Detroit Tigers Links: Matt Tuiasosopo makes the Opening Day roster & Bruce Chen sent to Royals' bullpen

For Detroit Tigers' Matt Tuiasosopo, end result of 'crazy spring' is spot on Opening Day roster
MLive, Chris Iott

"Tuiasosopo was so anonymous early on in camp that media members didn't even notice that he was absent for one early game. Tuiasosopo left the team for a day to be there for the birth of his son, Josiah. At one point in spring, he was 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts. But he has hit his stride since then. He is now hitting .327 with a 1.015 OPS."

Justin Verlander: Tiger for Life?
Baseball Hot Corner, Jon Erkkila
Jon will be writing a lot of Tigers-centric stuff for BHC, and gets off to a nice start here. He is one of Patrick/Tigerdog's good friends, and if we've learned anything from his other friends -- Singledigit and GWilson -- it's that we hired the wrong guy.

Around the AL Central:

Twins story: Joe Mauer still the man
ESPN SweetSpot Blog, Anna McDonald

"Mauer knows there is a lot responsibility resting on his shoulders this year. He will be handling the pitching staff again this year, the Twins need him to consistently get on base and they need his bat in the lineup every day. Plus, he has an added charge this year -- Mauer and his wife, Maddie, are expecting twins."

Luis Mendoza Named to Rotation; Chen to the Pen
Royals Review
It would be just the Tigers' luck that the Royals give Chen a spot start against them, and he pitches eight scoreless innings.

Ramirez looks like surprise addition to Twins
Minneapolis Star Tribune, Patrick Reusse
Ramirez's career .364/.385/.818 line as a Tiger would be a nice right-handed option for Andy Dirks, no?

How much did the White Sox really pay for Virgil Trucks?
South Side Sox, Jim Margalus
We all read Al's excellent piece on Trucks on Monday, but here's how he became a member of the Chicago White Sox after his time in Detroit.

Elsewhere in Baseball:

Cardinals third baseman David Freese to start season on disabled list
MLB.com, Jenifer Langosch
Of course, I just drafted him for one of my fantasy teams.

Yankees sign Lyle Overbay to a minor league deal
Pinstriped Bible, Tanya Bondurant
The freefall continues..

The five springs you're hoping aren't a mirage
Baseball Nation, Grant Brisbee
Let's hope that last one doesn't come true...

Can beer save the Boston Red Sox’s endangered sell-out streak?
Big League Stew, Mike Oz
This is the team saying "We're probably going to suck, so just come drink."

Miami Marlins Deal of the Day
Groupon Miami
In case anyone plans on being in Miami on Monday, April 8th...