Detroit Tigers Links: Examining the Alex Gonzalez situation & does Detroit have baseball's best rotation?

Tigers links:

Behind Max Scherzer and company, Tigers boast MLB's best rotation
SI.com, Albert Chen

Max Scherzer had a good offseason. He collected his Cy Young Award; married his college sweetheart, Erica May; and spent an "unbelievable" honeymoon in Fiji and New Zealand.

Joe Nathan says Tigers bullpen getting stronger
The Detroit News, Tom Gage

Nathan speaks of the bullpen as the cohesive unit it should be, and often is.

Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski explains decision to cut ties with Alex Gonzalez (video)
MLive.com, James Schmehl

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski met with reporters early Sunday to announce the move and explain the team's decision in parting ways with 37-year-old Alex Gonzalez.

Angels commit three errors on a single play, leading to a Kinsler run for the Tigers
Out of Left Field, Matthew B. Mowery

The Los Angeles Angels ... umm ... had a little trouble defensively against the Tigers on Sunday, committing three errors on one sequence of events in the first inning. And it all started with a walk.

Re-examining the Alex Gonzalez trade
Beck's Blog, Jason Beck

The first thing that stood out the day the Tigers traded for Alex Gonzalez was the timing.

Tigers picking 'who' and 'I don't know' at SS
SweetSpot Blog, Christina Kahrl

With apologies to Abbott and Costello, it might seem as if that's where the Tigers are at shortstop after they cut loose Alex Gonzalez.

What Went Right for Rick Porcello Today?
Tiger Tales, Lee Panas

After Rick Porcello's previous start at San Diego, I used Brooks Baseball's Pitch f/x data to touch upon what he did wrong.

Around the AL Central:

Indians vs. Blue Jays recap (Sunday): David Murphy's clutch hit guides Tribe to 6-4 win
Let's Go Tribe

The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 6-4 thanks to some clutch hitting from David Murphy and Michael Brantley

Ventura struggles in Royals 8-3 loss to Twins
Royals Review, Connor Moylan

Alternate Headline: Twins extinguish Ventura's fire

Twins 8, Royals 3: Pinto Homers, Plouffe Rakes as Offense Rolls
Twinkie Town

Minnesota's offense continues its roll with a Pinto homer, three extra-base hits from Plouffe, and yet another eight walks taken.

White Sox 16, Rangers 2: No sweep, no normalcy
South Side Sox, Jim Margalus

Lots went wrong ... or right ... or both? ... in an easy Easter victory

Elsewhere in baseball:

The Rise of the Offensive Catcher
FanGraphs Baseball, Dave Cameron

You probably are well aware that offensive levels in baseball have collapsed over the last few years.

Strikeouts: Definitely Bad, Likely Necessary
The Hardball Times, Dan Farnsworth

An analysis of the relationships between strikeouts and total offensive contributions, delving into sources of cause and effect.

Nats' manager Matt Williams makes rookie mistake benching Bryce Harper
Big League Stew, David Brown

Harper looks like a slacker but it's Williams who needs to put more thought into his managing.