SB Nation - Casey Fien

Today's Game: Who's! The! Closer?

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

Brandon Lyon will be patting another catcher's head next season, as he's agreed to a three-year deal with the Houston Astros.

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If you didn't already grasp the idea that the 2010 Detroit Tigers baseball club would look different from the 2009 edition, further evidence of that came last night with the news that Brandon Lyon was set to sign with the Houston Astros.

Earlier in the evening, there were rumblings that Lyon was looking for a two-year, $9 million contract, in light of the two-year, $7.5 million deal LaTroy Hawkins signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. And that probably would've been too rich for the Tigers.

So when Lyon ends up agreeing to a three-year, $15 million contract, it's probably safe to say Detroit was never really in the running to re-sign him. Unfortunately, this is the guy the Tigers were presumably hoping would be their closer in 2010. Now, they probably have to go to "Plan B."

But if "Plan B" was Fernando Rodney, he might not be available, either. (I'm thinking Rodney wasn't the Tigers' Plan B, however.) Dave Dombrowski called it "a long shot." And now that the Phillies have lost out on Lyon, they might be targeting Rodney. The buzz around Rodney has almost been non-existent during the offseason, though there were rumblings in early November that the Phillies were interested.

(via The Detroit Tigers Weblog)

Even a lower-cost veteran reliever like J.J. Putz, which seemed like a near-ideal fit for the Tigers, might be out of reach. Reports out of Chicago have the White Sox nearing an agreement with him.

These developments might leave Detroit with no other choice but to go with an in-house option. And considering the investment this team has made in young relievers over the past three years (including the two just acquired in the Curtis Granderson-Edwin Jackson trade), maybe that's a direction the Tigers should've gone in anyway.

Could Joel Zumaya be the first candidate for the closer job? Dombrowski said the team feels he's ready. That might make a lot of fans cringe, given his recent injury. (And surely, the Tigers are nervous about that, as well.) But if he is healthy - and that's been such a big "if" over the past three years - he may be the best choice.

Zumaya has four seasons of experience (not four full seasons, mind you), and if you're a believer that a closer needs to have a certain mindset, being "the man" for the ninth inning appears to be a role he relishes. Plus - and this is not an unimportant point - Jim Leyland seems to trust him.

If Zumaya ends up being the favorite, however, the Tigers need an insurance policy. That's where the depth of young relievers comes in.

Should Ryan Perry be next in line? Zach Miner? (Leyland seems to prefer that sinker for groundball situations, though.) Casey Fien didn't impress all that much in his first two major league stints, but he did save 14 games for the Mud Hens. Is Cody Satterwhite (12 saves with Double-A Erie this year) ready for the big leagues? Robbie Weinhardt? What about Daniel Schlereth?

Who else would you like to see get a shot?

Two Hits is Enough: White Sox 2, Tigers 0

Ian Casselberry — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:46:46 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Jake Peavy gave the Detroit Tigers a taste of what they could see for the next three seasons, pitching seven shutout innings Friday night.

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The Detroit Tigers got a preview of what facing the Chicago White Sox could be like for the next three or four seasons. Unfortunately, the Tigers are very much dealing with right now, and trying to win the AL Central.

Jake Peavy looked much like the same pitcher who's been one of the best in the National League in recent years, overpowering Tigers batters with a blazing fastball and hard-breaking slider. Overall, Peavy pitched seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

The shame of it all is that Eddie Bonine pitched almost as well with less dominating stuff. Bonine pitched into the sixth inning without allowing a hit. But when he finally did give one up, it was a doozy. Bonine threw two change-ups in the same spot to Gordon Beckham, and Beckham didn't miss that second one, launching it into the left-field seats for a two-run homer.

That was all the offense the White Sox needed. Heck, it was all the offense they got. The White Sox only knocked out two hits against Tigers pitching tonight. Two hits. And it was enough to win.

But as well as Peavy pitched, the Tigers' offense also squandered a few scoring chances.

In the second, Detroit had runners on first and second with one out. But Peavy came back to strike out the next two batters. The Tigers had the same situation in the third, but Magglio Ordonez hit into a double play. Finally, in the sixth, they had two baserunners yet again, only to see Peavy strike out Miguel Cabrera and get Aubrey Huff to ground out to second.

Ultimately, it was a night Tigers fans are painfully familiar with. This time, however, it was due to a pitcher who's had the reputation of doing this for a while. And if Peavy keeps this up, he might be a factor in this playoff race, after all.

Whimper:

Cabrera fought Peavy hard in his first at-bat, battling through 10 pitches before walking. But in his other two at-bats, Peavy made him look rather silly. BigMig finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Brandon Inge also had a rough night, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Purr:

Did you notice that the Tigers pitched all rookies tonight? Bonine (who still qualifies), followed by Ryan Perry, Fu-Te Ni, and Casey Fien. Again, they all combined to give up just two hits.

Comment of the Night:

So let me get this straight....today...

my car was stolen. The Tigers lost. The Royals morphed back into the Royals. The Twins will not lose.

Tomorrow has to be better. Hopefully all on those fronts.

by rook34

And your runner-up, with visual aid.

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

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.)

New Arms of the Week and a Half

Harry Pavlidis — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:53:30 -0000

Instead of just last week's rookie pitching debuts, I'm including Monday through Wednesday's debuts as well. Hello, Neftali Feliz.

This is a pretty big batch of pitchers this time around, led by Feliz and one more fireballer, Waldis Joaquin. We get the Orioles' Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman, Bud Norris filling in for Roy Oswalt, Casey Fien working out of the Detroit bullpen and a pair of Chicago pitchers, Mitch Atkins on the North Side and Jhonny Nunez on the South Side.

Just for a change of pace, I'm breaking the eight rookies into four groups. As usual, these are my own pitch classifications and will not match Gameday in many cases (especially with rookies). If you don't feel like reading, skip to the bottom for the data table.

Serious Heat

Feliz and Joaquin have live arms. Feliz is hotter, but Joaquin, just a tick slower, throws a frightening amount of strikes. The Giants have something there, and should be, and could be, just as happy as Texas.

Feliz throws over 100 mph with regularity, Joaquin kept his fastball above 97 but just below 100. Feliz averages 99.5, almost a full mph more than Joaquin.

Which would you rather have, and this is only from one game for Joaquin and four for Feliz, the guy throwing 99 but in the zone almost 3 out of 4, or the guy throwing 100 but in the zone 2 out of 4? What if I told you the "slower" guy also throws a sinker? At the same speed? What if I told you they both do. Maybe.

I think Feliz threw a couple two-seamers. I may be over-reading the break, to borrow a golf term. Or over-read the borrow, to break out another golf term.

Finishing off Joaquin, all 13 of his pitches, are two cutters. Or sliders. Or, could they be, slutters? 86 mph seems slider-speed for a guy like this, but five inches of "rise" against the force of gravity says otherwise. More data needed.

Feliz has thrown 66 pitches. I have 49 fastballs, 2 sinkers, 7 "curves" which I think are slurves, and 8 change-ups. His 90 mph pitch is not a sinker, it is a circle-change. I attirbute that grip diagnosis to a commenter on some thread some where on the interwebs. Someone checked the video and was able to see the grip on the change, but not on the breaking ball. Sorry I forgot to bookmark or clip your comment, video watching Ranger fan.

Brian Bannister would call Feliz' change-up a power change. It moves almost like a Derek Lowe sinker. Nasty stuff. For the slurve, think Carlos Marmol minus a few mph and a with less sweep and sink. Feliz has trouble throwing his offspeed pitches for strikes. He's just 3 for 15 so far.

Last though on Feliz: his fastball has yielded a whiff rate of .35 that would be impressive for a slider or a curve. That's insane for a four-seam fastball. I think it's the 4 or 5 extra inches of tail on that thing, and not the hop, that causes that problem for hitters. He moves that thing A LOT. It doesn't seem fair.

Flips of the Birds

The Orioles dipped into the farm system twice, grabbing Tillman first, and later Matusz. Tillman has made his second start already.

After looking at the first two guys, Tillman's 94 mph fastball seems pedestrian, but it isn't since he's throwing several innings, not just one or two. Matusz, who mixes in a two-seam sinker, throws both of his fastballs plenty hard, averaging close to 93 mph.

Tillman's a righty and Matusz a southpaw. Their four-seam fastballs, spin movement-wise, are very similar with Tillman's extra speed coming with a little less tail and a little more hop.

Matusz throws more strikes (.64 to .56) and gets more whiffs (.19 to .07), at least in the limited sample to date. Roughly 1 in 4 of their heaters put in play were hit on the ground, and about 1 in 5 were marked as line drives by the MLB stringers.

Matusz' sinker sinks and tails a couple or three inches off the path of the four-seamer, at almost the same speed. He also threw it for strikes (.61) which I find to be impressive, and yielded a ground ball rate in the upper 50s.

On to the change-ups. Matusz actually throws his harder than Tillman, but a mph (83 vs 82). Average fastball minus average change-up spreads end up being 10 mph for Matusz and more than 12 for Tillman.

Gap isn't the only important thing about a change-up, but I believe they could both afford to close it up a bit. In their combined three starts, neither pitcher got a grounder with his change-up, which is odd.

The main difference between these pitchers, besides their handedness, comes with the breaking stuff. Matusz throws a slider, Tillman a curveball. Tillman gets almost eight inches of drop from top-spin, while Matusz showed a good sinking slider that had a bit of top-spin (we'll see after some more data from more parks).

Despite the big difference in action, their breaking stuff moves at about the same speed. Tillman pushes 80 with the power curve while Matusz sneaks in above that mark with the slider. So far, very little contact against either.

Tillman, power righty. Matusz, hard throwing lefty. Matusz is around the zone more, Tillman has the nastier stuff. Matusz can actually get some ground balls, Tillman hasn't shown that he can.

Casey and Bud

I really have no reason to put these two together. Fien had a good debut, but struggled after that. Detroit optioned him back to Triple-A on Tuesday. I can't see anything special about his 93 mph fastball that explain its success.

Fien throws his four-seamer it for strikes (.62) and misses a lot of bats (.26). Small sample, of course, but those are both good numbers. Just a sprinkling of batted balls against it, no grounders. Otherwise, Fien is a ground ball machine. His slider and sinker make-up around 1/4 of his pitch mix a piece, outnumber the four-seam fastball when combined.

Fien throws his sinker as hard, if not harder, than his fastball. He struggles to find the zone (.39) and is yet to get a whiff with it. He's managed to get three ground balls and a home run with it. His slider, coming in around 81 or 81 mph, has a nice bit of sink to it (similar to Matusz in that regard).

With the slider, Fiend has even fewer strikes than the sinker, but has missed almost as many bats as he with the four-seam fastball. No one has lifted it yet. He does have a second off-speed pitch, some type of change-up. He only threw one, about 83 mph with less tail than the sinker but more sink.

Norris is an instant hero in Houston. After a relief appearance in Wrigley Field, Norris took a turn for Oswalt in the rotation. And he dealt. With just three pitches and two speeds, he may get exposed at some point. But his stuff is good, and guys have done well with worse in this league.

With a fastball that averages almost 95 mph, you can see why he may not need a lot of tricks in the bag. 60% strikes, which is good, but he's pretty much average or better with all my favorite attributes. That includes whiffs (.125) and SLGCON (.455).

Norris' off-speed stuff consists of an 87 mph change-up and an 88 mph slider. Starting with the slider, Bud throws strikes (.50), misses bats (.33) and hasn't given up much of anything (.091 SLGCON, 45% GB).

We haven't seen much of it yet,, but the change-up has done about as well as the slider for Norris. But with less strikes, less whiffs and more grounders. No base hits, yet.

South Side, North Side - Not Much to Say

The Sox saw Nunez throw six pitches, and that was enough for them. Four sinkers (93 mph) and a pair of fastballs (94 mph). Atkins had a couple relief appearances for the Cubs. He mostly threw sliders, which reminded me a bit of Randy Wells' slider. You can read more about Atkins at my blog, Cubs f/x.

The Pitches

click headers to sort

pitcher	type	#	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z	DEG	RPM	Swing	Whiff	B:CS	IWZ	SLGCON	GB%
Brian Matusz	Change	30	82.7	5.5	6.7	141	1634	0.433	0.308	1.8	0.500	1.000	0%
Brian Matusz	Fastball	45	92.8	4.3	9.6	156	2187	0.578	0.192	3.5	0.644	0.444	22%
Brian Matusz	Sinker	26	92.6	7.0	7.6	137	2144	0.423	0.182	1.5	0.615	0.571	57%
Brian Matusz	Slider	11	80.6	-1.3	-1.2	280	414	0.273	0.667	1.7	0.455
Bud Norris	Change	11	87.1	-9	4	248	1900	0.455	0.200		0.364	0.000	67%
Bud Norris	Fastball	75	94.7	-5	9	210	2278	0.427	0.125	1.8	0.600	0.455	18%
Bud Norris	Slider	55	88.1	2	1	127	483	0.436	0.333	2.4	0.509	0.091	45%
Casey Fien	Change	1	82.7	-6	3	243	1180	0.000			0.000
Casey Fien	Fastball	39	92.7	-4	9	204	2120	0.487	0.263	1.9	0.615	0.400	0%
Casey Fien	Sinker	23	92.9	-8	5	237	2015	0.478	0.000	2.0	0.391	1.500	75%
Casey Fien	Slider	22	81.4	2	-2	57	617	0.364	0.250	2.5	0.364	0.500	50%
Chris Tillman	Change	35	81.7	-6.4	7.6	221	1841	0.400	0.500	4.0	0.257	0.600	0%
Chris Tillman	Curveball	51	79.5	2.6	-7.8	26	1480	0.196	0.600	1.9	0.333	1.250	50%
Chris Tillman	Fastball	132	94.1	-4.1	10.2	202	2323	0.538	0.070	2.6	0.561	0.800	27%
Jhonny Nunez	Fastball	2	94.0	-4	8	205	1954	0.500	0.000		0.500
Jhonny Nunez	Sinker	4	93.3	-7	6	231	1957	0.500	0.000		0.500	0.000	100%
Mitch Atkins	Curveball	3	75.2	8	-5	60	1610	0.333	0.000	0.0	0.667	1.000	100%
Mitch Atkins	Cutter	1	90.9	-2	7	193	1529	0.000			1.000
Mitch Atkins	Fastball	6	89.8	-5	9	208	2148	0.833	0.000		0.833	0.000	50%
Mitch Atkins	Slider	11	85.2	3	4	143	951	0.546	0.333	1.0	0.546	0.000	33%
Neftali Feliz	Change	8	90.4	-10	4	249	2083	0.625	0.400	2.0	0.125	0.000	100%
Neftali Feliz	Curveball	7	82.0	4	-2	65	894	0.429	0.667	3.0	0.286
Neftali Feliz	Sinker	2	98.8	-10	7	234	2718	1.000	0.000		1.000
Neftali Feliz	Fastball	49	99.5	-8	9	222	2735	0.531	0.346	1.8	0.510	1.000	0%
Waldis Joaquin	Cutter	2	86.4	-1	5	197	909	0.000		1.0	0.500
Waldis Joaquin	Fastball	7	98.7	-6	11	208	2776	0.429	0.000	3.0	0.714	1.000	50%
Waldis Joaquin	Sinker	4	98.6	-10	8	233	2722	1.000	0.250		0.750	0.500	100%

The Alex Avila Era Now Begins

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:30:32 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

If it wasn't captured in a photograph, would you have remembered that Dusty Ryan actually played in an occasional game for the Detroit Tigers?

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The Detroit Tigers' 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles quickly became the second story of the night, as the team announced several roster moves following the game. Hello and goodbye, Wilkin Ramirez. He was sent back down to Toledo, along with catcher Dusty Ryan.

Pitcher Chris Lambert takes the bullpen spot that opened up when Casey Fien was demoted earlier today. But the big surprise is who's taking over for Ryan as back-up catcher. Alex Avila, probably the top prospect in the minor league system right now, is being called up from Double-A Erie.

This season with the Seawolves, Avila batted .264/.365/.450 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. From all accounts, his left-handed bat is major league ready, but it's his defense that needs work. (Unfortunately, I can't really find any numbers to support that.) So is playing back-up to Gerald Laird really going to help him with that? Or is this an indication that Laird is about to lose some playing time? Another theory is that Avila could see some time at DH, if Carlos Guillen is ready to play left field.

But doesn't this feel like calling up Cameron Maybin in 2007? Too soon? And probably too desperate, as well?

(demondeaconsbaseball has more thoughts on Avila in the comments of our last post.)

Lambert, meanwhile, compiled a 6-7 record and 3.55 ERA, adding 106 strikeouts and 31 walks in 126.2 innings. But in his last 10 starts, he's 4-2 with a 2.07 ERA, which is probably why he got the promotion. (And it's probably a temporary one, until the Tigers figure out what they can get out of Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson.)

When these roster moves were announced, my initial thought was that I didn't understand calling up Ramirez at all. What was the point? But if you thought he was in the Tigers' lineup tonight solely to face a left-handed phenom, then you're probably correct. I mean, isn't it completely obvious after another one-and-done big league appearance?

I'm guessing that Detroit was ready to swap Fien for Lambert, but saw an opportunity to go with a short-handed bullpen with Jarrod Washburn presumably set to pitch deep into the ballgame. And with an unfamiliar Brian Matusz pitching for the Orioles, why not bring in another right-handed bat? Unfortunately, Washburn gave up six runs and Ramirez went 0-for-3, so neither move ended up working out for the Tigers.

And where exactly does Dusty Ryan stand in the Tigers' organization? (Billfer doesn't see much of a future for him.) He was supposed to give Detroit some more punch in the back-up catcher role, right? Hitting .160/.276/.200 hardly provided that. Yet Ryan only played in 11 games since joining the team in mid-June. Did Jim Leyland just not trust his defense? Did he think he could turn Laird's bat around by keeping him in the lineup? Instead, Laird wore down and Ryan become a non-factor.

So what do you think? Is the air thick with desperation around Comerica Park? Would you have liked to see Ramirez remain with the big league club? Is calling up Avila too hasty a move, or does the excitement of getting to see the Tigers' top prospect overshadow that concern?

Wilkin Ramirez Recalled; Casey Fien Demoted

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:56:52 -0000

Per the Detroit Tigers Game Notes, outfielder Wilkin Ramirez has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo. To clear a spot for him on the roster, reliever Casey Fien was sent back to the Mud Hens.

There were rumblings this afternoon (via Twitter and elsewhere) that the Tigers were getting ready to make a move. Looks like we have it. Although you have to wonder if this is the only one that happens, with the bullpen now a man short.

Ramirez was hitting .274/.351/.455 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 347 at-bats with Toledo. In a cup-of-coffee appearance with the Tigers earlier this year, he went 1-for-3 with a home run.

Fien, meanwhile, was something of a disappointment (especially to those of us that were excited to see him pitch) in his four games with the Tigers. He allowed four earned runs and six hits in four innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

UPDATE: MLive.com's Steve Kornacki reports that Ramirez will bat leadoff tonight and play left field.

Lunchtime Prowl: Miggy's Future in Detroit, Interest in Josh Anderson, and Should Polanco Be Back?

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:30:09 -0000

Don't you try to manage our expectations, Dave Dombrowski. "Not much going on," he says. Double-D's trying that reverse psychology thing on us, right? Right?

Is Lynn Henning being mistreated in the Tigers' clubhouse these days? Suddenly, he thinks everyone should be traded. Last week, it was Curtis Granderson. This week, he envisions the day when the Tigers have to give up Miguel Cabrera. (And that's not even mentioning the "Release Magglio" drum he's been beating since last winter.)

Henning must love what the Cleveland Indians are doing.

Take 75 North looks at the Tigers' starting pitching prospects, lending some insight into why Casey Crosby might be considered an untouchable in this year's trade market.

Are the Yankees really interested in Josh Anderson? That's the current scuttlebutt. Apparently, the Yanks see Anderson as a fill-in while Brett Gardner recovers from a broken thumb. Have they looked at his hitting stats?

Jim Leyland mentioned another team is also interested, but wouldn't specify. (Tom Gage thinks it could be the Royals.) So are we to assume that the Tigers wouldn't be able to get Anderson through waivers now?

The Daily Fungo thinks the Tigers should keep Placido Polanco around for at least one more year, using him in sort of a utility role as a mentor to Scott Sizemore.

Mike also brought up Polanco playing some third base, which reminded me of something I've been wanting to write about for a while: Why is Polanco never considered to play at third base? He's played 322 games at third over his career (though only one with the Tigers). For at least two seasons with St. Louis (albeit back in 2001-02), he was the Cardinals' starting third baseman.

Does he not like playing over there? Is his arm strength deemed unsuitable for the position? I'm just curious because it seems like Polanco could help out right now.

FOXSports.com has a list of "under-the-radar trade targets" that playoff contenders should be looking at. Is it safe to say that the Tigers would be interested in every one of these guys? (Freddy Sanchez is off the table now, of course.)

What might Ty Cobb's diary look like? Beefshower has returned from his self-imposed exile and shares an excerpt with us at Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass.

If Aubrey Huff is one of the bats you're hoping the Tigers pursue, they don't appear to be showing much interest. No teams are showing much interest in Huff, according to the Baltimore Sun.

With Casey Fien making his second appearance for the Tigers last night (three strikeouts, two hits, and one run in an inning of work), that gives us a chance to link to Fire Jim Leyland's (since revised) look at Fien and his three-pitch repertoire through Pitch F/X.

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick lists nine former top prospects who never quite lived up to their advance billing. One of them, Jose Capellan, had a 10-game fling with the Tigers back in 2007. Another name on the list will probably make Michigan football fans grind their teeth.

More Sunday Night Suffering: White Sox 5, Tigers 1

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:50:08 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Jim Leyland and Zach Miner pass in the night and hope to never again speak of an awful seventh inning in which Miner walked the bases loaded.

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Just remember: The Tigers won three of four this weekend from the White Sox. It's easy to forget that after getting stomped before a national ESPN audience.

If you were worried, however, that Detroit wasn't going to be in first place after this four-game series - and many of us were after the Tigers lost twice to Seattle because of a feeble offense - they emerged with a two-game lead in the AL Central. Sure, a four-game sweep over the White Sox and a ~~three~~ four-game lead would've been a far more definitive statement. But in a weekend where the Tigers needed to show something, regardless of whether you thought this was a do-or-die type of series, they did so.

Still, any fans who only sees the Detroit Tigers play when they're on Sunday Night Baseball must think these guys absolutely stink. Every time the bright ESPN lights come out, the Tigers seem to cower. (Bad losses to the Twins and Angels may have taken place two years ago, but at the time, each game made me question if I wanted to watch baseball ever again.) I don't know if that's perception more than reality, but if a pivotal game at the end of the season somehow ends up on ESPN's Sunday night game, hide the women and children. And think about your own well-being.

Whimper:

Putting four of the first five batters on base is a tough way to begin a game. Rick Porcello looked entirely like a rookie in the first inning, especially when he didn't get to first base to catch a throw from Adam Everett that might have resulted in a double play, but instead allowed two runs to score. It got worse when Porcello followed up by throwing a fastball right down the middle to Paul Konerko, who blasted it out for a two-run homer. The Tigers were down 4-0 before they even came to bat.

Porcello allowed one more homer, to Gordon Beckham, in the second inning, before eventually settling in to pitch another four innings and salvage a respectable effort. But after giving up 19 runs in his past four starts, his reliability in a playoff race has to be questioned. The Tigers obviously need pitchers to fill out the other three turns in the starting rotation that don't belong to Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson, but can they afford to continue to let Porcello develop on the job with what's at stake?

Purr:

Facing Paul Konerko with the bases loaded is a hell of a way to make a major league debut, and Casey Fien looked like he was working out some nerves as he threw three straight balls to begin the at-bat. But Fien fought back, working the outside corner of the plate, and got Konerko to pop up in foul territory.

From there, he pitched another two innings, allowing no hits and just one walk. Not a bad first time out for a reliever that could be a valuable part of the bullpen down the stretch if he pitches as he did in the minors. (At the very least, Fien did a far better job pitching in middle reliever than Zach Miner and his three walks did.)

Comment of the Night:

Technically, this comment was posted in the Quickie Recap/Post-Game Thread, rather than the regular GameThread, so apologies if there's any disappointment there. But making light of an awful play in which Ryan Raburn not only failed to catch a ball, but kicked it toward the stands - committing two errors - helps to ease the pain.

David Beckham better watch out

Ryan Raburn’s going to be the next big soccer star.

by kendra.michelle

Roster Shuffles: Guillen, Anderson, Bonine, Fien, and... Bonderman?

Ian Casselberry — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:10:28 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Carlos Guillen returned to the Tigers' lineup yesterday and made an immediate contribution, batting 3-for-7 in Detroit's two wins over the White Sox.

Browse more photos »

The Detroit Tigers have made quite a few roster moves over the past 48 hours. Some (if not most) of you reading this might already be aware of these transactions. This post might be more for me to catch up, as I spent a large part of yesterday attempting to get a hole in the side of my house repaired and nursing a migraine. (Wah!)

Okay, let's begin with the biggest moves, and work our way down in no particular order:

Carlos Guillen was recalled from his minor league rehab assignment and activated from the disabled list. (He got right to work, batting a combined 3-for-7 in yesterday's doubleheader.) To make room for him on the roster, Josh Anderson was designated for assignment.

Though Lynn Henning seems surprised that Anderson was booted instead of Magglio Ordonez (Henning will just continue to beat that drum until he's right), there really wasn't any other move to make. Sure, Anderson has speed, but with an on-base percentage of .282, how much was he really using it? And though he might be able to cover more ground than any other left fielder the Tigers had on the roster, he seemed to get poor jumps on balls and would make bonehead plays like letting sinking line drives bounce between his legs.

Besides, are the Tigers really losing Anderson by designating him for assignment? What are the chances an outfielder batting .242/.282/.315 passes through waivers? Unless he just doesn't want to play in the Detroit organization anymore, he's probably on his way to Toledo soon enough and can be called back up if the Tigers feel his presumed speed and defense is worth a roster spot. For now, however, they need a guy who can hit.

After starting Friday night's game, Eddie Bonine was sent back down to Toledo and reliever Casey Fien was called up to take his place. (Even if the Tigers wanted to recall Dolsi, he has to stay in the minors for 10 days unless he'd be replacing an injured player.) This is a long overdue move for the Tigers.

Fien almost made the team last year out of Spring Training, and since then has been one of the organization's most promising bullpen prospects. He didn't start off the season very well, blowing a couple of saves, but seems to have settled into a groove in recent weeks. For the season with the Mud Hens, Fien has a 2-1 record and 3.61 ERA with eight saves. Most importantly, he has 51 strikeouts and 13 walks in 47.1 innings.

Bonine was called up from Triple-A Toledo to start the second half of Friday's doubleheader, and reliever Freddy Dolsi was sent down to clear a spot for him. The Tigers needed an extra starter, with two games in one day, and no off-day until Thursday. So someone had to make a spot start.

Dolsi was totally expendable, as he hadn't pitched in two weeks and had only appeared in five games since being called up to replace Ryan Perry (who returned last week when Joel Zumaya went on the DL). He'd only given up one run in 9.1 innings, but had allowed six hits in his last two appearances (covering 4.2 innings), and appeared to be relegated to mop-up duty.

This isn't a move that's been made yet, but Jeremy Bonderman could be on his way back and might... pitch out of the bullpen? After Bondo was shut down in mid-June, it looked like his season was effectively over. Coming back to pitch in September seemed to be an optimistic forecast.

Apparently, however, he's made some big strides in his recovery. Not so much as to rejoin the starting rotation, but perhaps give the team 35 pitches or so in a relief outing. According to the Tigers, it's when Bondo tried to stretch out into higher pitch counts that his shoulder became sore.

But how effective could he really be? Bondo was having trouble throwing his fastball above the high-80s/low-90s, and was (for now, anyway) more of a finesse pitcher. Maybe he could dial it up higher in a shorter outing? Or maybe the Tigers are just thinking he could be a warm body to use in middle innings during September.