LAKELAND, Fla. -- Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire's deference to Chris Bosio on all matters related to pitching will be tested at some point in 2018. Of that, there is little doubt.
But some comments this week may have predicted a future flash point.
Gardenhire has talked more than once about how much he prefers established roles for his bullpen. When the bullpen phone rings, he said, there should be no surprises.
Bosio, the Tigers' first-year pitching coach, articulated an entirely different vision in an interview on Wednesday. He praised versatility, holding up injured left-hander Travis Wood as an example of a jack-of-all-trades reliever who could pitch in any inning, in any situation, against any type of hitter.