Detroit Tigers Links 12/31/2013: Roster Overhaul and Hall of Fame

Out with the old, in with the new: Tigers’ roster has been overhauled – Patrick OKennedy – Bless You Boys

Of the 25 players who were on the Tigers’ Opening Day roster in 2013, 13 players — more than half the roster — are no longer on the roster, and two more are on the bubble.The 2014 Tigers will have a different player starting at every position around the infield. The bullpen will feature five or six pitchers who started last season in the minors or in another organization. The bench will have three, if not all four new faces.

Advanced and traditional stats reveal injustice of Whitaker’s, Trammell’s Hall snub – Kurt Mensching – Detroit News

After Whitaker fell off the ballot, ESPN’s sabermetric-oriented SweetSpot blog in 2011 declared the exclusion the “BBWAA’s worst mistake.”It just might be. Using Fangraph’s Wins Above Replacement, a stat that attempts to put a value to a player’s contribution on offense and defense, Whitaker ranked ninth among second baseman with a career fWAR of 68.1, or about seven wins more than fellow 1980s second baseman Ryne Sandberg. The Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, mind you.Bill James, who now works in the Red Sox’s front office after years analyzing the sport, ranked Whitaker the 13th best second baseman of all time.

Tigers’ righty reliever Jose Ortega impresses in winter league – Free Press

Through Dec. 22, Ortega has a 1.08 ERA in 17 games pitching for Navegantes de Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League.He has not allowed a run in his last six appearances.