Now that Keith Law has published his prospect lists, most of baseball's top prospect experts have had their say about the players in Detroit's system.  Since no two of the lists are exactly the same, and since each of the evaluators emphasizes different aspects of a player's game, I thought it would be interesting to create one mega-list based on the individual rankings.

I used Tigers top prospect lists from six sources: Baseball America, The Hardball Times, Fangraphs, Keith Law, John Sickels (www.minorleagueball.com), and Kevin Goldstein (Baseball Prospectus).  I took the top 10 prospects from each list and awarded 10 points to the top prospect, 9 points to the second-place prospect, 8 points to the third-place prospect (and so on).  I then added up all of the points from each of the six lists to produce the mega-list (thus, a perfect score would be 60 points).

Here, according to the experts, are the top 20 Tigers prospects of 2011, with the score (out of a possible 60) that each prospect received in this ranking.

1.  Jacob Turner (60)

2.  Nick Castellanos (53)

3.  Andy Oliver (48)

4.  Daniel Fields (35)

5.  Casey Crosby (25)

6.  Daniel Schlereth (24)

7.  Chance Ruffin (23)

8.  Francisco Martinez (15)

9.  Drew Smyly (11)

10.  Charles Furbush (7)

10.  Brayan Villarreal (7)

12.  Avisail Garcia (6)

13.  Wade Gaynor (4)

14.  Josue Carreno (3)

14.  Bruce Rondon (3)

16.  Adam Wilk (2)

17.  Jose Ortega (1)

17.  Dixon Machado (1)

17.  Casper Wells (1)

17.  Danry Vazquez (1)

Thoughts?

The starting pitching free agent cupboard is getting pretty bare.  Arroyo, De La Rosa, Garland, Kuroda, Lilly, Vazquez, and Westbrook have all been snatched up.  While the top free agent still remains (Cliff Lee, of course), it seems highly unlikely that the Tigers will be able to sign him.  Given this assumption, who are the top starting pitchers the Tigers should target (via either free agency or trade)?  Here's my answer.

1.  Zack Greinke (Royals):  Allegedly, the Royals have stated that they won't trade Greinke to an AL Central competitor.  Still, never hurts to try, right?  Given the Royals' insane SP depth on their farm, they will probably look to cash in on Greinke while clearing the payroll of the $27 million he would be making in 2011-12.

2.  Wandy Rodriguez (Astros):  Never the wealthiest team (nor the most competitive) it wouldn't be a surprise to see Houston trade Wandy, as 2011 is his final year of arbitration after making $5 million in 2010.  Houston GM Ed Wade is certainly not the brightest bulb in the pack, so grabbing Wandy for a reasonable price might be doable.

3.  Carl Pavano (Free Agent):  He was great in 2010, and it would be nice to stick it to the Twins by signing him, but I doubt the Tigers get him.  He'll be expensive, and he'll have a lot of suitors to choose from.

4.  Ricky Nolasco (Marlins):  Marlins owner Jeff Loria is known to be quite the scrooge, so I expect he'll try to trim some payroll.  As Nolasco is due a raise on his $3.8 million in 2010, he might be one that Loria will let go.  Dombrowski seems to have a good relationship with the Florida front office, so this seems like one of the more likely scenarios.

5.  James Shields (Rays):  While his 2010 ERA was terrible, Shields posted the best strikeout rate of his career, along with a solid walk rate.  I'd love to see the Tigers grab him while his stock is as low as it's been.  The Rays have already said that they're looking to trim payroll, and Shields looks like the most likely Ray to get traded.

6.  Matt Garza (Rays):  Like Shields, Garza could find himself on the trade block due to payroll constrictions in Tampa.  Unlike Shields, Garza put up solid traditional numbers in 2010 (15 W, 3.91 ERA).

7.  Brandon Webb (Free Agent):  He hasn't pitched a game in a while, and reports on his velocity are not good, but he is a former Cy Young winner, and it would be nice to see the Tigers take a flyer on him (for the right price, of course).

8.  Jeff Francis (Free Agent):  Francis hasn't been fully healthy or effective since 2007, but he did show some signs of life this year.  He could be a bargain if given a low-risk, incentive-laden deal.

9.  Justin Duchscherer (Free Agent):  He hasn't been healthy since 2008, but he was pretty good back then.  Like Francis, he could be a bargain if given very little guaranteed money.

10.  Fausto Carmona (Indians):  Carmona hasn't been very good since 2007, but he was at least decent in 2010.  The Indians are clearly in a transitional stage, and Carmona is set to make $6.1 million in 2011.

Here's an interesting (and perhaps disconcerting) fact from the AFL: the three Tiger position players on the Surprise Rafters roster (Ben Guez, Francisco Martinez, and Cale Iorg) are the three team leaders in errors committed.  Iorg and Martinez have each committed 4 errors and Guez has committed 3.  No one else on the team has more than 2.  Combined, the Tiger trio has committed 11 errors while the rest of the team (combined) has committed 16.

Given the small sample size, I'm not sure what (if anything) this means.  Given the solid defensive reputations of Iorg and Martinez, it probably doesn't mean much.  But if nothing else, it is interesting.

While being among the team leaders in errors is certainly a dubious honor, Guez also leads the team in OPS (1.041  in 44 PA).  Martinez has been solid so far with a .804 OPS, while Cale Iorg (as usual) is among the team's bottom feeders with just a .495 OPS and 11 K in 34 AB.

In other Tiger-related AFL news, the four Tigers pitchers in the AFL (Brendan Wise, Chance Ruffin, Matt Hoffman, and Brooks Brown) are each in the team's bottom seven in ERA.  Brown is the worst offender, having given up 10 ER in 10 innings.

(This has also been posted at SBN's www.blessyouboys.com)

Before we begin, a word about my prospecting biases.  I don't pay much attention to anything below the full season leagues (West Michigan and higher).  I'm more a stats guy than a scouting guy, though I try to pay attention to both.  I take criticism well, so please use the comments to apply it liberally.  Where statistics are used, they are the player's combined 2010 minor league statistics, unless otherwise noted.

1.  Jacob Turner, RHP, Grade A

Turner had as good a professional debut as anyone could have hoped.  His command/control looks better than expected (only 1.8 BB/9 across two levels).  Some were undoubtedly disappointed by "only" 8 K/9 across the two levels.

2.  Andy Oliver, LHP, Grade B+

Oliver more than handled an aggressive assignment at AA, though he should not have been pushed to AAA/MLB.  The strikeouts were there (8.2 K/9 in AA and AAA), but he walks too many (3.5 BB/9) and he gives up a few too many HR (0.9 HR/9).  Though he still seems to be relying primarily on his excellent FB/CH combo, I've heard that he made good strides in rediscovering his missing breaking pitch.

3.  Casey Crosby, LHP, Grade B

A lost season for Crosby.  He's already come back once from a missing season; hopefully he can do it again.

4.  Nick Castellanos, 3B, Grade B

As high as I am willing to go on nothing but scouting reports and a few PAs in rookie ball (though both look promising).  I'm excited to see what he can do in a full season.  It definitely looks like he has the highest ceiling of Detroit's position prospects.

5.  Dan Schlereth, LHP, Grade B

As high as I'm willing to go on a reliever who walks every batter he faces (6.2 BB/9 in AAA).  Love the strikeouts, though (10.2 K/9 in AAA).  Highest upside among Detroit's relievers.

6.  Brayan Villareal, RHP, Grade B

Plenty of strikeouts (9.5 K/9), okay walk rate (2.7 BB/9), too many HR (1.0 HR/9).  One of my favorite Tiger prospects.

7.  Adam Wilk, LHP, Grade B-

The anti-Andy Oliver: mediocre raw stuff, low walk rate (1.3 BB/9 in Adv-A and AA), low K rate (6.1 K/9), low HR rate (0.5 HR/9).  He's handled every level he's faced despite mediocre stuff.  He has the best control/command in the system, and (if he doesn't hit his developmental wall in AAA) he should make a fine back-of-the-rotation starter.  Another personal favorite.

8.  Daniel Fields, CF, Grade B-

Fields handled an aggressive assignment in the Florida State League despite being one of its youngest players (age 19).  Reports on his defense are good, and it sounds like he has excellent raw speed (though this hasn't translated to the basepaths--he's been caught stealing more times than he's been successful).  He took lots of walks (in more than 12.5% of his PAs), struck out a lot (in more than 30% of his ABs), and he flashed some occasional power (.131ISO).  Another personal favorite.

9.  Francisco Martinez, 3B, Grade B-

Martinez provides an interesting contrast to Fields.  Both played in the FSL at age 19, though Martinez showed better contact and baserunning instincts, while Fields showed better power and patience.  If all goes well, he could be an average to slightly above Major League third baseman who hits for a good average, steals some bases, and provides solid defense.  Think pre-2010 Chone Figgins (without all the walks).

10.  Charlie Furbush, LHP, Grade B-

Destroyed Advanced A, handled AA, met his match in AAA.  He'll certainly start the year in AAA, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him take Galarraga's spot in the Tigers' rotation before too long.

11.  Casper Wells, RHP, Grade B-

May be an aggressive grade for a 25 year old who just got his first taste of the big leagues after struggling in AAA to begin the year, but I really like Wells.  He's an above average fielder in the corners with loads of power and decent patience.  At worst, he's an above average fourth outfielder who can play all three OF positions and provide some pop off the bench.  At best, he's an average to above regular with a low BA, middling OBP, and high SLG.

12.  Robbie Weinhardt, RHP, Grade C+

Should be a good middle reliever.  His first taste of the big leagues looks worse (6.14 ERA) than it actually was (3.47 FIP).

13.  Cole Nelson, LHP, Grade C+

Good stuff, high upside, need data

14.  Alex Burgos, LHP, Grade C+

Good stuff, high upside, need data

15.  Ryan Strieby, 1B/LF, Grade C+

Will his wrist ever be healthy?  Can he cut down the strikeouts?

16.  Lester Oliveros, RHP, Grade C+

Good raw stuff, lots of strikeouts.  Health issues and control/command issues are concerns

17.  Zach Simons, RHP, Grade C+

Will he ever get his well-deserved shot?

18.  Brandon Douglas, 2B, Grade C+

Had a really good year--high BA, some walks and gap power.

19.  Wade Gaynor, 3B, Grade C

Handled single-A, but probably not as well as we might have hoped for a 22-year old, 3rd round pick.

20.  Alfredo Figaro, RHP, Grade C

He might still have a shot in Detroit's rotation, but with the strong SP in the system, it's looking less and less likely.  If he makes it, it will probably be in the bullpen with occasional spot starts.

21.  Rob Brantly, C, Grade C

Did okay at single-A West Michigan.  Relatively high-upside catcher who hits for a good average with good plate discipline.

22.  Rawley Bishop, 1B, Grade C

He's done well, but he's probably too old for his competition, and 1B is not a good place to be if you are a Tigers prospect.

23.  Danny Worth, SS, Grade C

All glove, no bat.  Could be the next Adam Everett, but more likely just a backup infielder.

24.  Bryan Holaday, C, Grade C

I've heard his leadership skills touted, which is a good thing if you're ceiling is an MLB backup catcher.

25.  Andy Dirks, OF, Grade C

Could be a decent fourth outfielder, but probably nothing more.

Others: Audy "SS of the Future" Ciriaco, Brent Dlugach, Casey Fien, L. J. Gagnier, Cale "Future All-Star" Iorg, Jamie Johnson, Corey Jones, Ramon Lebron, Luis Marte, Melvin Mercedes, John Murrian, Billy Nowlin, Gustavo "SS of the Future" Nuñez, P. J. Polk, Gabriel Purroy, Bruce Rondon, Austin Wood

The strengths and weaknesses of Detroit's system should be abundantly clear.  Pitching is the obvious strength, but the Tigers' system is a position player pauper (pardon the terrible alliteration).  With Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello locked up for at least another four years--and with some good starters coming up through the minors (Turner, Oliver, Crosby, Villarreal, Wilk, and Furbush)--the Tigers have the makings of one hell of a starting rotation in a few years.  The positional depth is pretty bleak, though.  With the exceptions of Castellanos, Fields, and Martinez, there are very few high upside players in the minor league ranks.  There is also very little depth in the high minors in case the injury bug strikes (which, with Carlos Guillen still on the Tigers' roster, will surely happen).

So, who did I miss?  Who have I overrated?  Who have I underrated?  Was I too generous in handing out the B-/C+ grades?

Before we begin, a word about my prospecting biases.  I don't pay much attention to anything below the full-season leagues (West Michigan and higher).  I'm more a stats guy than a scouting report guy, though I try to pay attention to both.  I take criticism well, so please use the comments to apply it liberally.  Where statistics are used, they are the player's combined 2010 minor league statistics, unless otherwise noted.

(This has also been posted at SBN's www.minorleagueball.com)

1.  Jacob Turner, RHP, Grade A

Turner had as good a professional debut as anyone could have hoped.  His command/control looks better than expected (only 1.8 BB/9 across two levels).  Some were undoubtedly disappointed by "only" 8 K/9 across the two levels.

2.  Andy Oliver, LHP, Grade B+

Oliver more than handled an aggressive assignment at AA, though he should not have been pushed to AAA/MLB.  The strikeouts were there (8.2 K/9 in AA and AAA), but he walks too many (3.5 BB/9) and he gives up a few too many HR (0.9 HR/9).  Though he still seems to be relying primarily on his excellent FB/CH combo, I've heard that he made good strides in rediscovering his missing breaking pitch.

3.  Casey Crosby, LHP, Grade B

A lost season for Crosby.  He's already come back once from a missing season; hopefully he can do it again.

4.  Nick Castellanos, 3B, Grade B

As high as I am willing to go on nothing but scouting reports and a few PAs in rookie ball (though both look promising).  I'm excited to see what he can do in a full season.  It definitely looks like he has the highest ceiling of Detroit's position prospects.

5.  Dan Schlereth, LHP, Grade B

As high as I'm willing to go on a reliever who walks every batter he faces (6.2 BB/9 in AAA).  Love the strikeouts, though (10.2 K/9 in AAA).  Highest upside among Detroit's relief prospects.

6.  Brayan Villareal, RHP, Grade B

Plenty of strikeouts (9.5 K/9), okay walk rate (2.7 BB/9), too many HR (1.0 HR/9).  One of my favorite Tiger prospects.

7.  Adam Wilk, LHP, Grade B-

The anti-Andy Oliver: mediocre raw stuff, low walk rate (1.3 BB/9 in Adv-A and AA), low K rate (6.1 K/9), low HR rate (0.5 HR/9).  He's handled every level he's faced despite mediocre stuff.  He has the best control/command in the system, and (if he doesn't hit his developmental wall in AAA) he should make a fine back-of-the-rotation starter.  Another personal favorite.

8.  Daniel Fields, CF, Grade B-

Fields handled an aggressive assignment in the Florida State League despite being one of its youngest players (age 19).  Reports on his defense are good, and it sounds like he has excellent raw speed (though this hasn't translated to the basepaths--he's been caught stealing more times than he's been successful).  He took lots of walks (in more than 12.5% of his PAs), struck out a lot (in more than 30% of his ABs), and he flashed some occasional power (.131 ISO).  Another personal favorite.

9.  Francisco Martinez, 3B, Grade B-

Martinez provides an interesting contrast to Fields.  Both played in the FSL at age 19, though Martinez showed better contact and baserunning instincts, while Fields showed better power and patience.  If all goes well, he could be an average to slightly above Major League third baseman who hits for a good average, steals some bases, and provides solid defense.  Think pre-2010 Chone Figgins (without all the walks).

10.  Charlie Furbush, LHP, Grade B-

Destroyed Advanced A, handled AA, met his match in AAA.  He'll certainly start the year in AAA, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him take Galarraga's spot in the Tigers' rotation before too long.

11.  Casper Wells, RHP, Grade B-

May be an aggressive grade for a 25 year old who just got his first taste of the big leagues after struggling in AAA to begin the year, but I really like Wells.  He's an above average fielder in the corners with loads of power and decent patience.  At worst, he's an above average fourth outfielder who can play all three OF positions and provide some pop off the bench.  At best, he's an average to above regular with a low BA, middling OBP, and high SLG.

12.  Robbie Weinhardt, RHP, Grade C+

Should be a good middle reliever.  His first taste of the big leagues looks worse (6.14 ERA) than it actually was (3.47 FIP).

13.  Cole Nelson, LHP, Grade C+

Good stuff, high upside, need data

14.  Alex Burgos, LHP, Grade C+

Good stuff, high upside, need data

15.  Ryan Strieby, 1B/LF, Grade C+

Will his wrist ever be healthy?  Can he cut down the strikeouts?

16.  Lester Oliveros, RHP, Grade C+

Good raw stuff, lots of strikeouts.  Health issues and control/command issues are concerns

17.  Zach Simons, RHP, Grade C+

Will he ever get his well-deserved shot?

18.  Brandon Douglas, 2B, Grade C+

Had a really good year--high BA, some walks and gap power.

19.  Wade Gaynor, 3B, Grade C

Handled single-A, but probably not as well as we might have hoped for a 22-year old, 3rd round pick.

20.  Alfredo Figaro, RHP, Grade C

He might still have a shot in Detroit's rotation, but with the strong SP in the system, it's looking less and less likely.  If he makes it, it will probably be in the bullpen with occasional spot starts.

21.  Rob Brantly, C, Grade C

Did okay at single-A West Michigan.  Relatively high-upside catcher who hits for a good average with good plate discipline.

22.  Rawley Bishop, 1B, Grade C

He's done well, but he's probably too old for his competition, and 1B is not a good place to be if you are a Tigers prospect.

23.  Danny Worth, SS, Grade C

All glove, no bat.  Could be the next Adam Everett, but more likely just a backup infielder.

24.  Bryan Holaday, C, Grade C

I've heard his leadership skills touted, which is a good thing if your ceiling is an MLB backup catcher.

25.  Andy Dirks, OF, Grade C

Could be a decent fourth outfielder, but probably nothing more.

Others: Audy "SS of the Future" Ciriaco, Brent Dlugach, Casey Fien, L. J. Gagnier, Cale "Future All-Star" Iorg, Jamie Johnson, Corey Jones, Ramon Lebron, Luis Marte, Melvin Mercedes, John Murrian, Billy Nowlin, Gustavo "SS of the Future" Nuñez, P. J. Polk, Gabriel Purroy, Bruce Rondon, Austin Wood

The strengths and weaknesses of Detroit's system should be abundantly clear.  Pitching is the obvious strength, but the Tigers' system is a position player pauper (pardon the terrible alliteration).  With Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello locked up for at least another four years--and with some good starters coming up through the minors (Turner, Oliver, Crosby, Villarreal, Wilk, and Furbush)--the Tigers have the makings of one hell of a starting rotation in a few years.  The positional depth is pretty bleak, though.  With the exceptions of Castellanos, Fields, and Martinez, there are very few high upside players in the minor league ranks.  There is also very little depth in the high minors in case the injury bug strikes (which, with Carlos Guillen still on the Tigers' roster, will surely happen).

So, who did I miss?  Who have I overrated?  Who have I underrated?  Was I too generous in handing out the B-/C+ grades?

This is the first in an intended series on the 2010 Detroit Tigers rookies.  Next up will be Austin Jackson.

The 2010 Tigers offense has been just that: highly offensive (Get it?  It's a pun!).  While Miguel Cabrera has been a beast all year, the rest of the lineup has either been inconsistent or just plain terrible.  Austin Jackson is currently in an extended slump.  Johnny Damon started off slowly, then heated up, and then cooled off again.  Guillen has spent most of the season on the DL.  Sizemore, Everett, Raburn, Avila, Laird, Inge, and Kelly have been all kinds of terrible.  One of the non-offenders has been rookie Brennan Boesch.  Already a fan favorite, he has also drawn skepticism from the prospect watchers and sabermetricians among us for his seeming inability to take a walk, his propensity for swinging at junk pitches, and his lack of a solid minor league track record (before 2009, that is).  So far this year, he is hitting .338/.384/.626 with 7 HR and 29 RBI in 38 games.  Simply put, Boesch has been the second best hitter in the Tigers lineup.

The question: Can he sustain this production?

Continue reading this post »

Each day this week (through Thursday), I will post my 2010 projected rosters for the Detroit Tigers and their full-season minor league affiliates, along with some commentary.  Of course, this is all mere speculation on my part; it is mostly an exercise intended to enhance my knowledge (and hopefully the reader's) of the Tigers' prospects and farm system.  In doing this, I have been heavily reliant on both baseball-reference and Matt Wallace's Take 75 North (which you should subscribe to, if you don't already), as well as demondeaconsbaseball's previous depth chart posts.

I was in Florida for Spring Training over the weekend, and thus I am only now getting to the final installment of my projected roster series.  Here we go, your 2010 West Michigan Whitecaps (maybe):

C            John Murrian

1B          Rawley Bishop

2B          Alexander Nunez

3B          Wade Gaynor

SS          Edwin Gomez

RF          Avisail Garcia

CF          Daniel Fields

LF           Alexis Espinoza

DH/OF    Chao-Ting Tang

C            Keith Hernandez

IF           Luis Palacios

IF           Chris Sedon

OF         Jordan Cruz

OF         Luis Salas

OF         Brent Wyatt

SP         Jacob Turner

SP         Ramon Lebron

SP         Luis Angel Sanz

SP         Giovanni Soto

SP         Nate Newman

SP/RP    Brandon Hamilton

RP         Melvin Mercedes

RP         Jade Todd

RP         Austin Wood

RP         Kenny Faulk

RP         Nick Cassavechia

RP         Gary Perinar

RP         Mike LaLuna

RP         Michael Torrealba

Commentary after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Each day this week (through Thursday), I will post my 2010 projected rosters for the Detroit Tigers and their full-season minor league affiliates, along with some commentary.  Of course, this is all mere speculation on my part; it is mostly an exercise intended to enhance my knowledge (and hopefully the reader's) of the Tigers' prospects and farm system.  In doing this, I have been heavily reliant on both baseball-reference and Matt Wallace's Take 75 North (which you should subscribe to, if you don't already), as well as demondeaconsbaseball's previous depth chart posts.

Oops!  I meant to post this yesterday and forgot.  It will probably be more abbreviated than usual, as I am leaving for Spring Training in half an hour.  I'll be at the Tigers/Braves game tomorrow and the Tigers/Yankees game on Saturday.

C           Jordan Newton

1B         Chris Carlson

2B         Brandon Douglas

3B         Bryan Pounds

SS         Gustavo Nunez

RF         Kyle Peter

CF         Ben Guez

LF          Christopher White

DH        Devin Thomas

C            Joseph Bowen

IF            Justin Henry

IF            Mike Gosse

OF          Jeramy Laster

OF          Joseph Tucker

SP         Casey Crosby

SP         Andy Oliver

SP         Brayan Villareal

SP         Adam Wilk

SP         Matt Hoffman

SP/RP   Victor Larez

SP/RP   Mark Sorensen

RP         Tyler Conn

RP         Tyler Stohr

RP         Robert Waite

RP         Anthony Shawler

RP         Nolan Cain

RP         Trevor Feeney

Commentary after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Each day this week (through Thursday), I will post my 2010 projected rosters for the Detroit Tigers and their full-season minor league affiliates, along with some commentary.  Of course, this is all mere speculation on my part; it is mostly an exercise intended to enhance my knowledge (and hopefully the reader's) of the Tigers' prospects and farm system.  In doing this, I have been heavily reliant on both baseball-reference and Matt Wallace's Take 75 North (which you should subscribe to, if you don't already), as well as demondeaconsbaseball's previous depth chart posts.  (Don't forget to vote in the poll at the end!)

2010 Erie SeaWolves (AA) projected roster:

C              Max St. Pierre

1B            Jordan Lennerton

2B            Danny Worth

3B            Mike Bertram

SS            Audy Ciriaco

RF            Kody Kaiser

CF            Andy Dirks

LF            Deik Scram

DH           Billy Nowlin

C              Jeff Kunkel

IF              Santo De Leon

IF              Alden Carrithers

IF/OF        Maxwell Leon

OF            Josh Workman

SP            Charles Furbush

SP            L. J. Gagnier

SP            Andrew Hess

SP           Jon Kibler

SP           Luke Putkonen

SP           Thad Weber

SP/RP     Luis Marte

SP/RP     Phil Dumatrait

RP           Lester Oliveros

RP           Josh Rainwater

RP           Brett Jensen

RP           Jared Gayhart

RP           Scott Green

RP           Brendan Wise

RP           Ryan Ketchner

DL           Duane Below (Tommy John surgery)

Unemployed:  Michael Hollimon, Pat Stanley, Sam Narron, Ramon Garcia

Continue reading this post »

Each day this week (through Thursday), I will post my 2010 projected rosters for the Detroit Tigers and their full-season minor league affiliates, along with some commentary.  Of course, this is all mere speculation on my part; it is mostly an exercise intended to enhance my knowledge (and hopefully the reader's) of the Tigers' prospects and farm system.  In doing this, I have been heavily reliant on both baseball-reference and Matt Wallace's Take 75 North (which you should subscribe to, if you don't already), as well as demondeaconsbaseball's previous depth chart posts.  (Don't forget to vote in the poll at the end!)

2010 Toledo Mud Hens projected roster:

C           Robinzon Diaz

1B         Ryan Strieby

2B         Don Kelly

3B         Brent Dlugach

SS         Cale Iorg

RF         Brennan Boesch

CF         Casper Wells

LF          Wilkin Ramirez

DH         Jeff Larish

C           Mike Rabelo

IF           Will Rhymes

IF/OF     Kory Casto

OF         Jeff Frazier

SP        Armando Galarraga

SP        Alfredo Figaro

SP        Eddie Bonine

SP        Scot Drucker

SP        Brooks Brown

CL        Cody Satterwhite

SU        Daniel Schlereth

SU        Zach Simons

RP        Casey Fien

RP        Brad Thomas

RP        Josh Rainwater

RP        Jay Sborz

Unemployed: Ryan Roberson, Ruddy Lugo, Enrique Gonzalez

Commentary after the jump:

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UPDATE:  Looks like Bobby Seay will begin the season on the DL after having another MRI on his shoulder.  Robbie Weinhardt takes his place on my projected roster.

Each day this week (through Thursday), I will post my 2010 projected rosters for the Detroit Tigers and their full-season minor league affiliates, along with some commentary.  Of course, this is all mere speculation on my part; it is mostly an exercise intended to enhance my knowledge (and hopefully the reader's) of the Tigers' prospects and farm system.  In doing this, I have been heavily reliant on both baseball-reference and Matt Wallace's Take 75 North (which you should subscribe to, if you don't already), as well as demondeaconsbaseball's previous depth chart posts.

2010 Detroit Tigers Projected Roster:

C              Gerald Laird

1B            Miguel Cabrera

2B            Scott Sizemore

3B            Brandon Inge

SS            Adam Everett

RF            Magglio Ordonez

CF            Austin Jackson

LF            Johnny Damon

DH           Carlos Guillen

C              Alex Avila

IF             Ramon Santiago

IF/OF       Ryan Raburn

OF            Clete Thomas

SP            Justin Verlander

SP            Rick Porcello

SP            Max Scherzer

SP            Nate Robertson

SP            Jeremy Bonderman

CL            Jose Valverde

SU            Joel Zumaya

SU            Bobby Seay   Robbie Weinhardt

RP            Ryan Perry

RP            Phil Coke

RP            Fu-Te Ni

RP            Zach Miner

DL            Dontrelle Willis, Bobby Seay

Commentary after the jump:

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