Detroit Tigers News: Welcome to baseball season!

I didn’t watch the Super Bowl, and by all accounts that seems to have been a great decision. From what I can tell, most of the night was spent trying to decide which sucked more: the commercials or the game. At least the NFL got the halftime show it deserved, not the one it needed.

Now that [insert winning team here] has taken home the little silver trophy, it’s time to turn to more important things. Baseball awaits, and some overgrown rodent in nowhere Pennsylvania was rousted from his winter slumber to tell us that spring is coming early this year, so we have that going for us, which is nice.

It all comes down to health

In another reminder that Jordan Zimmermann has been fundamentally unable to function as a healthy, un-injured member of the Detroit Tigers, Evan Woodbery of MLive walks us through the discovery and treatment of the pitcher’s latest injury. The story closes with a quote from Zimmermann stating that he knows he’s “still got a lot left”, but that it comes down to health. Let’s hope health isn’t an issue this year.

All angles

If you have yet to tire of the talk surrounding right fielder Nicholas Castellanos and where he will or will not soon be playing baseball, you are in luck. MLB.com’s Jason Beck brings us a mailbag devoted entirely to questions surrounding Castellanos, what could happen if he is or is not traded, and why he will be and when. It’s ten pounds of Castellanos stuffed into a five pound bag. Enjoy.

Five Bold Predictions

Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press has five bold predictions to share with us for the upcoming season, and bold they are.

• He has the Tigers finishing second in the AL Central, which seems possible in a division where no one really seems to be trying.
• He also taps Michael Fulmer to be traded, along with Jordan Zimmermann.
• Additionally, he tabs Spencer Turnbull as an emerging player for the team and proclaims the bullpen as a bright spot.

What stands out here? The possibility that there will be a team out that that takes a look at Jordan Zimmermann and sees something they like.

Finding a home

The folks over at FanGraphs took a shot at finding a home for the top remaining free agents. Former Tiger Jose Iglesias is one of those top remaining free agents, and they have him landing with the Milwaukee Brewers. I’m starting to wonder how we got into a situation where Iglesias might not be playing baseball this year.

Niko’s Case

Niko Goodrum, a player who remains an under-appreciated signing from last offseason, comes into 2019 as the Tigers’ likely starting second baseman. Jason Beck takes a look at how he took over the position last season, and how he is working to improve this year to be a better everyday option for the club. Whether that’s at second base or in a variety of positions remains to be seen.

Tip of the cap

After a one-year experiment in which they probably sold a slightly larger amount of merchandise than prior seasons, the Tigers are going away from what has been described as the “gas station logo.” They are reverting back to the traditionally smaller Olde English D. This is a welcome return to the status quo, although it feels a little weird focusing on the logo at a time when the rest of the team is a hot mess. Hey, at least they are doing one thing the fans like.

Baseball is awesome

Roger Clemens: still filthy at 56.

Around the horn

Is Matt Davidson the latest experiment in the two-way player craze? Can you beat Tony Romo at baseball predictions? Up close on baseball’s borders.