Brandon Inge or Danny Worth: Which makes more sense as a backup?

That money is gone either way. Just pick the best player.

The player that makes it could give an indication of how serious the organization is about Miguel sticking at third. If Inge makes the team it COULD be a sign that they’re looking for a ‘steady’ option in case it doesn’t work out.

The Cabrera experiment is still that – an experiment. Until we are sure that having Cabrera at 3B is the best thing for this team, I think Inge is a nice insurance policy.

The guy does a lot of good in the community and the average fan (not us) likes Brandon Inge. It’s the last year on his contract and I doubt that he will garner much interest from other teams if he continues to hit under .220 with little power and diminishing range. We’re talking about the 25 man, in a sense, and I think the Tigers will play the popular PR move as well.

Plus, they don’t seem to like Danny Worth too much.

I know- how about getting a legitimate second baseman that is capable of moving over to 3B if the Cabrera move to third was a total disaster? Just a thought.

I like Inge as a human being, but he’s a shell of his former self.

With AJax, Boesch, Delmon, Kelly and Raburn already on the roster, Dirks would have very little role left to play. Inge is only good at third, and Raburn/ Santiago are the only back infielders (whomever isn’t starting).

JL has almost always carried a second backup middle infielder on his roster. In the World Series, he carried three of them- Neifi, Santiago, and Infante.

I’d rather have Dirks for his bat, but he has a limited role with the current cast, IMO, so they may give the job to Worth and hang onto Inge for insurance, although they’d never admit that’s why he is there.

and of course we won’t know until April who will make the roster, but my guess is that it is going to be very difficult to leave Inge off the roster if he does not agree to a trade. If I have counted correctly, that leaves two roster spots for a combination of Kelly, Dirks and/or Worth.
I frankly think that, between the two of them, Worth and Dirks together provide more than enough versatility off the bench (especially with Laird backing up at catcher), but I would be shocked if Leyland left Kelly off the roster—he loves the guy at least as much as he loves Raburn, and you have to hand it to him, any player who can sub in at any spot, including catcher and pitcher as he did last year, is a pretty unique asset. As long as the roster includes Kelly, Inge and (ugh!) Raburn as potential backup or platooning infielders, Dirks is probably the choice, leaving Worth out of the mix. Not my preference, but that is how it looks to me. I would rather see all three make the roster.

based off the fact that he’s more versatile (can be plugged into any IF position – probably could play LF as well) and you could argue that he’s a more consistent hitter (granted, based off a much smaller sample size). He also brings a little bit more to the table in terms of base running ability.

…if for no other reason to end Tiger fan subjugation to endless columns, headlines & handwringing for an overpaid backup.

Inge’s contract will be up. Raburn’s contract will be up.

Kurt will no longer be able to generate a headline that includes Inge and/or Raburn and automatically generate 100 comments+.

From all reports, Inge is a great guy off the field. I tip my cap to him for that.

But I don’t think he’s a great guy in the clubhouse. Inge believes he’s a superstar and has cried about his role more than once. Hey, Brandon: You’re a flawed player who is paid millions. Just do whatever you’re told, son. Remember that trip to the minors last season?

In my 37 years as a Detroit fan, I’ve never disliked a Tiger more for his on-field performance than Inge. He’s been coddled by the media and fans (and often by management), and it’s ridiculous.

This team had great chemistry in 2011, and a sulking Inge can’t be allowed to ruin it. At spring training, Leyland should tell Inge to hush up and do what he’s told. If Inge doesn’t like it, he’s gone. The first time Inge whines, he should be gone. The Fielder signing shows that the Tigers want to win it all now. No time for a me-first crybaby like Inge.

If I was running the team, Inge would already be gone. Some fans act as if Inge was a three-time MVP instead of an overrated defensive player and a selfish hitter who demonstrated little understanding of situational hitting over the years. He would say stuff about how strikeouts don’t really matter because an out is an out. No so, Inge, as any real baseball fan knows.

You know why he accepted his trip to the minors? Because he knew he’d never have a shot at the majors again if he didn’t. For a millionaire who never has to work again, that’s no heroic act. I wonder how many big-league teams have interest in Inge? Zero, aside from the Tigers. It seems management feels pressured to keep this selfish player. The day he’s cut, there will be some whining. But is any true Tigers fan going to quit on the team because Inge is gone? No. The sooner he is gone, the better. Let the winning continue without me-first Inge. Let’s see what Worth and other young players (who don’t have a sense of entitlement) can do.

I don’t think any team would trade a bucket of baseballs for him.
Inge really riled me during the Fielder signing, when the Tigers said Miguel was moving to third. Inge complained, enough so that Leyland and Dombrowski both had to address it to the national media during the Fielder hoopla. Are you kidding me, Inge? He acted like he was Greenberg or Kaline or Gibson or Maggs. This team is trying to get better, and it was clear in the ALCS that our Tigers didn’t have the bats to keep pace with the Rangers. Detroit signs a slugger, and Inge cries about his role? How selfish can one be? The fact that spoiled Inge became a sidebar during Ilitch’s gutsy signing of Prince was ridiculous.

A roster spot for a player to play only third every fourth day would be hard to defend.

Can Inge still play the outfield? Serve as an emergency catcher?
If both the above are yes I might take Inge over Worth.