Tigers' Active Roster

The big question, now that we have Papa Grande (Valverde), who comes off the 40 man roster??

STILL 41 LISTED...

Larish outrighted to Triple-A Toledo
Move necessitated to make room for Valverde

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

01/25/10 12:55 PM EST

DETROIT -- Jeff Larish was a left-handed power hitter that the Tigers didn't want to trade last winter, not even for a closer. A year later, the slugging corner infielder is headed off the roster to make room for a closer.

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Tigers have to make tough calls on their roster
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 11/17/11 7:11 PM EST

DETROIT -- The Tigers came within two wins of the World Series in 2011. They will return the vast majority of their roster next year to make another run at it. Teams that good, with that much talent coming back, usually don't have to worry about the last spots on their 40-man roster.

With the Tigers, though, it's usually not that easy. Between injuries and role players, they tend to use a lot of that roster, with prospects and Minor League tools players alike. As they prepare to head into next month's Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft, the club has to decide how to use those final spots.

Of the 42 players on the roster and disabled list at season's end, all but five spent part of the season in Detroit. The exceptions were Cale Iorg, Jose Ortega, Ryan Strieby, Clete Thomas and Joel Zumaya, and Zumaya would have been up had he been healthy. Even in a year when the Tigers didn't have as many injuries as in recent seasons, depth was critical.

Andy Dirks earned a spot on the 40-man roster last fall, which earned him a chance to make an impression in Spring Training, which earned him a chance in Detroit as a fill-in player. Luis Marte made it from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo to Detroit over the course of the summer after making the roster last fall. A Major League contract and a 40-man roster spot was the difference in signing Al Alburquerque, who became a godsend for the Tigers' bullpen at midseason.

In short, the decisions made in November make a difference in who might come up to help. They also make a difference in who might be available for other teams to grab at the Winter Meetings.

Teams have to decide after four or five pro seasons -- the difference depends on whether a player was signed before or after age 19 -- whether to put a Minor League player on the 40-man roster, or else he's available to other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft. Detroit hasn't lost anybody since the O's plucked reliever Randor Bierd after the 2007 season. Whether the Tigers could lose anyone this year is questionable at best, but they have some intriguing cases to decide.

They have to determine whether Casey Crosby's healthiest season as a pro is enough reason to protect him. They have to project whether 26-year-old Brandon Douglas has a Major League future after riding the learning curve at Double-A Erie. They have to figure out where once-promising reliever Cody Satterwhite stands after a long rehab road from labrum surgery in his right shoulder. And they have to make projections on pitchers Matt Hoffman, Jay Voss and Tyler Stohr.

With the 40-man roster currently at 34, the Tigers have the roster space to decide yes on a lot of guys. They can't do it on everybody, especially with at least a couple of those spots likely to stay open for free-agent signings or trades. They have to decide by Friday's deadline, both whom to keep and whom to possibly take off.

Crosby would seem to be the easiest choice to add to the roster. Four-plus years after he was a steal for the Tigers in the same Draft as Rick Porcello, the big, high-strikeout left-hander is back to showing promise on the mound, both with a solid year in Erie's rotation and an effectively wild stint in the Arizona Fall League. At age 23, he could be ready for a midseason callup, either as a starter or as part of the bullpen.

Hoffman has never cracked the organizational top prospect lists, but the lefty reliever, who turns 23 on Friday, is coming off essentially a full season at Triple-A Toledo with some solid numbers.

The same Erie rotation that hosted Crosby's big season saw the surprising emergence of Voss, best known as the prospect the Tigers received from Florida in the Nate Robertson trade two years ago. After being converted exclusively to a starter, the big lefty put up some stingy stats, enough to likely make him worth another look.

Douglas was once considered a second baseman to watch in the system, and might still see the big leagues. With his combination of power and speed, he's still a somebody to watch in an organization that lacks a second baseman of the future. But at age 26, it has to happen soon. The same goes for Justin Henry, who added outfield versatility to his middle-infield work this year and jumped his batting average to .314 between Erie and Toledo.

Stohr showed middle relief potential at Lakeland and Erie, but still has to face hitters in the upper levels. He had a decent Arizona Fall League stint going until a rough finale that saw him give up four runs on a hit and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.

Ben Guez has proven to be one of the more useful outfielders in the Tigers' system, playing 95 games with the Mud Hens with respectable all-around numbers this year. But without a standout category, it's uncertain whether that's enough to get him on the roster and make him the next outfielder in line for a call.

Then there's Gustavo Nunez, once touted as a shortstop to watch after a stellar 2009 season at Class A West Michigan. His offense dipped dramatically the next season at Lakeland, but he recovered well this year to post decent numbers at Lakeland and Erie. He's one of the better base stealers the system has, and at age 23, he still has room for growth in a system needing strong middle infielders.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Detroit adds five prospects to 40-man roster
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 11/18/11 3:30 PM EST

DETROIT -- Five years after Casey Crosby was a prize of the Tigers' 2007 First-Year Player Draft, he'll get his first shot at big league camp as a healthy, effective, power left-handed pitcher. A few other prospects will also get a chance to make an impact at some point soon.

The Tigers set their 40-man roster ahead of Friday's deadline for protecting prospects from the Rule 5 Draft, and they did it with a mix of talent. Crosby and fellow lefty Matt Hoffman join right-hander Tyler Stohr, outfielder Avisail Garcia and infielder Hernan Perez in having their contracts purchased from their respective Minor League teams from last season.

On the flip side, former Tigers infield prospect Cale Iorg was removed from the roster, his contract outrighted to Triple-A Toledo. Add in Friday's signing of Gerald Laird, and the moves put Detroit's 40-man roster at 39 players heading into next month's Winter Meetings, giving the team room for a free-agent signing, a trade acquisition or a Rule 5 Draft selection.

All five players added had to be put on the roster to be protected from December's Rule 5 Draft, which allows teams a chance to pluck prospects from other organizations. Players become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft after being in an organization for four years if they signed at age 19 or older, or five if they signed at age 18 or younger, unless they're placed on the 40-man roster.

Crosby and Hoffman were both selected out of high school in 2007, part of the same Tigers draft that produced Rick Porcello, Danny Worth and Charlie Furbush. Crosby was a fifth-round pick regarded as a potential first- or second-round talent, whom Detroit enticed out of a football scholarship to the University of Illinois.

He has pitched in just 55 games since (all of them starts), thanks to Tommy John surgery in 2007 and arm problems in 2010. But Crosby's 25 starts in '11 at Double-A Erie were encouraging and indicated that he might just be on his way back, as he produced a 9-7 record and 4.10 ERA for the SeaWolves, striking out 121 batters over 131 2/3 innings.

Crosby, rated the Tigers' No. 4 prospect, was effectively wild pitching in relief in the Arizona Fall League. With his roster spot in Spring Training sealed, he could get a chance to join the scrum competing for the fifth spot in the Tigers' rotation, or he could compete for a bullpen spot.

If it's the latter, Crosby may be competing alongside the 23-year-old Hoffman, who adjusted to Triple-A hitting as the season went on for a quietly effective season. By taking a little off his mid-90s fastball, Hoffman reduced his walk and hit rates by quite a bit. He went 2-5 with a 3.12 ERA with the Mud Hens, allowing 60 hits over 62 1/3 innings with 23 walks and 46 strikeouts.

Stohr went in the sixth round of the 2008 Draft. The 25-year-old made it to Double-A Erie for a late-season stint as the SeaWolves' closer, saving three games to finish up the year with a 1-2 record and 3.79 ERA. He allowed 46 hits over 57 innings with 25 walks and 50 strikeouts.

Garcia and Perez are both highly-regarded prospects at age 20 and are still in Class A ball, but since they signed as teenagers in 2007, both had to be protected. Garcia, Detroit's No. 7 prospect, was a non-roster invite to last year's Spring Training before staying in Lakeland for a full season of Class A Advanced ball. He batted .264 in 129 games with 16 doubles, six triples, 11 homers, 56 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Garcia's 132 strikeouts were a concern, but the athletic talent remains for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Venezuelan, who's 3-for-10 in the Venezuelan Winter League while playing for his hometown Anzotegui Caribes.

Perez's second season at Class A West Michigan was enough to earn him some strong reviews in the organization as a potential option down the road at second base. He batted .258 for the Whitecaps with 23 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 42 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 29 attempts. Perez followed that up with an impressive stint in the Arizona Fall League, batting .302 (19-for-63) with six doubles and nine RBIs against largely older, more experienced prospects.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Detroit Tigers 40-Man Roster
11/18/2011

#	Pitchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
62	Al Alburquerque	R-R	6'0"	195	Jun 10, 1986
64	Duane Below	L-L	6'3"	220	Nov 15, 1985
53	Joaquin Benoit	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 26, 1977
40	Phil Coke	L-L	6'1"	210	Jul 19, 1982
	Casey Crosby	R-L	6'5"	200	Sep 17, 1988
58	Doug Fister	L-R	6'8"	210	Feb 4, 1984
	Matt Hoffman	L-L	6'2"	195	Nov 18, 1988
49	Luis Marte	R-R	5'11"	200	Aug 26, 1986
43	Andrew Oliver	L-L	6'3"	210	Dec 3, 1987
56	Jose Ortega	R-R	5'11"	185	Oct 12, 1988
34	David Pauley	R-R	6'2"	215	Jun 17, 1983
45	Ryan Perry	R-R	6'4"	200	Feb 13, 1987
48	Rick Porcello	R-R	6'5"	200	Dec 27, 1988
37	Max Scherzer	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 27, 1984
55	Daniel Schlereth	L-L	6'0"	200	May 9, 1986
	Tyler Stohr	L-R	6'2"	210	Sep 19, 1986
50	Jacob Turner	R-R	6'5"	210	May 21, 1991
46	Jose Valverde	R-R	6'4"	255	Mar 24, 1978
35	Justin Verlander	R-R	6'5"	225	Feb 20, 1983
60	Brayan Villarreal	R-R	6'0"	170	May 10, 1987
58	Adam Wilk	L-L	6'2"	180	Dec 9, 1987

#	Catchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
13	Alex Avila	L-R	5'11"	210	Jan 29, 1987
	Gerald Laird	R-R	6'1"	225	Nov 13, 1979
41	Victor Martinez	S-R	6'2"	210	Dec 23, 1978

#	Infielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
24	Miguel Cabrera	R-R	6'4"	240	Apr 18, 1983
15	Brandon Inge	R-R	5'11"	190	May 19, 1977
27	Jhonny Peralta	R-R	6'2"	215	May 28, 1982
	Hernan Perez	R-R	6'0"	160	Mar 26, 1991
28	Will Rhymes	L-R	5'9"	155	Apr 1, 1983
33	Ryan Strieby	R-R	6'5"	235	Aug 9, 1985
29	Danny Worth	R-R	6'1"	185	Sep 30, 1985

#	Outfielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
26	Brennan Boesch	L-L	6'4"	235	Apr 12, 1985
12	Andy Dirks	L-L	6'0"	195	Jan 24, 1986
	Avisail Garcia	R-R	6'4"	230	Jun 12, 1991
14	Austin Jackson	R-R	6'1"	185	Feb 1, 1987
32	Don Kelly	L-R	6'4"	190	Feb 15, 1980
25	Ryan Raburn	R-R	6'0"	185	Apr 17, 1981
34	Clete Thomas	L-R	5'11"	195	Nov 14, 1983
21	Delmon Young	R-R	6'3"	200	Sep 14, 1985

Detroit Tigers Active Roster 4/27/2012

#	Pitchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
31	Collin Balester	R-R	6'5"	200	Jun 6, 1986
64	Duane Below	L-L	6'3"	220	Nov 15, 1985
53	Joaquin Benoit	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 26, 1977
40	Phil Coke	L-L	6'1"	210	Jul 19, 1982
20	Octavio Dotel	R-R	6'0"	230	Nov 25, 1973
48	Rick Porcello	R-R	6'5"	200	Dec 27, 1988
36	Luke Putkonen	R-R	6'6"	200	May 10, 1986
37	Max Scherzer	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 27, 1984
33	Drew Smyly	L-L	6'3"	190	Jun 13, 1989
46	Jose Valverde	R-R	6'4"	255	Mar 24, 1978
35	Justin Verlander	R-R	6'5"	225	Feb 20, 1983
60	Brayan Villarreal	R-R	6'0"	170	May 10, 1987
#	Catchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
13	Alex Avila	L-R	5'11"	210	Jan 29, 1987
9	Gerald Laird	R-R	6'1"	225	Nov 13, 1979
#	Infielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
24	Miguel Cabrera	R-R	6'4"	240	Apr 18, 1983
	Brad Eldred	R-R	6'6"	270	Jul 12, 1980
28	Prince Fielder	L-R	5'11"	275	May 9, 1984
27	Jhonny Peralta	R-R	6'2"	215	May 28, 1982
39	Ramon Santiago	S-R	5'11"	175	Aug 31, 1979
#	Outfielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
26	Brennan Boesch	L-L	6'4"	235	Apr 12, 1985
12	Andy Dirks	L-L	6'0"	195	Jan 24, 1986
14	Austin Jackson	R-R	6'1"	185	Feb 1, 1987
32	Don Kelly	L-R	6'4"	190	Feb 15, 1980
25	Ryan Raburn	R-R	6'0"	185	Apr 17, 1981
21	Delmon Young	R-R	6'3"	240	Sep 14, 1985

Detroit Tigers Active Roster
08.18.2013

#	Pitchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
62	Al Alburquerque	R-R	6'0"	195	Jun 10, 1986
53	Joaquin Benoit	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 26, 1977
38	Jeremy Bonderman	R-R	6'0"	220	Oct 28, 1982
40	Phil Coke	L-L	6'1"	210	Jul 19, 1982
58	Doug Fister	L-R	6'8"	210	Feb 4, 1984
21	Rick Porcello	R-R	6'5"	200	Dec 27, 1988
43	Bruce Rondon	R-R	6'3"	275	Dec 9, 1990
19	Anibal Sanchez	R-R	6'0"	205	Feb 27, 1984
37	Max Scherzer	R-R	6'3"	220	Jul 27, 1984
33	Drew Smyly	L-L	6'3"	190	Jun 13, 1989
31	Jose Veras	R-R	6'6"	240	Oct 20, 1980
35	Justin Verlander	R-R	6'5"	225	Feb 20, 1983
#	Catchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
50	Bryan Holaday	R-R	6'0"	205	Nov 19, 1987
55	Brayan Pena	S-R	5'9"	230	Jan 7, 1982
#	Infielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
24	Miguel Cabrera	R-R	6'4"	240	Apr 18, 1983
28	Prince Fielder	L-R	5'11"	275	May 9, 1984
1	Jose Iglesias	R-R	5'11"	185	Jan 5, 1990
4	Omar Infante	R-R	5'11"	195	Dec 26, 1981
39	Ramon Santiago	S-R	5'11"	175	Aug 31, 1979
#	Outfielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
12	Andy Dirks	L-L	6'0"	195	Jan 24, 1986
48	Torii Hunter	R-R	6'2"	225	Jul 18, 1975
14	Austin Jackson	R-R	6'1"	185	Feb 1, 1987
32	Don Kelly	L-R	6'4"	190	Feb 15, 1980
18	Matt Tuiasosopo	R-R	6'2"	225	May 10, 1986
#	Designated Hitter	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
41	Victor Martinez	S-R	6'2"	210	Dec 23, 1978