DETROIT - Justin Verlander is doing his best to take Max Scherzers departure in stride. cheap jerseys free shipping .Yes, the Detroit Tigers will miss Scherzer, one of the games top right-handers. But his exit via free agency was by no means a shock.Obviously you dont want to see a teammate go, but you can kind of see it coming too, Verlander said Thursday. I think once that deal was turned down last year, I think the probability of him coming back went way down. Thats the nature of the sport.Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals this week after a five-year run in Detroit that included four division titles, a Cy Young Award in 2013 and strikeout totals that even Verlander had a hard time keeping up with. Now the Tigers will try for a fifth straight AL Central championship with a retooled rotation that also lost Rick Porcello. This may be the first time in a while that Detroit isnt a solid favourite to win the division.Scherzer turned down a lucrative deal with the Tigers before last season, and he ended up signing a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Nationals.Obviously, you lose a player of that calibre, its always tough. I think this organizations been preparing for that since last year, and I think if anybody, this staff has the capability to lose a guy of that calibre and still not miss a beat, Verlander said at the start of the Tigers winter caravan. I think were still going to be one of the best staffs in baseball, if not the best. Youve just got to perform. I know Ive got to pitch better and I will.Verlander was the American League MVP in 2011 and remained dominant the following year as well, but his performance dipped a bit in 2013, and last year he went 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA. At this time last year, Verlander was recovering from core muscle repair surgery, so hes hoping a more normal off-season will help.The rotation has been the backbone of the Tigers success over the last few seasons, but it looks a lot different than it did at the beginning of 2014. Detroit acquired star left-hander David Price at last years trade deadline, sending starter Drew Smyly to Tampa Bay in that deal. The Tigers then traded Porcello in the off-season for Boston outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.Detroit also traded for right-handers Shane Greene and Alfredo Simon this off-season, and its those two newcomers who now face the daunting task of replacing Scherzer and Porcello.I have a lot of expectations for myself, and theyre probably higher than most peoples expectations for me, said Greene, who went 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA as a rookie for the New York Yankees last year.Price may be the key to Detroits division title defence. The Tigers can look forward to having him for a full season, although he can become a free agent at the end of it.Price went 4-4 in 11 starts with the Tigers, but he ended last season on a good note, shutting down Minnesota in a division-clinching victory in Game 162. He also pitched well in his lone playoff start, although the Tigers were swept by Baltimore in the AL Division Series.We want to pick up, not where we left off last year, but we want to continue the success that the Tigers have had in recent years, Price said. We want to build on that as well and be the last team playing in October.Losing Scherzer was certainly a setback, but it doesnt have to be a crippling one.I talked to Max the day it kind of broke. Max is a good guy. Hes got a great sense of humour, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. I was happy for him. I kind of knew, it kind of seemed all along that he wasnt going to be coming back here as a Tiger, so Im just glad he went to the National League.NOTES: Ausmus said hes been in touch with slugger Miguel Cabrera, who had off-season surgery on his right ankle. Hes out of the boot, as of a week ago maybe. Hes in shoes, Ausmus said. Hes got another appointment mid-February, just before spring training, and were hoping that all goes well, and the doctor says he can really start doing some stuff on it. cheap nfl jerseys . LOUIS -- Cincinnati scratched pitcher Mat Latos from an injury rehabilitation start due to right elbow irritation and placed reliever Trevor Bell on the 15-day disabled list with an aching right elbow. nfl jerseys china . That may indeed be the case, but Finland threw a mighty scare into Team Canada on Monday. The Finns matched Canadas speed and were the more aggressive team through the first two periods, but Canadas offence took control in the third period scoring three goals, blanking Finland 3-0.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Raymond Floyd is returning to the Ryder Cup as an assistant captain for the second time in the past three matches. U.S. captain Tom Watson said Tuesday that Floyd would be one of his assistants. The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 26-28 at Gleneagles and Scotland. The Americans have not won the cup since 2008 — Floyd was an assistant on that team. They havve not won on European soil since 1993. cheap jerseys online. Watson previously said Andy North would be an assistant. Floyd was the Ryder Cup captain in 1989 when Europe retained the cup with a tie. Watson was on that 89 team. Watson was captain in 1993 and took Floyd as one of his wild-card picks. European captain Paul McGinley is expected to announce his assistants soon. 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