--LF Carlos Guillen intends to pull out of the World Baseball Classic if he doesn't play left field, the position he will be manning for Detroit this season. Guillen is on the preliminary roster for the Venezuelan team along with Detroit RF Magglio Ordonez. OF Bobby Abreu is the other headline outfielder for Venezuela, which doesn't have a marquee center fielder. "I better play left field, because if I do not play left field I am coming back (to the Tigers)," Guillen said.

--LHP Bobby Seay wants to change things up this year because he believes predictability played a role in his ERA ballooning to 7.59 over the final two months of last season, compared to the 2.57 ERA he posted through July. Manager Jim Leyland blamed Seay's inability to throw his looping slider on the outside corner to left-handed hitters for much of his problems. Left-handers batted .303 against Seay after hitting .246 against him in earlier years.

"I started pitching backward because I thought guys were sitting on my slider," Seay said. "But if I can throw it down and away with break, I am going to have a successful season. I'm working on a changeup and think it will be a good pitch for me. I don't want to live on my slider. And the big thing is conditioning myself to pitch in 60 to 65 games and not start dragging."

He wants to return to the form that had him go 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 2007. He was 1-2 with a 4.47 ERA last season.

--OF Clete Thomas will not be allowed to throw until the end of spring training. Thomas underwent Tommy John surgery late last season after trying for a couple months to play through the pain. He hurt his elbow the first time he was called up to Detroit but kept quiet about it in an effort to prolong his time with the team. Thomas will be allowed to hit but will be kept out of the field. His arm is expected to be healthy enough for him to make outfield throws early in the season. He will open the schedule with Class AAA Toledo, although Detroit may elect to keep him in a warm weather site at the start.

--LHP Kyle Bloom is showing Detroit a sharp-breaking curveball in his effort to make the roster as a Rule 5 choice out of the Pittsburgh organization. "I've really been impressed with Bloom's curveball," manager Jim Leyland said after watching him throw a bullpen session. "He's got a pretty good curveball." Bloom also features a mid-90s fastball that helped him fan 93 in 109 2/3 minor league innings last season. His problem has been getting the ball over the plate (55 walks last year).

"I think one of the reasons they got me is the curve," the 25-year-old Bloom said. "And lefties are a top commodity and I'm lucky to be one of them." Bloom would move from starter to reliever with Detroit. "It's awesome," Bloom said. "This is a great opportunity. It's very comforting to know you come in with an opportunity to fit in here. I'm just going to take it a day at a time. It's a decision for the brass to make, and all I can do is show them what I can do. My goal is to be with this team."

--RHP Ryan Perry is making an impression with his easy-looking 100 mph fastball, and the 2008 top draft choice will get limited spring innings to see where he stands. Perry, 22, showed the ability to miss bats during his limited minor league time last summer but also gave up too many hits because the ball was easy to pick up. The Tigers changed his delivery slightly and also had him add a two-seam fastball to his explosive four-seamer in an effort to give him more weapons. "That's a huge arm, no matter where it pitches," manager Jim Leyland said after an early look at Perry's fastball. "I'm not saying Ryan Perry by any means is going to be on the club. What I'm saying is that it (his arm) makes you stop and look, and I'm sure at some point this spring it will make us stop and think."

--CF Curtis Granderson took part in a photo shoot Feb. 16 for Playboy magazine's upcoming baseball issue. "The only thing I took off was my hat," Granderson said. He also called his mother to ask permission -- even though at age 27 he hardly needs to. "I wouldn't have done it if she had said no to it," Granderson said.

--LHP Kenny Rogers isn't in camp, hasn't signed with anybody and hasn't officially retired -- but don't expect him to come around. "I think he wants to be here," said ex-teammate Jeremy Bonderman, who has been in touch with Rogers, "but he wants to be with his family. We all miss him, but it's part of the game." Rogers, 44, got the last of his 219 major league victories Aug. 18 in Texas, giving up three runs in six innings of an 8-7 victory. He took himself out of the rotation in September so the Tigers could work with other pitchers.

BY THE NUMBERS: .256 -- Brandon Inge's career batting average as a third baseman, compared to only .199 when he catches. Inge will be returning to third base as a regular this season after serving as a utility player last season until C Ivan Rodriguez was traded. He was then more or less full time as the Tigers' catcher.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The only thing I took off was my hat." -- CF Curtis Granderson, after taking part in a Feb. 16 photo session for an upcoming baseball spread in Playboy magazine.