DETROIT -- The question came up to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus at last week's Winter Meetings: Would he have a challenge evaluating reliever Bruce Rondon for potential roles if he's away representing Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic?
"I think it's probably good for him to be around some of those guys," Ausmus said, then quipped, "although it seems like half their team is Detroit Tigers."
He might be exaggerating, but not by much. And it's not just Venezuelan players.
As the Tigers make plans with Spring Training two months away, they're preparing to be without several players for a stretch as they represent their countries.