Trei Cruz had just finished a workout last week and was headed back home when his phone started buzzing. The call was from Tigers vice president Ryan Garko, who in his role overseeing player development for one of the best farm systems in the game has followed Cruz’s career in the organization for four years.

Calls from Garko can make or break careers. For Cruz, the news brought him to tears: He’s now on the Tigers’ 40-man roster .

“I was emotional,” Cruz admitted. “I shed a couple tears, I will say. Happy tears. I was ecstatic, man.”

It’s not exactly a Major League callup, but it puts a player in position to be called up at any point. It guarantees a spot in Major League camp for Spring Training. Just as important for Cruz, it’s a sign the organization values a player enough to not

See Full Page