DETROIT (AP) — Al Avila is known for his candor Chase Utley Jersey , and the Detroit general manager has remained pretty straightforward about what the future holds for the Tigers.Yes, they’re still rebuilding.“The only reason I’m being honest is because: How do you hide this?” “I’m exaggerating, but it’s a necessary process.”After two consecutive 98-loss seasons, the Tigers are expected to struggle again this year. And their outlook went from bad to worse when right-hander Michael Fulmer was told he should have Tommy John surgery. Detroit still has Miguel Cabrera, who is hoping for a healthier season after playing only 38 games last year — but the real question in 2019 is how the next generation of Tigers is progressing.Detroit does have some intriguing prospects, and by the end of this year, the team might have a better sense of how much longer this rebuild might last.“I think it’s going to be a season of growth in many respects,” owner Chris Ilitch said at spring training .Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, impressed this spring, and fellow pitchers Franklin Perez and Matt Manning are well regarded. None of them has pitched above Double-A, however http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , so patience will remain the order of the day in Detroit.The Tigers had a reasonably quiet offseason, making low-risk additions to their infield and pitching staff. Detroit opens the season at Toronto on March 28, and the Tigers’ home opener is April 4 against Kansas City.NEW FACESDetroit’s middle infield will have a new look. The Tigers signed shortstop Jordy Mercer and second baseman Josh Harrison, both of whom played previously with Pittsburgh. Detroit also added left-hander Matt Moore and right-hander Tyson Ross. All are on one-year contracts, and if any of them have great seasons, they could obviously be traded for more prospects.ROOKIES TO WATCHChristin Stewart is an outfield prospect who hit 23 home runs in Triple-A last year and made his major league debut in September. Detroit’s top pitching prospects may remain in the minors for a while, but keep an eye on Stewart and outfielder Daz Cameron in the meantime. Cameron was assigned to minor league camp in mid-March, but he spent some time at Triple-A last season and may not be too far from contributing to the Tigers.TOP SLUGGER?Cabrera is coming off biceps surgery and will turn 36 in April, so it’s fair to wonder if the two-time MVP can be an offensive star again. He hit only .249 with 16 home runs in 130 games in 2017, although he was hitting just under .300 last year when he was shut down for the season. Cabrera is 35 home runs away from 500.ROTATION WATCHFulmer’s elbow problems were a major blow to the rotation. The 2016 American League Rookie of the Year has had a hard time staying healthy recently and went just 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA last year. Now it’s hard to say when he’ll pitch again. Jordan Zimmermann hasn’t been very effective since joining the Tigers in 2016, and Daniel Norris has had injury problems of his own since coming over in the 2015 trade that sent David Price to Toronto.Matthew Boyd, acquired in that same deal Maury Wills Jersey , posted a career-best 4.39 ERA last year and made 31 starts. With the additions of Moore and Ross, the Tigers have their share of experienced starters — it’s just not clear how many of them will be healthy and effective at a given time.BRIGHT SPOT?Outfielder Nicholas Castellanos has been the subject of trade speculation. He hit .298 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs last year, and he just turned 27. If Cabrera is healthy, he and Castellanos will likely be the most feared bats in the lineup. The team will break up with its longest-tenured player and HBP king. But wait, there’s much more..."Earlier this offseason, the Marlins informed DerekDietrich that they wouldn’t be tendering him a contract, according to a source familiar with the situation. And yet, Tuesday night’s news still stings: Dietrich has been designated for assignment.In parts of six major league seasons (while playing a handful of defensive positions), he slashed .265/.330/.421. Every year since 2015, Dietrich’s weighted runs created plus has been better than league average. He’s far and away the franchise’s all-time leader with 93 hit by pitches.That being said, it was time for an amicable split. The 29-year-old proved to be an atrocious left fielder when given an extended opportunity this past summer. After setting career highs in home runs (16) and plate appearances (551), Dietrich was due a substantial raise in arbitration (MLB Trade Rumors estimated a $4.8 million salary).The most likely outcome of this DFA is an outright release. From there Fernando Valenzuela Jersey , Dietrich should be able to secure an incentive-laden major league deal with an American League club.His enthusiasm will be missed.Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty ImagesOutside of that, the Marlins stuck pretty close to the script. They protected four top prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. Three other players who saw major league action in 2018—all much less prominent than Dietz—had to be DFA’d to clear space on the roster for additional pitchers.Here are the series of additions and subtractions that brought the roster from 36 to 40.Contract SelectedIF IsanDiazRHP JorgeGuzmanOF MonteHarrisonRHP JordanHollowayRHP KyleKellerLHP JoseQuijadaRHP JordanYamamotoDFA’dOF BraxtonLeeRHP BenMeyerLHP DillonPetersMany of these names should look familiar to those of you who read our roster crunch preview. The only mildly surprising promotion was Jordan Holloway, who had been limited to 7 2? innings this past regular season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.Holloway impressed the Marlins this fall during instructional league, as VP of Player Development and Scouting Gary Denbo explains:Third baseman BrianSchales, a Southern League postseason All-Star, was traded for Twins righty NickAnderson. The former independent league signee impressed with Triple-A Rochester in 2018, striking out 36.2 percent of batters faced. The thing is, Anderson turned 28 in July—nothing left to project.Now that the dust has settled, Miami’s 40-man consists of 24 pitchers and 16 position players.Why so much activity right now? There was an 8 p.m. ET deadline to set rosters. Eligible players who were left unprotected—notables for the Marlins include infielder ChristopherTorres and left-hander McKenzieMills—can be targeted by other MLB teams in the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 13. For as much as this farm system has improved over the past year, I expect Torres and Mills to remain in the organization as teams plug their roster holes with more advanced prospects available elsewhere.Lee (.176/.222/.176 in 18 PA), Meyer (10.42 ERA, 6.42 FIP in 19.0 IP) and Peters (7.16 ERA http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , 5.55 FIP in 27.2 IP) are likely to change organizations. Just like that, one of my favorite GIFs is no longer applicable.Fish Stripes original GIFAlthough the 40-man is full at the moment, you can bet that the Fish will trim down into the 30s again in time for the Rule 5. All-Star J.T. Realmuto could be traded by then, along with Derek Dietrich and Dan Straily (just to name a few). For at least one more winter, they’re focused on accumulating young, controllable talent, even if that negatively impacts the major league win total.