Detroit Tigers Links: DD talks Prince and Casty, Joba the Hutt no more & bold moves

Joba Chamberlain Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski: Prince Fielder deal put offseason plans in place – Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press

"“There was one move that made all of that possible,” he said. “If that move wasn’t made, you’re really in a position where you’re kind of back to where you were.” The trade allowed the team to move Miguel Cabrera from third base to first, youngster Nick Castellanos from outfield back to his natural position at third and brought in Kinsler as the new second baseman. “It was one move that set off our plans in place,” Dombrowski said. “There will be a lot of times people will talking about missing that bat; however, we also thought about in the future you just see that at some point Miguel’s going to have to move back to first base. Didn’t necessarily have to be this year but it was going to need to happen. Neither Prince nor Miguel like to DH. You’re kind of figuring in your mind how is this going to happen and then this opportunity came about.”"

With all the free agents signings, trades, manager retirements, and new managers and coaches, probably the one thing that will be remembered most about this off-season is the Prince Fielder trade.

One factor that will determine if it was ultimately a good or bad move is how one third base prospect blossoms….

Tigers GM: Nick Castellanos still must earn third-base job – Tom Gage, Detroit News

"…The Tigers are still stopping short of gift-wrapping Nick Castellanos’ future for him. In other words, the starting job at third is not being given unconditionally to him this spring. “He still has to earn that job,” Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday during his annual pre-spring-training appearance at the Detroit Sports Broadcasters luncheon. “We’re sure counting on him.”"

Detroit doesn’t have a lot of options if he doesn’t win that job. Steve Lombardozzi, acquired in the Doug Fister trade, seems to be the back-up, but his natural position is second base. The third option is the legend himself, Don Kelly.

Reliever Chamberlain slimmer with new approach in Detroit – Dana Wakiji, Fox Sports Detroit

"But the biggest physical transformation for Chamberlain is the fact that he’s not as big as he used to be. Chamberlain credits Tigers strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett and his own personal chef, Aaron Young, for helping him lose 15-20 pounds this offseason. “Aaron is my best-kept secret,” Chamberlain said. “You gotta understand that what you put into your body is going to fuel your body. Obviously I’ve had some injuries here and there. It gets frustrating because you feel like you’re doing everything you can, but there’s always a little more that you can do. It was definitely a step the right direction for me.”"

Tigers’ fans have been very skeptical of Joba, but he’s saying all the right things and apparently doing what he needs to do to get better. I guess at this point that’s all we can ask of him. A healthy and rejuvenated Joba Chamberlain can be a game-changer for a bullpen full of so many question marks.

No. 6 Tigers: Will bold moves lead to big results? – Tim Brown, Yahoo Sports

"A lot of familiar faces are gone, among them Peralta, Benoit, Jose Valverde, Omar Infante and Octavio Dotel, along with Fielder and Fister. And, of course, manager Jim Leyland. So, the Tigers will look a little different, and play a little different, be led by a different man and then hope the results are different. It’s bold."

Brown ranks the Tigers higher than the following 2013 playoff teams: Rays, Reds, Braves, Pirates, and Indians. The list doesn’t include the top five teams, but by process of elimination, he feels these teams are better: Red Sox, Rangers, A’s, Cardinals, and Dodgers.