Morning Prowl: Porcello, D-Train, Larish, and... Borowski?

  Baseball America has released its list of Top 100 prospects.  Rick Porcello's name doesn't pop up until #21, however.  (Cameron Maybin is #8.)

  If Dontrelle Willis looks as good during game competition as he has in batting practice, can we take Jim Leyland's compliment and begin calling the D-Train "Donnie Tremendous"?

  John Lowe writes about the chances of Jeff Larish making the major league roster.  The fact that he doesn't play center field seems to work against him, but perhaps carrying that type of player isn't necessary.  (I hesitate to elaborate on this, for fear of invoking the jinx, so go read Lowe's article.)

  Tom Gage has a nice story about catching prospect Alex Avila, and how his game developed under the tutelage of his father, Tigers assistant GM Al Avila.

The Tigers agreed to contracts with five players who were ineligible for arbitration.  Ryan Raburn, Freddy Dolsi, Clay Rapada, Brent Clevlen, and Wilkin Ramirez each signed one-year deals with the team yesterday.

  With Todd Jones now retired, I guess Joe Borowski figured he couldn't pitch anymore, either.  He's calling it a career.  And were the Tigers really one of two teams (along with the Phillies) showing interest in him?  Really?

(via MLB Trade Rumors)

  At Fangraphs, Dave Cameron has a suggestion for the World Baseball Classic: Make the tournament a one-week, single elimination event and play it during an expanded All-Star break (in lieu of the All-Star Game) once every four years. 

(via Baseball Musings)