Bless You Boys

Welcome to Monday. We get a rare spring training night game Monday night when the team travels to play the Toronto Blue Jays. The field is narrowing for the final roster and chances that players have to prove they should be coming north with the team are getting fewer and fewer. Michael Fulmer certainly did

When Michael Fulmer returned to action in 2020 after a year on the shelf for Tommy John and right meniscus surgeries, it was no surprise that he struggled. The elbow surgery tends to get the attention, but the knee is actually the greater concern. His arm is healthy, but with compromised lower half mechanics and

The Tigers game against the Phillies on Sunday was notable for a couple reasons. First, we saw Matt Manning get the start despite having been moved to minor league camp last week. Second, we saw Michael Fulmer work in relief for the first time. Finally, and most exciting, were a pair of home runs from

Since the day the Detroit Tigers traded away homegrown ace Justin Verlander, general manager Al Avila has gone through a lot of cheap free agent starting pitchers, and has yet to really hit on one. Arguably Mike Fiers outperformed expectations, but names like Tyson Ross, Matt Moore, Ivan Nova, and Edwin Jackson have come and

There are questions about so many prospects heading into the 2021 campaign because of the cancelled minor league season in 2020. Of the players who have the biggest question marks, those whose stateside debuts were anticipated and then delayed in 2020 have to top the list. The lack of information is, frankly, impossible to navigate.

We’re getting down to the final 10 days of spring training, and that means it is roster decision time. To break down what we’ve see from the 2021 Tigers so far, we’ve got an old friend along on this one. Kenon Carter, former prospect writer for Bless You Boys, and host of the Detroit Tigers

With just over two weeks left until Opening Day, there are a surprising number of question marks about the 2021 Detroit Tigers roster. Surprising mainly because the Tigers actually have several difficult decisions facing them. For three seasons now, the players who mattered were obvious, while many of the final spots simply went to whoever

College bats with power and strong baseball bloodlines are attractive assets to teams in the MLB Draft. In Kody Clemens, the Detroit Tigers got both. Clemens came into the Tigers system as a second base only prospect out of the University of Texas. With solid power potential and a hard nosed style of play, he

There are few things on this earth I enjoy more than a good play on words. For me, the almighty pun reigns supreme in terms of the best type of wordplay, but high on the list is the anagram. For those unfamiliar (and you’ll figure it out pretty quickly down below), an anagram uses the

Final roster battles are taking shape for the Detroit Tigers as the spring training calendar reaches the home stretch with the regular season looming just two weeks away. Many of those battles involve the club’s prospects, each fighting to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. For his part, manager A.J. Hinch seems to

On days like this, it’s hard not to overextend one’s hopes for the Detroit Tigers 2021 season. The pitching and defense were generally quite good, while the offense flashed power from new sources. Sunday it added up to a 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Lakeland. Spencer Turnbull, the Tigers de facto number one

The fact that the budget trimming Baltimore Orioles did not tender a contract offer to Renato Núñez this offseason was a mild surprise. Núñez had led the club with 43 home runs and 121 RBI over the 2019- 2020 seasons. A bigger surprise was the fact that the Detroit Tigers were able to sign the

The Philadelphia Phillies took down the Detroit Tigers 9-3 on Saturday, but the results for individual players trying to make the final 26 man roster are all that matter. And as those roster decisions draw near, the overall picture of the 2021 starting roster is starting to take shape. We’ll get the bad news out

The Detroit Tigers farm system is vastly improved from the state it was in back in 2017 when the teardown started. However, at the premium positions they still have precious little to offer in terms of hopes for the future. There really isn’t a player in the system who looks like a likely starting centerfielder,

The Detroit Tigers will start the 2021 baseball season with a payroll of just over $79 million for their opening day roster, and $96.1 million for the 40 man roster, including player benefits. Those numbers are down from $107 and $114 million in 2020, respectively. After pro rating salaries for the shortened season, the Tigers

Spring training is in full swing and on Wednesday the Detroit Tigers got their second glimpse at one of their most prized pitching prospects in Matt Manning. More importantly, the fans—at least those with MLB.tv— got a peek at his new breaking ball, rumors of which have been churning in the mill over the past

The Detroit Tigers farm system was in a very different place in May of 2019 as the MLB draft approached. Matt Manning and Casey Mize reigned supreme as the only two top 100 prospects in the system. Tarik Skubal was just beginning the monster season that would see him vault up into their lofty company.

Following a fun Saturday win over the Orioles and a Sunday walk fest against Toronto that abruptly ended after eight innings because both sides apparently decided they just didn’t want to play anymore — and that kind of thing is allowed now — the Tigers are now 5-2 on the spring with the most wins

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Experienced baseball fans understand that March is both the most desperately anticipated and truly underwhelming month on the calendar. After a long winter without Major League Baseball, the best thing about spring training is the knowledge that real action is near. The actual gameplay, once we’re finally permitted to actually watch said games, isn’t usually