Lynn Henning

Scott Sizemore leads Tigers' transition

Detroit

Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers' president and general manager, began his Thursday address at Comerica Park by informing a media crowd that this would "not be a press conference."

And then he talked for an hour about every facet of the team, beginning with Miguel Cabrera's weekend drinking binge, and ending with commentary on catching prospect Alex Avila and some of the Tigers' younger prospects.

In between, he virtually anointed a new starting second baseman: Scott Sizemore, who will be the Tigers' successor to free-agent-to-be Placido Polanco.

"Polanco has been a wonderful person and player," Dombrowski said, and his use of the past tense was revealing.

The Tigers understand Polanco, who turns 34 on Saturday, will be examining lavish multiyear offers from various clubs when he files in November.

Getting a jump on spring

Sizemore looks as if he has been promoted even ahead of a spring training tryout.

"We think he's ready to play," Dombrowski said, speaking of the 24-year-old right-handed hitter who can swing the bat -- .308 at Triple-A Toledo in 2009 with eight home runs and 22 doubles in 71 games.

Sizemore is no newbie to Tigers fans, nor is his advancement necessarily unexpected.

All this year, one of the Tigers' few advanced position prospects was considered Polanco's likely replacement. The Tigers loved his bat, even if they were less wild about his glove.

But because they seemed to back away a bit later this summer from looking at him as a ready-to-go candidate for the job in 2010, it was somewhat surprising Thursday to hear Dombrowski speak so assertively about Sizemore.

This, however, says much about what 2010 could be for the Tigers. A transitional year, and possibly, a transitional struggle.

The Tigers are at the end of the line with a crew of core players: Polanco and Fernando Rodney, to cite a couple of free agents who will be moving on. They are close to saying goodbye to a few graybeards who remain, in part, because of tough contracts: Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Nate Robertson and, of course, Dontrelle Willis.

Construction under way

But by 2011, the Tigers will begin their remodeling act. Casey Crosby, Ryan Strieby, Brennan Boesch, Cody Satterwhite, Avila as a full-time catcher -- there will be a different Tigers team etched onto the roster and stationed on the field.

Sizemore won't be the kind of hitter who, like Polanco, always seemed to be in the middle of some critical rally. He won't make as much contact (95 strikeouts in 130 games in 2009), although he should hit for more power and, in time, might hit for a pleasing average.

The Tigers are now officially resigned to making him their starting second baseman. Dombrowski would never agree that he said any such thing Thursday -- not with absolute certainty.

But, in fact, he did. A new Tigers team, being built one position at a time, has begun its reconstruction.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

lynn.henning@detnews.com