DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has extended invitations to major league camp to the following 16 players: righthanded pitchers Craig Dingman, Jair Jurrjens and Dennis Tankersley, lefthanded pitchers Tim Byrdak, Felix Heredia and Bobby Seay, catchers Gabe Johnson, Dane Sardinha and Steve Torrealba, infielders Brent Dlugach, Mike Hessman and Kevin Hooper and outfielders Cameron Maybin, Timo Perez, Ryan Raburn and Brandon Watson.
Dingman missed the entire 2006 season following arterial bypass surgery in his right shoulder, a procedure performed on March 15. He compiled a 2-3 record and 3.66 ERA (32.0IP/13ER) in 34 outings for the Tigers in 2005.
Jurrjens split the 2006 season between Double A Erie and Single A Lakeland, combining to post a 9-3 record and 2.69 ERA (140.2IP/42ER) in 24 starts.
Tankersley spent the 2006 season at Triple A Memphis in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. In eight seasons at the minor league level, he has compiled a 55-54 record and 3.56 ERA (990.0IP/392ER) in 189 outings. Tankersley saw action at the major league level with the San Diego Padres over the course of three seasons (2002-04). He posted a 3-2 record and 2.04 ERA (39.2IP/9ER) in eight outings with Licey in the Dominican Winter League following the season.
Byrdak spent the 2006 season with the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has appeared in 105 games during his five seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals (1998-2000) and Orioles (2005-06).
Heredia is a veteran of 10 seasons at the major league level with the Florida Marlins (1996-98), Chicago Cubs (1998-2001), Toronto Blue Jays (2002), Cincinnati Reds (2003), New York Yankees (2003-04) and New York Mets (2005). He has compiled a 28-19 record and 4.42 ERA (458.1IP/225ER) in 511 outings during his major league career. Heredia saw action in seven games with Azucareros in the Dominican Winter League following the season, posting a 3-3 record and 1.67 ERA (37.2IP/7ER).
Seay made the Tigers Opening Day roster in 2006 and appeared in 14 games with Detroit before having his contract outrighted to Triple A Toledo on June 21. He finished 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA (24.2IP/13ER) in 24 appearances with the Mud Hens.
Johnson joins the Tigers after spending his first nine seasons of professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. A third-round selection by the Cardinals in 1998, he has connected for 92 home runs and collected 371 RBI in 762 games at the minor league level.
Sardinha, a second-round selection by the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, spent last season at Triple A Louisville. He saw action with the Reds in both 2003 and 2005.
Torrealba split the 2006 season between Atlantic City in the Atlantic League and Aguascalientes in the Mexican League. He saw action in 15 games with the Atlanta Braves over two seasons (2001-02).
Dlugach batted .256 (119x465) with 51 runs scored, 24 doubles, six triples, five home runs and 52 RBI in 125 games for Single A Lakeland in 2006. He joined Triple A Toledo late in the season, serving as the club's shortstop during the International League playoffs.
Hessman belted 24 home runs in 101 games at Triple A Toledo during 2006, tying him for the third-highest home run total in the International League.
Hooper batted .276 (139x504) in 121 games for Triple A Toledo in 2006. He appeared in eight games with the Tigers in the season's final month after having his contract purchased on September 3.
Maybin was selected the Tigers Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .304 (117x385) with 59 runs scored, 20 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 69 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 101 games with Single A West Michigan. Detroit's first-round selection in 2005, he finished fifth in the Midwest League with a .304 batting average and .387 on-base percentage.
Perez spent the 2006 season in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. A veteran of seven seasons at the major league level with the New York Mets (2000-03), Chicago White Sox (2004-05) and Cardinals (2006), he has compiled a .262 batting average (414x1581), 26 home runs and 172 RBI in 574 games.
Raburn hit .275 (124x451) with 68 runs scored, 29 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs and 79 RBI in 118 games with Triple A Toledo in 2006. He was one of four Mud Hens players selected to represent the club at the Triple A All-Star Game.
Watson has compiled a .304 batting average (958x3150) in 797 games at the minor league level during his eight-year professional career. He has appeared in 35 games at the major league level over the past two seasons with the Washington Nationals (2005-06) and Cincinnati Reds (2006).
Pitchers and catchers will report to Lakeland on February 15, with the first work-out on February 16. The balance of the squad will report on February 20 and the first full-squad work-out will be held on February 21.
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/ml ... p&c_id=det
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