Detroit Tigers

Heading into spring training, the heavy favorite to close for the Detroit Tigers in 2013 was rookie Bruce Rondon.

Fans and media alike were speculating if Rondon could handle the pressure of closing for a World Series contender. When Rondon began spring training by throwing five walks in 3.2 innings and sporting a 7.36 earned run average in four appearances, several people wrote off Rondon as a candidate for closer.

The Bruce Rondon era for the Detroit Tigers is on hold.

Earlier in spring training, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland spoke about his surprise that last year's closer Jose Valverde is still a free agent. According to Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press:

Rookie closer Bruce Rondon entered spring training as the heavy favorite to become the Detroit Tigers' closer in 2013. After three appearances so far, Rondon is what most thought he would be. He has an overpowering fastball, control issues and needs to incorporate more breaking balls.

The voice would sometimes be hushed, even barely over a whisper. But there was no discounting its sincerity, or its candor.

The slew of microphones would be jabbed into the face of the speaker, and even inches away from his mouth, the words were difficult to pick up.

They were the E.F. Hutton of athletes in Detroit. You remember the commercials.

While the Detroit Tigers' pitching staff was successful in 2012, the bullpen was average at best. Their ERA of 3.79 was only the 10th best in the American League out of 14 teams. The starters helped carry the Tigers' pitching staff, as the back end of the bullpen had the worst ERA of any AL team from the eighth inning on, with 4.07. 

I believe that the pitching staff will have an overall better year in 2013. 

Major League Baseball went 46 seasons between batting Triple Crown winners.

Miguel Cabrera took the honor last year and was the first player to lead the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs since Carl Yastrzemski did the trick in 1967 with the Boston Red Sox.

Leading up to the 2013 season, I'm going to write player profiles about key members of the Detroit Tigers. This is the fourth installment, featuring setup man Joaquin Benoit.

In nine full MLB seasons, Victor Martinez has been selected as an All-Star four times.

Playing for the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox and now for the Detroit Tigers, Martinez has been a key member for each team he has suited up for and proven himself as one of the most feared switch-hitters in the game today.

One of the big question marks for the Detroit Tigers heading in to the 2013 season is exactly what role Rick Porcello will have with the team—if he is even still with the Tigers when the season starts.

The Tigers have tried the entire offseason to unload the 24-year-old pitcher, but have yet to hear an offer they are willing to take.