Tiger Geist

Its been quite the week.  With the recent roster moves, it feels like management is back in control of this team.  Dombrowski and Leyland, partners in crime.  Illitch, the silent business partner.  It felt like last year Leyland let the players have too much control (see the failed Sheffield in the outfield experiment), but he seems quite content on tightening the reins in 2009.  Sheffield?  Gone.  Porcello?  On the team.  Robertson?  Bullpen.  Willis?  Well this does get interesting.

Buster Olney talks about how teams are nervous about what Detroit is doing:

Heard this: In the aftermath of the Tigers’ decision to place Dontrelle Willis on the disabled list for anxiety, there were a lot of folks with other teams speaking on background about the possibility for roster abuse under similar circumstances. “I hope Major League Baseball followed up on that and got specific documentation, because you could conceivably tuck away a lot of players for anxiety,” a rival general manager said. “Hell, one of my pitchers is anxious about facing Albert Pujols — if I get a doctor to say it, can I put him on the disabled list?”

MLB will follow up more frequently on a diagnosis for anxiety, according to one source, and did in this case. But the Tigers’ team doctor certified the diagnosis, and as one official says, “Baseball does tend to give the benefit of the doubt because of the nature of it. You’d hate to challenge a team on a diagnosis like that and turn out to be wrong.” MLB will continue to track Willis and other players given similar diagnoses in an attempt to ensure that teams don’t use them to tuck away players on the DL. “It’s not as cut-and-dried in the way that a pulled hamstring is,” one official said.

I don’t think Detroit has any ill-intent on this issue;  I do think it gives them some time to evaluate Dontrelle in a few more games that don’t count then they would have gotten otherwise.  I don’t know if this is about insurance money or not.  But if Dontrelle has an issue, he or the players association can file a grievance.

More player notes:

Hessman?  Down to Toledo (must pass waivers and decide not to play in Japan first);  Raburn?  Optioned to Toledo (on the block?).

Biggest surprise of the spring (for me) — Eddie Bonine makes the team.  Obviously Eddie has pitched well enough to make this team.  However, if you listed everything that has since transpired (Porcello on the team, Sheffield cut, DL stints all around, Bonine making the team) and asked me to order the chances of each item happening this past January  — I’d have ranked Bonine making the Tigers as the least likely.  Congrats Eddie.

So the big question is… Larish or Clevlen?  Since I actually don’t know if we have a backup first baseman (Guillen??), Larish seems an obvious fit.  Actually, I’ll almost guarantee that Jeff Larish is a Tiger by April 30th.  But since its obvious Detroit doesn’t think Clevlen will pass through waivers (or they would have attempted it already), there is still a chance Brent makes the team.  Here’s why:  Detroit will face at least two left handed starting pitchers in their four game series in Toronto; depending on how Leyland wants to hand out the DH assignment (and with Josh Anderson now in the mix), there may not be a lot of at-bats for a left hander anyway.  Detroit could option Larish to Toledo and take Clevlen to the great white north just for more time to trade him.  Even if Clevlen is cut by the home opener, injuries do happen.  That said, similar to my Thames post where Sheffield was cut about six hours after I wrote it, just thinking this may have guaranteed Clevlen gets cut by midnight.

I like where Lynn Henning’s head is at.  By keeping Thames, they have a relatively cheap power hitter that is almost disposable.  Thames breaks down in the second half?  No problem, trade him or cut him.  Clete Thomas will have to play.  If they can bring up some more speed from Toledo, there is nothing sacred about Josh Anderson that guarantees he’s on the team in August.

Leyland will have his say on this roster, and in 2009 he’ll be the reason Detroit is successful.  I don’t think the roster has enough talent to win in this very tough division without Leyland controlling the team better then he did in 2008.  So far, I think he’s made his statement.