Free agency is now underway, but the prevailing opinion seems to be that teams will try to improve themselves through trades before shopping the open market.  Judging from all the rumors swirling around the Detroit Tigers, that's going to be Dave Dombrowski's approach.

And if this offseason is anything like last year's, some of these free agents, especially the middle- to lower-tier - could be looking for contracts well into January, as teams wait for prices to go down. 

I guess that's my long-winded way of saying there probably won't be much action today.  So after a one-week hiatus (due to Curtis Granderson trade rumors), BYOBYB returns.  Whatever's on your mind - whether it's the Tigers, baseball in general, or something off-topic - you can discuss it here.

Possible topics to discuss:

• Will Edwin Jackson be a Detroit Tiger by Thanksgiving?
• Do you expect the Tigers to make any moves with free agents before the Winter Meetings?
• Did baseball really need to drag out its awards announcements, holding off the MVP picks until next week?
• What are your Thanksgiving plans?  Are you traveling?  Are you hosting?  Will it be a big bonanza with family or friends?  Or something more low-key?
• And if we're talking Thanksgiving, we have to discuss your favorite dishes.

But those are just suggestions.  Bring up whatever you'd like.  This open thread now belongs to you, people.  Enjoy your weekend!

[Updated at 9 a.m.]

  Tigers minor league third baseman Ronnie Bourquin received a 50-game suspension yesterday, after testing positive for an amphetamine.  Good timing, with the team having to decide who to keep on the 40-man roster.  He'll serve the penalty at the beginning of next season.

Bourquin played in 118 games between Single-A and Double-A this year.  He batted .267/.361/.408 with eight home runs and 77 RBIs.

  The Arizona Fall League plays its championship game tomorrow afternoon at 2:45 p.m. ET.  And the Peoria Javelinas, with several Tigers prospects, are playing for the title.  So here's one last chance for you to get a look at Casper Wells, Robbie Weinhardt, Andrew Oliver, and a few others before next spring.  The game will be shown on MLB Network.

(via The Detroit Tigers Weblog)

  At Take 75 North, Matt Wallace has thoughts about the 40-man roster, listing 11 players who could be protected by the Tigers.  But maybe they shouldn't be, as they could also be replaceable within the organization.

  The Freep has a photo gallery of 10 free agents the Tigers should take a look at this offseason.  There are a couple of interesting names suggested (Endy Chavez, Frank Catalanotto) and one that makes me - and I'm only speaking for myself - want to pull my hair out (John Smoltz).

  With the 40-man roster needing to be finalized today, it's worth checking out the Organizational Tree that Bill Ferris has set up at The Detroit Tigers Weblog.  How did each player on the roster end up with Detroit?  Some had a pretty direct route, others took a more winding road.

  At The Hardball Times, Matt Hagen listed his Top 10 Tigers prospects.  The list is headed by pitcher Jacob Turner, Detroit's first-round draft pick this year.  He's followed by second baseman Scott Sizemore, who Tigers fans will probably get a good look at next season.

(Thanks to Dberg for posting this in the comments yesterday.)

  Jason Beck gives a slow clap to Mike Hessman, who became a minor league free agent on Wednesday.  His days in the Tigers organization are very likely over.  In five years with the Mud Hens, Hessman got the call up to Detroit for 29 games.  He batted.256/.330/.615 with nine homers and 19 RBIs, playing first base and third base.

Other familiar names who became free agents were Dane Sardinha, Macay McBride, and Brent Clevlen.

  If you've seen the term "BABIP" get bounced around from time to time in the comments and wondered what that was all about, Big League Stew provides a thorough explanation.

  The Royals will add powder blue hats to their day-game ensemble next season.  I think they should've gone back to the powder blue pants.  Of course, you can't sell uniform pants to fans like you can sell hats.

Trade rumors surrounding Edwin Jackson aren't going away.  They may even be picking up heat.  USA Today's Bob Nightengale posted the latest rumblings he's been hearing on his Twitter feed:

Keep and eye on developing three-way trade talk with Tigers and Mariners and mystery team involving M's Brandon Morrow and Dets Jackson

If anything, this corroborates what Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal reported at the beginning of the week.  The Mariners are interested in Edwin Jackson, and the Tigers might be looking to get Morrow in return.  Although a "mystery team" making this a possible three-way deal is a new development. 

As something of a follow-up on ESPN's Rumor Central (Insider), there's an implication that this deal could end up setting the market for starting pitching this offseason.  If the M's got Jackson, they wouldn't pursue a free agent like John Lackey or Rich Harden.  But this would also establish a price for acquiring a starting pitcher in trade.

(Keith Law thinks highly of Jackson and believes that Morrow's problems with developing into a starter are due somewhat to mismanagement by former Seattle GM Bill Bavasi). 

If the Tigers are going to make a deal, is it possible they'd make it before the Winter Meetings in the second week of December?  A few days ago, Peter Gammons wrote that many general managers are still waiting to hear what their budgets are going to be for next year.  So if Dave Dombrowski believes he can only work with what he already has, perhaps he needs to have payroll freed up before GMs get together in Indianapolis.

I guess we'll be keeping an eye out for a potential deal between now and December 7, when the Winter Meetings begin.

(Thanks to granderson28 for posting this in the comments of our last post.)

More photos » AP

The Detroit Tigers braintrust has some decisions to make about their 40-man roster by Friday. Who stays, and who goes?

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With major league teams having to finalize their 40-man rosters by Friday, the Detroit Tigers have some decisions to make about which players they want to protect and which to leave exposed for the Rule 5 Draft that takes place at the end of next month's Winter Meetings. 

If you look at Detroit's current 40-man roster, you'll notice 42 names are listed.  However, six of those names will be free agents as of Friday.  That leaves four openings.  But at least two of them are already spoken for, as Scott Sizemore and Ryan Strieby will need to be added. 

(Jason Beck and Lynn Henning seem to be high on Brennan Boesch, who hit 28 homers for Double-A Erie this year.  Me, I think he looks a bit like Number Two's son on The Prisoner.  He could take up a third opening.)

So the Tigers will probably have to make some moves to create more room on the roster.  Who else should go?  And which prospects need to be protected?

At Mack Avenue Tigers, Kurt Mensching listed the players he thinks should go, and the ones that could stay.  In his article on the subject, Beck also suggested a couple of other players Detroit could protect.  (Just to clarify, players generally don't have to be protected until they've played four minor league seasons, which is why prospects such as Casey Crosby, Cody Satterwhite, or Brett Jacobsen Scott Green aren't being mentioned.)

[EDIT: Take 75 North's Matt Wallace reminds me that Jacobson was traded to Baltimore in the Aubrey Huff deal.  My mistake.  I keep trying to forget that trade ever took place.]

Almost two weeks ago, demondeaconsbaseball requested that we have a 40-man roster discussion thread, so this is probably the best time to do it.  I know some are more familiar with the Tigers' minor league system than others.  (I'm probably not as familiar with some prospects as I should be, either.)  But I think plenty of you have an opinion on this.

Just to get the thread started, four names immediately stood out as players who could be cut when I looked over the roster.  I'd send off Freddy Dolsi, Clay Rapada, Don Kelly, and Dontrelle Willis.  (All but Willis have minor league options remaining, however, and could stay in the organization.  As Kurt pointed out in his post, Eddie Bajek has listed who still has options at his blog, Detroit Tigers Thoughts.)

So what moves would you make?  Is there anybody else you'd cut loose?  Who's an important player for the Tigers to protect?  Play with the 40-man roster!

  MLive.com's Steve Kornacki was the one voter who put Justin Verlander on the top of his AL Cy Young Award ballot.  (25 went to the winner, K.C.'s Zack Greinke, with two going to Seattle's Felix Hernandez.)  Kornacki based his vote on Verlander showing toughness under pennant race pressure, something Greinke and Hernandez didn't have to worry about.

  Jason Beck transcribed highlights from last night's interview between Bob Costas and Ernie Harwell on MLB Network (which I forgot to post a reminder about).  As you might imagine, Harwell was warm, funny, and poignant.  Perhaps the most impressive part of the interview was Ernie reciting his Hall of Fame induction speech completely from memory.

Unfortunately, I don't know when (or if) MLB Network will replay the show.  If I find out anything (or if anyone else knows), I'll try to post that information (or any clips that pop up online) here.

UPDATE: Two clips are on now on MLB.com.  In the first, Harwell remembers Jackie Robinson.  The second is Ernie's Hall of Fame speech.  (via True Blue L.A.)

  At The Detroit Tigers Weblog, Bill Ferris tries to figure out why Curtis Granderson's batting average slid so far in 2009.  Did he try to pull the ball too much, as some believe?  Hit too many fly balls?  Bill compares his spray charts over each of the last three seasons to get some answers.

  Baseball Prospectus' Christina Kahrl got to vote for the AL Rookie of the Year, and explains her ballot in this article.  She was one of eight who didn't vote for the Tigers' Rick Porcello.

(I have to admit, when I first heard about so many writers leaving Kid Rick off the ballot, I was baffled.  But then I remembered that only three players go on the ballot.  So while I don't necessarily agree with it, leaving Porcello off under those circumstances is more understandable.  I'm kind of biased, of course.)

  Matt Wallace chimes in on recent trade rumors at Take 75 North, and likes the idea that the Tigers are trying to get younger (and don't intend to trade away prospects for veterans).  But he's not down with trading Curtis Granderson.

Continue reading this post »

This might qualify as a news flash: a couple of writers in the traditional baseball media aren't suggesting the Tigers trade off players to reduce payroll (or subsidize the Yankees and Red Sox).  Instead, they think Detroit should stay in contention by adding a key piece to their bullpen.

First, FOXSports.com's Dayn Perry lists 10 moves that teams should make this offseason to improve themselves.  His suggestion for the Tigers?  Sign Billy Wagner:

Detroit is in contending mode, so the wise play would be to resist the temptation to sell off and instead take calculated risks. Since the AL Central is so winnable (and since the Tigers came within a hairsbreadth of a division title this past season), tweaks at the margins might be enough. One tweak could be adding Wagner.

(Thanks to SabreRoseTiger for posting this in the comments yesterday.)

Wagner missed most of the season with an elbow injury, pitching in only 17 games.  But after he recovered (and was traded by the Mets), he posted a 1.58 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 13.4 innings for the Red Sox. 

Given his injury history and age (Wagner will turn 39 next season), perhaps he'd be looking for a lower-cost, one-or-two-year deal on the free agent market.

The other suggestion is made by USA Today's Paul White, who lists the top 10 free agents and predicts where they'll end up.  White's destination for Jose Valverde?  Your Detroit Tigers.

More closers are on the market than teams willing to commit significant money for one. That gives the Houston Astros a shot at keeping him. In the end, a contender takes the plunge.

(Hat tip to Bill Ferris for passing this along.)

I don't think we have a match here.  Yes, the Tigers want a veteran closer.  And Valverde is the top one available.  However, he's also a free agent for the first time, and will surely be looking to cash in.  (He made $8 million last season to avoid arbitration.)  That doesn't fit how the Tigers apparently want to do business this winter (nor was it their approach last year).

But if, as White believes, there aren't that many teams looking for a top-tier ninth-inning reliever, maybe Valverde would be willing to take a shorter, cheaper contract and try free agency again when the market improves.  That didn't happen last year, however, and it probably won't this time around.

Valverde pitched in 52 games for the Astros this season, racking up 25 saves in 29 opportunities, along with a 4-2 record and 2.33 ERA.  He struck out 56 batters and walked 21 in 54 innings, his lowest totals in three years.  Ankle and calf injuries kept him out early in the season.

So while it might be refreshing to get a break from the fire sale scenarios that so much of the baseball media seems to be envisioning for Detroit, are these realistic options for the Tigers?  Can they make these moves without dealing off some of the players that have been discussed?

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Edwin Jackson is definitely drawing interest around baseball, if the Detroit Tigers are truly interested in trading him. The Seattle Mariners are the latest team to inquire.

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If the Detroit Tigers are serious about trading pitcher Edwin Jackson, add the Seattle Mariners to the list of teams that would like a shot at getting him. 

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi (I wonder if they have a desk in which they sit across from each other), the Tigers and M's have been exchanging some names back and forth.  However, the talks are reportedly "not all that serious."

But there have been discussions.  And within them, Dave Dombrowski is looking for "minimum salary pitching," according to the source for the story.  Two of the names suggested by Rosenthal and Morosi are Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley.

When healthy, Morrow has a great arm.  But staying healthy has been a problem for him.  This season, he pitched in only 26 games for Seattle, sitting down with forearm and shoulder injuries.  The Mariners have also tried to figure out what role best suits Morrow.  He throws hard enough (98 m.p.h.) to be an excellent late-inning option, and looks like closer material.  Yet he might not have an arm suited for pitching multiple games in a row.

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More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

Miguel Cabrera looks perplexed. Is it because he read Ken Rosenthal's column this weekend at FOXSports.com, with a perplexing trade suggestion?

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Up until this weekend, I thought the most absurd rumor surrounding the Detroit Tigers was that Brandon Inge was available for trade. 

I'm not saying the idea of trading Inge is absurd.  And Jon Heyman was presumably just passing along what he heard at last week's GM meetings.  But what is another team going to give up for a near-$7 million player who hit under .190 in the second half of the season, largely due to two bad knees that just required surgery?

However, Ken Rosenthal's suggestion that the Tigers trade Miguel Cabrera to the Boston Red Sox for Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Lowell, and a minor leaguer might be even more senseless. 

Rosenthal admits he was just "thinking out loud," doing what all baseball writers and fans tend to do at this time of year.  And the idea of trading Cabrera in itself isn't crazy.  If you believe the Tigers are considering trading Curtis Granderson or Edwin Jackson to help trim payroll, it stands to reason that their most expensive player might get shopped around too. 

(That is, if you believe Dave Dombrowski is really trying to cut Detroit's payroll down.  I think there's been a misunderstanding about his offseason intentions, because this doesn't really add up.  Yet it fits the popular meme that much of the baseball media has been trying to promote about the Tigers since the economy collapsed last year, so it keeps getting pushed out there.

Yes, Detroit is more than likely limited by its payroll, which is why Dombrowski is exploring these options.  If the team doesn't have the money to improve itself through free agency, trades are the only recourse he has.  And the only players he can trade are those other teams want.) 

But how exactly would the Tigers' payroll benefit from taking on the salaries of Papelbon and Lowell?  Long-term, yes, their obligation to pay Cabrera's contract would be gone.  But in the short term, they'd actually be paying more money, and for two players they arguably don't even need. 

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More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

With 19 wins and 269 strikeouts among his many impressive stats, Justin Verlander was voted Tigers Pitcher of the Year and Most Improved Player by the Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes for 2009.

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After a two-year hiatus, the Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes (or "DIBS") have reunited to nominate their choices for the top Detroit Tigers performers of the season

DIBS is a grouping of blogs and websites that cover the Tigers.  The endeavor was originally created by Brian Borawski, Bill Ferris, and Ryan Sosin, who wanted to gather the various fans and writers producing non-traditional Detroit sports coverage online.  There wasn't an awards vote last year, but Kurt Mensching wanted to get the band back together this year, adding the many new blogs and writers that now regularly contribute to the Tigers blogosphere.  Kudos to him for taking this on.

The categories are for Hitter of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player.  And the winners are as follows:

Tigers Hitter of the Year: Miguel Cabrera

One of two unanimous choices in this year's voting, there was really no competition for this award.  With a .324/.396/.547 average with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs, Cabrera put together a fine season overall.  And on a team whose lineup struggled all year, those numbers stand out even more.  No, it wasn't perfect.  Cabrera seemed to disappear in several big games and series.  And of course, there were the unfortunate events of October 3.  But no one else was as consistent a threat throughout the year.

Tigers Pitcher of the Year: Justin Verlander

Once again, a unanimous choice.  The Tigers wouldn't have been in a pennant race, let alone played in a one-game tiebreaker for the AL Central, without Verlander putting together a Cy Young Award caliber season.  He led the majors in strikeouts (by a notable margin in the AL), and was one of four pitchers to finish with 19 wins.  It was the dominant season expected of him, and had the Tigers' lineup provided better offensive support, those numbers would have been even more impressive.

Breakout Player of the Year: Rick Porcello

A 20-year-old rookie who was expected to pitch in Double-A to begin the season ended up the Tigers' second-best pitcher and the starter for their most important game of the year.  If that's not a breakout season, what is?  Porcello wasn't a unanimous choice, with votes going to Ryan Raburn and Edwin Jackson.  And I understand those choices..  But at this time last year, I don't know if Porcello was even projected to be on the major league roster for 2009.

Most Improved Player: Justin Verlander

A jump from 11 wins to 19?  A drop in ERA from 4.84 to 3.45?  An increase of 39 innings pitched?  And how about an increase in strikeouts from 163 to 269?  Any of those improvements by themselves might have warranted Verlander getting this award.  But he did all of the above.  Verlander won 11 of 20 votes, with Fernando Rodney, Raburn, Brandon Inge, Brandon Lyon, Jackson, and Ramon Santiago also receiving consideration.

Each of the websites that participated in this year's DIBS voting are listed after the jump:

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  The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers heard from a source close to the Cubs that said general manager Jim Hendry is "absolutely" interested a package full of prospects to the Tigers for Curtis Granderson.  (And really, if he wasn't, would Hendry be doing his job?)

The key word in Rogers' second paragraph, however, is "if."  If Dave Dombrowski is willing to trade Granderson, Hendry wants a shot at him.

(via MLB Trade Rumors)

  At The LoHud Yankees Blog, Sam Borden doesn't think Granderson is necessarily a fit for the World Series champs.  And if the Tigers want Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain in a deal, he believes the Yanks should pass.

  That kind of pitching might be exactly what Dombrowski is looking for, judging from what Brewers GM Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about conversations regarding Edwin Jackson. 

As Jason Beck points out, that's more than just seeing what other teams have to offer.  But it might also indicate that these trades aren't being considered simply to reduce payroll.

  The Detroit Tigers Weblog posted some Arizona Fall League updates.  Reliever Robbie Weinhardt and outfielder Casper Wells continue to be standouts.  (Wells left Thursday's game after legging out an infield hit, but turned out to be fine.)

  The Washington Nationals could have an opening at shortstop (they'd like to move Cristian Guzman over to second base), and one of the guys on their wish list to fill it is Adam Everett, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.  The note makes it sound, however, as if the Nats' first choice is Alex Gonzalez.

  For all those Tigers fans who hope Placido Polanco doesn't end up with the Minnesota Twins next season, maybe you shouldn't read this post at Twins Target.  Andrew Kneeland is another Twins blogger who thinks Polanco would be a great fit for them, giving them a #2 hitter they've rarely had.

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