Q: Don from Detroit asks:
Any new news on the Tigers potential pick? Who are the top 3 candidates by Detroit?

A: Jim Callis: I'm not sure who their top three candidates are. But Long Beach State RHP Jered Weaver isn't nearly the lock to go No. 1 that he seemed to be 6-8 weeks ago, so the Tigers have a better chance to get him at No. 2 than once thought. We also hear they're very high on Homer Bailey.

Q: Neal from Joliet asks:
Hi. Do you feel that there is validity to the Tigers passing on Weaver? It doesn't seem all that logical to pass on him because his brother didn't work out there. If they do, will the Mets pony up that kind of money? thanks

A: Jim Callis: I don't think they'd pass on Jered because of Jeff, who actually pitched pretty well for Detroit and went in the tank after he got traded. But there are teams out there who prefer other pitchers' stuff to Weaver's pitchability, and Weaver's price tag could make some teams look in another direction. I'd say I'd be surprised if he went past the Mets, but then the draft is always surprising.

[in his final start of the season] Verlander gave up six runs and eight hits in seven innings, but more telling, he lost his composure on the mound, hitting four batters in a game in which he walked just two and had shown good control. "He's got three pitches that would be at least a 70 grade," said one scout who saw his last start, "but the pieces don't come together for him. He's just not mature enough on the mound and off it to put it all together yet."

"Last year when he struggled, we gave him a couple of days off and it was good for him," Manager Alan Trammell said. "It helped him clear his mind. "I think this is a temporary thing. We'll try to get him going. I know there's a small adjustment he's trying to make."

"Clearly the injury was more than anticipated," manager Alan Trammell said. "He was weak and needed some time to build up strength. He is still a little ways away. He's not going to be ready this weekend, that's for sure."

Infante's slugging percentage as Vina's replacement is .529. Only three everyday American League third basemen have slugging percentages that high this season. One is Alex Rodriguez, who at .532 ranks just ahead of what Infante has done as Vina's sub.

Baldwin is 79-72 in a big league career that began in 1995. He made the American League All-Star team in 2000 with Chicago. He has pitched only 21 innings in the big leagues since the start of last season. In two starts with the Mets this season, Baldwin allowed 10 earned runs in six innings.

Ledezma, a left-hander who is 23, has a 5-1 record and 2.68 earned-run average. His secondary numbers — hits, strikeouts, walks, etc. — are excellent: 43 2/3 innings pitched, 39 hits, 43 strikeouts, 15 walks. Roney, 24 and a burly right-hander, hasn’t had Ledezma’s command, but he lost his first game of the season last week and now sits with a 4-1 record and a 3.38 ERA.

Ledezma, in particular, could hit it big in Detroit. He had missed most of 2001 and 2002 because of injuries and needed the kind of seasonlong work he will get in Erie and, perhaps, later this season, at Triple-A Toledo. But by the time spring training convenes next February, Ledezma could easily be in the mix for a job in the Tigers’ rotation.

OF Dmitri Young, on the DL since April 7 as he recovers from a broken right leg, is "very doubtful" for Tuesday's opener of a three-game series in Kansas City. "But that could change," manager Alan Trammel said.

Immediately after Spiezio's homer [in the fourth inning], [Seattle manager Bob] Melvin told plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt that [Rich] Aurilia and John Olerud were trapped in the video room. The door was drilled out and play resumed after a few minutes when Olerud, the next hitter, emerged and teammates giggled in the dugout. "It was funnier at the time," Melvin said.

The Tigers initially thought Vina would miss 2-3 weeks, but Trammell said Thursday, “He’s a little bit behind. He needs more time to build the tendon back up. If he doesn’t join us in Kansas City, it’ll be back in Detroit.”

Aurilia, 32, has struggled all season facing unfamiliar pitchers. A career National Leaguer with a .278 average, he's hitting .240 in Seattle and hasn't homered in 121 at-bats as a Mariner.

Worse, for both he and the team, his style of defense at shortstop - which relies more on his positioning than his range - has been undermined because he doesn't know American League hitters.

If they can trade Aurilia, the Mariners are willing to pay some of his $3.5 million contract. If they can't trade him, they're likely to release him.

"He's the best I've ever seen," manager Alan Trammell of the Tigers said. "I know Rod Carew and Brett Butler were great, but he ranks up there with any of those guys."

"What a bunter. He's the best I've ever seen. I don't know what to do unless they let us play another fielder out there."

"He must be one of the most valuable players in the game today. He's a catcher who can play center field and anywhere on the infield. I think he has the best release of any catcher in the American League."

Reds first round pick in 2000 looked like a bust entering the year with a .741 OPS in 309 minor league games -- at .361-6-9 he's suddenly among the Eastern League leaders in several categories, and still only 22 years old.

Detroit Tigers manager Alan Trammell said yesterday it is “more than likely” Dmitri Young will make a rehab appearance with the Mud Hens, hopefully this weekend.

We did our homework," says Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski. "And actually, we heard a lot of good things about him. All his injuries were unusual. ... But after five years with an organization where he wasn't always in a position to play, day-in and day-out, I don't think it's surprising that they were interested in making a change." And they're not complaining. Through Thursday, Guillen was hitting .331. He was leading all AL shortstops in on-base percentage (.415). And he handled 123 chances this year before he committed an error.

"It's the same injury," manager Alan Trammell said. "Nothing, they feel, is anything severe, but he's sore and he needs to rehab it a little bit. He needs to get off of it, basically."

Trammell said he didn't start Rodriguez at catcher Wednesday "just in case it's more than a cramp." Trammell added, "The last thing we can afford is to lose Pudge for a period of time."

After his last outing, Henkel told the Erie Times-News that his shoulder felt so bad "I wish I could have thrown right-handed instead."

"(Sleeth) has a chance with his stuff and ability and makeup to move up quickly through the minors, but I don't know how quick that could be. He has an above-average fastball with movement on it, a great pitcher's body and a very mature approach on the mound."

"That's probably as good a game as we've had pitched against us."

'I came here because they gave me a good contract.' He shrugs at his own honesty. 'I have to say it. It's a four-year contract, the number of years I was looking for.'

Espinosa is now mashing the ball at Erie and playing honorably in right field, which should be noted as Bobby Higginson’s days dwindle. Espinosa’s numbers last week were a stat analyst’s picnic: .341 batting average, .432 on-base percentage and .610 on the slugging scale.

Espinosa is also 22 years old, which means he is exactly where a budding big-leaguer should be relative to his age and to his soaring numbers.

"We need some help," Trammell said, "and while maybe someone else's numbers are better, it's felt that he [Dingman] can help us right now. (RHP Franklyn) German still hasn't pitched as well as we would like. I look at Dingman as capable of helping out as a couple-of-innings guy, maybe three."

The Tigers have handled him cautiously so far, starting his '04 season in the Florida State League. He's pitching well so far for Lakeland: 3.19 ERA in five starts, with a 26/6 K/BB ratio in 31 innings. This is more of a tune-up than anything else, getting him used to the pro game, since he signed late last year. If he continues to pitch well in the FSL, which he should, he'll move up to Double-A soon. His performance there will determine whether he gets to the Show or not in '04. At the worst, he should be up sometime before the '05 All-Star break.

There were 100 pitches in the fifth inning, which lasted 1 hour, 8 minutes. Detroit scored eight runs in the top half for a 14-4 lead. The Tigers' half of the inning lasted 32 minutes.

"We have to put Nate Cornejo on the DL," said Trammell. "He'll probably be out three to four weeks, that's what they're saying. Basically he has some inflammation in his shoulder, nothing major. "

dave from maryland asks: When will Kyle Sleeth be promoted to AA Erie?

A: Chris Kline: Sleeth will head to Erie when the weather warms up in the northwestern corner of PA (which is usually around August). I'd expect him to be in Double-A by mid-May or early June.

"Right now we're going to take a step back," said Trammell. "Talking to [pitching coach] Bob [Cluck], and reading some of Nate's comments, I think it tells you his confidence is shaken. I think it's pretty obvious that that's happened.

Figure this out: The Tigers, no great lineup to begin with, lose perhaps their top offensive force in the season's second game with a nasty broken leg. This leaves Rondell White and Bobby Higginson shifting to DH more often and creates more at-bats for Norton and Monroe than the Tigers had planned. Norton and Monroe post OPSes of .403 and .616, respectively. So what happens? Detroit leads the AL with 152 runs through Monday. Bizarre.

By Memorial Day, when the Royals had hoped their brisk summer attendance would begin, the only question may be how long until Baird surrenders to reality and trades Beltran to the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers or even -- gulp -- the Tigers.

"I wouldn't want to go," Cornejo said, "but it's up to them, not up to me. Yeah, I've been pitching a little on the weak side, but it's not up to me."