Lakeland, Fla. — Notes, thoughts, items, and observations on various Tigers two weeks into a spring camp that shouldn’t displease a front office, or Detroit’s baseball congregation:
Justin Verlander: The ace will have an ace-grade season. He turned 33 last month and that’s no big deal. He might be as uniformly well-conditioned as any player in Detroit’s clubhouse the past 10 years. Still has power. And so much more savvy because of his 11 big-league seasons. Something else: His personal life is clearly premier. He and Kate Upton are doing a charity together later this month at Marchant Stadium, supporting pet adoption.