By Jay RC

In an effort to reward less talked about minor leaguers, only players that did not get called up to the Tigers this season were eligible. The breakdown of the roster consists of one player per position, a designated hitter, five starting pitchers and five relievers.

RHP Robbie Weinhardt

Team: Advanced-A Lakeland & Double-A Erie

Combined stats: 63 innings, 1.57 ERA 1.24 WHIP, 1-2 record, 5 saves,  26 walks, 72 strikeouts

Robbie Weinhardt was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 38th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. After opting not to sign with Houston, Weinhardt returned to pitch for Oklahoma State University.

Weinhardt was then selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 10th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. The soon-to-be 25-year-old, is right handed, 6-foot-2 and finished the season pitching in a late relief role.

His pitch repertoire consists of a low-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider and a slurvy breaking ball.

Like many young pitchers, his control can be spotty at times. With a ratio of 3.71 BB/9, it's nothing to concerning though. To further break it down, this season Weinhardt allowed 52 hits and 26 walks in 63 innings (1.24WHIP). Pretty solid numbers for a late reliever.

Weinhardt quietly began his 2009 season in Lakeland. Please note the sarcasm in regards to the word "quietly". Weinhardt began his professional career there with a 20-plus-inning scoreless streak. After 31 2/3 innings of work in Lakeland he was then promoted to Erie. Leaving behind a record of 1-1 with a 0.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts (11.37 K/9). Not too shabby, eh?!

Although his numbers flattened out a bit in Erie, they were still very impressive. In 31 1/3 innings, Weinhardt posted a 2.30 ERA. Both his WHIP (1.40) and BB/9 (4.60) rose considerably. Weinhardt continued to miss bats though as he struck out 32.

His amazing season earned him a selection to this years Arizona Fall League. If you throw out his first three games, it's easy to say Weinhardt has been nearly untouchable in an offense dominated league. Through his first three appearances he had surrendered eight runs, 10 hits and five walks. Since then, Weinhardt has tossed ten scoreless innings. He has also allowed just one walk and five  hits. His 25 strikeouts also lead the league.

With just one season under his belt Weinhardt is already on the Detroit Tigers' radar. Exactly how close is he? Weinhardt could conceivably be ready within a year. I know MILB to MLB is like comparing apples to oranges and perhaps I'm letting my man crush on him get the best of me. However, his stats are solid and from what I saw in Lakeland last season I'm sold on Robbie Weinhardt.

Much like Satterwhite I'd expect Weinhardt to get some serious consideration this spring. The Tigers were pretty aggressive with Ryan Perry last year despite his lack of experience. With several holes in the bullpen due to the possible departures of Lyon and Rodney, perhaps Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski will look to save some coin and fill those vacancies internally.

Keep an eye on Weinhardt as he continues to earn his stripes down on the farm.

Next Up: The final member of the bullpen