Detroit Tigers Links: Rick Porcello wants to start and Miguel Cabrera is putting in work

Yeah, I was bored.

Rick Porcello shrugs off trade rumors, aims to be Tigers' 5th starter, not a reliever
Detroit Free Press, John Lowe

"I'm not even thinking about going to the bullpen," [Porcello] said. "I believe that I'm an established starter, and I believe that I belong in the starting rotation, and that's what I'm thinking about. I'm preparing to start for the Detroit Tigers. I'm not even considering the bullpen as an option."

Leyland: Tigers' closer job nobody's to lose
ESPN, Jayson Stark
Nothing we haven't heard before, but I'll be shocked if it's anyone but Bruce Rondon when the season begins.

Baltimore Orioles sign Jair Jurrjens to a minor-league contract with ST invite
Camden Chat
Can we officially stop blaming Dave Dombrowski for trading Jurrjens for Edgar Renteria now?

Alex Avila: Tigers' Prince Fielder a 'logical choice' for MVP
The Detroit News, Tom Gage
Let the #Fielder4MVP movement begin.

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera humble, eager to work on fielding skills
MLB.com, Jason Beck

"After a historic season in which his early-morning work last Spring Training paid dividends, he wants to do the same thing this spring. The fact that he rolled into camp at 6:30 a.m. on Friday for running and lifting work was a pretty strong start. Rainy weather kept Tigers position players inside Friday, but Cabrera took ground balls inside in the batting cages."

Torii Hunter agrees with projectionists: Detroit Tigers are 'best team' in baseball
MLive, James Schmehl

"You look at Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera -- they hit 30-40 home runs a year, yet they still have great at-bats and get the base hit when they need it," Hunter said. "That's what I see and that's the team I'd like to be a part of.

2012 and Bunting for Power
FanGraphs Baseball, Jeff Sullivan
Quintin Berry found himself in some rarefied air with one of the stranger plays of the 2012 season.

Melky Cabrera says he ‘gave everything’ to Giants, wants World Series ring
Big League Stew, Mike Oz
Even without the PEDs issue, Melky doesn't deserve one after missing the team's final 45 regular season games -- and remember, the Giants won their division by eight games -- and all of the playoffs.

Dodgers spring training 2013: Extra starting pitchers making for difficult decisions
Baseball Nation, Grant Brisbee
Starting pitching depth: more important than you think.

Washington Nationals And Jordan Zimmermann Agree To Terms For 2013, Avoid Arbitration
Federal Baseball, Patrick Reddington
Zimmermann had a solid season in 2012, but I was surprised to see him light up the radar gun in the high 90s during the Nationals' brief stint in the postseason. I'd like to see whether Zimmermann will add that velocity during key moments in 2013.