Tigers 2010 roster

by LickSplickidy on Aug 28, 2007 1:08 PM EDT Comment 13 comments

Obviously only using players who are either already on the team or in the minor league system.

Without including any potential free agents, Detroit's potential 2010 roster is not a bad looking team at all. With the exception of catcher, it's actually rather impressive.

SP - Justin Verlander
SP - Andrew Miller
SP - Jeremy Bonderman
SP - Jair Jurrjens
SP - Rick Porcello

Closer - Joel Zumaya
Setup - Fernando Rodney

1B - Carlos Guillen
2B - Placido Palanco
SS - Cale Iorg
3B - Ryan Rayburn/Brandon Inge
LF - Gorkys Hernandez
CF - Curtis Granderson
RF - Cameron Maybin
C - Who the F knows?!
DH - Magglio Ordonez

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Come on Crook!!

What about the Nook's triumphant return in 2009 as he becomes a modern Vince Coleman? .280/.360/.400 line and 80 steals across the board

by ScottAZ on Aug 28, 2007 1:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Too little too late 4 Nook

Nook's emotional return bid to the D will sadly get cut short in spring training by the upstart Gorkys Hernandez who goes on to steal 54 bases in his first full season with the team.

Maybin steals 48 and Granderson 35.

That 2010 Tiger outfield is going to have a ton of speed.

by LickSplickidy on Aug 28, 2007 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

love the OF, not sure about the IF

Guillen/Polanco are getting up here in age by then. the leftside of the IF, doesnt impress me much. they might fill that through FA

by rayver723 on Aug 28, 2007 1:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

The left side of the infield is questionable at best and there's a pretty good chance that SS, 3B and catcher will all be filled by free agents in three years time.

That said, I don't know how much you've seen of him but Ryan Raburn has really impressed me so far this year with his arm, speed, bat and versatility. His developmental curve reminds me a lot of Curtis Granderson's.

I like his potential though his athleticism and versatility (in one month's time he's already played RF, LF, CF, 3B, 2B) may make him more valuable as a Super Utility.

by LickSplickidy on Aug 28, 2007 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Guillen and Polanco

For the entire 2010 season, Guillen and Polanco will both be 34 years old. That's not that old, is it? First base obviously more so than second base but neither position is the most physically demanding of positions.

There are natural worries about Guillen's back by then but he's just going to be playing first. Polanco OTOH, I'd be willing to bet that he'll still be healthy and hitting. He plays a very efficient 2B.

by LickSplickidy on Aug 28, 2007 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Catcher...

James Skelton isn't looking too bad in A ball. Gotta love the pitching staff, though. Figure with all those young arms they should try to keep Pudge around as long as possible.

by mateodh on Aug 28, 2007 1:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

They need to move him up though.

NL West, Prepare to be Ledezmarized

by Grrranderson on Aug 28, 2007 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Raburn

I have watched plenty of Raburn through the years and he is not an everyday infielder. No way no how.

by NMUWildcat027 on Aug 28, 2007 1:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Raburn is good offensively, but a butcher in the field. I don't think he can handle the outfield on an every-day basis, let alone 3B. I think we're stuck with Inge at 3B in 2010, but I believe that will be his last year under contract.

Looking at the rosters, the organizational depth clearly is Pitching and Outfield heavy, but very weak at 1B, SS, 3B, and clearly C.

The Starting Pitchers, other than the big 3 of Verlander-Miller-Bonderman, include some very good prospects. While I still have faith in Nate Robertson, and he will only be 32 in 2010, there are several players who will push Nate Roberston for the #4 slot, and several others who will have a chance at filling the #5 role.

The more advanced pitchers in the system who are closer to reaching their potential include:
Jair Jurrjens
Dallas Trahern
Charlie Furbush

The younger but uber-high upside pitchers include:
Rick Porcello
Casey Crosby
Brandon Hamilton
Edward Reynoso
Luis Marte

The tad-bit older but still high upside pitchers include:
Duane Below
Luke French
Luke Putkonen
Manny Miguelez
Brandon Johnson

As for the outfielders, the Tigers are pretty stacked, and will likely have to trade off a few of these guys if they want to crack an OF with Granderson and Maybin securely entrenched in 2010:

The highest-celing crew:
Gorkys Hernandez
Alexis Espinoza
Wilkin Ramirez

These guys are still toolsey, but not on the same level as the above 3:
Matt Joyce
Brennan Boesch
Deik Scram
Londell Taylor (as many tools as anyone, but he has never focused solely on baseball, so he is insanely raw).
D'Andre Vaughn (see Taylor).

Second Base also has some good depth with Mike Hollimon knocking on the MLB door, and with Scott Sizemore having a solid if unspectacular year at West Michigan.

by CW on Aug 28, 2007 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Porcello...

I really doubt he is in the rotation in 2010. It doesn't look like he is going to be pitching this year, and I doubt that a high school kid is going to come out and go through low and high A his first season, then AA and AAA his second season, and break camp as a #5 starter just 32 months or so after being drafted.

I could see him in the rotation as early as late 2010, maybe a September call-up, or in 2011. But that's the absolute soonest I think. Any quicker and I would think it would be rushing him (unless of course he comes out and just dominates at all levels in the minors like Lincecum did, but that was also as a college draftee).

"Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young and 11 Tim Lincecums." -uga007

by Boxkutter on Aug 28, 2007 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Tigers...

are pretty adept though at developing their young pitchers and advancing them through the minors.

Jair Jurrjens (21)
Andrew Miller (22)
Jeremy Bonderman (20)
Joel Zumaya (21)
Justin Verlander (22)

They were all debuted in Detroit by the time they were 22 years old and (not all that surprisingly) only the two college guys took until they were 22 years old to make their ML debut. At the start of the 2010 season, Porcello will be 21 years old. It looks like a reasonably possible progression to me. It's not like Porcello is this raw high school kid who can only throw heat. He was given Beckett-like money for a reason. The kid is as polished of a high school pitcher that has come out in quite some time...probably since Beckett.

The Tigers definitely seem to believe that he'll be able to advance quickly.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2007/08/tigers_porcello_can_progress_q.html

by LickSplickidy on Aug 28, 2007 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs