SB Nation - Alexis Gomez

Four More Tigers Assigned to Minors

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:11 -0000

As expected, the Detroit Tigers reassigned a handful of players to the minors today, though the actual number of cuts may have been fewer, and no big names were among those leaving major league camp.

Courtesy of Jason Beck's Twitter post, he most notable cut was Wilkin Ramirez, who's been optioned to Triple-A Toledo. But that was practically a formality, with Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, and Curtis Granderson returning from the World Baseball Classic this week.

Assigned to minor league camp were infielder Don Kelly, catcher Max St. Pierre, and outfielder Alexis Gomez.

With the cuts, the Tigers' roster now stands at 38 players. Brent Clevlen, Ryan Raburn, and Clete Thomas live to fight on. Though neither Clevlen or Raburn were likely to be among the cuts, since they're both out of minor league options. You might also wonder - as MacRae asked earlier this week - if Eddie Bonine still has an outside shot at the starting rotation or a long relief role, with Jeremy Bonderman's stamina needing work and Dontrelle Willis... well, you know.

Any names you were expecting to see among the cuts today that are still alive?

Tigers Announce Non-Roster Invitees

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:00:09 -0000

The Detroit Tigers have invited 13 players from outside their 40-man roster to join the team for Spring Training in Lakeland. Here's the list, broken down by position:

Pitchers: Rudy Darrow, Casey Fien, Jon Kibler, Ryan Perry
Catchers: Alex Avila, Jeff Kunkel, Dane Sardinha, Max St. Pierre
Infielders: Cale Iorg, Don Kelly, Will Rhymes, Scott Sizemore
Outfielders: Alexis Gomez

Only two of the invitees were outside of the Tigers' system last season. Alexis Gomez was in the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, and Don Kelly played with Arizona's Triple-A team in Tucson. Both, however, were in the organization previously.

As Tom Gage notes on his detnews.com blog, there's a noticeable lack of "has-beens" from the list of non-roster invitees. Perhaps that's an indication that the team wants to get as long a look at prospects like Darrow, Fien, and Perry as possible. And if there are open spots on the major league roster to be had, the preference is for one of the younger players to win a job.

Hey, Remember Alexis Gomez?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:15:05 -0000

Well, if you've been dying for the Detroit Tigers to do something - anything - in free agency, you got your wish tonight. They did indeed make a move, but unfortunately, it's not an addition to the pitching staff. And it's arguable whether or not this player will add much to the major league roster.

The Tigers brought back outfielder Alexis Gomez, signing him to a minor league contract. He's been in the minors the past two seasons, playing in the Marlins organization last year, and with the Rockies Triple-A team in 2007.

It's difficult to see how Gomez fits on the Tigers, though perhaps the team envisions him as a left-handed reserve while Clete Thomas recovers from shoulder surgery. According to Jason Beck, his contract will be worth $425,000 if he stays on the major league roster throughout next season.

Gomez is probably best known for his surprising contribution to the Tigers' postseason in 2006. In the ALCS vs. Oakland, he hit 4-for-9, with a Game 2 performance that included one home run and four RBIs. I remember him mostly for this picture taken during Spring Training that year, in which a trick of the light makes it look a pink bow is tied around his bat.

In 111 regular season plate appearances with Detroit that season, Gomez hit .272/.318/.388 with one home run and nine RBIs.