Tigers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Rays, Reds, Pettitte, Robertson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | April 2, 2010 at 2:40pm CDT

Here are some links for the day…

Rays GM Andrew Friedman told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he "doesn't expect" to go outside of the organization for bullpen help (Twitter link). The Rays already added Virgil Vasquez today.
Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that the team could make a midseason deal or two.
Andy Pettitte hinted to the YES Network's Jack Curry that this may be his last season. The lefty says he wants to spend more time with his family.
Nate Robertson tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that he's glad to be back in Florida, especially since he's surrounded by a number of former Tigers.
Jayson Werth says he isn't thinking about his upcoming contract year, but Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that it can become a distraction for lots of players.
Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle says Buster Posey will likely start the year in the minors, partly because the Giants wouldn't mind slowing down the catcher's service time clock.
Johnny Damon tells the Associated Press that he has been impressed with the Tigers this spring.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the team's front office has been a "pleasant surprise" so far.

Offseason Questions For The AL Central

By Tim Dierkes | April 1, 2010 at 2:45pm CDT

All the offseason reviews are in the books, and today the AL Central takes the stand.

Do White Sox acquisitions Juan Pierre and Mark Teahen deserve starting jobs and multiyear commitments? Will the Sox suffer subpar production at traditionally offensive spots in left field, third base, and designated hitter?
With a respectable offense in place, should the Indians have signed a couple of veteran free agent starters and attempted a run?
Will the Tigers moving Curtis Granderson hurt the 2010 club? Could the Edwin Jackson–Max Scherzer component have been facilitated without the Yankees being involved? Should the Tigers have added a free agent starter, and did they make the right choice in shipping out Nate Robertson instead of Dontrelle Willis?
Could the Royals have acquired a similar veteran backstop for significantly less than the $6MM committed to Jason Kendall? Did they screw up in letting pitching prospect Juan Abreu hit the open market and sign with the Braves?
Can the Twins' bullpen get by without a Joe Nathan replacement? Should they have upgraded at third base? Though he took less money to sign with the Twins, was Joe Mauer's eight-year, $184MM extension too risky?

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Giants, Lo Duca, Stults

By Zachary Links | March 30, 2010 at 10:39pm CDT

Tuesday night linkage..

The Dodgers' ownership issue won't be resolved until the end of the season, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The trial to determine the owner of the club will begin on August 30th.
Sergio Santos – formerly a shortstop in the Diamondbacks organization – has made it to the major leagues as a pitcher for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Todd Wellemeyer isn't sure that the Giants' rotation is better than the Cardinals starting five that he was a part of, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. While it has yet to be announced, Wellemeyer will likely be crowned the fifth starter in San Francisco's rotation.
Rockies catcher Paul Lo Duca will accept his reassignment to the minors, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times supports the Dodgers' sale of Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp. This year marked Stults' ninth with the organization.
Dontrelle Willis is sad to see Nate Robertson go to Florida, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Willis' inclusion in Detroit's rotation was a big reason why the Tigers were able to part with Robertson.

Marlins Acquire Nate Robertson

By Tim Dierkes | March 30, 2010 at 12:34pm CDT

The Marlins acquired lefty Nate Robertson and cash considerations from the Tigers for minor league reliever Jay Voss, according to a Tigers press release. The Tigers are paying $9.6MM of the $10MM owed to Robertson, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Robertson originally came up through the Marlins' system, and was traded to the Tigers in the Mark Redman deal in January of '03. The 32-year-old posted a 5.44 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 5.1 BB/9 in 49.6 innings last year. He started the '09 season in the Tigers' bullpen and hit the DL in May with a back strain. In June, he had surgery to remove four masses in his elbow. He rejoined the rotation in September, but strained his groin shortly thereafter. Robertson had November surgery to repair that tear. With a fresh start in Florida, perhaps Robertson can chew up 175 innings with an ERA around 4.50. The trade opens the Tigers' fifth starter spot for Dontrelle Willis.

Voss, also a southpaw, turns 23 in April. He spent '09 as a reliever, posting a 2.72 ERA, 8.3 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 at High A and Double A. Baseball America ranked Voss 23rd among Marlins prospects, seemingly projecting a future as a lefty specialist.

Odds & Ends: Stauffer, Twins, Tigers, Desmond

By Luke Adams 2 | March 28, 2010 at 1:25pm CDT

Links for Sunday….

More from Rosenthal, as he tweets that the Padres are not looking to move Tim Stauffer despite there being several teams interested in the pitcher. Stauffer has been rumored to be on the trade block as he is out of options.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter) that the Twins will use a closer-by-committee approach to start the season, which presumably means no trades are imminent.
Dave Dombrowski denies that the Tigers are looking for a second base upgrade, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark had reported that Detroit could be in the market for a second baseman, given Scott Sizemore's up-and-down spring, but Dombrowski says the club's lineup is set. The GM also mentions that "a lot of clubs have been calling" about the Tigers' pitching.
Ian Desmond has been named the Nationals' starting shortstop, according to the team's Twitter page. The rookie beat out Cristian Guzman, who will now earn $8MM this season as a utilityman. Guzman, for his part, will not ask for a trade, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Rockies had interest in Chad Gaudin last year, but don't think they have a spot for him anymore, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
Mike Lowell is maintaining a realistic outlook on his current situation, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston. Edes adds in a tweet that Lowell took grounders at third base this morning, a good sign for the health of his knee.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post explains the decision facing the Nationals regarding Scott Olsen. The Nats are evaluating whether or not Olsen belongs in their rotation, and will owe him his full 2010 base salary ($1MM) if he's with the team past March 31.

Stark’s Latest: Trade Block, Mets, Phillies, Tigers

By Mike Axisa | March 27, 2010 at 6:37pm CDT

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new blog post up with some trade rumor nuggets for us. It's behind the Insider wall (if you don't have a subscription yet, what are you waiting for?), so I can't give away too much…

Stark lists 16 players currently on the trade block. Among the names we haven't seen mentioned recently: Willie Harris, Andy Marte, Tim Stauffer, Omir Santos, and Brad Thomas.
The Mets are looking to move one of their extra catchers, either Santos or Chris Coste, and are looking to add "major league-ready triple-A pitching depth." Aren't we all…
The Phillies are looking to add all sorts of pitching depth, and have interest in the recently released Chad Gaudin.
Scott Sizemore's rocky spring has the Tigers looking for a second base upgrade.
Kansas City is shopping Brayan Pena in their perpetual search for starting pitching.
The Braves have told other clubs that David Ross is available, "possibly in a catcher-for-catcher swap for a younger backup-catcher type."

Tigers Shopping Nate Robertson

By Luke Adams 2 | March 26, 2010 at 8:32pm CDT

The Detroit Tigers are looking for a suitor for Nate Robertson, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi tweets that three different sources have told him the Tigers are shopping the left-hander.

Robertson is entering the last year of a three-year $21.25MM contract, and will earn $10MM this season. While the 32-year-old has struggled over the last few seasons, he posted a 3.84 ERA over 208.2 IP in 2006. It's possible that there are teams out there willing to roll the dice that Robertson could regain that form, but as Morosi suggests, the Tigers would have to take on a significant chunk of his 2010 salary.

In a second tweet, Morosi adds that the Tigers' willingness to move Robertson could be a good sign for Dontrelle Willis' big league prospects.

Heyman On Willis, Dunn, Dukes, Berkman

By Mark Polishuk | March 24, 2010 at 9:27pm CDT

Jon Heyman covered a number of topics in his latest piece for SI.com, and here are a few of the hot-stove highlights…

While Dontrelle Willis' "$12MM salary is one impetus to take him north," Heyman writes that the left-hander has pitched very well this spring and could earn a spot in Detroit's rotation on his own merit. Heyman didn't discuss Willis' future with the club, but it would take a huge season for Willis to earn anything close to $12MM in a free-agent contract this winter. Even if he does have a big rebound year, his first two seasons in Detroit were probably enough to close the door on him remaining a Tiger past 2010.
Heyman writes that the Nationals have told Adam Dunn that he won't get a contract extension from them (no matter his offensive numbers) unless he proves that he can play a decent first base.
Elijah Dukes' release from Washington is "a shame." Heyman says "while there was no one incident that triggered his release, the Nationals felt it would improve clubhouse chemistry for him to be gone."
Heyman praises the Astros for not giving in to the "public pressure" that Lance Berkman put on the club to pick up his 2011 option. Houston's decision looks wiser, Heyman says, in the wake of Berkman's recent minor knee surgery that may keep him on the DL for the first few weeks of the season.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Brewers, Willis, Guardado

By Luke Adams 2 | March 21, 2010 at 2:23pm CDT

Links for Sunday….

The Cardinals are considering Adam Ottavino, their 2006 first-round pick, as an option for the bullpen, writes Derrick Goold. The 24-year-old has improved his delivery and hurled 8.1 innings so far this spring, allowing just one run with five strikeouts, though he also has five walks to go along with them.
The Brewers will have some decisions to make this week on players such as Jim Edmonds, Matt Treanor, and Scott Schoeneweis, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Each signed a minor league deal with an out clause. McCalvy opines that "it would be a surprise" if Edmonds didn't factor into the Crew's 2010 Major League plans.
Lynn Henning of the Detroit News thinks that the Tigers will release Dontrelle Willis in the near future.
Eddie Guardado hasn't officially announced his retirement, but he tells Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas "I think I'm done." Durrett reports that, even if Guardado doesn't pitch again, the lefty would like to stay in baseball in some capacity.
The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has a few interesting notes in his latest column. He names Jake Westbrook as an intriguing trade-deadline pitching option, and says that Mark Mulder could still work toward a comeback this season.
The Rangers may try to trade for a utility infielder, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't think it's a foregone conclusion that Adrian Gonzalez will be playing in Fenway Park by August.
Heath Bell, another Padre who has been the subject of trade rumors, is staying in San Diego for the time being, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The Bell-to-Minnesota rumors have been swirling lately, following the news of Joe Nathan's season-ending injury.
For the latest updates on Bell, and the rest of the closing situations around baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews account on Twitter.

Tigers Sign Casey Fien To A Minor League Deal

By Mike Axisa | March 20, 2010 at 9:12am CDT

It's back to where it all started for Casey Fien, who has signed a minor league deal with the Tigers according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.

The 26-year-old has been a transactions all-star this past month. Detroit designated him for assignment back in February, and the Red Sox claimed him off waivers a few days after. Boston waived him a few days later, and the Blue Jays claimed him. Toronto then released him this past Thursday.

Fien posted a 3.41 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 in 58 Triple A relief innings this year, though he struggled in 11.1 big league innings, his first taste of the show.

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