March 14, 2013; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila (13) congratulates shortstop Matt Tuiasosopo (68) for hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets in the spring training game at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Two-ee-AH-so-so-poe. See, that was easy, wasn’t it?

Even if you aren’t a Tigers fan (or if you are and haven’t been paying attention the past week) the name may be familiar:

• Manu Tuiasosopo was a #1 draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1979, played 8 seasons in the NFL, and won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in 1985.
• Marques Tuiasosopo was a 2nd round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2001 out of the University of Washington, after capping his collegiate career with a Rose Bowl victory over the Drew Brees-led Purdue Boilermakers. Marques was also drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1997, but pursued his athletic career on the gridiron instead of the diamond.
• Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was the central figure in the recent Manti Te’o Girlfriend Hoax.
• Matt Tuiasosopo was signed by the Detroit Tigers last November after being released from the New York Mets . He spent 2004-11 toiling in the Seattle organization, appearing in just 71 big-league games over that time. Now 27 years old, Matt’s MLB stat line reads .176/.234/.306, 5 HR’s, 15 RBI and 70 K’s in 193 AB’s.

Matt is the son of Manu, brother of Marques (brother Zach was training-camp fodder for the Philadelphia Eagles in the mid-2000′s), and cousin of Ronaiah. He is also the current front-runner for the much-speculated-upon final spot on the Tigers bench breaking spring training.

Tuiasosopo has played 3B, SS, 2B, 1B, and LF during his brief time in the bigs. His minor league batting slash is a bit more respectable – .260/.355/.399, with 79 HR’s, and he is prone to hot streaks. Apparently he is on one of those streaks this spring, as he has drilled 4 HR’s while batting .327 – at an opportune time, as the Tigers are looking for a right-handed hitting corner outfielder.

Will the longest of long-named longshots be on the plane to Minneapolis next weekend? These possibilities exist between now and the supposed final cut on Thursday:

• Of the four positional player spots open on the bench, Brayan Pena is in at backup C; Ramon Santiago is in as it would cost the Tigers about $1.5 mil to cut him; Danny Worth has a minor-league option yet, so he is headed to Toledo; Quintin Berry unfortunately bats from the wrong side of the plate; and Don Kelly is Jim Leyland‘s security blanket.
• That leaves Tuiasosopo and Kevin Russo as right-handed bats with the skills to occasionally spell left-fielder Andy Dirks vs. tough left-handed pitching. Russo has slightly less MLB experience but has produced decent numbers this spring – .306, 2 HR, 5 2B and 5 RBI. Only Leyland knows if he has demonstrated more capability than Tuiasosopo to fill that role as envisioned.
• Dave Dombrowski still could make a move. Casper Wells, apparently odd-man-out in a crowded Mariners outfield, has recently been mentioned as a possibility to come back to Detroit.
• Avisail Garcia could make the team, instead of starting the season at Toledo as is expected. Garcia didn’t look out of place in his cameo last fall; however, he is nursing a sore heel which likely won’t improve in what is likely to be arctic conditions the first two weeks of the regular season.

While much-heralded hurler Jacob Turner was the focal point of last July’s deal to land Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante, it’s Brantly that may emerge as the big Marlin that got away. Turner toted a bloated 8.03 ERA with him to Miami, but steadied the rudder a bit down south – 3.38 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 7 H/9, 1.9 W/9, 6 K/9.  Of course this begat a 1-4 record for the pitiable Marlins; the 6’5″, 21-year old northpaw will get ample opportunity to polish his skills in the majors this season for the Quadruple-A Miami nine. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but he pounds the strike zone with all four of his pitches. Some great in-depth analysis on Turner can be found here.

At this point, he projects closer to a Porcello than a Verlander – a middle-of-the-rotation innings eater, not a top of the rotation guy. Even so, those pitchers don’t grow on trees (take a look at the Twins rotation) and as such he had tremendous value.

An even rarer commodity is the left-handed batting catcher that can produce at the plate, as well as behind it. To have two such beasts would be an embarrassment of riches – so with Alex Avila entrenched, Rob Brantly was expendable. Considering the atrocious rotation of Danny Worth and Ryan Raburn at 2nd base, Omar Infante’s steady glove and reliable bat was enough temptation to part with a 23-year old, 6’2″ lefty-swinging backstop that hits for average and has gap power.

At the time of the trade, Brantly had not made his major-league debut, but his minor league numbers were importunate, and consistent among levels: .280/.336/.392, with a 72/129 BB/K ratio. Dismissed to New Orleans after the trade, he tore it up for two weeks in the PCL: .365, 2 HR, 11 RBI, compelling the star-starved Marlins to call Rob up on August 14.

Here is where the allegory between Avila and Brantly resembles the short step from A to B: Alex, in his debut season of 2009, first appeared in the lineup on August 6, and his stat line for 29 games – .279, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 19 K, .375 OBP;  Brantly last year for Miami compiled in 31 games a .290, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 16K, .372 OBP resume’. Small sample size, to be sure, but similar nonetheless.

I did get to view both players in person frequently at Single-A West Michigan – Avila even at a young age had the sturdy, compact build that screamed “catcher”; while Brantly seemed a bit lankier in an A.J. Pierzynski-ish way, with room to fill out. The Midwest League has always been a pitcher’s haven, but both players consistently stung the ball with authority. They also demonstrated strike-zone discipline beyond the typical Single-A ballplayer, used the entire field, and ran well for their position. Their stats for the Whitecaps: Avila, 2008; 213 AB’s, .305/.383/.385; Brantly, 2011; 284 AB’s, .303/.366/.440.

February 12, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila (13) smiles as he works out during spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

We all know that Alex turned in an All-Star season in 2011, hitting .295 with 19 HR’s and 82 RBI. His work with the pitching staff has been lauded, and while measuring catchers defensively can be subjective, he certainly is above average behind the dish. We also have seen that he “forgets” to use his glove frequently, taking shots to the mask seemingly every game. Not to mention some nagging knee issues exacerbating the everyday wear-and-tear on a backstop – limiting Avila to squatting 120 games a season seems rational.

Carrying two left-hand batting catchers on the 25-man wouldn’t make much sense, unless one also played on a corner or in the outfield. Not sure if Brantly has the athleticism to try, but the Tigers brass has on several occasions shuffled the deck chairs on the Carnival Triumph, creating lineup spots for plus bats and minus gloves.  Seems like it would have been worth the effort to keep Brantly around as inexpensive insurance and also as an appreciating asset.

Of course, the trade may have been contingent on Brantly’s inclusion – such is the nature of the deal. As discussed here, I love Anibal Sanchez in the rotation, and respect the quiet professionalism of Omar Infante, and I hope they are integral cogs in a championship season. I will watch with interest, however, the development of Rob Brantly. Let’s see if he continues to mirror Alex Avila’s ascent to stardom at baseball’s most difficult position.

Top Ten:

1. Dylan Bundy(SP)- Bundy is the best pitching prospect in the game. He is a good athlete, knows how to pitch, and carries three potential plus pitches to the mound every time out. Could make an impact in the Orioles rotation as soon as this year.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA pitcher Dylan Bundy throws a pitch during the fourth inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

2. Kevin Gausman (SP)- Gausman is potentially a number one type in his own right, but with Bundy on the team will slot in as a strong number two. Gausman sits 92-94 with his fastball, has an above average change. His breaking ball is still a work in progress but he flashes a good slider from time to time.

3. Jonathan Schoop (SS)- I think people forget about Schoop, but they shouldn’t. He played in AA last season at the age of 20 and held his own. Schoop has good pop, and defensively it looks like as of now he can still play shortstop. He needs work on plate discipline, but that could come in time. Probably a third baseman down the road, because he isn’t an above average athlete.

4. Eduardo Rodriguez (SP)- Rodriguez is a talented lefty that pitched in low A ball at 19 years old last season. He pitches in the low 90′s with his fastball, and also has a slider and change that are still works in progress. At 6’2″ and 175, there might be more gas on the fastball to come, and part of that is because he is learning to repeat mechanics consistently.

5. Branden Kline (SP)- I think people are missing out a bit on Kline. Has the potential for two plus pitches in his fastball and slider, and just needs to develop a change. I do believe he could at least possess an average one, and I see mid rotation upside here. Big strong righty that hasn’t tapped into his talent completely yet.

6. Nick Delmonico (1B)- Delmonico looks like a guy that is going to have to make it on his bat. He has a strong frame and projects to hit for power, but doesn’t run well, and a defensive home hasn’t been found for him at this point. Athletically it looks like first or third base for him, which puts pressure on his power output. Not sure he hits for average at this point.

7. L.J. Hoes (OF)- Hoes is a solid athlete who should be a top of the order hitter. He doesn’t fit well in center field, so he is likely going to have to play a corner where he doesn’t really have the type of power that teams look for. Still, he is line drive hitter gets on base a ton, and should find his way into the lineup often enough.

8. Adrian Marin (SS)- Marin is a shortstop that looks like he has the goods with the glove to stay there. Offensively, he has a good idea at the plate and could hit for average, but doesn’t project to hit for much power.

9. Glynn Davis (OF)- He is making the list mainly because Davis is a premium athlete. His main attribute being his speed. Davis does have patience at the dish but has trouble with breaking balls. His frame suggests power could come that we haven’t seen yet.

10. Mike Wright (SP)- Wright has a solid repertoire with a low 90′s fastball, a decent slider and a change that he is working on getting better. There is some back of the rotation potential here, but he could be a two pitch reliever as well.

Just Missed The List:

Xavier Avery (OF)

Avery’s speed and athleticism is likely to get him looks, but he doesn’t hit enough to be an every day guy. Still, he will spend time in the big leagues.

Sleepers:

Henry Urrutia (OF) and Josh Hader (P)

Urrutia is a Cuban defector that hasn’t played in a couple years. Hader is a tall, projectable, lefty who in a short sample showed off some strikeout capability.

Summary:

The strength is clearly at the top of this organization with Bundy and Gausman. I think Rodriguez and Kline could develop nicely as well, and Schoop has every day potential. After that it’s a steep drop off and the system lacks quality depth. Basically the top guys forced me to put this system at 23, but that will happen when you have the best pitching prospect in the game.

Baltimore lacks impact bats, partly due to Machado’s unexpected graduation to the bigs already.