SB Nation User Blog: Ian Casselberry

Evening Prowl: Grandy Talks, Questioning the Plan, and Mark Schlereth Changes Hats

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:42:48 -0000

If you haven't seen it yet, Curtis Granderson talked to The Big Lead today. Among the topics discussed was whether he would've been traded if the Tigers had won Game 163, the fan reaction in Detroit to him being traded, and which outfield position he might play next season.

(Thanks to allikazoo for linking to this in a FanShot.)

The Freep's Michael Rosenberg wonders if the Tigers really have a plan right now. If so, why does it seem to keep changing? And how many times did it change throughout the course of this season?

I'd just add this thought, based on a conversation I had with Kurt: If the plan has changed - and it seems to have done so since 2006 - how much of that is because of Dave Dombrowski, and how much is on Mike Ilitch?

As this week's big trade was close to being completed, The Daily Fungo's Mike McClary (an Arizona resident) sent me a text message that ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth attended many Diamondbacks games to see his son, Daniel, pitch. So he could be at plenty of Tigers games.

Sure enough, Schlereth declared a change in his baseball fandom today. "Long live the Detroit Tigers and the English D," he said as he donned a Tigers cap on the "Mike & Mike" show this morning. You can see the video here. (Couldn't ESPN spring for a fitted hat? Or is the former NFL player's head so big that he needs the adjustable?)

Fangraphs' Dave Cameron says moves like the Astros giving Brandon Lyon a three-year, $15 million contract are "why the team isn’t good, and won’t be good any time soon." But Lyon plays with remote-controlled airplanes, man.

According to the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec, Fernando Rodney tops the Orioles' list of available free agent closers after meeting with his people in Indianapolis.

I don't usually do this (probably because it doesn't happen very often), but if it turns out that the Tigers sign Scott Podsednik, I would like to channel Tony Kornheiser and say, "I may have had that one right."

Another item on the Tigers' to-do list during these Winter Meetings was to find Tom Brookens' successor as manager in Double-A Erie. But it looks like former Tiger Phil Nevin is the man to take over. The hiring hasn't been formally announced yet, but was reported by the L.A. Times. Nevin played for Detroit from 1995-1997.

(Thanks to KidRick48 - formerly known as granderson28 - for posting this news in a FanShot.)

I know the Tigers have plenty of relievers right now, but when I see that the Oakland A's released Santiago Casilla, I feel like that's a guy Detroit should take a chance on. No, he didn't have a good year (5.96 ERA), due largely to calf and knee injuries. (And an elbow injury put him on the DL in 2008.) But he can strike out some batters.

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

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:36:21 -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?

Freddy Dolsi, Dusty Ryan Designated For Assignment

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:39 -0000

After acquiring four players in yesterday's blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Tigers needed to clear two more spots on their 40-man roster. And with the deal becoming official this afternoon, the team designated pitcher Freddy Dolsi and catcher Dusty Ryan for assignment to accommodate the bushel of young talent coming to Detroit.

Dolsi pitched in only nine games with the Tigers this season, compiling a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings. (In 2008, he appeared in 42 games.) His last outing with Detroit was rather awful, giving up three hits and three walks in just 1.1 innings against Boston.

Ryan appeared in 12 games, batting.154/.267/.192 with four RBIs. Despite a pretty strong finish to 2008 (.880 OPS in 50 plate appearances), he could never break his way into the lineup. Perhaps defense was the main concern, as Jim Leyland leaned heavily on Gerald Laird throughout the season. But once Alex Avila was called up, and showed some impressive power, there was no room for Ryan.

If both players clear waivers, they could return to the Tigers organization. But the question now becomes whether or not the Tigers will make another move to clear a spot or two before tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft.

(via Jason Beck and Mark Anderson on Twitter)

"Only way a Sizemore is going to lead off for us is if we trade for Grady Sizemore."

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:38:42 -0000

"Only way a Sizemore is going to lead off for us is if we trade for Grady Sizemore."

-- Jim Leyland, when asked if Scott Sizemore could bat leadoff.

(via David O'Brien on Twitter)

Tigers Working on Another Threesome to Get Pierre?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:30:58 -0000

More photos » by Branimir Kvaruc - AP

Can the Detroit Tigers get a pitcher that they could trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Juan Pierre?

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Are the Detroit Tigers trying to put another three-team trade together? According to Jon Paul Morosi, the Tigers are talking to the Los Angeles Dodgers about outfielder Juan Pierre.

But the Dodgers want a pitcher in return. And though Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson, or Jeremy Bonderman are due to make similar money than Pierre (who's owed $18.5 million on the remaining two years of his contract), it's likely that the Dodgers aren't interested in adding either questionable pitcher.

So the Tigers would have to get a pitcher the Dodgers like. Enter Carlos Guillen. Could Detroit use him to get a pitcher suitable to the Dodgers' preference, and then trade him for Pierre?

As we said in today's earlier post about trading Guillen, this sounds like the wishiest of wishful thinking. Is there another team interested enough in Guillen to give up a decent major league pitcher? Perhaps, if that team has a chance to unload a bad contract. (Unfortunately, the Tigers probably fit that category better than anyone else.)

Pierre could presumably give the Tigers the leadoff hitter they've lacked, and bring some much needed speed. This season, he batted .308/.365/.392 with 30 stolen bases. He could also provide some insurance for Austin Jackson, in case he's not ready to be the full-time centerfielder to begin next season. (If he's not, that should go over well with Tigers fans.)

How Arizona's Josh Byrnes Fueled the Three-Team Trade

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:38:38 -0000

If you want to get an idea of how yesterday's three-team trade between the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Yankees came together, the New York Post's Joel Sherman passes along the details he heard.

The way I heard how the Granderson trade began was that Arizona was trying to get Edwin Jackson at the GM Meetings and was told Max Scherzer was too little of a return, but felt Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth was too much. So Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes' first call was to Cashman because he assumed Granderson fit the Yankees' needs so ideally, and that the Yanks had resources that Detroit wanted.

That basically falls in line with what we'd heard previously, that the Tigers didn't think Scherzer alone was enough for Jackson. But it's interesting to see how one GM calls another one up with an idea that could get a deal done. We saw much the same thing last year in the three-team J.J. Putz deal, with Omar Minaya knowing he could get Franklin Gutierrez from Cleveland, which filled the centerfield need in Seattle.

(In a different article, Sherman explains that the Yankees jumped at the chance to get Curtis Granderson because they'd become quite familiar with him. Remember, it looked like the Tigers would be the Yanks' first-round playoff opponent, so they had a wealth of scouting material to consult when Granderson went on the trading block.)

Sherman also confirms what had been reported by several other outlets, that Dave Dombrowski was looking for players who either hadn't accumulated much major league service time (and a few seasons away from eligibility for salary arbitration) or were ready to play in the majors. (No three-to-four-year waits for prospects, thank you very much.)

"Scattered Interest" in Carlos Guillen?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:19:57 -0000

At times, it's felt like Jon Paul Morosi is the shadow author of this blog, given how many of his rumors and reports have been recycled here. Having said that, Morosi mentioned late last night (or early this morning) that there was "some scattered interest" around the Winter Meetings in Carlos Guillen.

This seems like the wishiest of wishful thinking on the part of the Tigers, as Guillen is really a man without a position in Detroit (despite Jim Leyland promising him the left field job next season.) But maybe other teams are checking if the Tigers would be interested in picking up part of his contract while unloading him.

Guillen's still a decent bat, who can presumably play every infield position, as well as left field, though injuries restricted him to only 81 games this season. He batted .242/.339/.419 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 322 plate appearances.

Guillen is owed a total of $26 million on the remaining two years of his contract.

Let the Guillen-for-Milton Bradley talk resume... now.

Tigers Need Room on 40-Man Roster: Who Goes Next?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:30:33 -0000

More photos » by Gary Malerba - AP

Could Bobby Seay be the next player to be trimmed from the Detroit Tigers' roster?

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On his Twitter feed earlier tonight, Jon Paul Morosi pointed out that the Tigers' 40-man roster was full before Tuesday's trade. So with Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson moving over to new teams, and Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Austin Jackson, and Phil Coke coming to Detroit, there are now 42 players on the roster.

A source told Morosi that Bobby Seay, Jeff Larish, and Dusty Ryan are now available. Seay seems like a candidate to be non-tendered, with all of the left-handed relievers that the Tigers now have. Ryan also could be expendable, with the signing of Robinzon Diaz. And Larish just doesn't seem to have a very high stock in the organization right now. There's no buzz about him, giving the impression that the team has given up on him.

The Tigers probably want to clear at least one spot before Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, unless they're just not interested in selecting any available players.

The implication from Morosi's report is that Detroit would like to deal off Seay, Larish, or Ryan in the remaining two days of the Winter Meetings. But as The Detroit Tigers Weblog points out, couldn't the team also release any players that could've been left unprotected three weeks ago, such as Dontrelle Willis or Don Kelly?

I know the smoke still hasn't cleared from the big trade, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that the Tigers probably aren't done making moves this week. So who could go? Who should go?

EDIT: It would probably be helpful to link to the Tigers' 40-man roster. Sorry about that.

Evening Prowl: Granderson-Jackson Trade Reactions, Views on Scherzer, and Other Minor Deals Made Today

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:19:45 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Curtis Granderson looks ahead to a future in pinstripes, after being traded to the New York Yankees in a three-team deal on Tuesday.

Browse more photos »

As we did yesterday, let's do a little recap of Tuesday at the Winter Meetings thus far, if for no other reason than to catch some breath after the big three-team trade involving Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson. (Maybe you heard about it?)

The deal's still not official, pending physical exams. (Jason Beck mentioned that Granderson hadn't heard from the Tigers as of this afternoon, and hasn't heard from them in a while, which may have been an indication of their plans.) But that's apparently the only hurdle left to clear.

There's plenty to sort through, which I'm sure we'll be doing - both as a blog and community - in days, weeks, and months to come. I know there's already been a lot of that today at BYB, as this deal is viewed from several different standpoints and through a range of emotions.

As a baseball writer, I think the Tigers made a good trade and am excited about the pitching they've received in return. Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth should be fun to watch over the next few years. As a fan, I'm disappointed to see a popular, homegrown player like Granderson off to another team. And I really came to enjoy watching Jackson pitch this season.

For tonight, however, I'll leave the emotional reactions to The Detroit Tigers Weblog and Mack Avenue Tigers. Detroit4Lyfe rounded up a lot of the post-trade response thus far. Here's more from today:

Ken Rosenthal says the Diamondbacks viewed Scherzer as a reliever, not a starter, which is why he was on the trade block. His mechanics also raise some eyebrows among scouts.

That lines up with what D-Backs beat reporter Nick Piecoro wrote early this morning, after trade discussions had stalled. Lack of a consistent third pitch, an inability to pitch deep into ballgames, and - again - those mechanics were all causes for concern.

(Hat tip to Mike McClary)

Fangraphs' Dave Cameron believes the Yankees are the winner in this deal, as they're getting the best player in Granderson. But he thinks the trade "makes some sense" for the Tigers.

ESPN's Keith Law, however, thinks Detroit came out on top here, getting two power arms and a full-time, lower-cost centerfielder. Law especially likes Schlereth out of the Tigers' bullpen, and sees Jim Leyland handling him well. (Insider)

If you'd like to learn more about Austin Jackson, the centerfielder coming to Detroit in return for Granderson, check out this NY Times profile of him. Tyler Kepner writes about Jackson's lack of power, basketball skills that almost led him to Georgia Tech (and comparisons to Chauncey Billups), and his status as a top prospect in the Yankees' organization.

(Thanks to granderson28 - who might have to change that screen name - for posting that in comments.)

In a FanPost, Boney thinks Tigers fans will eventually learn to like this trade.

Long-time Tigers minor leaguer Mike Hessman signed with the Mets today. The agreement is a minor league deal, with a payout if Hessman chooses to play in Japan (the amount depends on when he goes). Hessman didn't get a call up to Detroit this year, batting .217/.324/.442 with 23 homers and 77 RBIs in 131 games with Triple-A Toledo.

Detroit also picked up a minor league catcher this afternoon, signing Robinzon Diaz. Diaz played with the Pirates this year, splitting time between the Triple-A and major league clubs. The Tigers were reportedly interested in Diaz before the trade deadline.

The Deal is Almost Done

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:35:12 -0000

The three-way trade between the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Yankees appears to be just about done. The pieces have been agreed to by each team. All that's left, according to several reports, is for medical records for the players involved to be reviewed. When discussions get to that point, it's almost a formality.

So here's how the trade shakes down, from most accounts:

The Tigers get centerfielder Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke from the Yankees, along with pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from the D-Backs.
The Diamondbacks receive Edwin Jackson from Detroit and pitcher Ian Kennedy from the Yankees.
The Yankees get Curtis Granderson.

However, the deal isn't yet official. In fact, there's some disagreement as to whether Schlereth is part of the deal. ESPN.com's report doesn't have Schlereth going to Detroit. But all other reports (for example, this one) seem to indicate that he's included. That's not an insignificant point.

More to come, once the deal becomes cross the t's, dot the i's official. But for now, it looks like this thing is about done.