The Things That Still Matter to Us

Dave Dombrowski moved quickly this offseason.  We had a lot of questions surrounding the team after the last pitch of game 162 this fall.  Contract extensions to Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta surprised no-one, but neatly resolved the questions of who would play third and short in 2011 and 2012 – and who would back up Inge at third as well.  We needed a setup man to fill the critical role that Zumaya did before his injury this summer, Joaquin Benoit was the answer.  We needed a DH that could outhit Brennan Boesch, the answer there was Victor Martinez.  Conveniently, he can also catch should Alex Avila be lost to injury or incompetence.  For an organization that is very weak behind the plate, I think that matters.  The answer to the question ‘who will replace Magglio Ordonez in right?’ turned out – after a lot of tire-kicking and blogger speculation – to be Magglio Ordonez.
As a fan, I’m certainly pleased that all these things were accomplished.  I’m sure the gnashing of teeth can be heard all over the big apple from those opportunities missed and questions left unanswered.  Of course, those teams like the Yankees, Angels or Rangers that failed in their primary goals this offseason still have lots to do.  That means lots to follow, and lots to speculate on.  We haven’t had a new rumor out of Detroit in a good week now.  So… are we really done?  No, not really.  There are questions still left unanswered and unaddressed.  So the question I ask you is:  what do we Tigers fans still care about?  I’ll list the ones that come first to mind, if you think I’ve missed anything please leave a comment.

1.    Who’s going to be the fifth (and fourth, for that matter…) starter?  We heard long ago that Phil Coke was going to be starter number four, but Armando Galarraga has been given no implied job security at all.  Dombrowski seems to have assessed the pool of free agent starters way back in October and decided that none of them were worthy of pursuit, except perhaps Ted Lilly who didn’t seem to have any desire to hit the open market.  That doesn’t mean DD is satisfied with our rotation, any more than I’m satisfied.   We’ve heard rumors of trade interest before, including guys like Tom Gorzelanny, and we may keep hearing them until something actually happens.  I’m not so sure Coke’s rotation slot is as secure as we hear.  Dombrowski, like any sensible GM, doesn’t talk about decisions that haven’t been made yet.  We’ll hear nothing from him about trades until they happen.  We’ll also hear nothing about the possibility of a rookie claiming a rotation slot until said rookie proves something to the team in spring training.  They may be, privately, figuring on a 60% chance of opening with Oliver in the 5th slot (or maybe even Turner), but that will never be discussed now.

2.    Who’s the lefty in the bullpen?  This one is a puzzle.  I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what the plan is (and thank God it isn’t a ‘process’) but I don’t think I’m getting any closer.  We’ve heard Coke is leaving the bullpen, which means a gaping hole.  Brad Thomas and Daniel Schlereth are with the team, but they had terrible peripherals last year despite decent ERAs.  Thomas doesn’t strike anyone out.  Schlereth can’t throw strikes.  Fu-Te Ni is still under team control, as far as I know, but he was so bad in 2010 that he can’t possibly be counted on.  Bobby Seay could wind up healthy in Lakeland and able to fill the role he did before, but that is doubtful.  In contrast to the crop of starters, lefty relievers were deep this year.  There are still some decent ones on the market, though the Benoit deal seems to be a benchmark for everyone – driving up the size of the deals they are signing.  Dombrowski hasn’t shown any interest.  He’s stated comfort he can’t possibly feel in going forward with Thomas and Schlereth.  What’s going on???  The only answer I can think of (and maybe you can think of something better) is that Coke is a placeholder in the rotation.  Dombrowski may want one lefty in the rotation and be planning to move Coke back to the ‘pen if he should find it.  If he can’t, he’ll make do with whatever relief options are available at that point – and by the end of spring training someone from the Tigers group of lefty unknowns might be looking like a much better option than they do right now.  Again, if it’s a move he might not make then we won’t hear anything about it.
3.    Who’s going to play second?  This is a spring training question, I’m afraid, and not a hotstove question.  The problem isn’t a lack of possibles, it’s too many.  Will Rhymes, Ramon Santiago, Scott Sizemore and Carlos Guillen all look to be competing for playing time (and roster spots).  There aren’t going to be many starts to spare for Guillen at DH this year, though his health is still a concern, so if he’s going to be doing anything to earn his salary in 2011 it will be at second base.  Any of the guys who aren’t going to start could be traded or cut, even Ramon Santiago since Will Rhymes could easily fill his utility role, so though we may have to wait ‘til March this figures to be a hotspot.