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Detroit Tigers Team Notes Over 3 Million Views!!! Thankyou!

Tigers aren't shopping for another shortstop.
Dombrowski says club is pleased with Romine, may add bullpen arms.
While the Tigers addressed their most pressing need by dipping into the free-agent market for an in-season signing, there are no indications they're anywhere close to doing the same to address their much-rumored situation at shortstop.

Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski downplayed the possibility when asked about adding another free agent on a Friday conference call announcing the signing of former All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan.

"At this point, we're really looking at a focus on what we have right now," Dombrowski said. "We tried to fill our situation here. ... The one area we wanted to address the most on our ballclub is our bullpen if we had the right opportunity."

As for shortstop and other positions, Dombrowski said, "We really haven't approached those specific topics yet."

That seemingly reinforces the belief from others that any chance of the Tigers signing free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew would be following next month's First-Year Player Draft. To sign Drew beforehand would require the Tigers to give up their first-round pick, the 23rd overall selection. Signing Drew anytime after June 5, by contrast, would come without that required compensation.

Dombrowski gave a vote of confidence to Andrew Romine, who has handled the bulk of the playing time at shortstop for the past two weeks since Detroit parted ways with Alex Gonzalez.
"Andrew Romine has done a very good job for us at shortstop," Dombrowski said.
from the Tigers official site
 
Torii makes pitch to bring Hanrahan aboard.
There are no recruiting coordinators in Major League Baseball. If there were, Torii Hunter might have a side job.

When the Tigers signed Joe Nathan last November, Nathan gave credit to Hunter for relentlessly keeping in touch with him about Detroit and its strengths. On Friday, Joel Hanrahan did much the same.

"I had a good recruiter in Torii Hunter," Hanrahan said. "He's a good friend of mine. We stayed in touch this offseason."

Hunter initially played dumb, then admitted to it. He not only sold Hanrahan on the clubhouse and the opportunity, but Hunter put in a good word with the Tigers about the reliever.

"I was trying to keep it discreet," Hunter said. "I know he'll be a good fit. He's a bulldog. He had that closer mentality with Pittsburgh. He just didn't get that opportunity with Boston. I worked out with him this offseason and for the last seven years, and I know the mentality that he has. He wanted to come over here and win and play, kind of learn a little more from Joe Nathan."

Hanrahan and Hunter have worked out together at some point for the last seven offseasons in the Dallas area, and they share the same agent, Larry Reynolds. When Hanrahan began throwing again just before Spring Training, Hunter said, he stood in the box to give him a reference point and see his pitches.

"He was throwing pretty good," Hunter said, "and that was two, three months ago. Obviously, he's got his velocity back up. He can go down to Lakeland [Fla.], have a Spring Training, come back and help us win."

Hunter kept in touch with Hanrahan after that, including following his showcase workout for teams. Hunter also got in touch with the Tigers, who had already been scouting Hanrahan and other free-agent pitchers' throwing workouts.

"I just threw it out there to Dave [president/general manager Dombrowski]," Hunter said.

Not all of Hunter's recruiting works out. Among the Major Leaguers who have worked out with Hunter and Hanrahan over the years is longtime Major Leaguer LaTroy Hawkins. He, too, was a free agent this past winter. When asked if he made a recruiting pitch to Hawkins, Hunter simply smiled and looked away.

The one thing Hunter couldn't sell to Hawkins was a closer's job, something the Rockies could. Considering the 41-year-old Hawkins entered Friday with nine saves, he made a pretty good choice.
from the Tigers official site
 
Reliever Belfiore outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.
A month after the Tigers added Mike Belfiore to their stockpile of lefty relief candidates, they dropped him from their 40-man roster. Detroit outrighted the 25-year-old's contract to Triple-A Toledo to make room for the Joel Hanrahan signing.

The Tigers claimed Belfiore off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on April 3. He has gotten off to a rough start at Toledo, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits with 14 walks and nine strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings.

Considering Belfiore had to go unclaimed by most other American League teams before the Tigers' waiver spot came up, the fact that he cleared waivers to be outrighted did not come as a surprise. Before the Hanrahan signing, Belfiore was expected to be a candidate next week to make room for Robbie Ray on the 40-man roster.

Instead, the Tigers will have to remove another player to make room for Ray when he makes his Major League debut on Tuesday.
from the Tigers official site
 
Tigers: Miggy killing it at Kauffman
Miguel Cabrera is still looking for the power swing that helped him win back-to-back American League Most Valuable Player Awards, but his sweet swing for average seems to be coming around just in time for his return to Kansas City.

Cabrera is batting 14-for-35 (.400) over an eight-game hitting streak with three doubles, nine RBIs and six runs scored. His RBI double off Shields in Friday's series opener was the 14th of his career at Kauffman Stadium, his highest total of any ballpark he hasn't called home.

Cabrera enters Saturday batting just .227 (5-for-22) against left-handers this year with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Meanwhile, he needs two hits to tie Pete Fox for 21st on the Tigers' all-time list with 1,182.
 
http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/5/...hy-am-i-so-outraged-tigers-sign-joel-hanrahan
Bless You Boys Tigers blog Podcast 110: Why am I so outraged?!

Topics:

Detroit Tigers announce signing of free agent relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan.

An all Tommy John surgery staffed bullpen? The Tigers are on their way.

The Hanrahan signing shows the Tigers will do what they need to do.

Leaders of the Central and owners of the second best record in the AL, the Tigers remain the worst first place team ever.

Where do the Tigers rank after one month in 2014?

Robbie Ray to make first big league start.

Keep your Ray expectations under control, no matter if he is God awful, lights out or somewhere in-between.

Bryan Holaday versus Alex Avila.

Should the Tigers offer Nick Castellanos a contract extension?

The most disturbing news of the week? The Tigers are wearing ZUBAZ.

Gambling on baseball is a risky endeavor.
 
V-Mart remains model of consistency at plate.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has said it at least four times this week: He has never seen a hitter take a consistent focus to every pitch at the plate like Victor Martinez, never giving away a pitch.

On Friday, after Martinez's latest effort -- a pair of doubles and two RBIs -- led the Tigers to an 8-2 win over James Shields and the Royals, Ausmus said it again. Martinez, meanwhile, said it's nothing different from what he has done his whole time here.

It's not only consistent this year, but over the years.
"I'm not going to lie, [the praise] makes me feel good," Martinez said. "But at the same time, I think I've been like that my whole career. I don't think anything's going to change. It's good to hear, but on the other hand, I just make sure that when I go out there, I'm just trying to be a tough out, put a good at-bat in, see what happens. I always try to go out there and battle."

Martinez entered Satuday just outside the American League's top 10 in hitting with a .315 average to go with an .859 OPS. He leads the Tigers in OPS, while only Rajai Davis had a higher average entering Saturday.

"One thing that I can tell you," Martinez said, "is that I've always been a guy that works my butt off in the offseason to play every day. I always say when you work hard, I think you deserve to do something good on the field. I always expect a lot. I don't know what it is, but you know what, I feel great, my body feels great. I don't know if I really feel 35, but my body feels great."
from the Tigers official site
 
Putkonen feels fine following bullpen session.
Luke Putkonen is eligible to be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. He won't be ready to play, but it appears he won't be far off.

Putkonen threw a side session in the Kauffman Stadium visiting bullpen on Friday before the Tigers-Royals series opener, and he's scheduled to throw a more intensive bullpen session on Sunday. If he comes through that without discomfort in his right elbow, Putkonen should be on track for a quick rehab assignment or a simulated game. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers haven't discussed that next step.

Putkonen estimated he threw about 35 pitches in Friday's session.
"I felt good," he said. "I spun a few curveballs at the end."

Putkonen's return will give the Tigers their long reliever back, filling a role they haven't needed much this season, but they figure to use more often over the next several weeks. While Detroit has had Drew Smyly available in the bullpen for a few different stretches in the opening month, he won't be a relief option during their stretch of 50 games in 52 days.
from the Tigers official site
 
Anibal throwing with cover over cut finger.
Anibal Sanchez continues to keep his arm fresh while he sits on the 15-day disabled list with lacerated right middle finger, playing catch and stretching out his arm. His return, however, is going to hinge on how quickly his body can rebuild the skin where a blister tore open during his start a week ago.

"I think it looks a lot better really," manager Brad Ausmus said. "It's just a matter of the skin growing back over the top."

Until that happens, Sanchez is throwing with a covering where the blister used to be. That enables him to play catch and throw, but not with any intensity.

Sanchez has about a week left before he's eligible to be activated from the DL, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Tigers kept him on the DL for longer than that. The way the rotation works out, they'll need to replace him for at least two starts May 6 and 11, the latter coming the day before Sanchez can be activated.

With an off-day coming up during the following turn through the rotation, the Tigers could conceivably skip his spot if need be. If they don't, Sanchez's spot still wouldn't come up until May 17 at Boston.

The Tigers have announced Robbie Ray will start in Sanchez's place on Tuesday, but haven't committed to him yet for the other start. If he pitches well in that game, of course, Ausmus said they'd probably go back to Ray for the next turn five days later.

Sanchez, meanwhile, will keep healing.
"He'll have to rebuild the callus slowly," Ausmus said, "but I don't know that he'll necessarily have to have it to pitch."
from the Tigers official site
 
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