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Detroit Tigers Clips

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Detroit Free Press

Seidel: Kinsler bugged by butterflies as pressure mounts (Seidel)

Tigers' JaCoby Jones wants to ‘move on’ from suspension (Fenech)

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera: 'I feel the difference' (Fenech) Tigers sign former Brewers 3B Casey McGehee (Fenech)

The Detroit News

Tigers prospect Cam Gibson is chip off old block (Henning)

Kinsler bent on chasing the butterflies, bad taste from 2015 (McCosky)

Cabrera feels increased leg strength after healthy offseason (McCosky)

Tigers sign veteran IF Casey McGehee (McCosky)

MLive.com

Miguel Cabrera healthy, happy to get started on new season (Iott)

Detroit Tigers bring sense of urgency to first full workout of spring: 'It starts today' (Iott)

Detroit Tigers sign infielder Casey McGehee to minor league deal (Iott)

Detroit Tigers prospect Joe Jimenez brings power arm, love of closing to spring training (Iott)

MLB.com

V-Mart looks good taking important swings (Beck)

Spring in his step: Miggy energizes camp (Beck)

Tigers, McGehee agree on Minors deal (Beck)

Associated Press

Miguel Cabrera hoping to play a full season (Trister)

ESPN.com Tigers' Ian Kinsler: 'This is not another spring training' (Strang)

Healthy Miguel Cabrera aiming to play 160 games in 2016 (Strang)

Tigers sign third baseman Casey McGehee to minor-league deal (Strang)

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Oakland Press

Tigers add depth by signing veteran 3B Casey McGehee to minor-league deal (Mowery)

Pat Caputo - Detroit Tigers, player development and why there is light at end of tunnel (Caputo)

Daily Transactions

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Seidel: Kinsler bugged by butterflies as pressure mounts

February 24, 2016

By Jeff Seidel/ Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla. – Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler had butterflies in his stomach as he flew from

Dallas to Florida for the start of spring training.

“I was literally on the airplane, trying to breathe to get rid of butterflies,” Kinsler said Tuesday morning before

the first full-squad practice. “I couldn’t get rid of them.”

Some of it was nerves: Did he do enough to prepare? Did he work hard enough? “That’s always in the back of

your mind, regardless of how hard you worked,” he said.

And some of it was fear of being “the weak link” on this team. “The expectations in this locker room are huge,

and I’m a big part of this team,” he said. “You always have doubt. You always have to prove yourself, no

matter how long you have been playing.”

And some of it was excitement, even as he enters his 11th season.

Kinsler texted his wife: “I have butterflies. I can’t get rid of them. I don’t know what’s going on.”

She texted back: “You still love the game. That’s good.”

True. It’s actually a great sign.

But maybe those butterflies are a direct result of last year’s failure of a season. A bad case of indigestion.

“I still have a bad taste in my mouth about last year,” Kinsler said. “That might have something to do with why

I was so nervous. I haven’t played a season like that in my career, really.”

That says all you need to know about the Tigers’ mind-set entering this spring training.

“This is not another spring training,” Kinsler said. “This is an important spring training after last year. All of the

players that we have acquired, we need to come together. We have a month and a half to do it, to get prepared

for the season, and it starts today.”

Team built to win now

On Tuesday morning, as the Tigers went through their first practice on a back field at Tiger Town, everybody

looked healthy and ready. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez were playing catch, laughing and in high spirits

as always. But the pressure was just under the surface. This is an aging team that is built to win now. Nothing

else is acceptable.

“People forget, really fast, about the success of this organization and the players who play on the field,” Kinsler

said. “Yeah, I think you could say there is a little more pressure this year, a little more urgency.”

There are plenty of new faces. The bullpen is stronger than last year. And the offense has the potential to be

special. But what about the starting pitching? To me, it’s filled with question marks. Will Justin Verlander pitch

like he did at the end of last year? Will Anibal Sanchez stay healthy? And what about Jordan Zimmermann? His

velocity dipped last year, and he had a 3.66 ERA, his worst in the past five seasons.

Personally, at some point this year, I expect to see Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer in the rotation — Norris

from the start.

“Jordan Zimmermann was huge for us,” Kinsler said. “The guys that we acquired, obviously, are going to help

us. They are really good people. They are good guys in the clubhouse. And it’s going to help the feel of this

team through the whole season. It’s not just the talent they bring. Statistics can’t measure a warm smile, you

know?”

But everything will have to fall into place perfectly for the Tigers to win the American League Central.

“I would say it’s the best division in baseball,” Kinsler said. “Obviously, you have the World Series champions

(Kansas City Royals). Everything goes through them. You have to beat them, you have to show that you can

overtake them. It’s their crown.”

In the end, maybe those butterflies came from the pressure. The Tigers have a $195-million payroll. So you

can’t fault owner Mike Ilitch. He spent the money, again, to make this team a contender.

And if they squander that payroll, if this is a .500 club as some predict, it will be a horrible failure of a season.

Another one.

And that’s enough to give anybody butterflies.

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Tigers' JaCoby Jones wants to ‘move on’ from suspension February 24, 2016

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla. – It was disappointing, JaCoby Jones said. Embarrassing, even.

And when he was suspended last fall for a second violation of Major League Baseball’s joint drug prevention

and treatment policy for a “drug of abuse,” the Detroit Tigers’ prospect didn’t think there was any chance he

would get invited to major league camp.

But there he was Tuesday, cramped in the back of the clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium, looking forward to

the future.

“I told myself to just move on from it and just focus on my career and try not to do anything like that to

jeopardize my career ever again,” Jones said. “It’s been good so far, it’s put in the past, and I’m just ready to get

the spring going and get ready to play ball.”

Jones, 23, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline last season for right-handed reliever

Joakim Soria. He hit .257 with 16 home runs and 80 RBIs last season in the minor leagues. He served 12 games

of his 50-game suspension in the Arizona Fall League.

Asked to describe himself as a player, Jones said: “A competitor. I want to win. I hate losing at a game of

checkers.”

The LSU product has played shortstop during his time in the minors but likely won’t play there if he reaches the

big leagues. He has the ability to play multiple positions, has taken ground balls at shortstop this spring and

likely will see time at second base, third base and centerfield, but he doesn’t mind moving around.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m just excited to play. Wherever they put me, I’ll be happy to be.”

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Tigers' Miguel Cabrera: 'I feel the difference' February 24, 2016

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla. -- It was Christmas Day when J.D. Martinez texted Miguel Cabrera from the gym,

wondering where he was.

“I got kids,” Cabrera recalled saying. “He’s got all day to do whatever he wants.”

But this off-season, for the first time in three years because of various surgeries, the Detroit Tigers’ first

baseman physically was able to do whatever he wanted. Early on, he was working out in the Florida sun,

pushing weights, running and conditioning.

Cabrera reported to spring training Monday and talked with reporters this morning about his off-season, which

included meeting soccer star Lionel Messi in Barcelona.

“I feel the difference,” he said. “I can use my back leg more and, also, I can stay more back. Hopefully, I can

drive the ball more in the gap. My legs are in shape."

The biggest key, he said, was being able to run from the outset.

“I got in good condition and I was able to be outside, to do everything they asked me to do,” Cabrera said. “I

worked on my legs so I don’t be hurt during the season. … I think the main thing is to get on the field and get in

condition and try to get the legs in shape.”

Cabrera’s presence was felt on the backfields throughout workouts, from the playful banter with teammates to

yelling field to field to that swing spraying rockets all around in a short batting practice session.

“I think when you have a player of Miggy’s caliber, a lot of the young guys kind of look up with gaping jaws,”

manager Brad Ausmus said. “Guys he’s played with probably isn’t as big a deal, but the young guys are like,

‘Aw, that’s Miguel Cabrera, Triple Crown winner.’ So that probably heightens the energy a little bit.”

In 2015, Cabrera won his fourth American League batting title, hitting .338. But hobbled by a left calf strain

that kept him out over a month, his power dipped and he hit a career-low 18 home runs and drove in 76 runs.

The power, which has been so prominent during the future Hall of Famer’s career, should return with the

strength in his lower half. And so, too, will the Tigers return to the postseason, Cabrera believes, if they can

avoid the injuries of last season.

“That’s the mind-set,” he said. “We got too many downs last year. We got a lot of key players going through it

last year, spend, like, months there. So I think our goal is just to try to stay healthy and compete every day.”

Cabrera’s goal is to play 160 games.

Ausmus wouldn’t say how many games Cabrera might play, citing the need to give him off days as he gets

older, but said he hoped he would play the “vast majority” of the 162-game slate.

And if he does, and the rest of his supporting cast stays healthy, at least on paper, the Tigers appear to be a

legitimate postseason contender.

“I’m excited,” Cabrera said. “We bring a lot of key players in, but like I said before, our goal is to stay healthy.

We have to be on the field and play games. When we’re in the field, we’re going to make a lot of difference.”

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Tigers sign former Brewers 3B Casey McGehee

February 24, 2016

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

Casey McGehee probably won’t make the Detroit Tigers' roster out of spring training.

But odds are that the veteran infielder will play a part with the organization at some point this summer.

The team added their latest bit of depth this morning, signing McGehee to a minor league contract with an

invitation to spring training. He worked out in Tiger Town a few days ago and passed his physical this morning.

McGehee, 33, is a .259 hitter in seven big-league seasons. In 2015, he hit .198 in 109 games with the San

Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins.

“I was looking for a chance to come in somewhere to make the team,” McGehee said. “It’s a great organization,

a good fit both ways. Now it’s up to me to uphold my end of the bargain.”

McGehee gives the team a major league-ready option should starting third baseman Nick Castellanos go down

with an injury, especially after trading Jefry Marte this off-season.

“We could use a third baseman, quite frankly,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “Not necessarily at the major

league level or maybe in Toledo, but we could use him.”

“When we traded Marte, I wouldn’t say we immediately were looking to sign somebody to fill that spot. But at

some point, the realization was we could use another third baseman,” Ausmus said.

The Tigers have beefed up their depth dramatically this off-season. They have experienced options such as

McGehee, outfielders Nate Schierholtz and John Mayberry Jr., and utility man Jordany Valdespin as insurance.

McGehee’s best season came in 2010, when he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs with the Milwaukee

Brewers. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2003 and has played for six MLB teams.

“I’m looking forward to a fresh start, a clean slate,” he said. “Last year was just a bad year.”

And whether McGehee can give the Tigers anything this season, it will be a testament to the depth first year

general manager Al Avila focused on this winter.

“There’s no question we have more depth,” Ausmus said. “It’s very important. You just don’t win with 25

players. You need 30-35 players, with injuries. It’s just the way the game is.”

Here and there: Right-handed closer Francisco Rodriguez has yet to report to camp, still dealing with visa

issues. He is the last Tiger left to report. … Ausmus said there were no injury issues to report. … Pitchers were

given the day off from throwing today. They will throw live batting practice Wednesday.

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Tigers prospect Cam Gibson is chip off old block

February 24, 2016

By Lynn Henning/ The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. — You sit on a patio outside the youngsters’ dormitory at Tigertown and watch as a 22-year-old

man squints into Florida’s afternoon sun. His eyes, clearly inherited from his mother, look like blue lightning

bolts.

You hear him talk about competition (“I run as hard as I can — I don’t know how to do anything different.”), or

about his passion for hunting (“You go out and sit in the solitude and hear the crinkle of the leaves and the birds

chirping and you see the deer roaming and you think, ‘This is my life.’ ”). And at that moment, the other parent

is apparent in one Cam Gibson.

This is Kirk and JoAnne’s son, all right. And it is quite the range of skills and physical traits, not to mention life

values, a one-time Michigan State and Grosse Pointe South High athlete has brought to Lakeland as this newest

generation of Gibson prepares for his first full season of pro baseball with the Tigers.

“It’s crazy,” Cam Gibson was saying Tuesday, a few hours after he had taken his physical as a prelude to formal

minor-league workouts beginning today. “The other day down here, I saw a little kid going after his brother,

and it was just how I was with my two brothers when I was growing up.

“I think I’ve been coming here since 1999. But now I’m running around on this side, as an adult, with a job to

do.”

The task is to make himself, steadily, a better big-league outfield prospect. The Tigers thought enough of his

potential to snag him in the fifth round of last June’s draft, believing a 6-foot-2, left-handed hitter who weighs

200 pounds and who, no surprise, has fine speed would in a few seasons be of help at Comerica Park.

“I saw a lot of Cam when he was at Grosse Pointe South and speed was what caught your eye,” said Mark

Monahan, a Tigers area scout who works the lower half of Michigan. “When he was young, he didn’t play a lot

of baseball — he was more into hockey. But then he took to baseball, and I hadn’t seen a guy in high school

like that, who with his speed could get to the gaps and catch balls the way he could.

“The bat’s always a little behind for guys like that. But we thought that eventually would come in to play, and it

has. He’s turned himself into a decent hitter, and he’s growing rapidly.”

Gibson signed in June for a set slot price of $319,700, and was on his way to Lakeland for processing ahead of a

trip to Single A Connecticut.

He played in 33 games, hitting .252, with six home runs, four triples, a double, and a .761 OPS. He did it all as a

designated hitter after a strained elbow ligament (not serious and now healed) kept him from any outfield shifts.

Work to do

It is expected he will begin this season at Single A West Michigan, in suburban Grand Rapids. Only if the

Tigers stationed him at a hunting blind in northern Michigan’s woods would Gibson be as cheered.

“It’s almost like you’re playing in front of your family for the Tigers,” he said, “but you’re not with the Tigers

yet.”

He has plenty to work on before any tickets to Detroit are issued. And Gibson knows it.

He concedes there must be more discipline at the plate. Eight walks, 24 strikeouts, and a .303 on-base

percentage in his 33 games at Connecticut would support Gibson’s thoughts there.

He must also settle on the style of hitter he will be. Another of the Tigers area scouts, Clyde Weir, who covers

mid-Michigan and who followed Gibson closely during his Michigan State days, could see no one, including

Gibson, had quite decided on a plan: Power hitter or spray hitter? Top-of-the-order, take-a-walk guy?

Aggressive mid-order batter?

“He went through a different set of stances and approaches at the plate,” said Weir, speaking of Gibson’s days

at Michigan State. “He eventually came to the conclusion, certainly in that first year of pro ball, that he wanted

to change his attack and hit for more power. He wanted to turn on the ball more, and hit the ball with more

authority, which I think has been a plus for him.

“But I think the main ingredient for me,” Weir said, echoing a Monahan critique, “was his makeup. I really saw

a fierce desire to succeed that, for me, was off the charts.

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“When we were talking with him the winter before the draft, he looked at me and said: ‘Clyde, if you decide to

draft me, please draft me for me, and not for any other reason.’

“I thought, ‘I really like that.’ He wanted to stand on his own and be evaluated accordingly, and not because he

was Kirk’s son. It was those kinds of examples that really jumped out at me when we did the final review.”

His father’s son

Independent appraisals made the son a Tigers draft pick 37 years after his dad had been drafted in the first round

and signed with the Tigers. But, for all his individual pride, not for a moment does Cam separate himself from

what he has learned, and inherited, from his father.

It might begin with how the Gibsons believe an athlete’s brain is as integral to performance as muscles and

reflexes.

Cam already has all but absorbed his dad’s mantra about visualizing success ahead of an at-bat. He has learned

to think in tandem with the opponent.

“My nature is to go after it,” Cam said, referring to his aggression threshold, “but in the pros you have to think

differently. You know their (pitchers’) scouting report, and they know your scouting report.

“So you know on a 1-and-2 count, he’s going to throw you a backdoor slider because he knows you’re going to

swing and miss at that 1-and-2 backdoor slider.”

So, the trick, among many he knows he must learn this summer and in subsequent seasons, is to either lay off

the pitch. Or, of course, to hammer it — to “defeat the beast,” a favorite creed of his father’s that the son of

course has also adopted.

Another chip from the Gibson block is evident when the son talks about a hitter’s acceptance, or rejection, of a

brutally tough pitcher.

“If you think about it, it’s in your head,” Cam quotes his dad as saying about negative thoughts and their peril.

“You’re going to get yourself out.

“So this pitcher today has struck out six batters in a row, and he’s throwing 101,” the younger Gibson continues,

describing the very scenario in which his dad so often triumphed.

“If he’s throwing 101, I’m gonna hit it 102 over the fence.”

Mom, of course, has her own influence here. Cam says JoAnne is able to balance, with a mother’s blend of

sweetness and strength, Kirk’s curriculum that is built more on mental and physical fury.

“My dad’s so analytical,” Cam said, “where my mom will say, ‘Just play, sweetie, like I’m dropping you off at

Little League. Let your hair fly and have fun.’

“I’ve got both sides coming at me,” Cam said, with a grin more appreciative than weary.

Enjoying life

If he needs to get away from baseball, he has choices apart from those Up North deer-hunts he enjoys with his

dad on their ranch in the northeast Lower Peninsula.

He is only a few credits shy of getting his degree in criminal justice and last autumn took a class he found

particularly intriguing: “Investigative Procedures,” taught by a former East Lansing police chief, Mark Alley.

Gibson learned about fingerprints, and collective evidence.

“I like stuff like that,” he said. “It’s a mystery.”

If classes and hunting aren’t options, a man who has been playing the drums since he was young will pick up

the sticks, given that “it’s a really good way to take out some steam.”

He also spends significant time with his girlfriend, Mackinzie Miller, a Michigan State biomedical student. It is

a life, he says, a man who two weeks ago turned 22 can count as blessed, much as, yes, his dad always

expressed when Kirk summed up his good fortune: “I hit the lottery.”

Cam agrees.

“You know life’s good,” he said, “when everybody’s surrounding and supporting you.

“My entire family’s in on it. I’ve got no reason to do anything but succeed, because they’ve all trusted and

believed in me for so long.”

What do they say about apples not falling far from the tree? A half-step and you’ve got the Gibsons covered.

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Kinsler bent on chasing the butterflies, bad taste from 2015 February 24, 2016

By Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. – Ian Kinsler has been in professional baseball since 2003. Every February he packs up, says

good-bye to the family and heads off to spring training. No big deal. All part of the routine.

So why, then, on his flight into Tampa Monday did he feel so darn nervous?

“I had butterflies in my stomach,” he said Tuesday before the first official workout of the spring. “I don’t know

why. I couldn’t get rid of them. I didn’t know what was going on. I could not put my finger on why I was so

nervous.

“Maybe it was because of the way the season went last year.”

Yeah, that was probably it.

“I still have a bad a taste in my mouth from last year,” he said. “There are a bunch of particular reasons for it

that I am going to keep to myself.”

Some are easy to figure out. After winning four straight American League Central titles, the Tigers finished last.

The organization pulled the plug on the season at the trade deadline and a veteran team used to being in

contention was left to angrily play out the string.

The clubhouse, filled with players who were injured, underperforming or both, became a very dour place. It was

Kinsler, according to several players, who kept things from completely unraveling.

“No question he stepped up,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “But even though he spoke up more last year than he

had in the past, I think he still leads by the way he plays. Miggy (Miguel Cabrera) led more last year, vocally,

than he has in the past, too.”

Kinsler has never wanted or pretended to be a vocal leader. But he saw the necessity last season and took

charge. He hopes he won’t have to do that this year.

“One-hundred percent,” he said. “You never want to be in that position. That’s not something we prepare for.

It’s not something we want to be a part of, a clubhouse where you are either constantly helping guys or trying to

motivate yourself or whatever it may be.

“Those are the added things that come with losing. It was difficult.”

Thus the butterflies. As Kinsler said, once you go through a season like that, you know that it can happen again.

“I hadn’t played a season like that in my whole career,” he said. “Coming into this year, you expect so much of

yourself, you expect so much from the team that you get nervous. There’s always that doubt that sets in.”

Kinsler had another good season. He hit .296 with a .342 on-base percentage and .770 OPS. He won the

Fielding Bible Award for second basemen, posting 19 defensive runs saves. But, like the team, he had his share

of struggles, too. He battled through a batting slump early in the season and had several uncharacteristic base

running lapses. He even hit into a triple play, something he’d never done before.

And even though Father Time hasn’t caught up to him, he may be in his rearview. Kinsler will turn 34 in June.

“No matter how much preparation you put in, you always think, ‘Have I prepared well enough,’” he said. “It’s

always in the back of your mind. You can work out three and four times a day all offseason and still think, ‘Did

I work hard enough?’

“And after last season, that creeps in more. You want to be prepared. You want to be successful. You don’t

want to be the weak link.”

When told of Kinsler’s anxiety, Ausmus nodded his head.

“If veterans are nervous and excited about the season, that means we are in a good spot,” he said. “And I will

say this, if there is a guy who was here last year and isn’t motivated, he shouldn’t be here.”

Getting back on the field with his teammates Tuesday was good tonic for Kinsler’s anxiety. Instead of worrying

about righting the ship, he can actively participate in righting the ship.

“This is not another spring training,” he said. “This is an important spring training after last year. With all the

players we have acquired, we have to come together and we have a month and a half to do it.”

Still, he was puzzled by the butterflies.

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“I texted my wife while I was on the plane and I said, ‘I have butterflies. I can’t get rid of them. I don’t know

what’s going on,’” Kinsler said. “She goes, ‘Well, that means you still love the game. That’s good.’”

Exactly right.

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Cabrera feels increased leg strength after healthy offseason

February 24, 2016

By Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. – It was Christmas Day and Miguel Cabrera’s cell was blowing up. It was J.D. Martinez texting

him from the Miami-area gym where they both work out in the offseason.

“Christmas Day!” Cabrera said Tuesday. “He text me, ‘Where you at?’ I’m like, man, I got kids, it’s Christmas,

what do you think?”

Two things to take from this: One, Martinez clearly has no kids and isn’t beholden to any holiday schedule. And

two, more importantly, that Cabrera was and had been working out that early in the offseason.

“This is the first time in three years I’ve worked out normally,” he said. “It’s exciting to me. I am able to get my

legs in shape. I am trying to get strong for the season.”

Cabrera has set one personal goal for himself this year: “Play 160 games. That’s my goal. I want to play every

day.”

Cabrera, coming off foot and ankle surgery following the 2014 season, missed 43 games last year. For

perspective, from 2008 through 2011, he missed just 15 games.

“The mindset is just to be healthy,” he said. “We had too many (players) down last year. We had a lot of key

players going on the DL. The goal is stay healthy and compete every day. ... We’ve got a team, we just need to

be on the field. If we can stay on the field it will make a lot of difference.”

Manager Brad Ausmus would love for Cabrera to achieve his goal of 160 games, but it’s not going to happen.

“There are going to be times when we have to rest him,” Ausmus said. “I know people think players should play

162 games because of the money they make, but you want to get the most out of them. And getting the most out

of them sometimes involves giving them an off day.”

Cabrera won his fourth batting title last season – how’s that for having a down year? His power numbers,

though, were down (18 homers and 76 RBI), largely, he believes, because he lost strength in his legs.

“I’ve been able to run this offseason,” he said. “I am good condition. I was able to work outside and do

everything they asked me to do to try and strengthen my legs.”

And the results?

“It feels different, yeah, for sure,” he said. “I can use my back leg more. I can stay back and drive through the

ball. It’s good.”

Cabrera praised the offseason efforts of general manager Al Avila and recalled that it was back in 1999, when

Cabrera was 16, that Avila signed him to a professional contract.

“Back in the day I said, “Al, sign me, please,’” he laughed. “Now it’s like, unbelievable. The first time he sees

me he signs me and now he is GM. It’s amazing we are still here. Now we want to win a World Series

together.”

Cabrera spent part of his offseason on an MLB-sponsored goodwill tour of Cuba. While there he spent time

counseling one of its troubled countrymen, the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig.

Cabrera said Puig, whose antics and immaturity have made him a polarizing figure in Los Angeles, wanted to

pick his brain on how to keep focused through a long season.

“He asked me how he can stay mentally strong,” Cabrera said. “I told him in this game you are going to have a

lot of downs and a lot of ups. You just have to stay in the middle. When you are up, you’ve got to stay in the

middle. When you are down, stay in the middle.

“Just play and compete every day and try to stay even.”

Cabrera has worked out with Puig in the offseason for a couple of years.

“He is a very strong man,” Cabrera said. “A very athletic man.”

Asked if Puig was stronger than another physically-gifted Cuban, Yoenis Cespedes, Cabrera said, “Yeah, but

Puig is bigger, more mass. Cespedes, though, wow.”

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Tigers sign veteran IF Casey McGehee February 24, 2016

By Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. – The Tigers continue to add to their depth.

On Tuesday the Tigers signed seven-year veteran corner infielder Casey McGehee to a minor league contract.

“We could use a third baseman, quite frankly,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “Not necessarily at the Major

League level, maybe Toledo – we could use one. And he’s got Major League experience, he’s got international

experience.”

McGehee, 33, has posted a .259 batting average, .319 on-base and .708 OPS over his career. His best season

was 2010 when he hit 23 homers and knocked in 104 runs with the Brewers.

“I am excited to be here,” he said. “Hopefully I can find a way to make the team better and help the team win.

That’s the only reason I am here. I am trying to win a job.”

He is coming off one the most personally disappointing seasons of his career. After a huge season in Japan in

2013 (28 homers, 93 RBI, .292 batting average and .891 OPS), he was the National League Comeback Player of

the Year with the Marlins in 2014, hitting .287 with a .355 on-base percentage and .712 OPS.

He was traded to his hometown team, the Giants, in 2015, essentially to replace Pablo Sandoval at third base. It

couldn’t have gone worse. He hit just .213 in 49 games and was released July 8.

“It was just one of those years,” he said. “Things got off to a weird start. I think I put too much pressure on

myself.”

Replacing a World Series hero in Sandoval was only part of his anxiety. McGehee grew up just 45 miles from

San Francisco. All his family and friends still live in the area.

“I think I was just trying too hard,” he said. “It wasn’t even (Sandoval). I was playing for my hometown team

growing up, in front of all my friends and family and people like that. I just tried to do too much and didn’t let

the game come to me.

“I got away from my game and things went sideways on me. I am just glad to have a chance here. Hopefully I

can make the team.”

He knows what he’s up against. Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos are the everyday corner infielders and

both Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine can fill in at third, while designated hitter Victor Martinez and Jarrod

Saltalamacchia can fill in at first.

“Ah, I was fighting for a job long before I was ever a regular,” McGehee said. “It’s back to how it all started, I

guess.”

13

Miguel Cabrera healthy, happy to get started on new season February 24, 2016

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Miguel Cabrera enjoyed the fact that he could go through his full offseason workout

regimen for the first time in a while.

But even a guy who works as hard as Cabrera does has his limits.

Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez and Cabrera worked out together throughout the offseason. But there

was one day when Cabrera told Martinez he was on his own.

"He worked out on Christmas," Cabrera said. "He texted me. 'Where you at?' I said, 'I've got kids!' "

Even so, Cabrera did get his work in and showed up for spring training healthy, in good shape and ready to go.

He said he can tell the difference when he swings the bat.

"I feel the difference," he said. "I can use my back leg more. I can stay back more so I can drive the ball in the

gap."

Cabrera hit .338 to win the batting title and led the American League with a .440 on-base percentage. But he

played in just 119 games and hit fewer than 25 home runs and knocked in fewer than 100 runs for the first time

since the 2003 season, when he played 87 games as a rookie for the Miami Marlins.

His goal is to stay healthy and on the field.

"Play 160 games," Cabrera said. "That's my goal. I'm trying not to miss too many games. I'm trying to play

every day."

Getting his workouts in throughout the offseason should be a step in the right direction, even if Cabrera did take

Christmas Day off.

"It's the first time in three years I worked out normally," Cabrera said. "It was exciting for me."

14

Detroit Tigers bring sense of urgency to first full workout of spring: 'It starts today' February 24, 2016

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The first sounds of spring are not the birds chirping or the crack of the bat. They are the

sounds of a playful Miguel Cabrera chattering at his teammates while the birds are chirping and the bats are

cracking.

On Tuesday morning, Cabrera could be heard loud and clear above the din. Spring training is in full swing. And

the Detroit Tigers feel like they have something to prove.

"This is not (just) another spring training," Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "It's an important spring

training, after last year. All the players that we acquired, we need to come together. We have a month-and-a-

half to do it, to get prepared for the season. And it starts today."

If the Tigers bounce back from a last-place finish in 2015 to earn a playoff spot or win the division in 2016, the

work that general manager Al Avila did in the offseason will be a big reason. The Tigers traded away David

Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria at the trade deadline under former general manager Dave

Dombrowski, then signed or acquired Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Upton and Francisco Rodriguez to replace

them with Avila at the helm.

Avila also retooled the bullpen by signing right-hander Mark Lowe and trading for left-hander Justin Wilson

while making other moves along the way.

"You always get excited about acquisitions throughout the whole offseason," Kinsler said. "I mean, Jordan

Zimmermann was huge for us. ... The guys that we've acquired are obviously going to help us. They're really

good people. They're good guys in the clubhouse, and it's going to help the feel of this team throughout the

whole season."

Still, if the Tigers are to challenge for the division title in 2016, staying healthy will be the key. Injuries to

Victor Martinez, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Anibal Sanchez and others hurt the Tigers immensely in

2015, when they were outscored by 114 runs and finished with the worst run differential in the American

League.

But Verlander has been throwing and says he feels great this spring. Victor Martinez, who was all smiles

Monday during his first day of spring training, says he can feel a major improvement in his left knee from last

year until now.

"I can swing now," Martinez said.

Cabrera reported Monday as well and was just as happy a day later when he spoke to media members for the

first time this spring. He said he can feel the difference physically and can use his back leg more effectively.

"It's the first time in three years I worked out normally," Cabrera said. "It was exciting for me."

Kinsler said he was nervous as he boarded the plane for spring training.

"I had butterflies," he said. "I don't know why. But I couldn't get rid of them. I don't know what was going on. I

couldn't really put a finger on why I was nervous, but maybe it was because of how the season was last year."

The Tigers won four consecutive division titles in 2011-2014, but finished in last place in the division with a

74-87 record last season. That has the players on the team chomping at the bit to get back to where they were.

"I don't know if it's more pressure or if it's made that way in your mind because of last year's results," Kinsler

said. "Leading into last year, the pressure was still high, the expectations were still high. Same thing the year

before that. So I think last year might wear a little more on everyone's brain. ... So, yeah, I think you could say

there might be a little more pressure this year. There might be a little more urgency."

Kinsler said it will be up to the Tigers to prove that they can unseat the Kansas City Royals, who won the World

Series last year after unseating the Tigers as division champions. But the Cleveland Indians appear to have the

best rotation in the division, the Chicago White Sox look to be improved and the Minnesota Twins took a big

step forward in 2015.

If the Tigers are going to return as division champions, they are going to have to earn it. They started down that

long road to find out Tuesday when they took the field for a full practice for the first time.

15

"You don't win games on paper," Martinez said. "You've got to go out there and play the game. Nothing's given

to you. Nothing's given in this game. You've got to go out there and play."

16

Detroit Tigers sign infielder Casey McGehee to minor league deal February 24, 2016

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Detroit Tigers have been seeking an infielder to sign on a minor league deal. They

have found one.

Casey McGehee signed a minor league deal with the Tigers and joined the team Tuesday morning.

"We could use a third baseman, quite frankly," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Not necessarily at the major

league level. Maybe in Toledo. We could use it. And he's got major league experience."

McGehee, 33, has a .259 average and .708 OPS in seven seasons in the majors. He batted .198 (47 for 237) with

two home runs and 20 RBIs in 2015 while splitting time between the San Francisco Giants and the Miami

Marlins.

McGehee has played for six teams in his career, but he has played for just one American League team. He

appeared in 22 games for the New York Yankees during the 2012 season.

The Tigers designated Jefry Marte for assignment last month to make room on the 40-man roster for Justin

Upton, then traded Marte to the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Kody Eaves. Marte played third base and also

first base for Triple-A Toledo and the Tigers at times last season.

"When we traded Marte, I wouldn't say we were immediately looking to sign someone to fill that spot," Ausmus

said. "But at some point the realization was that we could use another third baseman."

17

Detroit Tigers prospect Joe Jimenez brings power arm, love of closing to spring training February 24, 2016

By Chris Iott/ MLive.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- A good closer can be an intimidating presence when taking the mound in the ninth inning.

Great ones provide an intimidation factor before they even leave the bullpen.

Detroit Tigers prospect Joe Jimenez had plenty of success closing games in 2015 for Single-A West Michigan.

He was a starter when he signed with the Tigers, but he said he enjoys pitching the ninth when the pressure is

on.

"Being the closer is something I like to do," Jimenez said. "I like it to be in the eighth and then the other team

looks to the bullpen and sees, 'Oh, this guy is coming in the ninth.' I like it. It means a lot to me."

Jimenez certainly performed well in that role last season. He went 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA and a 0.791 WHIP in 43

innings for West Michigan. Jimenez struck out 61 batters and walked 11. That shows that he throws strikes

consistently, which can be rare in a young pitcher who throws as hard as Jimenez does.

"Power arm," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said when asked about Jimenez. "Fastball. Kind of a big but hard

slider. Able to throw strikes. The minor-league development people really like him."

Still, it could be seen as a bit of a surprise when Jimenez was invited to big-league camp this spring. He just

turned 21 last month. He hasn't pitched above the low Single-A level and still has plenty of stops ahead of him -

- or at least available to him -- before he gets to Detroit.

Jimenez said he didn't necessarily expect to be invited to camp.

"I'm not on the 40-man (roster) and I'm still young," he said. "I wasn't expecting to be here with the big league

camp."

With that said, he is enjoying himself and trying to learn all he can while he's here.

"It's awesome," he said. "It's awesome to be here with the guys, all the big leaguers, learning from them every

day. It's been good."

Jimenez said he is willing to pitch in whatever inning and wherever in the system the Tigers want him to. But

he clearly enjoys the closer role.

"You have to have nerves of steel," Jimenez said. "You have to just let the team know that you are ready to

pitch the ninth and make them feel comfortable with you pitching the ninth."

18

Spring in his step: Miggy energizes camp February 24, 2016

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The shouts could be heard across all four practice diamonds at Tiger Town, breaking the

routine of the Spring Training morning workouts. It was neither an injury nor an altercation.

It was simply Miguel Cabrera, injecting energy into the first full-squad workout of camp.

"He's generally in pretty good spirits," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's a big kid. He enjoys what he does, has

fun playing the game. He has fun with his teammates, joking around."

It's understandable to suspect there's a little more to it this year. The bounce in Cabrera's step is coming on legs

that spent the offseason in the weight room rather than on the operating table. He was strengthening rather than

recuperating.

After a groin tear a few years ago, then foot and ankle surgery the next fall, Cabrera went into this offseason

with nothing to repair. Yes, his surgically repaired right ankle wasn't as strong as he wanted down the stretch,

and his left calf is still bothersome, but he stayed off the operating table.

"First time in three years I worked out normally," Cabrera said. "It was exciting to me. I was getting my legs in

shape, trying to get strong for the season."

The difference, teammate J.D. Martinez said, was noticeable.

"We hit [together] a couple days," Martinez said, "but Miggy's on a different level."

He's on a level that, even without full strength in his legs, he won his fourth batting title in five years last

season.

"He still won a batting title, but maybe those balls weren't traveling like they used to," Martinez said. "But I

think this year, given his ankle's feeling better, he's able to condition his legs, I wouldn't be shocked if he went

out there and hit 40 [home runs] again."

Time will tell on that. But as Cabrera took batting practice on the back fields at Tiger Town, he could put more

behind the ball.

"I feel the difference," he said. "I can use my back leg more. Also, I can stay back and drive through the ball. I

can drive more into the gap."

Cabrera has always benefited from opposite-field power, but he still does damage pulling the ball. Last year, he

pulled just two home runs out to left field, according to Baseball-Reference, and just five the year before,

compared to 17 in 2013.

Cabrera isn't making any predictions on production. After the injuries, including a costly six-week stint on the

disabled list last summer, his goal is simple: Stay on the field.

"Play 160 games," he said. "That's my goal, not trying to miss too many games."

Martinez and Cabrera couldn't work out together all the time, partly because they live in different parts of South

Florida, partly because they're in different stages of their lives.

"He's got kids," Martinez said. "He wakes up early. I like to get an extra couple hours of sleep."

Cabrera laughed.

"He worked out on Christmas," Cabrera exclaimed. "He texted me, 'Where you at?' I mean, I've got kids!"

With that, Cabrera laughed loudly, heard across the clubhouse. It's a sign of Spring Training -- and maybe this

year, a sign of the return of the Tigers.

19

V-Mart looks good taking important swings

February 24, 2016

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- A day after Victor Martinez checked into Tigers camp and hit in the cages, he took the

most anticipated swings so far this spring, testing his left knee with the left-handed swing that bothered him so

much last season coming off a torn meniscus.

It was an early spring session of batting practice, and not against live pitching. But so far, so good.

"I thought he looked good," manager Brad Ausmus said Tuesday afternoon. "He looked strong."

Martinez also took ground balls and throws at first base during morning drills, moving around fairly well and

joking with teammate Miguel Cabrera.

Martinez said Monday he started swinging early this offseason and "felt like Superman." The Tigers don't need

a superhuman performance from him, but enough production from the left side to help balance out a

predominantly right-handed-hitting lineup.

Martinez hit for a .219 (77-for-351) average and .616 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2015. By contrast,

he hit .348 (31-for-89) with an .870 OPS off lefties.

Kinsler gets nervous

The last of the Tigers position players reported to camp with Ian Kinsler's arrival. As a veteran who played as

hard as anybody down the stretch last season, he doesn't need to prove anything. Yet he admitted to feeling

rookie-like butterflies on his way to Florida.

"On the plane flight here, I was nervous," Kinsler said Tuesday morning. "I had butterflies. I don't know why,

but I couldn't get rid of them. I don't know what was going on. I couldn't really put my finger on why I was

nervous. Maybe it was because of the way the season ended last year [with a last-place finish].

"The preparation that you put in, you always think, 'Did I prepare well?' That's always in the back of your mind,

regardless of how hard you work."

Kinsler said he texted his wife about it. She told him it's a sign that he still loves the game, which is good.

"You get here, and they're all gone," he said about the butterflies. "I'm ready to go."

With Kinsler's arrival, the lone absence from Tigers camp is closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Venezuelan

continues to wait for his work visa.

Rag ball

The Tigers' rag-ball drills, in which pitchers stand in front of the outfield fence and try to field rubbery baseballs

on hard-hit comebackers, are in their third year. Yet they remain as competitive as ever, with pitchers vying

against each other to determine a winner.

While Ausmus didn't announce winners, teammates said Justin Verlander's group won the team competition,

though not without some challenging the victory based on ground rules. The bigger competition comes for the

individual title Wednesday, with Verlander joining Daniel Norris, Blaine Hardy and others in the eight-man

finals.

"I've always taken pride in fielding my position," Norris proudly proclaimed.

Whoever wins will be a new title-holder. Joel Hanrahan won last year's competition before leaving camp to

undergo Tommy John surgery. Joba Chamberlain won the inaugural competition in 2014.

20

Tigers, McGehee agree on Minors deal February 24, 2016

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- On the day the Tigers began full-squad workouts, their full squad became more populated.

Infielder Casey McGehee signed a Minor League deal with a non-roster invite Tuesday morning, giving Detroit

a depth option for the corner-infield spots as well as a potential bat off the bench.

McGehee, the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award winner two seasons ago with the Marlins,

split last season between San Francisco and Miami. He hit .198 (47-for-237) with 12 doubles, two home runs

and 20 RBIs between the two stops. It was a fallback from 2014, when McGehee returned from Japan to hit

.287 with 29 doubles, four homers and 76 RBIs with the Marlins.

Primarily a third baseman, the 33-year-old McGehee also has played first base. The Tigers had been looking for

infield depth, particularly after trading Jefry Marte to the Angels upon removing him from the 40-man roster

last month.

Spring Training: Tickets | Schedule | Complete info

"We could use a third baseman, quite frankly," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, "not necessarily at the Major

League level, maybe in [Triple-A] Toledo. He's got Major League experience."

The Tigers' bench is pretty well set with super-utility player Mike Aviles, infielder Andrew Romine, one of

their center fielders -- Cameron Maybin or Anthony Gose will battle for playing time -- and backup catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Bryan Holaday.

At this point, McGehee is battling for one of those spots.

"I was fighting for a job long before I was ever a regular," McGehee said. "It's back to how it all started, I

guess."

McGehee spent 10 games in Triple-A last year with the Giants, having accepted an assignment upon being

designated. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if Detroit can't assure him of a spot on the big

league club with five days left in camp, he can opt out of his deal and look elsewhere. If the Tigers want him to

accept an assignment at Triple-A Toledo, they must offer him a $100,000 retention bonus.

McGehee is the latest veteran depth signing by Detroit, which added outfielders Nate Schierholtz and John

Mayberry Jr. earlier, and just signed Bobby Parnell for relief help last week.

"There's no question we have more depth," Ausmus said. "It's very important. You don't win with 25 players

anymore. You need 30-35 players. That's just the way the game is."

McGehee's signing came together quickly. General manager Al Avila hinted Friday that the Tigers could add

another infielder. By that point, they were not only in touch with McGehee's agent, Barry Meister, but were

close to a deal.

"I heard [from the Tigers] late last week, and by Friday afternoon had pretty much agreed," McGehee said. "So

it happened pretty quick. I'm excited to be here. Hopefully I can find a way to make this team better and help

this team win. That's the reason I'm here, is to try to win. We'll see how it all plays out."

21

Miguel Cabrera hoping to play a full season

February 24, 2016

By Noah Trister/ Associated Press

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- After all the batting titles and Most Valuable Player awards, Miguel Cabrera's value

to the Detroit Tigers this year may come down to another benchmark.

"Play 160 games," he said. "That's my goal."

There were a number of reasons the Tigers fell to last place in the AL Central last season, but perhaps the most

obvious factor was Cabrera's health. The 32-year-old slugger hit .338 to win his fourth AL batting title in five

seasons, but he played only 119 games. It has been a while since Cabrera had a fully healthy year, and that is a

concerning trend for a Detroit team trying to recapture the form that enabled it to win the division every season

from 2011-2014.

Cabrera was hitting .350 when he left a game against Toronto on July 3 with a left calf injury. After winning

that game, the Tigers were 40-39 and only 1 1/2 games behind postseason position. By the time Cabrera

returned in mid-August, Detroit was four games under .500 and had traded David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and

Joakim Soria with an eye toward the future.

There was no rebuilding, though. The Tigers spent big in the offseason, bringing in free agents Justin Upton and

Jordan Zimmermann in an attempt to make another run at their first World Series title since 1984. Now the

question is whether players like Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Justin Verlander can stay healthy enough for

Detroit to contend.

Cabrera took batting practice Tuesday, when Detroit had its first official workout with position players. He was

his usual playful self when he talked to reporters beforehand, joking that the Tigers are still "undefeated" this

year.

"He's generally in pretty good spirits," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He enjoys what he does, he has fun playing

the game, he has fun with his teammates."

Cabrera also talked about an offseason trip in which he met Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi.

"I was like a kid," Cabrera said. "He's a great guy. He's a shy guy."

Of more importance to the Tigers, of course, was the fact that Cabrera didn't need any significant medical

procedures this offseason. From 2004-12, he played in at least 157 major league games in all but one year, but

since winning the Triple Crown in 2012, he's had to deal with a number of nagging issues.

He played only 148 games in 2013, and although he won his second straight MVP award that year, he was

significantly limited down the stretch by a tear in his groin. After offseason surgery, he played 159 games in

2014, but he was bothered by ankle problems and had another operation that October to deal with that issue.

Last year, he hit only 18 home runs, his fewest since he played his first half-season in the majors with Florida in

2003. After winning four straight division titles, Detroit gave up the top spot to Kansas City, which won both

the AL Central and the World Series.

Before the 2014 season, Cabrera signed a $292 million, 10-year deal with the Tigers, and his injury issues have

raised serious concerns about how well he will produce as he gets older. If Detroit had not given him that deal,

he could have become a free agent after last season. Perhaps the Tigers could have then signed him to a cheaper

contract, given his injury problems -- but they also might have lost him entirely if another team was willing to

offer him a huge amount of money after another batting title.

That hypothetical is interesting to think about, but the Tigers made their new commitment to Cabrera a couple

years ago. They should be in a position to benefit in 2016 -- if this still-prodigious hitter can play a full season

or close to it.

"Our goal is to stay healthy and trying to go and then compete," Cabrera said. "We have a tough division. We've

got to beat Kansas City and the other teams now. They're good teams."

22

Tigers' Ian Kinsler: 'This is not another spring training' February 24, 2016

By Katie Strang/ ESPN.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Veteran Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler experienced an unusual feeling as his

plane was en route to join his club for spring training.

He got butterflies.

Unable to pin down exactly why he had that nervous flutter in his stomach, considering he is approaching his

11th major league season, he texted his wife.

Sagely, she responded: “Well, you still love the game. That’s good.”

“I couldn’t really put my finger on why I was nervous, but maybe it was because of the way the season went

last year, you know?” Kinsler said before the Tigers’ first full-squad workout of spring training.

In 2015, even Kinsler's training was subjected to rigorous self-examination.

“And you know the preparation you put in, you always think, did I prepare well enough?” Kinsler asked. “It’s

always in the back of your mind, regardless of how hard you work. You can work out for three hours a day, four

hours a day, and at the end of the offseason, you can still think, did I work hard enough? And after last season,

that always creeps in more, because you want to be prepared this year, you want to be successful. You don’t

want to be the weak link.”

The odds of the 33-year-old second baseman being the weak link appear very slim. In 2015, the sure-handed,

defensively stout veteran went on an offensive tear in the second half. In the months of July and August, he

posted batting averages of .366 and .362, respectively. More than that, he set the standard of professionalism in

a locker room that could’ve easily fractured in the wake of frustration.

“Even though he spoke up more last year than he has in the past, I think he leads by the way he plays," manager

Brad Ausmus said of Kinsler. "He leads by example.”

Ausmus took reports of Kinsler’s nerves as a positive sign.

“If veterans have nervous excitement about the season, I think that means we’re in a good spot," he said.

Kinsler hopes to turn that energy into a strong spring. This time, he assures, it's not just routine for this club.

“This is not another spring training. This is an important spring training,” Kinsler said. “After last year and all

the players we’ve acquired, we need to come together, and we have a month and a half to do it and get prepared

for the season. It starts today.”

Complicating matters is how ferocious the AL Central will be, with the Kansas City Royals reigning as World

Series champions.

“Man, the American League is difficult, regardless of our division. And then our division, from top to bottom, is

going to be, it’s going to be tough. It’s probably -- I don’t know -- but I would say it’s the best division in

baseball,” Kinsler said. “Obviously, you have the World Series champions, so everything goes through them.

You have to beat them, you have to show that you can overtake them. It’s their crown. They’re the champions

of the Central and the champions of the World Series, so everything goes through them now.”

The Tigers, at the behest of team owner Mike Ilitch and under the direction of general manager Al Avila, spent

aggressively to ensure they could compete with the division rivals. They added fortifications to the club’s

pitching staff, inked a premier corner outfielder and supplemented their spending with some minor depth

moves. With that financial commitment comes a fair bit of spotlight.

“I don’t know if it’s more pressure or if it’s made that way in your mind because of last year’s results, but

leading into last year, the pressure was still high. Expectations were still high. The year before that, same thing.

So I think last year may weigh a little more on everyone’s brain,” Kinsler said. “You know, people seem to

forget really fast about the success of this organization and the people that play on this field. I think you could

say there might be a little more pressure. Might be a little more urgency.”

According to Kinsler, additions to the team should only help the effort, both on and off the field.

“The guys that we’ve acquired are obviously going to help us. They’re really good people, they’re good guys in

the clubhouse. And it’s going to help the feel of this team through the whole season -- not just the talent that

they bring,” Kinsler said. “Statistics can’t measure a warm smile, you know?”

23

Healthy Miguel Cabrera aiming to play 160 games in 2016

February 24, 2016

By Katie Strang/ ESPN.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera joked about a text he received from teammate

J.D. Martinez this winter.

The two spent the offseason working out at the same gym, but Cabrera was surprised to hear from the 28-year-

old right fielder on Christmas Day.

“He texted me, ‘Where you at?’” Cabrera recalled. “I mean, I got kids!”

Cabrera wasn’t getting his reps in that day, but there wasn’t too many others that he missed, as he recalled

Tuesday in the clubhouse before the club’s first official day of full-squad workouts.

Like his veteran cohort Victor Martinez, the 32-year-old slugger was in a jovial mood, basking in the benefits of

a lengthy offseason during which he was finally able to get healthy and return to the sort of training regimen he

had been prevented from doing in recent years.

After playing through injuries for significant stretches during the 2015 season -- Cabrera was even placed on the

disabled list for the first time in his career with a calf injury in July -- he was able to take the time to fully

recover and heal this winter. He ran, improved his conditioning and built up strength in his legs.

“I feel the difference,” Cabrera said, referring to his swing. “I can feel my back leg more. Also, I can stay more

back so I can drive the ball up the gap.”

All of that, he hopes, will translate into an impactful -- and healthy -- 2016.

“I mean, play 160 games. That’s my goal,” Cabrera said “I’m trying not to miss too many games. I’m trying to

play every day.”

Cabrera laughed after the 160-game figure, but he was only half-joking. The two-time AL MVP has been an

absolute workhorse throughout his career; he played in all but three games in 2014 and missed only one in

2012.

Last season, though he missed 43 games, Cabrera won a batting title despite the multitude of ailments he was

playing through -- his calf, his surgically repaired ankle, his back on occasion -- and it begs the question: what

is he capable of when healthy?

“You saw what he did last year. He won a batting title, but maybe those balls weren’t traveling like they used

to,” said Martinez. “But this year, given his ankle’s feeling better, he’s able to condition more and strengthen

more in his legs, I wouldn’t be shocked if we went out there and hit 40 [home runs] again.”

Manager Brad Ausmus said the team got a little lift even now with him in camp as the full squad convened for

the day.

“I think when you have a [player the] caliber of Miggy’s, young players kind of look up with gaping jaws.

People he’s played with, it’s probably not that big of a deal but the young guys are like, ‘That’s Miguel

Cabrera,’” Ausmus said. “Triple Crown winner. So, that probably heightens the energy a little bit.”

Cabrera himself is excited about the upcoming season, especially with the number of upgrades the Tigers made

via trade and free agency this offseason.

Beyond the improvements to the pitching staff, Cabrera predicts that outfield free-agent acquisition Justin

Upton will have a Yoenis Cespedes-like impact for the team.

“He plays defense, [brings] power, brings speed to the whole lineup,” Cabrera said. “That’s great to have him.”

The key, Cabrera said, will be for the team to stay healthy, especially considering the quality of teams within

the AL Central, including the defending World Series champion Royals.

“We haven’t played a game yet,” Cabrera said, bursting out into a laugh. “We’re undefeated.”

Cabrera reflected on his history with Tigers first-year general manager Al Avila, who in 1999 was instrumental

in helping the Marlins sign him as a 16-year-old.

“Back in the day, I say, ‘Sign me, please,’” Cabrera said. “It’s amazing because we still here and we want to

win a World Series together.”

Cabrera’s no longer in the position to plead for a contract -- he was awarded a monster eight-year contract

extension in 2014 -- but he wouldn’t turn down another, he joked.

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“If he give me another 10 years, that’s OK,” Cabrera said.

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Tigers sign third baseman Casey McGehee to minor-league deal February 24, 2016

By Katie Strang/ ESPN.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Detroit Tigers made another roster move Tuesday, signing infielder Casey McGehee

to a minor-league deal, the team confirmed.

The 33-year-old McGehee provides the club with some organizational depth at third base. Nick Castellanos is

currently the team's third baseman, but the Tigers like the idea of bringing in another player to camp with

major-league experience.

"We could use a third baseman, quite frankly," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Not necessarily at the major-

league level, but maybe [Triple-A] Toledo. We could use him, and he's got major-league experience. He's got

international experience."

The team's depth in corner infielders took a hit this offseason when the Tigers traded Jefry Marte to acquire

Kody Eaves in a swap with the Angels.

"At some point, the realization was that we could use another third baseman," Ausmus said.

McGehee, introducing himself to his new Tigers teammates in the clubhouse Tuesday morning, said the deal

came together quickly. He received a phone call from the team and hopped on a plane from Jackson, Tennessee,

to Lakeland, where he had to first pass a physical.

The 33-year-old McGehee, who split time last season with the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins, said

he's eager to make the most of the opportunity.

"It was pretty late in the game, so I was pretty excited to get out and get to camp," he told ESPN.com. "I do

think this could be a really good situation, not only for me, but I think I could help this team win. That's my

goal. Looking at it like every spring, just hoping to get ready for the season but also trying to win a job and try

to figure out how to help this team."

What does McGehee believe he needs to show to win a job?

"Just come out and play the way I'm capable of playing. Work, be prepared and the rest will work itself out," he

said. "See what happens from there."

Two seasons ago, McGehee batted .287 with a .355 on-base percentage and .357 slugging percentage in 160

games for the Marlins.

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Tigers add depth by signing veteran 3B Casey McGehee to minor-league deal February 24, 2016

By Matthew Mowery/ Oakland Press

Stars, the Detroit Tigers have had.

Depth has been another issue.

In another move to bolster the depth behind the upper layer of stars that has the payroll pushing $200 million,

the Tigers made a minor move Tuesday, signing Casey McGehee to a minor-league deal.

The deal includes an invitation to big-league camp.

“We could use a third baseman, quite frankly,” manager Brad Ausmus told reporters in Lakeland, Fla.,

including the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky. “Not necessarily at the Major League level, maybe Toledo – we

could use one. And he’s got Major League experience, he’s got international experience.”

The 33-year-old McGehee has played in nearly 600 games at third base in his seven-year big-league career, and

117 more at first base. Both of those positions already have a starter (Nick Castellanos and Miguel Cabrera)

entrenched, along with backups in place (Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine at third, Victor Martinez and Jarrod

Saltalamacchia at first.)

He’s coming off one of his worst MLB seasons (.198 average, .538 OPS, two home runs, 20 RBI), that one on

the heels of his best. McGehee earned National League Comeback Player of the Year honors in Miami in 2014

after a year in Japan, but faltered after being traded to the Giants to replace Pablo Sandoval.

He was released by the Giants on July 8, and latched on with the Marlins again, but hadn’t latched on with

anyone as a free agent this offseason before the Tigers called.

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Pat Caputo - Detroit Tigers, player development and why there is light at end of tunnel February 24, 2016

By Pat Caputo/ ESPN.com

For many years, the Tigers’ player development system has been panned.

There are reasons for it floundering. The Tigers have been perennial contenders since 2006, and very active in

the free agent market.

It means they’ve lost several premium draft picks as compensation for signing free agents, and have been

selecting later than non-contending organizations because of success. Also, the Tigers have dealt many of their

top prospects in-season to augment postseason chases.

And the Tigers haven’t generally hit big with the players they have retained. Only four homegrown players

(drafted and/or signed by Detroit) have represented the Tigers at the All Star Game the past decade. Three of

those players (Brandon Inge and Curtis Granderson in 2009, and Alex Avila in 2011) are no longer in the

organization.

The last genuine star drafted and procured by the Tigers was the other All Star during that span, Justin

Verlander, the second overall selection in the 2004 MLB Draft – the year after the Tigers’ 119-loss disaster.

Last season was different. The Tigers were sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline, and it has infused

young talent into the organization. Pitchers Michael Fulmer (from the Mets for Yoenis Ceepedes) and Daniel

Norris (from the Blue Jays for David Price) are particularly promising.

Still, the Tigers’ system is not highly-rated by either Baseball America nor ESPN (both No. 26), and it should

be noted American League Central rival Kansas City, which has won the last two AL pennants and the World

Series in ‘15, was build primarily from “homegrown” talent.

But there is hope for the Tigers in the player development area. These some of the reasons why?

- Catcher James McCann and third baseman Nick Castellanos: Both Tigers’ draft picks, are right-handed hitters,

who destroy left-handed pitching. Castellanos had a .970 OPS against left-handed pitching in ‘15, McCann

.916. Those are seeds that could grow into big overall production. Castellanos was minus metrically both as a

fielder and base runner last season, but did noticeably improve with the glove. His ceiling is limited in that

regard, but his bat may override his flaws at some point soon. He doesn’t turn 24 until next month. McCann, 26

in June, wasn’t as good defensively as most fans and pundits seem to suggest metrically, but there is an obvious

upside there. Like Castellanos, McCann needs to tighten up certain fundamentals, especially base running.

Combined, they were both just 1.3 WAR (baseball-reference.com) version in ‘15, but expect that number to rise

this season.

- Norris and Fulmer: While they don’t qualify as “homegrown” in the sense they were not drafted by Detroit,

the finishing touches need to be applied by the Tigers. Last season, Norris displayed a fastball slightly below the

MLB average of 92 mph overall, but when his mechanics got in sync after the trade, he was in the 93 mph range

consistently. He has a good breaking ball and an underrated change. The key is command. Norris was just

missing with pitches early in the count during his brief stint with the Tigers. If he gets those pitches into the

edges of the strike zone early in counts this season, Norris could take off. He is an athletic, compact lefty, who

doesn’t seem fearful.

Fulmer throws hard, but what sets him apart is a nasty, spinning, hissing, hard slider that screams “You can’t

center me up” on the way to the plate. The issue is it is in the high 80s, sometimes hits 90, and there isn’t that

much separation in velocity from his mid-90s fastball. Fulmer’s power “stuff” just ate up Double-A hitters last

season, but MLB hitters wait out such pitches, and make hurlers pay for a lack of variety in his pitch pattern

second and third times through the order.

So Fulmer looks like a late-inning power reliever now, but that’s without even trying to throw off-speed pitches

last year. I’ve heard from scouts Fulmer has a below average changeup, but viewing several of his innings from

‘15, I don’t know if that is true. It’s like he didn’t throw any because he didn’t have to, and it will be intriguing

how the Tigers work out this issue.

- The Grand Rapids Four: A little melodramatic? Perhaps. But there were four intriguing prospects that helped

propel West Michigan to the Midwest League title last season. Mike Gerber, a corner outfielder, was a 15th

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round pick out of Creighton University, who is flashing a lot more upside than his draft position suggests.

Christin Stewart, Detroit’s second pick in last year’s draft, are both left-handed with power potential. Stewart, in

particular, flashed strongly in the power area last year at just 21.

The Tigers need power arms, and Joe Jimenez, the closer at West Michigan last season, is an underrated

prospect. He has a live arm, good size and misses a lot of bats. Spencer Turnbull is a starter with a good arm

and the makings of a varied pitch menu. All four are capable of moving through the Tigers’ system rapidly.

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LAST UPDATED: WED, FEBRUARY 24, 2016, 03:03 EST

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Detroit Tigers Casey McGehee Signed to a Minor League Contract

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Atlanta Braves Jeff Francoeur Signed to a Minor League Contract

Chicago Cubs Manny Parra Signed to a Minor League Contract

Chicago White Sox Jimmy Rollins Signed to a Minor League Contract

Colorado Rockies Christian Friedrich Cleared Waivers and Became a Free Agent

Milwaukee Brewers Sean Nolin Acquired Off Waivers From from Athletics, Oakland

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Miami Marlins Troy Patton Released

New York Yankees Chris Parmelee Signed to a Minor League Contract

Oakland Athletics Bryan Anderson Signed to a Minor League Contract

Texas Rangers Michael Roth Signed to a Minor League Contract

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Washington Nationals Juan Gutierrez Signed to a Minor League Contract