Weekend Roar - 3/22 and 3/23

I have some really good news and some really bad news regarding the Tigers. Let's start with the good news.

It's being reported that Miguel Cabrera has signed an 8-year, $153.3 million deal this weekend. The deal will not be officially announced until a physical is completed. This is some pretty fantastic news. To know that we have one of the elite baseball players in the world locked up for such a long term brings some definite optimism to the future of baseball in Detroit.

Now the bad news. Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch in the hand on Saturday, and is now out for three weeks with a broken right middle finger. He will be placed on the 15-day disabled list. This is not the way we hoped the season would start. Granderson has been the spark plug that gets this lineup going, and without his speed at the top of the lineup Jim Leyland will have some tricky adjustments to make.

My guess is that Brandon Inge will start the season in center field and bat ninth, unless Leyland feels that Jacque Jones can handle the defensive assignment in center and Marcus Thames can play left. I would probably prefer the latter, but it is nice to know that Inge is still around for injuries like this.

As far as the leadoff spot in the lineup goes, I'm thinking that Leyland will move Edgar Renteria into that spot. The Pudge at leadoff experiment didn't work too well last year and no one else really seems to fit the mold of a leadoff guy. One interesting thought that D-Town Baseball had was to try Gary Sheffield at the top of the lineup. His patience at the plate could work and he still has above average speed on the basepaths. I would still prefer Renteria leading off, but wouldn't mind the Sheffield attempt one bit.

In Spring Training games, the Tigers tied the Indians 3-3 today. Sheffield hit his third homer of the game, a two-run shot off of Fausto Carmona that scored Placido Polanco. Yorman Bazardo pitched three perfect innings, who got the start. Friday, the Tigers matchup with the Phillies was rained out.

That's all for today, have a Happy Easter everyone.