Camp is now in session

In most ways, the first day of spring training is the most interesting before the games start a couple weeks later. The workouts are relatively new. The players all look goofy doing agility exercises. Kenny Rogers makes everybody look silly during PFP. Most everybody's happy to see each other. The warm weather is still a real novelty for us northerners. So from that standpoint, Friday was interesting.

Was it the gigantic first step of a team of destiny? Come on. Let's not get carried away here. For most players, it was just business as usual, nothing they hadn't done before, except for Rick Porcello and other youngsters.

Jim Leyland and Brandon Inge had their one-day-only comments on Inge's situation, in which they both basically agreed they're going to still pursue a trade. Leyland said there's no deal in the works at this point so far as he knew, but that he considers it as a strong possibility a trade will happen because the Tigers are going to aggressively pursue it and teams tend to realize their needs more during spring training.

"In one way, I hope we do not lose Brandon Inge," Leyland said. "In another way, I hope we do lose Brandon Inge."

In other words, much as Leyland would like to have Inge as a utlity player, he believes Inge is an everyday player, and that the Tigers owe it to him to give him that shot somewhere else.

That was the big news, but there were other good items, too:

• I know it becomes a story around this time every spring training, but Ivan Rodriguez is in good shape. I mean, he's in really good shape. He did more strength work this winter. We'll see what it means for his performance, but it's always something that hits home around this time. He might not catch in Detroit beyond this season, but he can catch for a few more years.
• Whoever made out the fielding groups for PFP had a sense of humor. They put 43-year-old Kenny Rogers in the same group with the 19-year-old Porcello. Rogers put on his usual show, diving for balls, snagging hard-hit bouncers to his right or left or right at him. They basically try to challenge him every year, and it's really hard to get one past him. Didn't get a chance to talk to Rogers afterwards, but Porcello was really impressed, even said Rogers gave him some pointers.
• Again, Leyland made a point to emphasize the importance of this camp, especially these early days because it involves the pitchers. "The group that's going to decide the fate of the Tigers this year," he said, "is in here now."
• Francisco Cruceta isn't here yet. He's still in the Dominican Republic because of visa issues. The only other no-show Friday was catcher Dane Sardinha, who was flying in today.
• Look for Yorman Bazardo, Virgil Vasquez, Macay McBride and Jordan Tata to be stretched out as starters this spring. They will be the insurance starters. Bazardo's a tricky situation because he's out of options and in the running for a bullpen spot, but that's probably a pretty good sign he'd be the first option if one of the starters went down before opening day.