Manager A.J. Hinch addresses the media for the first time in 2022 as the Tigers open their Spring Training camp. A wide variety of topics are discussed, including the potential of Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, the addition of Javy Lopez, the impact of coming rules changes, and which starting infielder popped into his office
Chuck King | Associated Press West Palm Beach, Fla. — Watching Houston’s run through the 2021 playoffs, Former Detroit Tiger and current Astros pitcher Justin Verlander considered lending a hand – an arm, actually – to the cause. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner had pitched in only one game since 2019, but his bullpen
Take a tour of Spencer Torkelson’s new digs in Arizona, plus a day out with the boys, as Tork and his friends head back to campus before working on their swings at Topgolf.
LAKELAND, Fla. — Spencer Torkelson stood near first base. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick was the only first baseman present — no Miguel Cabrera in sight — as the Detroit Tigers went through infield drills Sunday on MLB’s mandatory report date for spring training. Third baseman Jeimer Candelario took ground balls at the hot corner,
LAKELAND, Fla. — From the moment Javier Báez stepped onto the back fields at Tigertown for the first time Sunday morning, he wasn’t difficult to spot. His orange spikes stood out from the rest of the Tigers’ infielders on the dirt taking ground balls, a pair of bright feet that shined in the early morning
The resolution of baseball’s near labor crisis means that MLB teams can transition from minor league minicamps to full spring activities with the major league team. For the Detroit Tigers, full workouts begin on Monday, with the abbreviated Grapefruit League season beginning on Friday, March 18 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Accompanying that transition is the
LAKELAND, Fla. — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stated the obvious with his first public words of Spring Training. “I’m thrilled that we’re here,” he said Sunday morning. With Major League camp underway, Hinch has his team together. Now comes the challenge of getting it ready while general manager Al Avila tries to supplement it with
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario darted into manager AJ Hinch’s office. Candelario, the back-to-back Tiger of the Year, wrapped his arms around his skipper and embraced him with a hug. They hadn’t seen each other since the 2021 season ended in Chicago. “Last year, there was a little more tip-toeing,” said
Lakeland, Fla. — It was an optional workday Sunday morning, but even with decidedly un-Florida like temperatures struggling to get to 40 degrees, most of the infielders were on the short field outside the clubhouse at TigerTown taking several rounds of ground balls from manager AJ Hinch and infield coach Ramon Santiago. Most of the faces
Lakeland, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera was all smiles as he walked toward the indoor batting cages on the back fields of Joker Marchant Stadium on Sunday. “It’s been a long offseason,” he said. “Thank God we are here. It’s time to go.” It’s been a minute since Cabrera could talk about the Tigers having a chance
LAKELAND, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera had to take a peek. The 39-year-old MLB veteran was chatting up his teammates inside the Detroit Tigers‘ clubhouse. He slowly opened the door and looked outside, then went back into hiding. He repeated the antics again and again. A few minutes later, he burst out into the open. “Good morning,” Cabrera
After months of acrimony and little progress, MLB owners and the MLBPA union finally agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement late last week. While the most basic result is simply that we finally have major league baseball again, with a wild combination of free agency, spring training, and logistical madness, there are plenty of
For the Detroit Tigers front office the big news in baseball has given it a chance to wash away the stench of the bad PR brought on the organization during the owner’s lockout. It’s now nut cuttin’ time in Detroit.
Alex Avila couldn’t shake his emotions before the final game of his career. Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez put the 13-year MLB veteran, who spent eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers, into the starting lineup for the 2021 season finale. He caught Joan Adon, a 23-year-old prospect from the Dominican Republic making his MLB debut. In the clubhouse, Martinez
LAKELAND, Fla. — Baseball is back. And Ben Verlander was doing the happy dance. Verlander, younger brother to Justin Verlander, was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in California, bopping his head to the music, singing along with John Fogerty’s classic baseball song, “Centerfield”: Verlander was smiling so hard he looked like his face was
After a few months in limbo, Jordan Lyles’ one-year contract with the Orioles finally became official today. The righty reached an agreement with the O’s just hours before the lockout halted all offseason business, and thus Lyles wasn’t able to get a physical and fully finalize his new contract. Lyles will receive $7MM in guaranteed
Catching up on some of the minor league signings on a busy day of transactions… The Tigers signed righty Miguel Diaz to a minor league deal, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). Diaz will be invited to the club’s MLB Spring Training camp, and he’ll earn $800K if he makes Detroit’s big league roster.
LAKELAND, Fla. — Six of MLB Pipeline’s top 10 Tigers prospects will be part of Major League camp as non-roster invites. The Tigers announced 17 invites on Saturday just ahead of reporting day on Sunday. Another Tigers signing, reliever Miguel Diaz, will receive a non-roster invite once his Minor League contract becomes official. The Tigers
Well, the first two days of free agency didn’t see the Detroit Tigers do anything of note. The top starting pitchers were quickly snatched up, leading us to argue for a focus on relievers, with a collection of depth starters for the fifth spot in the rotation and insurance at Triple-A. However, the Tigers did
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers have added to the reliever pool for spring training. Right-handed reliever Miguel Diaz signed a minor-league contract Saturday, sources with knowledge of the agreement told the Free Press. The 27-year-old received an invitation to MLB spring training and will earn $800,000 if he makes the big-league team. THE LATEST: Could Tigers stand pat