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"I knew when I didn't play in that last game against Minnesota. I knew I was out of there."
Marcus Thames, talking to the Detroit News' Lynn Henning about being released by the Tigers yesterday
The Marcus Thames Era Has Ended in Detroit
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 6, 2009 6:00 PM EST
in News
29 comments
And so goes the Slugger Thames.
With the offseason officially under way, the Detroit Tigers needed to make some decisions to create room on their 40-man roster. That process has begun, according to Jason Beck. Outfielder Marcus Thames and catcher Matt Treanor were removed from the roster. Both players are now free agents and can sign with any other team.
Those moves free up space on the 40-man roster for Joel Zumaya and Jeff Larish, both of whom had to be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. Infielder Michael Hollimon was also taken off the 60-day DL, but was sent to Triple-A Toledo.
This season, Thames batted .252/.323/.453 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs, the lowest totals of his six-year stint with Detroit. He was out from mid-April to early June, due to a pulled rib cage muscle.
But even when Thames returned to the lineup, he never provided the power that the Tigers needed. May through July was usually when Thames could be counted on to bring the thunder, only to disappear once August began. But this year, he was never able to put together that sustained hot streak. As a result (along with Ryan Raburn's emergence), Thames really only got off the bench when the lineup needed a DH against left-handed pitching.
Thames's Tigers career ends with a .245/.307/.501 batting line, 99 home runs, and 255 RBIs in 485 games played.
29 comments | 0 recs |
BYOBYB: Friday Open Thread
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 6, 2009 1:00 PM EST
in Open Threads
53 comments
The Hot Stove season got under way yesterday with players filing for free agency, and a handful of deals already getting made. But facing the weekend, let's do some BYOBYB. Whatever's on your mind - whether it's the Tigers, baseball in general, or something off-topic - you can discuss it here.
I'm thinking this will be a regular Friday thing during the offseason, unlesss people would like to see more of it. A few weeks ago, someone suggested daily open threads. That seems like a bit much to me, especially as rumors and transactions begin to pick up. But we're open to suggestions.
Other topics to discuss:
- The Twins, Royals, and White Sox have already jumped head-first into the offseason. Will the Tigers be quick to follow, or might there be a more cautious approach this winter?
- For those who wanted J.J. Hardy, what hurts more: Seeing another team get him or him going to a division rival?
- Which of the Tigers' free agents would you most like to see return?
- Did you watch any of the Yankees' championship parade (or the "Canyon of Heroes," as they're calling it) this afternoon?
- madpoopz tested out his flamethrower. He's posted video in a FanPost, if you'd like to check that out.
And with that, this open thread belongs to you, people. Enjoy your weekend!
53 comments | 0 recs
J.J. Hardy Traded to Twins for Carlos Gomez
This is already being discussed in the comments of today's Morning Prowl, but if the Tigers were looking at acquiring shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers, the Twins beat them to it.
Hardy was traded to Minnesota today for outfielder Carlos Gomez.
Check out what Twinkie Town and Brew Crew Ball are saying about the deal.
1 day ago
Ian Casselberry
0 comments
0 recs
Morning Prowl: Tom Brookens, Clete's Jersey Retired, Rising Stars, and Yesterday's Trades
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 6, 2009 8:00 AM EST
in News
24 comments
Double-A Erie manager (and former Tigers third baseman) Tom Brookens says he'd be interested in a major league coaching job if one was offered. Will the Tigers offer him the first base coach position vacated by Andy Van Slyke?
Clete Thomas had his high school jersey retired on Wednesday. Thomas wore No. 3 at Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, FL. (I'm sure Gary Sheffield would've given that up willingly.) It's the first baseball number the school's ever retired. (You can see a list of his prep achievements here.)
Here's more on the ceremony, including video, from a local news station. (via 1baseball34 on Twitter)
If you want to get a look at prospects Casper Wells and Andrew Oliver, MLB Network is broadcasting the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Showcase Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. ET. (via MLive.com)
On his blog, Jason Beck shared some projections from the Bill James Handbook. And they look pretty kindly on Ryan Raburn next season. (Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez are also viewed favorably, which would make a huge difference for next year's lineup.)
More minors: At Fangraphs, Marc Hulet looks at five Tigers minor leaguers (current or former) who are worthy of mention, but probably won't be listed among the team's top 10 prospects.
Jarrod Washburn says he'd "be surprised" if the Tigers offered him a contract for next season. Washburn sounds like a smart guy. If they were interested, Detroit has exclusive negotiating rights with Washburn, who says his knee feels better after surgery, until November 20.
24 comments | 0 recs |
Five Detroit Tigers File For Free Agency
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 5, 2009 10:25 PM EST
in Hot Stove
3 comments
With the conclusion of the World Series, players can now file for free agency. Placido Polanco, Adam Everett, Fernando Rodney, Aubrey Huff, and Jarrod Washburn did so Thursday. The only player eligible for free agency who didn't file right away was Brandon Lyon, but according to Jason Beck, there's apparently nothing to read into that.
The Tigers can negotiate exclusively with their free agents until November 20.
One more note from Beck's post on the Tigers' free agents: Polanco qualified as a Type A free agent, meaning if Detroit offers him arbitration and he signs with another team, they'll receive two draft picks. One would be from the team that signs Polanco (possibly a first-round pick, unless the team has one of the top 15 selections in the first round, which are protected), along with a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.
Rodney and Lyon are Type B free agents, which would yield a supplemental draft pick if they're offered arbitration.
(Here's an explanation of the free agent compensation rules from ESPN.com's Keith Law. It's an Insider article, however. MLB Trade Rumors also explains the process.)
3 comments | 0 recs |
No Surprise: Rick Porcello is the Tigers Rookie of the Year
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 5, 2009 8:40 PM EST
in News
0 comments
In what might be the least surprising development of the offseason (which is either now a month old or a day old, depending on when you consider baseball season to have ended), Rick Porcello was named the Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association today.
But saying there was really no other choice for the award doesn't mean Porcello wasn't hugely deserving of the honor.
Kid Rick went 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 31 starts for the Tigers this season. He had the second-highest win total on the team's pitching staff and the third-lowest ERA among the starting rotation. By the end of the season, Porcello was the Tigers' second-most dependable starting pitcher. In September, he went 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
If the Tigers couldn't start Justin Verlander in that AL Central tiebreaker on October 6, Porcello was the pitcher who gave them the best chance to win the division. For a 20-year-old who seemed ticketed for Double-A before the season, yet surprised everyone by being the team's best pitcher in Spring Training, that's probably the best indicator of just how successful his rookie season was.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Brandon Inge's Knee Surgery Successful
by Ian Casselberry on Nov 4, 2009 10:45 PM EST
in News
7 comments
Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge underwent surgery on both of his injured knees yesterday at the Detroit Medical Center, as scheduled. And according to the team, the procedures to correct his patellar tendinitis were successful.
Dr. Stephen Lemos of the DMC performed the surgery, which involved the debridement and repair of Inge's left and right patellar tendons. Inge won't be able to put any weight on his knees for six weeks. After that, if all goes according to plan, he should be able to begin a strengthening and rehabiliation program. And from there, Inge should be ready for the beginning of Spring Training in February.
(I don't know about you, but I had to look up what "debridement" was. It sounds like what might happen to Don Draper on Mad Men, but it actually refers to the removal of dead or damaged tissue. Thank you, Lynn Henning, for being the one reporter who bothered to explain this for readers.)
As John Lowe pointed out in today's Freep, Inge started 157 games at third base this season, more than any other third baseman. He also took over as a defensive replacement in four other games. Only two other players in the American League played in 161 games.
I know some people think Inge actually hurt the Tigers at times by trying to tough it out when his knees clearly prohibited him (most especially when batting). And others believe Inge gets too much unwarranted praise from Tigers fans. Regardless, it's pretty amazing that the guy played in that many games, dealing with that kind of physical difficulty.
7 comments | 0 recs |
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![Admit it, you smirked. A little.
[Editor's Note: Via The Centrists]](http://cdn3.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/78466/tumblr_kr5ezsfyjt1qz4ytho1_500_small.jpg)
![What a way to spend a birthday. Well if I couldn't enjoy a Tigers win, at least I got to see a streaker get taken down.
[Editor's Note: Promoted from the FanShots. Thanks for posting this!]](http://cdn2.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/73600/default_small.jpg)
AL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minnesota
|
87 | 76 | .533 | 0 | Lost 3 |
|
Detroit
|
86 | 77 | .527 | 1 | Lost 1 |
|
Chicago
|
79 | 83 | .487 | 7.5 | Lost 1 |
|
Kansas City
|
65 | 97 | .401 | 21.5 | Lost 3 |
|
Cleveland
|
65 | 97 | .401 | 21.5 | Lost 5 |
(updated 11.7.2009 at 5:29 PM EST)
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