Clearwater, Fla. — Beware making too much — either way — of Grapefruit League games, where fool’s gold and bad springs can together live and deceive.
But as first impressions go, Mike Fiers looked Tuesday like a starting pitcher who could work comfortably in manager Ron Gardenhire’s 2018 rotation, while Drew VerHagen showed signs of being the back-end blowtorch the Tigers long have thought he could be.
They together threw four shutout innings in what otherwise was one of those Grapefruit League zoo tours, which the Tigers won, 11-6, at Spectrum Field.
Fiers signed a single-year deal with the Tigers during the offseason after spending last season with the world-champ Astros.