Though there was a rumor before Thanksgiving that Renteria was going to sign a two-year, $19 million deal with the Giants, that was still a rumor when the Tigers had to decide on arbitration for Renteria. In the end, team officials were still afraid that the Giants deal could fall through and he could accept arbitration with the Tigers. Would it have been terrible? Not necessarily, with Brandon Inge back at third to cover more ground in the hole. From a financial standpoint, though, the Tigers couldn't really spend $9 million to do it. For that matter, Jack Wilson's $7.25 million salary and $600,000 buyout would've been a lot for them.

When the Tigers traded Pudge Rodriguez, both Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland indicated that they were going with Inge behind the plate in '09. What changed? Was it Carlos Guillen's health? Inge's performance behind the plate as a catcher and hitter? Inge's performance at third? The emergence of Dusty Ryan? Do pitchers like Ryan calling the game better? Or was it some combination of the above?
-- Patrick O., Anaheim

I would say it was a combination of the above. Trading Rodriguez at the end of July gave the Tigers a chance to watch Inge behind the plate for a month and a half before going into the offseason. The decision out of that was that third base was a better position for him, and that the Tigers were better off looking for a regular catcher. It was a big adjustment for a 31-year-old to move back behind the plate after not catching for more than three years.

With the World Baseball Classic, how will that affect the Tigers' Spring Training Rosters? When will the players playing in the World Baseball Classic leave the team, and when will they return?
-- Thomas C., Tallahassee, Fla.

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It's going to affect the Tigers pretty heavily, since they're expected to have anywhere from four to seven prominent players on the national squads -- including Miguel Cabrera, Ordonez, Guillen, Armando Galarraga, and perhaps Justin Verlander and Curtis Granderson. Those players, if they're selected, will leave camp around late February -- though the Venezuelan players won't go far, since they'll be training in Lakeland -- and return in mid- to late-March once their teams are eliminated or win the title. In between, you'll see the Tigers invite more players from the Minor League camp and give them some more playing time than usual. You'll also notice that there are no split-squad games on the Spring Training schedule, precisely for that depth concern.

Then again, the last time the Tigers had to deal with the World Baseball Classic, they went on to the World Series that year.

When Jeremy Bonderman comes back, why not try him as a closer? What are the two things you need as a closer -- a good fastball and nasty slider. Bonderman has both.
-- Matt S., Traverse City, Mich.

I don't think the Tigers are deep enough in starting pitching to make a closer out of Bonderman, who currently shapes up second or third in Detroit's rotation. Plus, as long as Bonderman has the potential to develop into a great starter, I don't believe the Tigers will give up on that. Keep in mind that, after six Major League seasons, he just turned 26 years old and his only major surgery was for a constricted blood vessel, not an elbow or shoulder ligament.

With the acquisitions of Edwin Jackson, Gerald Laird, and Adam Everett, is it possible that the Tigers will go after one more starter via free agency? I just can't trust Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis to step up next year. I'm intrigued about Junichi Tazawa from Japan, and that the Tigers have shown interest.
-- Andrew J., Dearborn, Mich.

Tazawa already signed with the Red Sox. As for another starter, I don't see anything happening there, certainly not in free agency. If they add a starter as the secondary part of another trade, that's another matter, but I don't think it's a major focus of theirs at this point so much as securing an improved bullpen.