I don’t know if Mike Maroth, Chad Durbin or Nate Robertson qualify as great pitchers by any stretch of the imagination. Among the three, I think Robertson is the best, followed by Maroth and then Durbin, although that could change if Durbin gets just a little better. Robertson is left-handed and is capable of throwing in the 90s. He has some bulldog in him, like Maroth, who doesn’t have as good an arm. I admit I wasn’t impressed by Durbin at first. I thought he was a classic 4-A pitcher and didn’t understand why the Tigers, who are trying to get away from using those type of pitchers, were so intrigued. But he has shown a lot of late life on his fastball at times, and when he does, Durbin is relatively tough on hitters.
But all three essentially are No. 4 or No. 5 starters on a really good staff. So it speaks to the quality of the Tigers staff that only one of the three, probably, will be able to fit the fifth spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation soon - when Robertson comes back from the disabled list.
The Tigers are doing the right thing by keeping Andrew Miller in the rotation. It’s a no-brainer, actually. His first three major league starts have been impressive. Even if he doesn’t do well in a start or two, there is no reason to believe he isn’t ready for the major leagues. He is not going to learn anything more in the minor leagues, that’s for sure, and he brings so much more with him to the mound than Durbin, Maroth and Robertson. Kenny Rogers should give the Tigers a major lift.
If Robertson is healthy, I would keep him in the fifth spot. I would move Maroth and Durbin to the bullpen. They have some flexability with moving pitchers down to the minors. It also puts heat on Maroth, Wil Ledezma and Jason Grilli to perform better. There will be some decisions that need to be made. They be difficult ones, but ones other organizations simply don’t have the luxury to make. That depth becomes huge if there are more injuries.

Reminder

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Random thoughts

- It seems like the Tigers using Eulogio de la Cruz as a starter in the minors is paying off. He appears more refined than when I saw him pitch when he was younger and he tended to be all over the place. They got him back to the bullpen in just the nick of time, too. I do wonder how he will do if placed into a game with a one-run lead in Atlanta this weekend. I think he just might pass that test if given the opportunity.

- I was shocked when an ad flashed on my TV to pay $29.95 to see Evander Holyfield’s upcoming fight. What is wrong with boxing? Nobody cares about paying to see that fight. Now if it was on regular TV, it would be of interest. And it would help promote the sport. It’s a shame what has happened to boxing. Holyfield is 43 years old. He is not the Real Deal anymore. He is the Real Old Deal. Why not just get the bout with him and Larry Holmes, or him and George Foreman, out of the way? Then we can move on with our lives - at lot less than $29.95.

- Prediction: Ozzie Guillen’s latest rant likely will be the impetus to cost him his job as White Sox manager. You don’t start pointing the finger at the players like that without pointing it at yourself, too. Players don't respect that. I call it the Bobby Ross syndrome. Guillen is a knucklehead. It’s obvious the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 despite Guillen, not because of him.