[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.

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.

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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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This week, we've been posting the results for each of Major League Baseball's regular season awards, as voted upon by the SB Nation baseball bloggers.  On Monday, the Manager of the Year awards went to the Angels' Mike Scioscia and the Rockies' Jim Tracy.  Tuesday, the Rookie of the Year winners were the Rangers' Elvis Andrus and the Braves' Tommy Hanson.  And yesterday, the Cy Young Awards went to the Royals' Zack Greinke and the Giants' Tim Lincecum.

But today is the big trophy.  M-V-P!  M-V-P!  M-V-P!  

The 2009 SBN balloting for the American League Most Valuable Player can be seen after the jump:

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This week, we're posting the results for each of Major League Baseball's regular season awards, as voted upon by the SB Nation baseball bloggers.  (Each site gets two ballots; Mack Avenue Tigers' Kurt Mensching helped me out with a vote.) 

Today's announcement is for the 2009 Cy Young Award balloting.  I'm sure everyone can guess who won this one, but did the Tigers' candidate make the vote interesting?

Okay, pretty much a landslide here.

This is the one award where I can't remember my voting exactly, because I know I had a hard time trying to decide between Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez for second place.  King Felix's numbers (19-5, 2.49 ERA) were just too good to ignore.  But I think I ultimately gave the nod to Verlander for pitching under pennant race pressure.  (Game 162 might have been a heavy influence.)

Would you have voted for anyone but Zack Greinke?  And where would Verlander have gone on your ballot?

Tomorrow, we'll conclude this year's SBN Baseball Awards with the Most Valuable Player winners.

The National League ballot is after the jump:

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More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

The Detroit Tigers' Placido Polanco was awarded the American League Gold Glove at second base for 2009. It's the second time in the last three seasons Polanco has won the honor.

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If 2009 was Placido Polanco's last in a Detroit Tigers uniform, he leaves with his head held high and his fielding glove golden.

Polanco was awarded the American League's Gold Glove at second base today, the second time he's won the honor in the last three seasons.  He committed only two errors this season, the second-lowest total of his career. (In 2007, he had no errors.)  

Polanco also turned a career-high 112 double-plays (finishing behind only the Blue Jays' Aaron Hill - who turned 129 - among second basemen).  And he finished with the highest UZR rating at his position.

In addition, Polanco is the third infielder in Tigers history to win multiple Gold Gloves, joining Alan Trammell (who won four) and Lou Whitaker (three) in that exclusive club.

Catcher Gerald Laird, third baseman Brandon Inge, and outfielder Curtis Granderson were thought to also have chances to win a Gold Glove, but apparently didn't get enough votes among major league managers and coaches.  The Twins' Joe Mauer was the winner at catcher, the Rays' Evan Longoria at third base, and though Gold Gloves aren't given to individual outfield positions, centerfielders Torii Hunter (Angels) and Adam Jones (Orioles) were each awarded.

Did those Tigers get snubbed?  Well, Laird threw out 42% of opposing basestealers this season.  (Mauer, by comparison, threw out 26%.)  Inge, however, was fourth in UZR among third baseman.  (Longoria was first.)  Granderson was better in UZR than Hunter or Jones, but far behind the Mariners' Franklin Gutierrez.  (Gutierrez didn't get a Gold Glove either, so take that for what it's worth.)

Whether or not Polanco returns to Detroit in 2010 is still to be determined, but if Scott Sizemore ends up taking over at second base, he'll have an enormous glove to fill.  How long into next season will it be before it's mentioned that the Tigers are suffering a defensive downgrade at that position?  (Hopefully, it's not after Sizemore boots a ball for an error.)