Detroit Tigers Minor League update: AKA players who could fill a roster spot better than Ryan Raburn

We talk a lot about the Detroit Tigers, the 25 guys who are currently with the big team. We also complain a lot about the job General Manager Dave Dombrowski has done stocking up the minor league affiliates of the Tigers. There is a lot of room for criticism there, but for the 2012 season here is a quick look at who is doing a pretty good job in the minor leagues. It seems pretty apparent that any one of them could do a better job than what Ryan Raburn is doing right now. By the way, the Tigers just love 2 of 3 to the Seattle Mariners and we should feel pretty lucky they will not see that team for the rest of the regular season.

We start in Toledo where the exploits of Brad Eldred have been well chronicled. However he could not duplicate his success with the big club. OF Quintin Berry is a speedster who has drawn 18 walks and swiped 14 bags. He is also hitting .296, but has struck out 32 times. That is way too many and the likely reason he is still in Toledo.

At Double A Erie, the Sea Wolves have a hot hitting catcher in Rob Brantly. He is hitting .372 with 12 doubles, 3 home runs, and 20 RBI. Of course there is no room for a catcher with the Tigers, but if he can keep a hot bat down the road he may look real good as the big team catcher of the future, or be used as trade bait to get another arm the big team needs right now.

Turning our attention to the pitchers, since that seems like the biggest need past the stone cold offense the Tigers have put on display this week. The Mud Hens have a relief pitcher, Chris Bootcheck (great name), that has seven saves and 14 strike outs in 16 and 2/3’s innings. Sounds like an arm the big team could use in the late innings. The late innings have been a problem all week in Seattle. The Sea Wolves have Tyler Stohr who is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA and eight strikeouts in 8 innings. Of course it is far too early on to say he can be that good all year.

As it stands right now, the Tigers are 15 and 15, and waiting for a potent offense to wake up. Some argue that Jim Leyland needs to come up with a more consistent daily lineup to spark the offense. I think some of the kids in the system should be up here getting some experience. With the payroll situation being what it is the Tigers are going to need some of these younger players to come in and produce (either now or later). Why not have them up here, working with the coaching staff, for all to see what they can do.