Dipping into Jason Beck’s mailbag for blogging inspiration, I give you my answers to questions asked of the Tigers MLB.com writer. And isn’t mailbag a weird term when you think about it…?

Inspired by Big Al’s blogging over Lynn Henning’s shoulder, I thought I’d blog through Jason Beck’s mailbag. Being a fan of Beck’s work, I’ve been reading his mailbag pretty religiously looking for any excuse to answer some questions, but he fielded a lot of questions that didn’t lend themselves to analysis — until today’s edition. So here I am. Like last time, I don’t intend to steal the content, so click the link to read Beck’s responses.

Does anyone foresee a timing problem with new shortstop Edgar Renteria and Placido Polanco? Polanco obviously is one of the better second baseman in the game, but he has gotten used to Carlos Guillen’s tendencies and vice versa. Will this just be a growing pain of training camp?

Me: I don’t forsee any problems. Yeah, there’s always a session where the players have to adapt to each other. But I think you can probably overrate the need for longtime chemistry between two middle infielders. It’s not like we saw big chemistry dropoffs when someone subbed as shortstop or second baseman.

What will be more interesting to watch is how Renteria and Miguel Cabrera work out the left side of the infield. There, players have to adapt to each other’s range. Who gets the ball in the middle? Is the third baseman going too far to get the shortstop’s ball? That sort of thing. Not only are the two left infielders new to the team, they’re new to each other and new to Comerica Park. So we’ll have to key our eyes on how that develops more than how the double-play duo works.

I cannot bear it anymore! I’m sick. I need to know what the mock lineup is. Is Miguel Cabrera going to hit third or fourth? Will Gary Sheffield hit fifth? Please help me before I go crazy. Thank you.

Sure, why not. Of course, as soon as the season is two weeks old, it wouldn’t look like this. And finally, the lefty-righty thing probably shouldn’t work out quite like, at least not against a right-handed pitcher. In fact, I don’t even think this lineup is idea. But I do think this is what Leyland might consider doing.

1. Granderson, CF (L)
2. Polanco, 2B (R)
3. Sheffield, DH (R)
4. Ordonez, RF (R)
5. Cabrera, 3B(R)
6. Guillen, 1B (S)
7. Renteria, SS (R)
8. Jones, LF (L)
9. Rodriguez, C (R)

What’s more ideal from an everyday standpoint? I like:

1. Granderson, CF (L)
2. Polanco, 2B (R)
3. Guillen, 1B (S)
4. Cabrera, 3B (R)
5. Ordonez, RF (R)
6. Sheffield DH (R)
7. Renteria SS (R)
8. Jones LF (L)
9. Rodriguez C (R)

It seems to me the Tigers should address the issue of where to draw the line between players playing hurt and putting them on the disabled list to get healthy. Last year, Jeremy Bonderman and Sheffield had long periods of poor production while trying to play hurt. This is detrimental to the team and cost them a number of wins. How can teams recognize a player is hurt earlier and know when it’s time to stick him on the DL because he’s not getting better? I respect that players want to tough it out and play though injuries, but at some point it’s not worth it.

The Bonderman thing should never have snuck through. I think the culture of the locker room has to be “Play through a minor injury, but if you’re a pitcher, open your damn mouth before you really hurt yourself.” Because it really is hard to figure out if a guy is hurt if he’s not telling you. They have got to feel it’s their duty to talk, so as not to hurt the team like Bonderman did. I hope it served as an example. Better safe than sorry.

So let me get this straight, Detroit is going to pay Nate Robertson $21.25 million over three years. Scott Kazmir, the ace for Tampa Bay, just agreed to a one-year deal for $3.785 million. Now, am I crazy, or is it crazy that Detroit is going to pay their fourth, maybe even fifth, starting pitcher almost $6 million-$7 million more than Tampa Bay’s ace? Robertson is coming off a sub-par season, and I think that money was a little too much for him. We should be focusing on locking up Cabrera long-term and even Justin Verlander before we shell out that much money for the end of the rotation.

As Beck pointed out, this situation isn’t the same. Kazmir is under club control — arbitration eligible. They weren’t buying him out of free agency or giving a multiyear contract. Basically, the Tigers were figuring they’d pay Robertson pretty close to what they’re paying for 08 and 09 anyway. They were probably figuring in 2010, it would be hard to sign a pitchre of Robertson’s ablity for any cheaper than the 10-11M or so he’ll make. So really, it made sense

As for Cabrera and Verlander, I’m sure the Tigers do want to add years to their stays in Detroit. I don’t think this deal precludes that, because as I said, they were going to pay that much for pitching anyway.

How many different positions can Brandon Inge really play without it being a setback for the team?

8.5. Seriously, I think he can fill in as pitcher if necessary. But to be effective, which I guess was the spirit of the question, I’m going to assume 7. I’m going to leave off shortstop and pitcher, although Inge was a shortstop in a former life and I’m sure could play shortstop now. I just think it’s best if they leave the shortstopping to a more experienced player. Anything else, I have faith he can play.

Jason, I love reading your mailbags. It puzzles me, however, that trivial questions like players’ uniform numbers or Spring Training reporting dates take up space in the column, when this information clearly is listed within the Tigers Web site. If they can’t find that information, they’re likely not going to be able to find their way back to the mailbag! Keep up the good work.

Kinda wondered that myself. That’s the reason I haven’t really been able to dip into his mailbag.

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Hey, why not steal the good idea of a guy stealing a good idea? Big Al likes to answer Lynn Henning’s (and other News’ writers) Burning Questions. So why can’t I answer some of Jason Beck’s mailbag? I’ll leave Jason Beck’s answers to be read at the link, but here are my takes on actual questions. Names are redacted to protect the innocent. The first two are related.

1. Is it just me, or does Cameron Maybin need at least one more full season in the Minors? He seems to have all the tools, but not the understanding of how to use them. Any more problems at the Major League level could hurt his confidence.

2. Barring an out-of-this-world performance in Spring Training, it seems Maybin will return to the Minor Leagues to start next season. Do you think the Tigers will send Maybin back to Double-A, where he only played one week, or will he begin the year in Triple-A Toledo? Where you would put him, and why?

My take: I noticed right off the bat that Maybin was overmatched. He was just plain overwhelmed at the plate, and maybe he took that to the field. The Tigers must make up their mind if Curtis Granderson will keep his center field job. I think he should, personally. I think they should start Maybin in left or right field to make his transition in the majors easier, as one outfield position is not as interchangable with others as one may expect.

I’m not sure I buy the confidence thing fully. But I do believe he needs to spend at least half of 2008 in AA or AAA, working on his weaknesses at the plate and working on his eye.

3. I’m both aware and excited that Ivan Rodriguez will be back. However, my concern revolves around who his backup will be. How is Vance Wilson doing medically? If Wilson isn’t physically ready, will the Tigers go with Mike Rabelo again, or will they be looking for a guy with more experience?

Beck reports it’s too early to tell how Wilson will be at Spring Training. He’s got better info than me, so I bow to him there.

The interrogator is right to ask who should be Pudge’s backup, as he’s getting up and age and absolutely must be rested. I like Rabelo to do a fine job. I also like Vance to do a fine job, I guess. His 2005 was good. His 2004 was not. But maybe Rabelo would benefit from being an everyday catcher in the minors rather than an occasional catcher in the majors. I don’t know. I like Rabelo.

4. If Todd Jones decides to sign with another team in the offseason, what will be the answer at closer? Move Joel Zumaya or Fernando Rodney in, or look elsewhere?

I kinda like to look elsewhere. Zumaya has had essentially a season before injury, and a month and a half of postinjury play. Let’s let that one play out a bit more before naming him the closer.

Rodney, I don’t know. He makes me feel uneasy. Todd Jones make me feel uneasy, but he seems harmless despite it. He has a high save percentage. Rodney, I don’t know, he doesn’t strike me as a guy to trust. If the Tigers trade for Edgar Renteria, yeah, they’ll need to watch the salary bumps. But if they don’t spend money on shortstop, I’m all for looking into Mo Rivera. 2008 has to be the year. 2009 makes me way too nervous, they’ll be too aged I fear. 2010, however, is full of potential with so many high-cost contracts gone. But that’s off track…

5. Everything that I’ve read about Michael Hollimon reminds me of Curtis Granderson. Great character and someone not viewed as a super prospect, but just steadily kept improving and never leveling off. Would he be good enough defensively to be considered for the Tigers’ open shortstop position?

I’d hope not. As stated, it’s not time to play games and hope prospects can fill the holes. It’s time to play the game for real and make the moves that have to be made.

6. Do you think the Tigers could get Carlos Pena back now that he seems finally to have turned the corner? He’s a left-handed hitter who plays solid defense, and those 46 homers sure would have done the Tigers some good.

The Tigers have Carlos Guillen as first baseman. I’m glad it worked out for Pena somewhere. He was always a good guy I wanted to see succeed. But do I miss him as a Tiger? No. And now there’s no place for him.

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