As usual, the Tigers will go as far next season as their pitching can carry them.
        Jim Leyland weighed in on his suspect staff during the winter meetings:
        On Justin Verlander: “The guy is just a great talent. He had two surprisingly really good years to wake up the world to Justin Verlander. He was awful young to have that kind of success.
        “Then last year things didn’t go quite as well. It’s a process to learn how to handle those things. There’s a lot of things this kid went through, suffering some adversity for the first time, learning how to cope with it.
        “I’ll be interested to see how he comes into spring training. I think he’s going to be tremendous. He’s got too good of stuff not to be an outstanding pitcher.”
        On Armando Galarraga: “I think Galarraga has  proven he is a bona fide major league pitcher. But I also think we have to make sure we don’t get too carried away. He won 13 games. We can’t expect him to win 20 and put a lot of pressure on him. The main thing is to just keep him calm, don’t get him too excited where his expectations go so high they backfire on him.”
        On Nate Robertson:  “I don’t think Nate, along with a few other guys, came into spring training in the best of shape last year. That’s a lesson that we all learn. It happens in every camp, not just ours. It’s human nature. That’s the way it goes.
        “And I think you go through  periods in this game when sometimes you’re out to prove a point and you’re a little hungrier. Nate is working really hard right now and I think he’s going to give himself the best chance to be in the rotation next year.
        “I’m certainly not saying he won’t be, but that’s not a given right now.”

        Dave Dombrowski agreed the incumbent Tiger pitchers hold the key.
        “If we can’t get improvement internally, we’re in trouble,” the Tigers’ GM admitted.

        The Tigers are counting on new pitching coach Rick Knapp to, among other things, improve the strikes-to-balls ratio and cut down on the pitch counts.
        Asked earlier what type of coach it might take to turn the Tigers’ troubled pitching staff around, Leyland replied, “At least one of the apostles.”
        Few things infuriate Leyland more than watching his pitchers walk enemy hitters. That’s worse that running out of Marlboros.
        And Tiger pitchers generously issued 644 free passes this year, second most in the league.
        “You can’t walk people, you just can’t,” Leyland admitted. “There’s no defense for that. If you’re walking guys all the time, your defense can’t help you.”

        The Tigers are also counting on Carlos Guillen to bolster their defense in left field --  and improve his performance at the plate.
        In 2007, Guillen signed a four-year $48 million contract that ties him to the Tigers through 2011. However, hampered by injuries, his production has dropped off dramtically (.286 with just 10 HRs and 54 RBI in 113 games this season).
        Guillen is one of the guys who are going to have to step it up next year.

        Leyland’s best line of the winter meetings: “You’ve got to be careful when you’re looking at pitchers in the Instructional League and the minor leagues. They’re getting out Chico Ramirez -- not Manny Ramirez.”