Leyland hints bullpen change still coming

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It's still up for grabs.

On the first day of the Tigers' annual caravan, manager Jim Leyland stopped short of labeling Fernando Rodney as the Tigers' closer.

Far short.



In fact, he hinted at possible deals on Wednesday that still could change the look of the Tigers

"He's a big league pitcher and will be on our ballclub," Leyland said of Rodney. "He'll be a big asset in my opinion. What his role will be, I don't know yet. But he'll be a very valuable piece of our team. I'll leave it at that."

As for possible changes still in the works, Leyland said, "I don't think we're done tinkering with the bullpen yet. I think people might be surprised by what happens before spring training or during spring training.

"We'll get some things done that will upgrade our club. We're not done yet."

Leyland believes it helps that Rodney is heading into his last year before he's eligible for free agency.

"It doesn't get to carefree guys," said Leyland before a charity function. "Some guys face their free-agent year and they have a tendency to panic a little bit. Other guys are loose as a goose. The first time Barry Bonds had a free-agent season, he went out and won the MVP.

"Some guys see that pot of gold and say, 'This is my chance.' 

 

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Detroit's D



Defense is in vogue as the Tigers get ready for spring training, which begins Feb. 14 when pitchers and catchers have their inaugural workout at Lakeland, Fla.

The Tigers have moved Brandon Inge to third base -- for the duration, they say -- and have signed smooth-fielding Adam Everett to play shortstop. A solid catcher, Gerald Laird , takes care of a major issue that followed the Tigers into the past offseason.

Carlos Guillen moving to left field is expected to be another upgrade.

"If you're going to win at the major league level, you've got to pitch and play defense," Dombrowski said, explaining why one of baseball's basic tenets became such an area of focus after 2008. "Last year, some things didn't work out well for us.

"Some guys were set in certain roles and it just never really settled in," he said, a reference to Miguel Cabrera 's arrival as Detroit's new third baseman, his subsequent shift to first base, and Guillen's moves from shortstop, to first, and to third, all before Inge was re-installed as the Tigers' regular third baseman.

The flux in the field has ended. Guillen is now in left field, Cabrera is established at first. With the solid Placido Polanco a fixture at second base, Dombrowski likes how his team shapes up with Curtis Granderson in center field and Magglio Ordonez in right.

"I think our ballclub will score enough runs," Dombrowski said, ticking off the starting nine, including designated hitter Gary Sheffield , whom Dombrowski believes will have a big year.

"I think we need to pitch and play defense."



Welcome, Mr. Everett

Inge raved Wednesday about Everett, his new wingman at short who played last season for the Minnesota Twins and the previous seven seasons for the Houston Astros.

"I'm excited about Adam Everett," Inge said. "I can't wait to shut down that left side of the infield.

"I played against Adam quite a bit in the minors. He'll bring a lot to the clubhouse, and he's a blue-collar guy who'll be a perfect fit for our city.

"He's got a great mind."

Inge said Everett's arrival would be sweet for another big reason.

"I'm tired of seeing him drop down bunts," said Inge, who had seen his share of Everett's artistry when the two met in the minor leagues and in the majors.






Starting stable

Dombrowski said he was stunned to read somewhere -- he didn't cite the source -- that the Tigers had major problems with their starting pitching heading into 2009.

"I think we've got the potential to have a good pitching staff," he said.

Dombrowski's reasoning is that Justin Verlander will have a bounce-back season after a shaky 2008. He believes Jeremy Bonderman will be healthy and on top of his game. As for another restoration project, Nate Robertson , who had an abysmal 2008, Dombrowski said: "You won't recognize Nate Robertson with the shape he's in."

Armando Galarraga and Zach Miner are two more reasons Dombrowski likes his pitching staff. Dontrelle Willis has been making progress, and Edwin Jackson is the big addition to manager Jim Leyland 's rotation after coming to Detroit last month in a trade with Tampa Bay for outfielder Matt Joyce .

"He (Jackson) won 14 games last year and established himself as a big league starter," Dombrowski said of Jackson, a 25-year-old right-hander with a power fastball. "He learned to pitch more last year than just throw."

Dombrowski mentioned one more reason he believes Tigers pitching will turn around in 2009: new pitching coach Rick Knapp , the former minor league pitching instructor for the Minnesota Twins.

"I'm excited by our potential," Dombrowski said. "These guys can win."







Inge's revival

Inge, who believes he will have a year at the plate as good or better than his 2006 peak (27 home runs, 83 RBIs), says the difference in his mechanics and in his hitting approach already are polar opposites from 2008.

"I was fighting against all my mechanics," he said Wednesday at the downtown Marriott Hotel in Grand Rapids, where he was among a host of players inducted into the Michigan Whitecaps Hall of Fame.

"I looked at my swing (on video during the offseason) and saw it was terrible."

Now, Inge says, a new approach and new understanding should pave the way for a comeback season at the plate in 2009. He and hitting coach Lloyd McClendon already have seen the difference during the past week Inge spent working at Comerica Park.

"I've eliminated a lot of bad thought processes," he said. "I'm excited that year (2008) is gone."

 

[ImFeklhr]

The Tigers decline has ALL been pitching. Maybe their defense slipped, but that can't account for these facts:

Runs allowed by year

2006 = 675
2007 = 735
2008 = 857