Detroit Tigers links: Baseball is back this week! Kinda sorta

For lo the winter has ... OK, so it's still pretty cold out there. Wintery, even. But the light at the end of the tunnel is clearly in sight. We're about a month away from the opening of spring training camps in Lakeland, Florida. More importantly, we're only a few days away from the Tigers' Winter Caravan and FanFest.

Just don't forget your hand-warmers if you managed to get tickets for Saturday. (If you didn't, you're SOL. They're sold out.)

There are other opportunities to see some Tigers, however. Of the 30 stops, several are open to the public -- at a cost. You can drop by Hockeytown Authentics in Troy between 5:15-6 p.m. Thursday. The first 150 people who bring a canned-food donation to the Salvation Army can get their photos taken with players. The Helping Hens Winter Gala will be held the same day at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. Tickets are $50 for adults and $40 for kids under age 12. On Friday, select players will attend the auto show at Cobo Hall between 2:45-3:45 and participate in a parade.

The Whitecaps' baseball banquet will be held Thursday night at Frederik Meijer Gardens, as well.

Unaffiliated with the Tigers' festivities, the annual Detroit Baseball Dinner is set for Saturday at the Bloomfield Hills Country Club, with GM Al Avila expected to be the guest speaker. You can RSVP by e-mail to detroitbaseballsociety@gmail.com, or by calling (248) 562-7130. The dinner price is $150 per person and includes cocktails, hor d'oeuvres, dinner and more.

So in the week ahead, expect an uptick in Tigers news from all your favorite sources. Baseball is coming. It cannot be stopped.

The links

• Justin Verlander is enjoying a "normal offseason." Which involves a lot of golf. Which also involves a lot of making dad jokes about golf on social media. Oh, and hanging out with Larry the Cable Guy, apparently.
• Yoenis Cespedes has plenty of time left to make a deal, Ken Rosenthal writes. ESPN's Jim Bowden said something could get done in the next few days. Of course, Bowden should always be taken with a grain of salt.
• Did winning minor league titles help the Astros build a playoff team quicker?
• High schoolers who are drafted can now consult with an agent without it affecting their college eligibility.
• Felix Hernandez explains what his tattoos mean.
• Never call Mets fans obnoxious on Twitter.

• Al Alburquerque signed a $1.1 million deal with the Angels.

And finally ...

Bartolo Colon playing catch on a beach! (Via Fox Sports)