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DETROIT -- It's not quite a matter of what's next with the Tigers, not while Kenny Rogers remains a free agent. Yet as the Tigers prepare to head to baseball's Winter Meetings with most of their offseason needs filled, Detroit would like to be tying up loose ends when it gets there, especially the one in the bullpen.
While Detroit's shortstop needs were filled the day after the World Series, and Todd Jones is back at closer, the long-running saga of Rogers and the Tigers seems to have reached the point where the ending is predictable. When Rogers dismissed Scott Boras as his agent and decided to represent himself in negotiations, it was seen as the precursor to a contract with Detroit, especially since Rogers reiterated a day earlier that he hoped to return to the Tigers.
Yet after the adventure of the past month, when Boras surprised the club by saying that Rogers would test the open market and Rogers entertained the idea of returning to the Rangers, Detroit isn't taking anything for granted.
"That would be our No. 1 desire," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said of re-signing Rogers, "but we also can't count on that."
If Rogers is signed by the time Detroit's front-office group lands in Nashville, the Tigers could have a relatively short to-do list while they're there. If there's no deal yet, they'll have to spend at least part of their time taking care of that and keeping their options open, even while it looks increasingly unlikely that Rogers will pitch anywhere else.
The Tigers have made limited contact with agents for other free-agent pitchers, a list that includes Carlos Silva and reportedly Livan Hernandez as well. More likely than not, however, that won't be needed. If/when the Tigers sign Rogers, they're not expected to pursue another starter.
More than anything, the Tigers want one veteran starter who can shore up an otherwise young rotation that has had its battles with inconsistencies. Justin Verlander has put up 17 wins in both of his full Major League seasons, and his strong finish last year has set the tone for what could be a Cy Young campaign in 2008 if he continues his track of progression. In terms of pure stuff, he's unquestionably Detroit's staff ace, but the Tigers don't want to put the full pressure of such a role upon someone who will turn 25 next February.
Jeremy Bonderman, who started last Opening Day for Detroit, is barely older than Verlander, and he's coming off a fast-start, slow-finish season that included a sore elbow that Bonderman tried to pitch through down the stretch. Nate Robertson is the only 30-year-old starter currently with a rotation spot, but his ERA jumped by nearly a full run this year in a season that included a stint on the disabled list to rest a tired arm.
The Tigers are comfortable leaving their final rotation spot up to a Spring Training competition that will include Andrew Miller, the lanky young lefty whose delivery tweaks are hoped to give him more consistency in his command.
Considering the Tigers led the Majors in starting ERA when they went to the World Series in 2006, then fell back in the pack along with in the overall standings in 2007, Dombrowski has good reason to put his starting situation at the front of his attention.
"We'll kind of wait and we'll see," Dombrowski said. "We're in a position where we're constantly looking at our bullpen, but I think our first and foremost priority will be starting pitching. Our positional players are pretty well set, so that's not an area where we're looking at."
Unlike the rotation, the bullpen wasn't an area the Tigers had to emphasize during their organizational meetings and into the offseason until Joel Zumaya underwent right shoulder surgery in November, knocking him out of action until at least next July.
They won't be able to replace Zumaya, not at his fastball-firing form anyway, but they can add the depth at setup that they lacked at times last summer while Zumaya was on the disabled list with a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger. Jose Mesa, signed by the Tigers soon after last year's Winter Meetings, didn't work out and was released in June.
That kind of mistake likely won't be repeated, but the Tigers have traditionally been reluctant to sign setup and middle relievers to multi-year contracts off the open market. It might well take a long-term deal to snag a quality bullpen arm, which could give the Tigers some initiative in what are expected to be active trade talks across many teams next week.
"It's been a more active trade market all winter," Dombrowski said, "so I would expect that to continue. It seems like anytime you get into meetings like that, it makes conversations easier. There have been some big names discussed from what's been in the paper. I think it will be an active time."
How fast they can work out something with Rogers will probably be the key to how active the Tigers are, but there's little chance they'll be quiet.
"You're willing to talk to people. You see what ends up happening," Dombrowski said. "I don't think it's ever quiet. We'll be prepared."
While Detroit's shortstop needs were filled the day after the World Series, and Todd Jones is back at closer, the long-running saga of Rogers and the Tigers seems to have reached the point where the ending is predictable. When Rogers dismissed Scott Boras as his agent and decided to represent himself in negotiations, it was seen as the precursor to a contract with Detroit, especially since Rogers reiterated a day earlier that he hoped to return to the Tigers.
Yet after the adventure of the past month, when Boras surprised the club by saying that Rogers would test the open market and Rogers entertained the idea of returning to the Rangers, Detroit isn't taking anything for granted.
"That would be our No. 1 desire," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said of re-signing Rogers, "but we also can't count on that."
If Rogers is signed by the time Detroit's front-office group lands in Nashville, the Tigers could have a relatively short to-do list while they're there. If there's no deal yet, they'll have to spend at least part of their time taking care of that and keeping their options open, even while it looks increasingly unlikely that Rogers will pitch anywhere else.
The Tigers have made limited contact with agents for other free-agent pitchers, a list that includes Carlos Silva and reportedly Livan Hernandez as well. More likely than not, however, that won't be needed. If/when the Tigers sign Rogers, they're not expected to pursue another starter.
More than anything, the Tigers want one veteran starter who can shore up an otherwise young rotation that has had its battles with inconsistencies. Justin Verlander has put up 17 wins in both of his full Major League seasons, and his strong finish last year has set the tone for what could be a Cy Young campaign in 2008 if he continues his track of progression. In terms of pure stuff, he's unquestionably Detroit's staff ace, but the Tigers don't want to put the full pressure of such a role upon someone who will turn 25 next February.
Jeremy Bonderman, who started last Opening Day for Detroit, is barely older than Verlander, and he's coming off a fast-start, slow-finish season that included a sore elbow that Bonderman tried to pitch through down the stretch. Nate Robertson is the only 30-year-old starter currently with a rotation spot, but his ERA jumped by nearly a full run this year in a season that included a stint on the disabled list to rest a tired arm.
The Tigers are comfortable leaving their final rotation spot up to a Spring Training competition that will include Andrew Miller, the lanky young lefty whose delivery tweaks are hoped to give him more consistency in his command.
Considering the Tigers led the Majors in starting ERA when they went to the World Series in 2006, then fell back in the pack along with in the overall standings in 2007, Dombrowski has good reason to put his starting situation at the front of his attention.
"We'll kind of wait and we'll see," Dombrowski said. "We're in a position where we're constantly looking at our bullpen, but I think our first and foremost priority will be starting pitching. Our positional players are pretty well set, so that's not an area where we're looking at."
Unlike the rotation, the bullpen wasn't an area the Tigers had to emphasize during their organizational meetings and into the offseason until Joel Zumaya underwent right shoulder surgery in November, knocking him out of action until at least next July.
They won't be able to replace Zumaya, not at his fastball-firing form anyway, but they can add the depth at setup that they lacked at times last summer while Zumaya was on the disabled list with a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger. Jose Mesa, signed by the Tigers soon after last year's Winter Meetings, didn't work out and was released in June.
That kind of mistake likely won't be repeated, but the Tigers have traditionally been reluctant to sign setup and middle relievers to multi-year contracts off the open market. It might well take a long-term deal to snag a quality bullpen arm, which could give the Tigers some initiative in what are expected to be active trade talks across many teams next week.
"It's been a more active trade market all winter," Dombrowski said, "so I would expect that to continue. It seems like anytime you get into meetings like that, it makes conversations easier. There have been some big names discussed from what's been in the paper. I think it will be an active time."
How fast they can work out something with Rogers will probably be the key to how active the Tigers are, but there's little chance they'll be quiet.
"You're willing to talk to people. You see what ends up happening," Dombrowski said. "I don't think it's ever quiet. We'll be prepared."
