Detroit Tigers

When you think about it, there should be no wonder why the baseball closer has been known throughout history as being the one guy on the roster with a screw loose.

Justin Verlander is the best pitcher on the planet, and the Detroit Tigers should do everything they can to ensure that he never puts on another jersey.

The 29-year-old hurler was the Tigers' No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 amateur draft and made his major league debut just a year later on July 4, 2005.

Justin Verlander is one of the top pitchers in baseball, and the Detroit Tigers have to ensure that he spends his whole career in a Tigers uniform.

The Detroit Tigers have never had a player go into arbitration since Dave Dombrowski became the general manager in 2002, and they shouldn't start with Max Scherzer.

The Detroit Tigers have quietly hired baserunning consultant Jeff Cox to assist the Tigers on running the bases, attempting to give them an edge on their opponents.

Over the past few weeks, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Rick Porcello has become one of the two hottest trade candidates in MLB (the other being Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton). It appears that half of major league baseball is interested in him and rightfully so.

September baseball is all-or-nothing baseball. It is baseball that is played either in front of swelling crowds with palpable tension or in a cold ballpark sparsely dotted with paying customers where the peanut vendors are the loudest voices.

September baseball is either rich with meaning, where every pitch is hung on, or it’s merely an exercise of formality, played out because the schedule says so.

September baseball is either “must win” baseball or “must play,” nothing in between.

A report surfaced this morning out of Baltimore saying that the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles had discussions on a possible three-way trade with pitcher Rick Porcello and shortstop J.J. Hardy being part of the deal.

The Tigers rode their starting rotation to a Central Division title and an appearance in the World Series. The Tigers have insured they will have the same rotation (more or less) that pitched a great postseason for Detroit.

They do have several questions facing them for the 2013 season, can they stay healthy, can Porcello or Smyly take a hold of the fifth job, and can recently re-signed Anibal Sanchez pitch as well as he did down the stretch and in the playoffs.

The Detroit Tigers need to make a strong effort in attempting to sign closer Brian Wilson who is coming off Tommy John surgery but yet expected to be healthy by Opening Day according to Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports.

Source: Brian Wilson has been told by surgeon James Andrews that he will be cleared for spring training and ready by opening day.