The Tigers will be without 25-year old righty reliever Al Alburquerque until at least the 2012 All-Star Break as he has underwent surgery recently to repair a stress fracture in his right elblow. Alburquerque pitched in 41 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last year (his first taste of the majors) and he was 6-1 with a 1.87 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He only gave up 21 hits (0 homers) in 43 1/3 innings for the Tigers, while whiffing 67 batters. He was dominating during the regular season despite having control issues as he walked 29 batters last year. If he starts throwing more strikes, who knows who good he can become….because he has nasty, nasty stuff.

The Tigers have decided not to tender a contract for 2012 to 28-year old lefty swinging 2B Will Rhymes, making him a free agent. Rhymes played in 29 games for the Tigers last year and he was 20 for 85 (.235 avg, .594 OPS) with 13 runs scored, 0 homers, 2 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He played in 83 games in his two years with the Tigers and he was 78 for 276 (.283 avg, .711 OPS) with 43 runs scored, 1 homer, 21 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Rhymes will have no problem finding a new job, but he fell behind other players in Detroit at 2B.

The Tigers have signed 33-year old righty reliever/starter Chris Bootcheck to a minor league deal. Bootcheck pitched in 16 games (7 starts) in AAA-ball for the Rays last year and he was 3-2 with 1 save, a 3.57 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors back in 2009 with the Pirates. Bootcheck has now pitched in 90 games (3 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 3-7 with 1 save, a 6.54 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. The Tigers will likely just stash Bootcheck in AAA, but he will get a shot to win a spot in the bullpen next spring.

The Tigers have dealt 24-year old righty reliever Ryan Perry to the Washington Nationals for 25-year old righty reliever/starter Collin Balester. Perry pitched in 36 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 2-0 with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. He pitched in 149 games (0 starts) in his three years with the Tigers and he was 5-6 with 2 saves, a 4.07 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. The Tigers pretty much got tired of waiting for Perry to become the pitcher they thought he would be. Collin Balester pitched in 23 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He has now pitched in 62 games (22 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 5-16 with a 5.17 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Balester will likely have a good shot at winning a job as the long man in the Tigers’ bullpen this spring.

The Tigers have signed 38-year old righty reliever Octavio Dotel to a 1-year contract with an option for the 2013 season. Dotel pitched in 65 games (0 starts) for the Blue Jays and Cardinals last year and he was 5-4 with 3 saves, a 3.50 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He has now pitched in 695 games (34 starts) in his first 13 years in the majors and he is 54-47 with 108 saves, a 3.74 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Dotel is a fireballer as he has whiffed 1,077 batters in 888 1/3 innings while only allowing 705 hits. Adding Dotel to the back end of the bullpen with closer Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit is going to make it really hard for opposing teams to comeback late in games. I love this signing for the Tigers.