Prowl: Guillen's Switch-Hitting, Porcello Watch, the Double Play Monster, and Crosby's Blister

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:15:12 -0000

Carlos Guillen has given up on switch-hitting for the year, according to Jason Beck. Batting right-handed is still uncomfortable for him, and Guillen is worried that if he pushes it, he could hurt that right shoulder again.

Sounds good here. No sense in taking a risk, since Guillen has been one of the Tigers' more dependable middle-of-the-order bats and is playing a decent left field.

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick looks at nine young starting pitchers whose workload will have to be closely monitored as they pitch more innings than they ever have before in a season. Of course, the Tigers' Rick Porcello is high on Crasnick's list (second, to be exact).

Ditching his curveball in favor of a slider appears to have made a huge difference in Porcello's game, and pitching coach Rick Knapp thinks Kid Rick is pitching better now than he was earlier in the season.

(via The Spot Starters, who lists the pitch counts from each of Porcello's starts this year)

Both The Detroit Tigers Weblog and Fire Jim Leyland take a look at Jeremy Bonderman's last two outings through Pitch F/X and are encouraged by the results. His velocity is improved, his release point is consistent, and he's pounding right-handed hitters inside.

Mack Avenue Tigers warns us not to compare 2009 to 2006. The two Tigers teams are quite different. However, Kurt wrote this column before the Tigers finished losing three straight in Kansas City. Coincidence or... jinx?

Eye of the Tigers tries to put together an all-time starting nine for the Detroit Tigers, picking from the best seasons at each position in team history. Definitely a fun exercise when you need a break from the pennant race grind.

Tigers Tracks favors moving Zach Miner during the offseason. I assume John felt that way before yesterday, but watching Miner give up three runs in one inning surely strengthened those beliefs.

Sci-fi and horror movies are really popular these days. Roar of the Tigers may have just created one starring the 2009 Detroit Tigers and the monster that's plagued them. Be warned: the image is terrifying!

Jim Leyland would like to see Dontrelle Willis pitch in the Florida Instructional League and winter ball this offseason. If I recall correctly, Willis opted not to play winter ball last year, in favor of working out on his own.

Casey Crosby's blister problems on his left index finger popped up again during the West Michigan Whitecaps' opening playoff loss to the Great Lakes Loons on Wednesday. Crosby left after 2.1 innings when the finger began to bother him and affect his velocity.

(via Take 75 North)

According to MLive.com, FOX Sports Detroit's "Tigers Live" pregame show will talk to three of the team's draft picks tonight. Jacob Turner, Andrew Oliver, and Daniel Fields will be interviewed. The show, as you probably know, begins at 6:30 p.m. EST.

MLB Network is naming its production studios after Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, and Mel Allen. Harwell called the honor "fantastic."

Morning Prowl: Jackson's Fatigue, Washburn's Knee, Bondo's Truck, and Mucho Minors

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:38 -0000

Big League Stew's Slumpbot .200 wonders if Edwin Jackson is running out of gas and needs to have his innings limited toward the end of the season.

Tiger Geist raises a very interesting question about the Jarrod Washburn trade. Did they realize the extent of the injury to his left knee when the deal was made?

How important has August 30 been to the Tigers in recent years? Jon Paul Morosi draws an interesting parallel to what happened on that date in 2006 and what transpired this year. Coincidence or... destiny?

Brandon Lyon has his remote-controlled airplanes (when Rick "Heavy Sinker" Porcello isn't chucking them into the turf). Jeremy Bonderman rolls with remote-controlled four-wheel trucks. And if Bondo's not careful, his manager might smash that toy.

How do Fernando Rodney's 2009 numbers rate among other standout seasons by Tigers relievers? Tiger Tales stacks Rodney up against pitchers such as Aurelio Lopez, Guillermo Hernandez, and Mike Henneman.

John Lowe believes that Mike Ilitch never wanted to let Magglio Ordonez go, even at mid-season when Maggs was at his lowest production.

In case you missed it, Dontrelle Willis gave up two runs and six hits in his rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday. Willis also totaled two walks and five strikeouts.

Take 75 North looks at the Lakeland Flying Tigers' just-completed 2009 season. And though they might not have had the one top-shelf gem to look out for this year, the Flying Tigers had a few prospects worth noting.

Peter Gammons has big praise for how Jim Leyland has handled Porcello's workload this season, especially compared to the Yankees' approach with Joba Chamberlain.

John Sickels reviews his preseason rankings (published back in January) of the Tigers' top 20 prospects at Minor League Ball. It's interesting to see how many made it to the majors this season.

In a free article at TigsTown.com, Mark Anderson profiles Cale Iorg. Has the Tigers' aggressive approach with him paid off? And has Iorg's sub-par offensive production (.222/.274/.336) changed perception of him among scouts and opposing coaches?

As sort of a footnote to an article about the possible shortstop of the future, the Boston Red Sox continue to remind us just how difficult it is to find a good player at that position.

(Who's had worse luck: The Red Sox with shortstops since 2004 or the Tigers with left fielders since 2006?)

A Little Bit of Everything: Tigers 8, Rays 6

Ian Casselberry — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:05:54 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

It's not a win until the pitcher who finishes the game gets to pat Gerald Laird on the head. Brandon Lyon had the honors last night, getting the save in an 8-6 win over Tampa.

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Was this the most exciting win of the season? Early on, there was despair, as Armando Galarraga looked like someone who hadn't pitched for a couple of weeks, whose right elbow might still be bothering him a bit. The Rays jumped on him early for a 4-1 lead, powered by Evan Longoria's three-run homer.

The Tigers cut the lead to 4-3, thanks to a Carlos Guillen two-run triple. (Guillen's batting line this season versus James Shields this season: .714/.714/1.857 with two homers and six RBIs.) Tampa tacked on two more runs in the third inning, and Jim Leyland took Galarraga out before the deficit became insurmountable.

Detroit tied the game in the seventh, with a monstrous two-run homer from Alex Avila and RBI single from Placido Polanco. (One of the Tigers' best offensive plays in this series is pinch-running Wilkin Ramirez on second base. That kid rounds the bases fast. And as far as Avila's homer, that thing might have shown up on radar, had the Tropicana Field roof not contained it.)

Then some unlikely heroes came through when called upon in the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch-hitter Marcus Thames smacked a RBI single. And with Clete Thomas pinch-running for Magglio Ordonez on third base, Leyland pushed it further by calling for a squeeze play. Adam Everett laid it down to bring in Thomas, and Detroit had a two-run lead.

The Rays threatened to tie the score in their half of the inning, as Zach Miner gave up singles to his first two batters. But when he needed it, Miner got the ground ball he needed, getting Gregg Zaun to hit into a double-play.

Right now, these Tigers have the look of a team that can beat you in several different ways. They can beat you with power, they can beat you with speed, and they will almost certainly beat you with pitching. Leyland seemed to sneer at the idea of bringing up more players in September (except in regards to the bullpen), but this expanded roster gives him many options. And last night, he used just about every one of them.

All of a sudden, the team that couldn't win on the road has won two against the defending American League champions. In September, during a pennant race, when it counts most.

[Apologies for the late recap. The morning got away from me a bit. Blame the holiday?]

Roar:

The Tigers' bullpen did a fantastic job taking over for Galarraga, pitching almost seven innings of scoreless baseball, and giving up just four hits. Perhaps most notable among the six relievers used was Jeremy Bonderman, pitching in the majors for the first time since early June. Bondo looked pretty good, striking out two batters in his 1.2 innings.

And Brandon Lyon, taking over as closer for the fatigued Fernando Rodney, showed Tigers fans what a 1-2-3 ninth inning looks like. You mean a closer can get a save without spiking our blood pressure?

Comment of the Night:

TB's bullpen is crumbelievable

by explosivo2k2

And your runner-up, because this game was a duel of rotating pitchers.

Bonderman Among Tigers' Six Minor League Call-Ups

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:01:20 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Jeremy Bonderman gets another chance to sit next to Edwin Jackson in the Detroit Tigers' dugout, as one of six players the team called up from the minors.

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The Detroit Tigers will add six players from the minors, once rosters can officially expand tomorrow. Pitchers Jeremy Bonderman, Eddie Bonine, and Casey Fien, along with outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, catcher Dusty Ryan, and shortstop Brent Dlugach, are the minor league call-ups. Jason Beck reported the names via Twitter.

All three pitchers had earlier stints with the Tigers this season. Bonderman allowed six runs (and three homers) in four innings for a spot start in early June. Bonine posted a 7.07 ERA in five appearances, though allowed three runs over seven innings for a start in late July. And Fien compiled a 9.00 ERA in four games, also in late July.

Bonderman finished his minor league rehab assignment with a 2-4 record and 3.95 ERA. He struck out 30 batters and walked eight in 41 innings. Bonine's record with the Mud Hens was 4-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 17 starts. And Fien pitched in 42 games for Toledo, notching 14 saves and 66 strikeouts (with 15 walks) in 55 innings.

On the position side, Ramirez had two one-and-done call-ups earlier this season. In his first game, he hit an impressive home run into Comerica Park's centerfield shrubs for his first major league hit. The second time around, he went 0-for-3. Ryan didn't see much game action as the back-up catcher, getting into 11 games and batting .160/.276/.200. But bringing him back allows the Tigers to use Alex Avila as a pinch-hitter more often, rather than holding him back in case of emergency.

This season with Toledo, Ramirez hit .258/.326/.444 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs, playing mostly in left field. Ryan batted .261/.361/.462 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. And Dlugach compiled a .294/.348/.448 average, adding nine homers and driving in 59 runs.

Dlugach wasn't on the Tigers' 40-man roster, so the team has to make a move to accommodate him. I'm assuming Jeff Larish will be shuffled to the 60-day disabled list in light of his wrist surgery to clear a spot.

EDIT (11:25 a.m.): Michael Hollimon was moved to the 60-day DL. (Thanks to TMadison25 for posting this in the comments.)

Morning Prowl: Guillen in the Outfield, Who Gets the Call-Up, French Loves Seattle, and Going to Bat For Lloyd

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:00:21 -0000

I'm a couple of days late with this, but Jason Beck reports that Carlos Guillen is throwing the ball well and might be ready to play left field by the end of the week.

To me, this presents yet another example of how superficial coverage of the Tigers can be in Detroit. I'm not criticizing Beck. This was the story, and he passed it along. That's his job, and he does it very well. But could someone - anyone - explain why exactly Guillen can throw a ball, but not hit right-handed?

The right arm and shoulder provide the "punch" when you bat from the right side, correct? So Guillen can't do that, yet he can make throws from the outfield? I'm just curious, as a baseball fan. I would like to read that article, and I bet the Boston Globe, for example, would write it about a Red Sox player.

Another catch-up item: Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman are scheduled to begin rehab assignments with Triple-A Toledo tonight. Bondo is set to throw 25 pitches or one inning, whichever comes first. Robertson, meanwhile, is slated for two to three innings or 30-40 pitches.

Both limits give you an idea of the roles the Tigers have in mind for each player if either or both is able to come back.

Lynn Henning runs down a list of prospects who could get a call-up to the big leagues in September. While the Tigers typically haven't added many minor leaguers when rosters can expand, at least a couple of names could provide some help for the stretch run.

Over at Roar of the Tigers, Sam got out the pens and illustrated Clete Thomas's walk-off heroics. This could be a comic book cover. All Clete needs is a cape.

Lloyd McClendon has come under a lot of scrutiny as the Tigers continue to struggle scoring runs. Jim Leyland is sticking up for his hitting coach, however, telling the Oakland Press's Jim Hawkins that perhaps the players need to simplify their approach at the plate right now.

Brandon Inge seems to agree with his manager's assessment, according to Tom Gage. Guys are over-analyzing and "chewing up too much."

Luke French is thrilled to have been traded to Seattle, as he rooted for those Mariners teams with Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Jay Buhner while growing up in Colorado.

If you haven't read them yet, check out Take 75 North's thoughts on the Jarrod Washburn trade, particularly the perception of Mauricio Robles and his chances of being a player the Tigers could regret trading.

Old English D attended her first Midwest Sliders game in Ypsilanti over the weekend, and posts an account of her experience. The Sliders are a Frontier League team, playing this season at Oestrike Stadium on the campus of Eastern Michigan University.

I need to get over there, man. When it was announced a minor league team would be playing nearby, I figured I'd go to at least a dozen games. So much for that.

Who is the Tigers' best baserunner? Lee has the answer for you at Tiger Tales, and it just might surprise you.