SB Nation - Dane Sardinha

The Rookies Who Aren't

TheJay — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:16 -0000

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

The first part of the definition of a rookie in Major League Baseball is straightforward. Once a player reaches 131 at bats or 50 1/3 innings pitched, he's no longer a rookie. The second part is a little trickier. After all, service time numbers are hard to find. They generally come out once each year, in team media guides. Add in the fact that you have to subtract time in the major leagues after September 1st and on the disabled list and it's even harder to figure out who is truly a rookie.

It has already been mentioned this offseason that Mat Gamel eclipsed 45 days of service time before September. Gamel was recalled from Nashville on May 14th and optioned back on July 20th, giving him 67 days on the active roster during the "period of 25-player limit." So, even though he sits at 130 career at bats, the same number Scott Rolen had going into his Rookie of the Year season, Gamel cannot win the Rookie of the Year award (though that might not stop him from getting votes).

Gamel isn't the only such little-used non-rookie in the Brewers organization. Raise your hand if you realized Hernan Iribarren has 48 days of major league service time, all before September 1. Iribarren spent 20 days on the major league roster in April and June 2008, picking up 14 at bats. He spent 28 days in the majors in 2009, batting a mere 13 times. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict he wasn't going to win the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award anyway.

New Brewer George Kottaras also enters 2010 off the list of rookie players. He spent all of 2009 in the majors with the Red Sox, playing in 45 games with 93 at bats. Though he spent the month of August on the disabled list, he gave up his 2010 rookie status in mid-May.

Gamel, Iribarren, and Kottaras are not the only little-used rookies. Follow the jump for a list of all such position players to appear in the majors in 2008 or 2009. Please note it is lengthy and full of guys who have no chance at winning an award anyway. I will post a list of pitchers in the next few days.

Non-Rookies with 130 or fewer career AB:

Mat Gamel, 130 career AB
Joaquin Arias, 129 AB
Argenis Reyes, 127 AB
Jose Morales, 122 AB
Ivan Ochoa*, 120 AB
Michel Hernandez, 118 AB
Curtis Thigpen*, 118 AB
Ramiro Pena, 115 AB
Josh Whitesell, 115 AB
Luke Carlin, 112 AB
Chris Gimenez, 111 AB
Tyler Greene, 108 AB
Sam Fuld, 103 AB
Reid Brignac, 100 AB
Francisco Cervelli, 99 AB
George Kottaras, 98 AB
Freddy Guzman, 95 AB
Robinson Cancel, 94 AB
Guillermo Rodriguez, 92 AB
Steve Holm, 91 AB
Justin Ruggiano*, 90 AB
Nathan Haynes*, 89 AB
Diory Hernandez, 85 AB
Don Kelly, 83 AB
Dane Sardinha, 80 AB
Luis Maza*, 79 AB
Paul Hoover, 78 AB
Edwin Maysonet, 76 AB
Dusty Ryan, 70 AB
Clint Sammons, 68 AB
Tug Hulett, 67 AB
Drew Sutton, 66 AB
J.R. House*, 60 AB
John Mayberry, 57 AB
Gregorio Petit, 54 AB
Brian Myrow*, 51 AB
Chris Stewart*, 48 AB
Justin Christian*, 40 AB
Travis Denker*, 37 AB
Gustavo Molina*, 34 AB
Hernan Iribarren, 27 AB
Ryan Budde, 23 AB

* - last appeared in the majors in 2008

I warned you. If I missed anyone or included someone who should not be on the list, let me know in the comments.

Morning Prowl: Dolsi's Call-Up, Dontrelle's Refusal, Guillen's Shoulder, and Tram's Return

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:30:53 -0000

Freddy Dolsi became the latest addition to the Tigers' 25-man roster yesterday, when he was called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Ryan Perry's place. (This was largely covered in yesterday's Open Thread, along with a good discussion on what Dolsi's season numbers indicate.)

This season with the Mud Hens, Dolsi pitched in 24 games, compiling a 4.35 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 31 innings. Last year with the Tigers, he posted a 3.97 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 28 walks in 47.2 innings.

I have to join the majority in scratching my head over this move. Maybe it just doesn't seem that exciting, since we've seen Dolsi before, and his numbers don't look as impressive as Fu-Te Ni's or Casey Fien's. Perhaps the Tigers chose him due to familiarity, or preferred someone already on the 40-man roster. Dolsi has also been very good in June thus far, allowing one run and one walk in 10.2 innings, so maybe they wanted to go with the hot reliever.

Both The Detroit Tigers Weblog and Mack Avenue Tigers have more thoughts on calling up Dolsi, including "highlights" of his Tigers career and a closer look at his numbers.

As it turns out, the Tigers might have put Dontrelle Willis on the DL again because he refused assignment to the minors. That's what SI.com's Jon Heyman reports, anyway.

And as we posted yesterday, a player with Willis's major league tenure has the option of staying on the roster. Here's the explanation from Detroit Tigers Thoughts.

(Thanks to densogirl for posting this in the comments of yesterday's Morning Prowl.)

Could Carlos Guillen now return by July? That's what his agent told Jon Paul Morosi (approximately a week after telling him that season-ending surgery was a possibility.) Apparently, Gullen's current training program has him "feeling much better." However, if the Tigers want him to play left field when he returns, that might require more rehabilitation. Surgery still hasn't been ruled out as an option, either.

Alan Trammell: Always a Tiger. And during the Cubs' visit to Detroit this week, Tram plans on driving by what's left of Tiger Stadium. (Which isn't very much at all, with the upper deck collapsing during demolition yesterday.)

Should Troy Glaus be on the Tigers' radar? He could probably only be a designated hitter at this point, as he's better able to hit than throw on his current rehabilitation. And as Ken Rosenthal writes, Glaus is of no use to the Cardinals if he can't play third base. But he wouldn't have to do that in Detroit. And maybe he could fill in occasionally for Miguel Cabrera at first base.

Last year with St. Louis, Glaus hit .270/.372/.483 with 27 homers and 99 RBIs in 151 games (637 plate appearances).

More from Heyman: He lists the Tigers among 10 teams that could add payroll this season to bring in more help. The other AL Central team on his list is the White Sox. (Other AL teams: Red Sox, Angels, Yankees.)

How did Pedro Martinez look when he threw for some scouts on Friday? One told Danny Knobler that he needs "to go to Triple-A first," showing a good change-up, but only reaching 87 m.p.h. with his fastball. "He's a fifth starter," the scout said. "A soft fifth starter."

Was former Tiger Craig Monroe released by the Pittsburgh Pirates for not hustling? Last Tuesday, Monroe didn't run hard to first base after a strikeout pitch got past Joe Mauer. Apparently, that didn't go over so well with the Pirates' coaching staff and front office.

(via MLB Daily Dish)

If you're hungry for a little national perspective on the Tigers, USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote a nice feature on the team's success this season, and how players are aware of just how bleak things have been in Detroit recently.

(Hat tip to Mike McClary)

How could Dane Sardinha (who was outrighted to Toledo on Saturday) have had a lower on-base percentage than batting average? Grand Cards does some investigative blogging. Tim Kurkjian would've loved this one.

Dusty Ryan Getting the Call

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:46:04 -0000

Lee at Tiger Tales has heard from a source close to the Detroit Tigers that catcher Dusty Ryan has been called up from Triple-A Toledo.

No word yet on whether or not Dane Sardinha has been sent down to Toledo, but you would think that's the logical move. However, with Dontrelle Willis placed on the DL yesterday and Alfredo Figaro not being called up until Saturday, the Tigers have an extra roster spot for the day.

This season with the Mud Hens, Ryan has a .259/.374/.442 average with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 175 plate apperances. Sardinha is batting .097/.091/.129 with three RBIs in 34 plate appearances. That kind of performance has surely led Jim Leyland to depend too heavily on Gerald Laird, and it's become pretty apparent that the workload is wearing him down, as his offensive numbers (.215/.315/.308) are steadily deteriorating.

(Hat tip to Billfer, who notified me of the news via instant message)

UPDATE: The Tigers confirmed this transaction in their Official Press Notes.

Morning Prowl: Bondo's Change-Up, Best and Worst ERAs, Grandy's Power, and Former Tigers

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:05:42 -0000

Did Jeremy Bonderman's shoulder surgery force him to fully embrace throwing his change-up? While he works to regain his velocity, Jason Beck reports, Bondo has had to become more of a finesse pitcher. Beck also addresses the possibility that Bonderman could go to the bullpen when he's activated.

In addition, Beck confirms something Billfer and I have been trying to figure out for the past few weeks: Galarraga has one minor league option left. According to Bill, Galarraga didn't use up his option last season because he was in Triple-A for less than 20 days.

The Spot Starters poses nine questions that surround the Tigers going into the last four months of the season. Three of them concern the looming outfield surplus, with another two addressing the starting rotation shuffle.

According to Baseball Musings, the Tigers' pitching staff produced the top two ERAs in May, with Rick Porcello's 1.50 and Justin Verlander's 1.52. Yet Detroit also had the worst ERA for the month, courtesy of Armando Galarraga's 8.49. Take a look at the chart for yourself.

(via Section148)

Tom Gage looks at Curtis Granderson's current numbers, and wonders if he's becoming more of a slugger and less of a speedy, line drive hitter.

Check this out: Royals Review posted the UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) defensive rankings for the AL Central teams. And the Tigers actually improved over the past month, moving from fifth in the American League up to second.

If Detroit is indeed thinking of upgrading over Dane Sardinha at back-up catcher, Mack Avenue Tigers believes they should keep their search in-house. (Kurt also points out on Twitter that Marcus Thames went 4-for-5 last night for the Mud Hens.)

DesigNate Robertson lists the former Tigers currently playing in the majors and tells us how they're doing. Rogo also posts the numbers of various players Detroit was rumored to be pursuing in the offseason (Kerry Wood, Jack Wilson, etc.).

The Detroit Tigers Weblog does something similar, in looking at four players who were released or traded by the organization this past offseason, two of whom - Matt Joyce and Guillermo Moscoso - were just called up to the majors.

If you were ranking the top five pitchers in Major League Baseball right now, would you include Justin Verlander? Or how about Zack Greinke? Circling the Bases had neither name on their list.

First Sunday Loss: Rockies 3, Tigers 1

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:00:43 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Dane Sardinha gave the Tigers some unexpected offense with a RBI double Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was Detroit's only run in a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Browse more photos »

Sometimes, it only takes one sentence to adequately recap a game. Let's try it with this: Dane Sardinha drove in the only run for the Detroit Tigers this afternoon.

No disrespect intended to Sardinha, who came into Sunday's game batting .053/.050/.105 with one RBI. And during various points in a season, guys like him surprise everyone by making the difference in a game. (Actually, Sardinha did just that last year against these same Colorado Rockies.) But this wasn't one of those days.

And though Dontrelle Willis didn't pitch nearly as impressively as he did last Tuesday - giving up seven hits and four walks in 6.2 innings - if he'd gotten any kind of offense from his lineup, his effort would've been good enough to win.

Whimper:

Jim Leyland tried to kick-start the Tigers' offense by shaking up the top of his batting order, moving Josh Anderson into the leadoff spot and Curtis Granderson down to the fifth spot. The last time Leyland shuffled things around, it worked wonderfully. But he didn't get the same response on Sunday.

Anderson: 0-for-4. Ramon Santiago: 0-for-4. Clete Thomas: 0-for-2. Granderson: 0-for-4.

Comment of the Day:

And really...

You could argue that the Tigers shouldn’t even have gotten THAT run. That ball probably should’ve been caught.
by SabreRoseTiger

A two-game losing streak and a series loss to the Rockies doesn't leave a good feeling as the Tigers hit the road for the next seven games. But a 7-2 homestand was impressive. And because of that, Detroit has a first-place cushion heading into a series with the second-place Royals.

AL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Detroit	24	18	.571	0	Lost 2
Kansas City	22	22	.500	3	Won 1
Minnesota	21	23	.477	4	Won 3
Chicago	19	24	.441	5.5	Lost 1
Cleveland	17	28	.377	8.5	Lost 1

(updated 5.24.2009 at 9:52 PM EDT)

Justin Verlander K's 13; Twins Bullpen Isn't the One That Implodes

Jesse — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:12:34 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

7 months ago: Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Nathan, right, and catcher Joe Mauer celebrate the Twins' 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Tigers in a baseball game Thursday, May 14, 2009 in Minneapolis. Nathan picked up the save. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Browse more photos »

It's nice being on the other side of that fence.

For five innings Thursday afternoon, Scott Baker and Justin Verlander matched each other pitch-for-pitch. Verlander dominated while Baker was merely effective and efficient, making for a pitcher's duel that's usually advisable when facing off against the Tiger ace.

In the top of the sixth Detroit got to Baker. Brandon Inge singled and advanced to third on great execution of a hit-and-run by none other than Adam Everett. Baker fought back, striking out something called Dane Sardinha before popping up Curtis Granderson at the top of the order. He then induced a fly ball to left field out of Ramon Santiago, which probably should have been a routine play for anyone with the ability to run and gauge the trajectory of a fly ball. Unfortunately for the Twins, and Baker, Jason Kubel was patrolling left, and following an awkward jump and reach Santiago picked up a ground-rule double giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Two bleeding singles, a walk and another ground-rule double later, Detroit had crossed the dish five times. Inge struck out to finish the inning.

Baker's troubles were aided by a mis-played fly ball and a pair of seeing-eye singles, but he can't be let off the hook. No, it wasn't as bad as the box score will indicate, but this isn't the first time this year we've seen Scott fall into a big inning. The same thing happened in the seventh inning of a game against the Royals on May 3. Even beyond that, it's been a rough start of the year for him. He needs a string of good starts before his numbers begin to reflect the kind of pitcher he really is capable of being.

Following Detroit's five-run inning, the bottom of the sixth saw the Twins go quietly. It was the bottom of the seventh inning that changed the fortunes of the game.

Verlander struck out Joe Crede on a high fastball before giving up a single to first baseman Brian Buscher and a walk to Nick Punto. With two men on and a five-run lead, he was lifted for Bobby Seay. His night went like this:

Denard Span single loads bases
Matt Tolbert walk brings in Buscher; 5-1 Tigers
Joe Mauer grounds into fielder's choice scoring Punto; 5-2 Tigers
Justin Morneau single plates Span; 5-3 Tigers
Jason Kubel ground-rule double scores Mauer; 5-4 Tigers

Zach Miner came on, walked Michael Cuddyer to re-load the bases, and then who steps in? Tiger Killer Joe Crede.

Crede looped a Texas League single in between second base and center field, and with both Morneau and Kubel coming around to score Minnesota took an incredible 6-5 lead.

Justin Verlander? Beside himself. A career-high 13 strikeouts and a goose egg on the scoreboard destroyed in less than two outs.

During Cuddyer's at-bat, an inside fastball missed his jersey by a good four or five inches. Replay showed it to be not a close call; easy decision. But naturally Cuddyer made out like it grazed him and tried to take first. When home plate umpire Paul Nauert correctly called him back, Ron Gardenhire was up and out of the dugout. With the team and the crowd already fired up I'm not sure what his motivation was, but he proceeded to goad Nauert until he caved and tossed Gardy. Under the circumstances I can only imagine the conversation went something like this:

Gardy: Listen Paul, that pitch hit my guy.
Nauert: No Ron, it didn't.
Gardy: You sure?
Nauert: It wasn't even close.
Gardy: You mind tossing me anyway?
Nauert: Why?
Gardy: The LOST series finale is on my TiVo. I'm jonesing for my Kate fix.
Nauert: Wow. Dude, I don't blame you.
Gardy: I know, right?
Nauert: YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!

Finally, to nail down the win the Twins were the benefactors of three scoreless innings by a trio of relievers. Craig Breslow and Matt Guerrier bridged to Joe Nathan, and for the first time in what feels like a ridiculously long time, the bullpen did their job by holding a lead. Detroit's counterpart wasn't so fortunate, getting rocked again. Verlander earned a win; his relief just let him down. You could say the Twins offense earned the comeback, because they certainly did, but there's no excuse for a bullpen to blow a five-run lead as efficiently as they did.

In the end this one goes to the home team, and a sweep of a division rival is always a good thing. For the first time since May 1, the Twins are over .500.

Stars of the Game
#3: Joe Nathan (1.0 IP, 2 K, SV)
#2: Jason Kubel (3-for-4, 2 2B, R, RBI)
#1: Joe Crede (1-for-4, 2 RBI)

Ace-ability! Tigers 3, Indians 1

MackAveKurt — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:20:23 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

The Ace comes through for the Tigers, as Justin Verlander escaped bases loaded with no outs by holding Cleveland off the board in a 1-1 game. The Tigers won, 3-1.

Browse more photos »

In a battle of ace pitchers, the Tigers found a game-defining moment in Justin Verlander in the seventh inning and rode the momentum to a much-needed series victory over Cleveland. (More on that later.) The Tigers needed that, because today's game was a nice opportunity to show to themselves and others this 2009 edition of the Tigers is vastly improved over the past season -- not just physically, but mentally. Cleveland has been a stick in the Tigers' craw year after year after year.

Friday's victory by the Indians gave the Tribe an eighth consecutive victory over a Tigers team that had struggled against in-division teams. But Detroit survived the mental kick in the stomach on Saturday after blowing a 5-0 lead only to be trailing in the eighth inning. They held strong again today when the Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning.

And now, they have defended Comerica Park in a series they very well could have lost after dropping Friday's game, and rallied to a 5-3 record against the Central in this early season. All indications are positive.

Roar

With a home run in the second inning, Brandon Inge extended his on-base streak to start the season to 24 games. The Tigers' record of 30 was set by Ron LeFlore in 1976. ... Verlander struck out 11 batters -- including recording seven outs in a row by strikeout from the second to the fourth innings. ... Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4, and the top four in the order combined for eight hits.... Bobby Seay and Joel Zumaya kept the Indians off the board in the eighth, and Fernando Rodney earned his sixth save in the ninth. The Tigers "winning" bullpen arms this season mean most late leads are safe ... Tigers pitching held Cleveland to three hits in 30 at-bats.

Whimper

Carlos Guillen went 0-for-4 with four fly balls to right field, leaving seven on base. ... Tigers DH Ryan Raburn went 0-for-4, leaving four on base.

Turning point

A walk of Shin-Soo Choo to open the seventh inning was a bad start for Verlander. Mark DeRosa doubled. Then Tigers manager Jim Leyland ordered an intentional walk to the left-handed ~~Kelly Shoppach~~ David Dellucci to get to the 7-8-9 batters. Even the ace was going to have troubles getting out of this one! But Verlander induced a shallow fly to right field and then struck out Indians rookie Matt LaPorta, who was making his big league debut. Now the Tigers just had to worry about the No. 9 batter, and Luis Valbuena grounded out weakly. Wow!

The Tigers rode that momentum into the bottom half of the inning, and back to back doubles by the first two batters, backup catcher Dane Sardinha and center fielder Curtis Granderson, gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead and put Verlander on-line for the victory.

Comment of the game

The Walrus9 shamelessly nominated this, but I think it sums thing up pretty well

I think I'm falling in love with this 2009 Tigers team

so much more heart and determination than last year’s team. Last year’s team folds when JV loads the bases. Last year’s team doesn’t get a couple runs to back up JV after he manages that Houdini act.

Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers is guest blogging while Ian is in Seattle.

Treanor apparently lost for season after surgery

MackAveKurt — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:56:20 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Tigers backup catcher Matt Treanor, er, left, as if the catchers pads didn't tell you that, was one of the few people in Detroit who wanted to congratulate Brandon Lyon. Treanor had surgery on his hip and appears to be lost for the season.

Browse more photos »

Reposted from Mack Avenue Tigers

Matt Treanor came to Detroit known for three things, whose importance tended to be listed in this order.

He's married to beach volleyballer Misty May-Treanor
He plays good defense, making up for the lack of bat. But no one expects the backup catcher to be a hitter anyway.
He frequently caught Dontrelle Willis, so maybe this would help D-Train get untracked.

But after having surgery on his hip -- which unexpectedly apparently turned out to be season-ending as. MLB.com's Jason Beck reports -- he risks being known for a fourth thing: fnishing his season (or Tigers' career, as he was under a one-year contract) with a .000 batting line. He finished the season 0-for-13 with a walk. Oh, and he caught Rick Porcello's major league debut.

Dane Sardinha was called up from Triple-A Toledo last week and may end up spending the rest of the season in Detroit. He, too, may as well not bring a bat to the plate, but is known for working with pitchers well and occassionally throwing some runners out.

Treanor Out for Two Months [Updated]

Ian Casselberry — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:30:48 -0000

More photos » by Nathan Denette - AP

Matt Treanor looks into his mitt, trying to find his lost batting average. He's headed for the disabled list, as the Tigers have called up Dane Sardinha from Toledo.

Browse more photos »

UPDATE (12:45 p.m.): Lynn Henning reports that Treanor will be out for two months, as he'll have to once again undergo surgery to correct his sports hernia. (Two months is a minimum estimate, by the way.)

The Toledo Blade is reporting that the Detroit Tigers have called up catcher Dane Sardinha from Triple-A, and that would seem to indicate that Matt Treanor is headed to the disabled list. (Hat tip to the Freep's Jon Paul Morosi.)

Treanor hasn't looked very good so far this year, failing to get a hit in his 14 plate appearances. He's also looked shaky on defense, often throwing poorly to second base, which is supposed to be his strength.

Signed to a one-year contract this offseason, Treanor struggled with a groin injury throughout Spring Training, as he recovered from offseason surgery for a sports hernia, and that's seemed to stay with him into the early regular season.

Last year, Sardinha hit .159/.229/.205 (including one spectacular, improbable triple) in 17 games (49 PAs) with the Tigers. The knock against him has always been his bat, but he's good for dependable defense. In five games with the Mud Hens this year, Sardinha posted a .231/.333/.308 average in 15 plate appearances.

Porcello and Perry Will Wear the D

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

Detroit Tigers' pitcher Rick Porcello throws against the Tampa Bay Rays in a game from Lakeland, Fla., Thursday, March 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Browse more photos »

Jim Leyland has always said he'll take talent over experience (or salary), and that was backed up with this morning's roster moves. Pitchers Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry can now officially call themselves major leaguers, as both of them were named to the team. (Thanks to Billfer, who passed along the news via Twitter, and Peazgrl for breaking the story in a FanPost.)

Two other pitchers who were fighting for a job and made the cut were Eddie Bonine and Juan Rincon. Bonine should take that long relief role, while Rincon joins Perry in setting up Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney in the late innings. (Or will we have a closer-by-committee, with Rodney currently Leyland's favored choice to get the call in the ninth?)

With Porcello joining the starting staff, the other remaining spot in the rotation will go to Zach Miner. Miner keeps a seat warm for the injured Jeremy Bonderman. And once Dondo's shoulder heals up and he's ready to join the team, Miner will likely head back to relieving, pushing Bonine back to Triple-A Toledo. So Nate Robertson loses out, and ends up as the second left-hander in the bullpen. (That, in turn, sends Clay Rapada to the Mud Hens.) Scott Williamson was also assigned to minor league camp. (And as I've said, I hope he agrees to go to Toledo.)

How about on the position player side of the roster? Infielder Ryan Raburn and catcher Dane Sardinha were both optioned to Toledo, while Mike Hessman was told he'll be placed on waivers. If he clears waivers, Hessman says he'd like to return to Toledo. However, he'll also look for opportunities to play in Japan. (Raburn, meanwhile, could be on his way to the St. Louis Cardinals, if they can work out a deal with the Tigers.)

But that last bench spot still remains open, with Jeff Larish and Brent Clevlen left to duke it out. It seems like a foregone conclusion that Larish will get the nod, as he was already playing well enough to make the team, and Josh Anderson took the outfield spot that could've gone to Clevlen. Three more days of Thunderdome - two men enter, one man leaves - for those two.

So I think I know the answer, but will ask anyway. Are you happy with these moves? And if, in fact, the Tigers intend to rotate that closer's job among two or three pitchers, how do you feel about that? You guys already got a head start this morning, but take it away.