Austin Jackson is hitting .182 this spring, but much of it has been bad luck. (Robin Buckson/Detroit News)
Lakeland, Fla.— Pluses and minuses as the Tigers' spring training scorecard is tabulated:
Plus: Austin Jackson has been hammering the ball. Bullets to shortstop. Deep fly balls to the warning track. Drives up the gap.
Minus: Jackson is hitting .182. It's the most absurd .182 in modern Grapefruit League history. Almost every at-bat he rakes a pitch that somehow finds leather. Statistics and probability experts would offer an analytical term for Jackson's spring: weird.
Plus: Bruce Rondon had a decent outing Monday — two soft hits, a strikeout, a double-play grounder, no walks, good mix on his pitches.
Minus: A team's in trouble when, with a sense of relief, it cheers strikes and pitch variety from a guy who is supposed to close out ninth innings beginning in 20 days. More and more, it looks as if Rondon — if he goes north — could end up as a back-end guy who is gently moved into the closer's slot. The Tigers are asking a 22-year-old kid to take giant strides in a short time.
Plus: Miguel Cabrera, Omar Infante, and Anibal Sanchez are expected back in camp today after their sojourn in the World Baseball Classic.
Minus: None — for the Tigers. The Venezuela team got its tail kicked. But the WBC is about as popular with managers and front offices as day-night doubleheaders. Or, perhaps that was detected when the Tigers refused to let Sanchez pitch for his countrymen on short rest.
Plus: The Tigers have too many outfielders.
Minus: None, unless you're Jim Leyland, the Tigers manager, who must break the news as he simultaneously breaks hearts when the final roster is announced in 2-1/2 weeks. Jeff Kobernus and Don Kelly would today be your winners. Brennan Boesch and Quintin Berry are looking either at trades or tough odds as a "hairy" — Leyland's word — bid for jobs continues.
Plus: The Tigers have all but named Brayan Pena their backup catcher.
Minus: Bryan Holaday has played well enough to be Alex Avila's stand-in. Holaday is solid. Defends and throws well. Can get a base knock and drive the ball. He testifies to how lush the Tigers have become at a position that only a few years ago was an organizational desert.
Plus: Jhonny Peralta is fine.
Minus: Peralta needs to either watch more carefully what he eats or hire a food-taster. He is allergic to shellfish. He mistakenly ate clam chowder Monday. The only guy who had a more uncomfortable afternoon was Jordany Valdespin, the Mets player who was nearly emasculated by a 94-mph Justin Verlander fastball.
Plus: The Tigers are at last developing middle infielders.
Minus: They won't be ready when the current big league cast departs. Eugenio Suarez has a chance to be better than good but is two years from Comerica Park. Dixon Machado is stronger and could be in line for a bounce-back season as Detroit's better prospects get ready for their minor league assignments.
But nobody is knocking at the door, including second baseman Hernan Perez.
Plus: Leyland says he can live with a bullpen-closer committee if necessary.
Minus: It's like saying you can get by without a car. One way or another, yeah, you can probably get to a destination. But the stress and the occasional mess-ups make it an all-but-untenable situation.
Or, as Leyland put it, "It'll be a second-guesser's haven."
If the manager is forced to mix and match relievers to finish a game, Leyland before long will don a new Tigers uniform adornment: Kevlar.
The skipper's critics will be firing away with zeal.
twitter.com@Lynn_Henning
More Lynn Henning
- Justin Verlander can't be the Tigers' ace all the time
- Tigers may have no choice but to send down Alex Avila
- This is why the Tigers refused to dump Rick Porcello in a trade
- 10 players Tigers would love to have on draft day
- Miguel Cabrera blast more evidence Comerica needs added charm, less space
- Torii Hunter has ended Tigers’ right-field anxieties
- Heating-up Andy Dirks a prime example of when Tigers’ scouts shine
Join the Conversation
The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.