Tigersground.com | Detroit Tigers News, tigers Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --RHP Fernando Rodney avoided arbitration Jan. 14 by agreeing to a $1 million raise that will earn him $2.7 million the season before he can become a free agent. Detroit's failure to obtain a proven closer makes it look more and more as though the Tigers will enter the season with the potentially excellent but erratic Rodney as their ninth-inning pitcher. He was 0-6 with 13 saves and a 4.91 ERA last season. "There's some nights when he takes unhittable stuff out there with good control," manager Jim Leyland said recently on WXYT-AM 1270. "There are some other nights when the control is not good enough. So I would say he's a very good part-time closer, but probably not a real perfect closer at this particular time -- consistent enough, maybe, is the right term."</div>--LF Marcus Thames accepted a $1 million raise, to $2.275 million, on a one-year deal to avoid going through salary arbitration next month. Thames hit .241 with 25 home runs, second on the team, and 56 RBI in 316 at-bats. His rate of one home run every 13.52 at-bats since he began receiving more playing time in 2006 is the fourth-highest among major league players with 1,000 plate appearances. He tied the Detroit record by hitting home runs in five consecutive games from June 13 to 17. --LHP Fu-Te Ni, 26, has agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Detroit that makes the Taiwan native the first member of the Chinese Professional Baseball League to sign with a major league team. Ni is scheduled to pitch for Taiwan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and has pitched for his country in several international competitions. Ni pitched the last two years for the China Trust Whales as a starter but will be used out of the bullpen by the Tigers. He is expected to begin his career in the U.S. at either the Triple-A or Double-A level but will participate in spring training with the Tigers. Ni finished the 2008 season with a 5-12 record and a 3.34 ERA with a league-best 132 strikeouts in 145 1/3 innings. He was 7-12 with a 3.53 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 122 1/3 innings the year before. "Our personnel that have scouted Ni project him as a major league pitcher," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Ni pitched for the Taiwan National Team at the 2007 Baseball World Cup and in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He joins OF Chao-Ting Tang, 21, as the second Taiwan native signed by the Tigers. --RHP Freddy Garcia is apparently no longer a possibility to sign with the Tigers, who brought him to the majors for a tryout last September. A baseball source told the Detroit News on Jan. 15 the Tigers have not had any recent contact with Garcia's agent and do not plan to re-sign him as a free agent. Garcia, a 32-year-old two-time All-Star, was 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA after Detroit brought him up from the minors. He has had some neck and shoulder tightness this winter, which might be why the Tigers are no longer interested. Obtaining RHP Edwin Jackson for the rotation is also a factor. --1B Miguel Cabrera has been selected as King Tiger for 2008 by the Mayo Smith Society, a nationwide group of Tigers fans. Cabrera's 37 home runs led the American League in his first year out of the NL, and he tied for the league lead with 331 total bases. He finished third in the league with 127 RBI, fifth with 75 extra-base hits and seventh with a .537 slugging percentage. Cabrera is the first Tigers player to lead the league in home runs since Cecil Fielder belted 44 home runs in 1991 to share the league lead. --INF Don Kelly, originally signed by the Tigers, has returned to the organization on a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training. The middle infielder, 29, spent last season in the Arizona organization and hit .275 at Tucson. He played 25 games for Pittsburgh in 2007, hitting .148. Kelly was drafted and signed by Detroit in 2001 but was traded to Pittsburgh after the 2006 season. BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Natives of Taiwan in the Detroit organization following the recent signing of LHP Fu-Te Ni. The Tigers believe Ni has the potential to help them as a relief pitcher, but a bigger reason for the signing could be to emphasize the fact Detroit wants to become a factor in the Asian talent market. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm looking forward to (RHP Fernando) Rodney this year, because, whether people believe this or not, Rodney's a free agent (after 2009) and I think he's going to do everything he can. He knows this is a big year for him. So we should be able to get quite a bit out of Rodney this year. But to say that he's going to be our definite closer, I couldn't say that at this time." -- Manager Jim Leyland of the Tigers commenting on the erratic pitcher Detroit apparently will count on to close games entering the 2009 season.

--RHP Fernando Rodney avoided arbitration Jan. 14 by agreeing to a $1 million raise that will earn him $2.7 million the season before he can become a free agent. Detroit's failure to obtain a proven closer makes it look more and more as though the Tigers will enter the season with the potentially excellent but erratic Rodney as their ninth-inning pitcher. He was 0-6 with 13 saves and a 4.91 ERA last season. "There's some nights when he takes unhittable stuff out there with good control," manager Jim Leyland said recently on WXYT-AM 1270. "There are some other nights when the control is not good enough. So I would say he's a very good part-time closer, but probably not a real perfect closer at this particular time -- consistent enough, maybe, is the right term."

--LF Marcus Thames accepted a $1 million raise, to $2.275 million, on a one-year deal to avoid going through salary arbitration next month. Thames hit .241 with 25 home runs, second on the team, and 56 RBI in 316 at-bats. His rate of one home run every 13.52 at-bats since he began receiving more playing time in 2006 is the fourth-highest among major league players with 1,000 plate appearances. He tied the Detroit record by hitting home runs in five consecutive games from June 13 to 17.

--LHP Fu-Te Ni, 26, has agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Detroit that makes the Taiwan native the first member of the Chinese Professional Baseball League to sign with a major league team. Ni is scheduled to pitch for Taiwan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and has pitched for his country in several international competitions. Ni pitched the last two years for the China Trust Whales as a starter but will be used out of the bullpen by the Tigers. He is expected to begin his career in the U.S. at either the Triple-A or Double-A level but will participate in spring training with the Tigers. Ni finished the 2008 season with a 5-12 record and a 3.34 ERA with a league-best 132 strikeouts in 145 1/3 innings. He was 7-12 with a 3.53 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 122 1/3 innings the year before. "Our personnel that have scouted Ni project him as a major league pitcher," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Ni pitched for the Taiwan National Team at the 2007 Baseball World Cup and in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He joins OF Chao-Ting Tang, 21, as the second Taiwan native signed by the Tigers.

--RHP Freddy Garcia is apparently no longer a possibility to sign with the Tigers, who brought him to the majors for a tryout last September. A baseball source told the Detroit News on Jan. 15 the Tigers have not had any recent contact with Garcia's agent and do not plan to re-sign him as a free agent. Garcia, a 32-year-old two-time All-Star, was 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA after Detroit brought him up from the minors. He has had some neck and shoulder tightness this winter, which might be why the Tigers are no longer interested. Obtaining RHP Edwin Jackson for the rotation is also a factor.

--1B Miguel Cabrera has been selected as King Tiger for 2008 by the Mayo Smith Society, a nationwide group of Tigers fans. Cabrera's 37 home runs led the American League in his first year out of the NL, and he tied for the league lead with 331 total bases. He finished third in the league with 127 RBI, fifth with 75 extra-base hits and seventh with a .537 slugging percentage. Cabrera is the first Tigers player to lead the league in home runs since Cecil Fielder belted 44 home runs in 1991 to share the league lead.

--INF Don Kelly, originally signed by the Tigers, has returned to the organization on a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training. The middle infielder, 29, spent last season in the Arizona organization and hit .275 at Tucson. He played 25 games for Pittsburgh in 2007, hitting .148. Kelly was drafted and signed by Detroit in 2001 but was traded to Pittsburgh after the 2006 season.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Natives of Taiwan in the Detroit organization following the recent signing of LHP Fu-Te Ni. The Tigers believe Ni has the potential to help them as a relief pitcher, but a bigger reason for the signing could be to emphasize the fact Detroit wants to become a factor in the Asian talent market.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm looking forward to (RHP Fernando) Rodney this year, because, whether people believe this or not, Rodney's a free agent (after 2009) and I think he's going to do everything he can. He knows this is a big year for him. So we should be able to get quite a bit out of Rodney this year. But to say that he's going to be our definite closer, I couldn't say that at this time." -- Manager Jim Leyland of the Tigers commenting on the erratic pitcher Detroit apparently will count on to close games entering the 2009 season.