Thanks to Rob for getting the links disbursed to you loyal readers the last couple days. I thinks he's riding on the DC Metro today, so I'm going to handle today's. 

If you haven't been writing on a typewriter or golfing all the time, you should know that the Tigers made a relatively large addition to their lineup; his name is Prince and the killer clowns in your town raising all hell.  How the deal went down is as good as anyone's guess, but anything that includes a hasty senile (and awesome) Ilitch is probably a good one.

Rob answers the questions abounding regarding the nine-year contract that very few are worried about right now. It is absolutely fruitless to  look beyond a single season, because a lot can can change, man, so let's just focus on the 2012 Tigers. Cabrera-Fielder. Fielder-Cabrera. Those two in the middle of the lineup is over 500 pounds of mash, automatically one of the best 1-2 punches, if not the best, in baseball. Fearful. 

And there are legitimate questions about what the signing means for the 2012 Tigers. Is Prince going to DH? Is Cabrera? Was Brandon Inge's reaction "Holy, I'm going back to Toledo!"? Miguel Cabrera confirmed that he's moving back to his "natural" position, third base, which means the Tigers defense could be much worse and a lot of sick children won't be receiving home run promises from Inge, unless he lies and Inge never tells a lie.

Hey, here's what Peter Gammons had to say about the deal.

Meanwhile, Sportscenter asked the Freep's Drew Sharp, of all people, to weigh in on the news. At the end of the linked video is a 12-year-old Prince Fielder taking switchy BP off Terry Francona at old Tiger Stadium. There's a lot to digest there, but yes, 12-year-old Prince Fielder, who used to hit balls out of the stadium at Michigan and Trumbull, is taking batting practice off Francona, who was a third base coach for the Tigers in 1996. A whole lot of zubaz. 

Austin Jackson was asked about Fielder coming to Detroit and he likened it to something you would do with your roster on MLB2k (that game Verlander is on the cover for this season).  

One of my favorite former Tigers, Tony Phillips said "this is awesome." He used to wrestle Prince in the clubhouse, but says he wouldn't want to nowadays. Wait, why would he want to back then? Prince was still bigger than him.

A storyline that you'll probably see a million times over the next nine years is the fact that Prince Fielder is the son of former Tigers' home run basher Big Daddy. They had a falling out,  so far out that Prince once said that Cecil was dead to him. I hope this helps their improving relationship. 

Here's a story from the Freep from 20 years ago about 8-year-old Prince having his dad's skill with a bat. EIGHT YEARS OLD. The above pic is from that article. 

HEFTY. Heh.

National Eat Little Caesars Day should be everyday. I'm doing my part, and I'm seriously considering buying at least a crazy bread every day. 

Now let's go get Yoenis Cespedes. Right? Right? 

Oh, before I go: seriously, pack up your shit, Tayshaun. I wasn't kidding.

For more follow Detroit4lyfe on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. 

Before I say anything, just let this sink in for a minute.

That lineup is D-I-double-R durrrrrrty. With the addition of the non-inept version of Ryan Raburn and possibly even Victor Martinez come August (though I'm doubtful about the latter), there isn't a pitcher in baseball that would have a good night's sleep before facing this team. Of course, with any deal there are questions to be answered. Hit the jump to see our answers to what you're probably asking right now.

I so predicted this two days ago... Okay, I didn't, but wow. Just wow. That little fat kid holding the baseball in the picture above (who was hitting home runs out of Tiger stadium when he was 12!) is now a Detroit Tiger, just like his old man was. As I said on Twitter, there's a new Prince in town. Tayshaun, you have 48 hours to pack up your shit.

The Detroit Tigers winter caravan rolled through various locations in Metro Detroit and beyond at the end of last week to get fans all jacked up about the upcoming season. I don't need to see Jose Valverde and Paws bagging groceries to get excited for baseball season, but that doesn't mean I don't like to see it. It's entertaining and fans get to meet and see some of their favorite ball players doing things you could never imagine them doing until you actually see it (as strange as it always will be to see Justin Verlander, in a Tigers jacket, handling heavy artillery) 

Some of my favorite pictures from the Tigers' two-day journey are after the jump: 

It's official: the Tigers have already won the Collin Balester-Ryan Perry trade. On Friday, Balester tweeted this photo of Justin Verlander's game face for the 2012 season.

If the American League wasn't already terrified of Verlander, they will be now.

UPDATE: Here's another ...

I ate two tubs of ice cream after I heard the news that Tigers DH Victor Martinez will probably be out for the season due to a torn ACL, which he suffered during "shuffling" conditioning drills. I ate another tub of ice cream when someone mentioned the Tigers might bring back Damon to replace him. I then ate roughly 17 oreo cookies just because they were looking at me weird. I followed that up by doing zero crunches.

I say F all that. 

Call up V-Mart Jr. and sign him to a 30-year deal. He's a big name (with a generational suffix); he has undeveloped, thus untearable ACLs; he presents a small strike zone; his swing is prettier than Brandon Inge's the majority of swings in baseball; and his adWARable is through the rooooooof.

Just check out this video below (from two years ago!) ... 

/obviouslynotserious'd
//stillreallytearyeyed
///notthinkingallthatstraight

As expected, the Tigers' front office avoided going through the arbitration process with Rick Porcello when the two sides agreed to a one-year deal like, so 36 seconds ago. Porcello is still under club control for another four seasons, so this announcement is merely a formality, and there was never any danger of him not coming back to Detroit for the 2012 season. Still, it's nice to know that we might see glimpses of Super Porcello from time to time at the CoPa.

In related news, Boston's Kevin Youkilis won't get out of bed this morning and is shaking under his Batman bedsheets.

UPDATE: the Tigers have also agreed to a contract with Phil Coke, which should make this guy happy.

[Bless You Boys]

In case you missed it, here's video of Justin Verlander on Conan earlier this evening. Among other things, Verlander discussed his secret pre-game meal regimen and hotfoot prowess.

Is this what it's all come down to? The Tigers' Twitterverse is on the edge of its seat over the possibility of the Tigers signing relief pitcher Octavio Dotel. Since it's exam week for me (which you could probably tell if you follow me on Twitter), I don't have all damn night for Dotel to make up his mind.

However, fear not, Tigers fans and fellow bloggers! I have the perfect backbone to your story once Dotel actually signs on the dotted line. Consider this the beginning (and hopefully the end) of D4L Mad Libs. Seriously, copy and paste it! It's not every day (or ever) that D4L actually breaks news. However, remember that you owe me a gazillion dollars, a RT (because all the cool kids ask for them), and lunch at Wendy's next Thursday.

"After __ agonizing hours of debate, the Tigers and Octavio Dotel finally agreed to a __ year deal worth ___ million dollars. Dotel won a World Series last season with the Cardinals, and will certainly win one in 2012 with the Tigers. While the team still has holes at 2nd, 3rd, and starting pitcher (I'm not on Team Jacob just yet) I'm very ______ about this deal. Dotel will be a ___________ addition to the bullpen in 2011."

ZOMG fejsjfklsdafjldsjflkjkjfdsskfdjk YES.

Justin Verlander was named the 2011 American League MVP today, taking home 13 of 28 first place votes. He beat out Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera as the first pitcher to win the award since Roger Clemens in 1986. Alex Avila was 12th in the voting and Victor Martinez was 17th.

26 of 28 voters had Verlander 6th or higher on their ballots, and the other two are inbreds from Ohio.

[Bless You Boys]