What's your best 25 man roster?

by ewild on Mar 10, 2010 9:58 AM EST

Every spring I change my mind several times about the best 25-man roster the Tigers could break camp with, so I thought it would be fun to put down our best, and see how that progresses as we get closer to opening day.

As of today, March 10th, here's mine:

Starters:

1. Verlander

2. Porcello

3. Scherzer

4. Robertson

5. Willis

Bullpen:

6. MR Bonine

7. LRP Seay

8. LRP Thomas

9. RP Zumaya

10. SU Coke

11. SU Perry

12. CL Valverde

Position starters:

13. C Laird

14. 1B Cabrera

15. 2B Sizemore

16. SS Santiago

17. 3B Inge

18. RF Ordonez

19. CF Jackson

20. LF Damon

21. DH Guillen

Bench:

22. C Avila

23. 3B/OF Kelly

24. SS Everett

25. OF/DH/2B Raburn

Items worth noting:

Unless Bondo gets straightened out, I have no problem having Willis as the #5. If Willis falters, I'd be fine with Bonine. At least he's consistent and gives the team a chance to win. Robertson looks ready to go.

Galaraga has no place on the team.

Strieby is a great bat, but could probably use some time at AAA to get his OF work in. Casper Wells is my favorite tiger of the future now, but there just isn't a place for him, and he shouldn't be stuck on the bench.

Santiago is clearly the superior player to Everett. He should get more of the starts, with Everett taking the field against lefties or as a late-inning defensive replacement.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.

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No Clete Hey?...

SP –
1) JV
2) Porcello
3) Scherzer
4) Bono
5) Willis

Pen-

6) MR – Coke
7) MR – Bonine
8) LHP – Seay
9) LHP – Ni
10) RHP – Zumy
11) SU – Perry
12) CL – Valverde

Starters-

13) C – Larid
14) 1B – Cabrera
15) 2b – Sizemore
16) 3B – Inge
17) SS – Everett
18) LF – Damon
19) CF – Jackson
20) RF – Ordonez
21) DH – Guillen

Bench

22) Utl – Raburn
23) C – Avila
24) 2b, SS, 3b – Santiago
25) OF – Thomas

I put Clete over Kelly in that we need an established major league outfielder on the bench.

by BennieBladesFan on Mar 10, 2010 12:52 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

Clete would be a good asset to have on the bench as a defensive replacement, especially given our projected OF. At the end of the day I thought it was more important to be able to spell Ingey at 3b, and for that person to not be Santiago, who I would want as the starting SS.
But I could definitely see having that bench spot go to a defensive OF like Clete.

A lifelong Tigers fan

by ewild on Mar 11, 2010 9:44 AM EST up reply actions

With Ordonez, Guillen, Damon, Jackson, and Raburn on the roster

it isn’t likely that the Tigers carry a sixth outfielder among the other three bench players.
One will be a catcher, one will be Santiago, and the other will likely be either Kelly or Dlugach, IMO. Besides, Raburn hits RHP’s just as well as Clete does.

by Tigerdog1 on Mar 15, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I like him as a defensive replacement

But I can see where you’re coming from. This is why Raburn needs to take some grounders. At third, specifically.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Mar 15, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Kinda curious...

Will Seay or (CR)INGE for that matter even be 100% and an option by opening day?

No Miner listed in the pen either?

Good topic though that could be debated for hours!

by JAYRC on Mar 10, 2010 8:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Yeah

I know Miner is conspicuously absent on my roster, but I think Bonine is what Miner was several years ago: a serviceable innings eater. Miner and Galaraga don’t seem to be very effective anymore.

A lifelong Tigers fan

by ewild on Mar 11, 2010 9:38 AM EST up reply actions

I forgot about him....

….guess id put him on if Seay isnt ready to go.

by BennieBladesFan on Mar 10, 2010 8:48 PM EST reply actions

Established major leaguer

Cletus hit .217 in August and .190 in September
He established that he’s got some things to work on before rejoining a major league club
Best defensive outfielder on the roster, though

by Tigerdog1 on Mar 10, 2010 10:27 PM EST up reply actions

Just to clarify: this is what I think the Tigers SHOULD do, not what I think they will do.

Starting Pitchers:
1. Verlander
2. Porcello
3. Scherzer
4. Bondo
5. Coke

Relievers:
6. Bonine
7. Ni
8. Weinhardt
9. Zumaya
10. Perry
11. Valverde

Starting Position Players:
12. C- Laird
13. 1B- Cabrera
14. 2B- Sizemore
15. 3B- Inge
16. SS- Everett
17. RF- Ordonez
18. CF- Wells
19. LF- Damon
20. DH- Guillen

Bench:
21. IF- Santiago
22. IF- Dlugach
23. IF/OF- Raburn
24. OF- Thomas
25. C- Diaz

A few notes:
1. I think AJax and Avila would benefit from some time at AAA. Wells has proven himself in the minors, and I think it’s time to see what he can do at CF in the bigs. Diaz should be a perfectly acceptable backup to give Avila a chance to develop a little more.

2. I think a 7 man bullpen is completely unnecessary, and I’d rather see that spot go to someone like Brent Dlugach, who has a good glove and more offensive upside than Everett or Santiago.

3. Robertson and Willis are left off because they are no longer effective big-leaguers. I hope like hell that they prove me wrong, but I don’t want to set myself up for the disappointment. Ultimately, I think they either end up released or on the DL. I think Coke should be given a shot at the fifth spot in the rotation.

4. Seay and Miner are left off because I think they should be traded for a low to mid level prospect. $2 million and change is too much to spend on a LOOGY when we have Ni and Thomas available. Miner is cheap, but I just don’t think he has a role on this team, especially since Bonine is basically his clone and comes a little cheaper.

by Dberg on Mar 10, 2010 9:32 PM EST reply actions

Should be and will be rosters

SHOULD BE
2B Sizemore
LF Damon/ Raburn
RF Ordonez
1B Cabrera
DH Guillen
C- Avila/ Laird
3B Inge/ Kelly
SS Santiago/ Dlugach
CF Jackson/ Raburn
-—————————————
SP Verlander
SP Porcello
SP Scherzer
SP Bonderman- big question
SP Bonine
-—————————
CL Valverde
RP Zumaya
RP Coke
RP Ni
RP Perry
RP Weinhardt
RP Thomas
-—————————————-
OUT- Everett, Robertson, Seay, Willis
Minors
P- Galarraga, Figaro, Schlereth, Sborz
IF- Ciriaco, Larish
OF- Strieby, Wells, Ramirez, Thomas, Boesch
=========
WILL BE
CF Jackson
LF Damon
RF Ordonez
1B Cabrera
DH Guillen
3B Inge
C- Laird
2B- Sizemore
SS Everett
Bench- Raburn, Avila, Santiago, Kelly
-———————————-
SP- Verlander
SP- Porcello
SP- Scherzer
SP- Bonderman
SP- Robertson
-——————————-
CL- Valverde
RP- Zumaya
RP- Perry
RP- Seay
RP- Miner
RP- Coke
RP- Thomas
-———————————
DL- Willis
OUT- nobody
Minors
P- Galarraga, Bonine, Figaro, Schlereth, Ni, Sborz
IF- Dlugach, Larish, Strieby, Ciriaco
OF- Wells, Thomas, Ramirez, Boesch

by Tigerdog1 on Mar 10, 2010 10:42 PM EST reply actions

Clete over Kelly, et al

We need the defensive OF to replace Maggs and Carlos Guillen.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Mar 11, 2010 11:13 PM EST reply actions

Starting 5
===
Verlander
Porcello
Scherzer
Bonderman
Willis
____________
Jackson – CF
Damon – LF
Cabrera – 1B
Ordonez – RF/DH
Guillen – DH
Inge – 3B
Everett/Santiago – SS
Laird – C
Sizemore – 2B
___________
Bench – Everett/Santiago, Thomas, Diaz, Kelly
Bullpen
===
Miner
Ni
Bonine
Coke
Zumaya
Perry
Valverde

DL – Seay

I’d like to see Sizemore up near the top of the lineup, but to keep some pressure off of him, I think Leyland will slot him near the bottom, maybe in the 9 spot. He’s got some speed from what I saw, so he can get on and set the table for our big bats at the top of the lineup.

Verlander.Porcello.Crosby.Scherzer.Turner: the future..?

by BrianCMU. on Mar 12, 2010 12:18 PM EST reply actions