A lot depends on Miguel Cabrera regaining leg strength and home-run power. After two offseasons of inability to work out, he is finally able to. How goes it?
-- Bill S., Ohio
It goes. Cabrera is healthy and working out, by all accounts, and he has been pretty active on Instagram posting photos of his workouts. Formal full-squad workouts at Spring Training begin on Feb. 23. Spring Training games against big league clubs begin on March 2.
:: Submit a question to the Tigers Inbox ::
No one is talking about Shane Greene any longer. Does this guy have a chance to make the club as the fifth starter or not? Should the Tigers try to trade him? He looked good initially last year.
-- George, Madison, Wisc.
What's gonna happen with Shane Greene? Is he still in the picture?
-- Chris E., Mt. Clemens, Mich.
Greene will be in the mix for the open spot in the rotation, though Daniel Norris carries momentum into camp based on his stretch run last season. Greene also could have a chance for an open bullpen spot. He still has a Minor League option left, so the Tigers could put Greene at Triple-A Toledo to get a feel for his pitches and serve as insurance if Detroit needs another starter -- due to injury, doubleheader or whatever.

The questions with Greene to be answered in camp will be whether he's healthy (by all accounts so far, he is, but that's before game-intensity pitching), and what impact his bout with ulnar neuritis played in his midseason downturn after a dominant opening month. If Greene can get anywhere near last year's early-season form, he can be an asset to the Tigers' pitching staff in 2016.
Now that Justin Upton has taken control of left field, is Steven Moyà going to stay in Triple-A all season? Or might he play a backup role? -- Ryan G., Huntington Beach, Calif.
The plan for Moya, even before the Tigers signed Upton, was to have him repeat at Toledo to get regular at-bats, work on his swing and gain more experience, at least to start the season. Nothing short of a breakout Spring Training would have changed that course. The impact Upton's signing has on Moya is long term, since it leaves both corner outfield spots filled for this season and next. That could leave the Tigers looking for a role for Moya if and when he runs out of Minor League options. But again, he has some development left to do first.
Why doesn't anyone mention left-handed knuckleballer Josh Turley? He had very good numbers in A ball. Being a lefty knuckleballer would seem to be a great combination.
-- Tom R., Racine, Wisc.
Turley actually ranked No. 23 on MLBPipeline.com's most recent Tigers Top 30 Prospects list after going 13-8 with a 3.29 ERA at Double-A Erie last year, so he didn't go completely ignored. But with his style, and in a system with several pitchers on the cusp between Detroit and Triple-A Toledo, Turley is the type of pitcher who's going to have to prove himself at every step. For now, the Tigers have enough pitching depth that Turley could well have to return to Erie to at least begin the season.