Notes: Bautista hopes this time is charm

02/23/2008 7:50 PM ET
Notes: Bautista hopes this time is charm
With fifth team, righty coming off solid winter ball campaign
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Through four organizations and four big league stints, Denny Bautista has never been able to stick in the Majors. If this is the year he does, he'll credit a long stretch in winter ball for it.

Bautista has the kind of arm that impresses in camp, up to triple-digit velocity that sets up the rest of his game. His problem has usually been control, evidenced in part from his 55 walks over 115 2/3 innings.

So far, though, Bautista believes he has better command of his fastball, a priority he worked on in the Dominican League. And that could give him a chance to win a spot in Detroit's bullpen.

"Right now, I feel very good," he said. "I'm happy to be here. I just have to continue to do the same thing like I did down there in winter ball. I have to bring the same plan here."

This wasn't the first time Bautista pitched over the winter; he has been part of the Estrellas team in the Dominican for several years. However, he had extensive work this season, tossing 22 1/3 innings over 13 relief outings. He held opponents to a .171 batting average in the process.

"That's what I tried to do, just command," he said. "First-pitch strikes, just work with my fastball. Right after that, go with my breaking pitches, slider, curve."

That earned him a trip to the Caribbean Series for the first time in his career. Estrellas didn't make it, but teams that go to the series are allowed to draft players from other clubs in the league as "reinforcements." In some ways, it ends up looking like a league All-Star team.

"I felt so happy when they called me," he said. "You're happy to say, 'Yes.' This was my first time."

Bautista pitched four times in five days for Dominican champion Aguilas Cibaenas. He tossed four scoreless innings with four strikeouts over the first three appearances before giving up two singles and a walk in his fourth outing. All three runners ended up scoring.

Once the Caribbean Series ended, Bautista had just a couple days off before heading here ahead of the start of camp. It isn't much rest, but the flip side is that he began Spring Training in game shape in his effort to try to win a job.

"I feel very good with my arm, my shoulder," he said.

Bautista has spent his side sessions trying to spot his fastball on the corners. He'll face hitters for the first time on Sunday, but the key for him will be how he reacts in game situations once the Spring Training schedule begins next week.

He knows the label placed on him, a gifted arm that has yet to translate into big league results. He hopes this is the time.

"I just want to put everything in God's hands," Bautista said. "I just want to do my job. I just worry right now to throw strikes and get my pitches to locate."

Raburn could catch this spring: Ryan Raburn's versatility last spring made an impression on Tigers manager Jim Leyland, eventually leading him to the Majors. His ability to catch might prove another reason to keep him there.

"Whatever keeps me around," Raburn said Saturday morning.

So far, Raburn's pro catching experience has been limited to some early side sessions this spring and an occasional dash out to the bullpen last season. However, Leyland would like to get him behind the plate for a few innings this spring and see if he can be at least an emergency backup.

Asked where Raburn will play this spring, Leyland said, "All over."

Raburn's early catching work wasn't any sort of special effort. He lives in the Tampa area and drove over once pitchers began reporting early. Among the pitchers he caught were Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and Preston Larrison.

The Tigers' options for a third catcher are limited. Brandon Inge can do it if he isn't traded, but that's about it. Neifi Perez was an emergency catcher for part of last year, and Dane Sardinha was kept around Detroit down the stretch in case Detroit had an injury and needed to pick up his contract.

The backup catcher situation, too, isn't clear yet. While Vance Wilson will most likely fill the role, he isn't expected to be cleared for full-strength throwing until at least early March. Leyland has said that if the Tigers find a deal for Inge that would give him a chance to play every day somewhere else, they won't keep him just to be a backup catcher for a couple weeks. Sardinha is back in camp and could be called upon if needed.

If it helps Raburn's versatility, he'll do it.

"He gets a little carried away once in a while," Leyland joked. "He wants to know if I want my car washed."

Pitchers vs. hitters: The first of two days of batting practice went off without a hitch, though closer Todd Jones gave Gary Sheffield a brief scare when he lost a pitch high and inside. Sheffield had to dive to the ground to get out of the way, but he was fine.

"I always have a hard time pitching to my teammates," said Jones, who was relieved nothing came of it. "Thankfully, I don't throw hard now and they can get out of the way."

Jones remembered his first Spring Training with the Astros in 1990, when Charley Kerfeld accidentally hit Glenn Davis with a fastball and tensions rose.

"I think I'm about 90 percent sure he's convinced I didn't try to hit him," Jones said of Sheffield.

Quotable: "He's as good of an outfielder as we have in the organization. Could be the best outfielder. But the bat and ball have got to run together more often. I love him. He's got tremendous power. He's got all the things going for him that you look for in a prospect. It's just a matter of getting over the hump. If he does that, he's a surefire big leaguer -- and not only a big leaguer, he's an everyday player." -- Leyland, on outfielder Brent Clevlen

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

We could use more pitching. Hopefully this time is the charm

:ryan: catching? That'd be different I guess.

03/05/2008 7:51 PM ET
Notes: Bautista continues to impress
Right-hander making a case for a spot in the bullpen
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Denny Bautista insists he isn't trying to think about the window of opportunity in the Tigers bullpen. He's just trying to pitch.

So far, his pitching could be putting himself in position for an opportunity. It's still barely a week into Spring Training games, but with two hitless innings against the Phillies on Wednesday, the young, hard-throwing but well-traveled right-hander bumped his total to five scoreless innings on two hits for the spring. And in a Tigers bullpen that has looked like a battle of attrition at times, his performances are beginning to stand out a little.

"I don't worry about if they need guys in the bullpen," Bautista said. "I just want to go out there and throw my pitch for a strike, and get in and out. I feel good right now, so I just want to pay attention to what I have to do to get better on the staff.

"Everything is going well. Now, I have to keep going and do the same thing I did down in winter ball."

Bautista's previous two outings had come in the later innings of games, but he followed starter Justin Verlander on Wednesday to begin the fourth inning. Manager Jim Leyland wanted to see him work against more regulars, or at least more of the starting lineup that Philadelphia's split-squad presented.

The results were more of the same, with no ball leaving the infield in play. His knuckle-curveball was sharp, and his two-seamer caught Pat Burrell looking at a called third strike leading off the fifth. A two-out walk produced his only baserunner.

Most importantly, though, he spotted fastballs for strikes, continuing to solve the bugaboo that has followed him around his stops.

"He commanded the ball real well today," Leyland said. "He got to feeling good about himself and he got better. He's got to do that more often."

The improved location, Bautista said, comes after work with coaches on his delivery out of the stretch, raising his arm angle up. He worked exclusively out of the stretch Wednesday instead of using a windup.

"If I want to go inside, I go there," he said. "I won't miss. Right now, I feel very good about my fastball command."

To Leyland, the improvement is partly a matter of confidence.

"You can tell by his posturing and body language," Leyland said. "The more he was throwing, the more confidence he got. He felt real good about himself today and got in a good groove."

Without naming candidates, Leyland said earlier this week that he has about five pitchers competing for as little as one spot, depending on Fernando Rodney's health. Matt Mantei's retirement and Francisco Cruceta's visa problems have left two talented arms out of the picture.

A trade could change the situation, and with a glut of position players, there were indications the Tigers have at least had discussions with other clubs on those matters. Still, between an upper-90s mph fastball and sharp secondary stuff, there are few arms with as much raw talent as Bautista's, when he's on.

"They make the decision," Bautista said. "I just want to do my job. I don't want to worry about anything. Work with my stuff and see what happens."

Inge in center: After making his first start in center field Wednesday, Brandon Inge told Tigers legend Al Kaline he was amazed how many different perspectives there were on a baseball field.

This perspective was relatively easy. Inge had just two fly balls in nine innings, but he practiced reading the ball off the bat and setting up according to the pitcher. All in all, it was a low-stress afternoon.

"It's really common sense out there," he said. "It's almost like a golf game. Just figure out the elements and play them."

If Inge somehow isn't traded this spring, backing up Curtis Granderson could be among his duties when the season opens. He started 19 games there as Alex Sanchez's backup in 2004, and had a chance to become a regular there had the Tigers been able to sign a third baseman such as Troy Glaus off the free-agent market that winter.

Wilson update: Progress reports on backup catcher Vance Wilson in his rehab from Tommy John surgery are becoming sporadic, but with less than four weeks to go before Opening Day, Leyland is guarded about Wilson's chances without necessarily being optimistic.

"More than likely, Vance will not be ready by Opening Day, from what I've seen," Leyland said.

Up next: Former National League East foes Dontrelle Willis and Tom Glavine will match up on Thursday afternoon when the Tigers host the Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.