We’ve come to the time of year where there are going to be some cuts from the major league portion of spring training. We’ve also come to the time of year where certain players are not only going to leave the major league squad, but the organization as a whole. We've seen a little of both situations over the past few days.

Cut

Eric Roof and John Murrian were sent down to the minor league portion of camp on Tuesday. This is no surprise, as neither was competing for a big league spot. They were simply guys who put on the gear to accommodate all the pitchers in the early days of spring training.

Released

On Wednesday, Mike Hollimon was released. This was the kind of cut where the guy doesn’t come back. I was kind of bummed by this news. I always liked Hollimon and it seems not so long ago we were seeing Hollimon get a cup of coffee with the Tigers. After lighting up Double A pitchers in 2007, I wondered if there was a chance he could overshoot expectations and push for a second base job in the majors.

A utility role was always more likely, but injuries have dogged him the last couple years. As a result, he was simply passed on the depth chart by younger, healthier players with more upside. He now finds himself as a 27-year old who hasn’t played a full season since 2007 and needs to show he can avoid future injuries and has put the previous ones behind him.

Retired

Today, three players may have saved the Tigers a tough call to the front office when the final roster decisions were made at the end of the spring. Jonah Nickerson, Jeff Gerbe and Adrian Casanova each retired.

Nickerson received a rude introduction to the Double A level last year after pushing his way through West Michigan and Lakeland the prior two years. He seemed to have to work to figure out how to get hitters out at both of those levels, but finished with good numbers at each of them. I suspect his honest assessment of his 2009 season revealed even if he figured out Double A hitters, it probably just wasn’t going to happen at the higher levels.

Jeff Gerbe looked like he had a little promise as a ground ball pitcher who got a taste of Double A in just his second season of pro ball. That was 2007 and even that season shoulder problems dogged him, costing him over a month of time. In 2008, he had more shoulder issues and underwent surgery to try to fix it. That cost him that whole season and when he tried to pitch for Oneonta in 2009, he had major control problems. After five outings, a back problem sidelined him for the rest of the season. The injuries left him throwing just 15 innings in the past two years, and I’d imagine the shoulder problems had cut into the effectiveness of his sinking fastball.

Adrian Casanova probably hasn’t had big league dreams in quite a while. Drafted in the 40th round in 2006, he’s always been more of a backup and fill-in catcher and that was illustrated by his being shuffled around to all four full season squads in 2008. His 165 at bats in Lakeland and Erie last year were a career high, and I’m sure his role was very clear to him. He’ll turn 27 this season, and I’d imagine he decided he needed to move on from being a backup catcher in the minors.

Farewell

I’m sure it will never reach them, but I certainly wish each of the four players who won’t be back in Tiger uniforms the best. Here at Take 75 North, we pay a little more attention to their efforts and hope they realize they didn’t go unnoticed.

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