LAKELAND, Fla. -- I asked for questions about tacos, and you delivered. Your reward? A jam-packed mailbag, filled with answers to pressing questions facing Detroit. Namely, which Tigers player is a must-follow on Twitter? Like I said, important stuff.

Now, if you don't mind, I gotta make

. Enjoy this week's batch of answers. And, if you want in on next week's crop of questions, send me a tweet (

) or shoot me an email (

).

-- Much to some fans' chagrin, Don Kelly will indeed make the 25-man roster, barring an unforeseen injury. At least, that's the way I see it playing out. Why? Simple, really. He's versatile. He can serve as a late-inning defensive replacement at third base, and can spell Andy Dirks, Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter on days they need off.

Kelly isn't an everyday player. We can all agree on that. He's not exactly a threat at the plate, either -- I think we can agree on that, too. But he's an effective bench player. He fits the definition of a 25th man. He can pinch-run for Victor Martinez in the late innings and can drop a bunt down the third-base line to advance a runner when asked.

Listen, I'm not defending Brad Ausmus' decision to potentially add Kelly to the Opening Day roster. And, I'm not entirely sure it'll happen. But if it does happen, I'll understand.

That said, in the event the Tigers elect to designate Kelly for assignment, I'd also understand, particularly if a non-roster invitee leaves a strong impression -- similar to what Matt Tuiasosopo did last year in camp.

It's important to remember that even though Kelly is under contract, he's still a candidate to be released. And if the Tigers were to release Kelly -- who agreed to a one-year deal for $1 million in early December -- at least 16 days prior to Opening Day, they'd only be responsible for paying him one-sixth of his salary for the season.

If they were to release him prior to the start of the regular season, but less than 16 days before Opening Day, they'd be required to pay him one quarter of his annual salary. So, it's certainly not a guarantee he'll make the 25-man roster. But I'd say the odds are in his favor.

-- It'll be a challenge for any Tigers player to fill the void left by Pena and his loyal Nerts. How can anyone compete

? You can't, obviously. But Max Scherzer might come close.

Unlike Pena, Max will probably avoid any and all talk about his nipples (thankfully?), but Scherzer has already dropped a handful of gems this year. A Katy Perry tweet?

. An

movie reference?

. Photo evidence of him wearing a personalized WWE belt after winning the AL Cy Young Award?

. He's your guy, Sam.

-- Do I think Casey Crosby will make the Opening Day roster? No. Do I think he'll eventually be called up at some point this season? Definitely. Ideally, I think Ausmus would like to start the season with two lefties in his bullpen. That doesn't include a long reliever.

And ultimately, I think the Tigers are secretly hoping those two left-handed bullpen spots will be filled by Phil Coke and Ian Krol, who was acquired in the deal that sent Doug Fister to Washington.

If Al Alburquerque and Bruce Rondon both make the Opening Day roster, as expected, that essentially leaves only one spot open in the bullpen -- a long relief spot. And I presume that spot will feature heavy competition from Luke Putkonen, Evan Reed, Jose Alvarez, Duane Below and Kyle Lobstein. Crosby will also figure in the mix.

So, could Crosby win a spot? If he's lights out this spring, yes. But personally, I see Ausmus going with either Putkonen, Below or Alvarez, instead.

-- Depends what I've ate earlier in the day, I suppose. But considering I scarfed down six Doritos Locos Tacos last week and it didn't even putting a dent in my appetite, I'm pretty confident I could eat 14 in one sitting. Don't judge me.

Sigh

. I just calculated the combined calories of six Doritos Locos Tacos: 1,020. I'm a monster.

-- Personally, I don't envision a lot of fans jumping off the Ausmus bandwagon this year. Mostly because I don't see the Tigers falling short of expectations this season. They should easily win their fourth straight division title. And if they don't, expect Ausmus to take some well-deserved heat. But I just don't see it happening.

That said, there will occasionally be poor outings. And, obviously, Tigers fans will feel the need to vent. And rightfully so. But I don't think Ausmus will be the primary target. My guess? Get to know Tigers third-base coach Dave Clark. I've got a feeling he'll be the whipping boy this year. Why? Because he's a third-base coach. It's a thankless job, filled with second-guessing from the mouths of Monday morning quarterbacks.

-- Ausmus hasn't revealed his pitching rotation for the exhibition games next week, Brendan. That said, I have about a one-in-four shot of correctly naming the Tigers' starter, considering Verlander can be ruled out. So let's take a stab at it. I'll say Sanchez. I'll also predict that he'll retire five straight and work two scoreless innings before being pulled.

Side note: Be sure to let me know when you get in town, Brendan. We can grab some tacos.

-- As I mentioned earlier, ideally, Ausmus would like to carry two lefties in his bullpen. And, although he wasn't willing to say for sure whether he would take seven relievers with him to Detroit, I'm fairly certain (like, 99 percent certain) he will.

So, now the question becomes, which seven? My guess: Joe Nathan, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, Ian Krol, Al Alburquerque, Bruce Rondon, Duane Below.

Of the relievers mentioned above, Below is a long shot, but he's my surprise pick for now. He's a non-roster invitee and isn't on the 40-man roster. Also, Evan Reed is out of options, so if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he'll be designated for assignment. That could play a large role in Ausmus' decision.

So, by my count, if Below makes the Opening Day roster, the Tigers will carry three lefties and four righties. Of course, they could carry two and elect to use Putkonen or Reed -- both righties -- as their long reliever, instead. We'll see.

-- Truth be told, Dan, I don't think the Tigers view Rondon as their setup man. Right now, they're looking at Chamberlain to fill that role. And, if they need a lefty specialist, they'll go with Coke.

With all that said, I have to imagine that if -- and when -- Nathan is given a night off, Ausmus will give the ball to Chamberlain to close it out. It's certainly not an ideal scenario, considering Chamberlain only has five career saves, but I think the plan with Rondon is to move slow in the beginning.

Personally, I think the Tigers will use Rondon in the seventh, sometimes eighth, but rarely in the ninth. Now, that could change later in the season if Rondon consistently impresses. That be the case, I do think he'll be asked to convert saves when Nathan is out. But, for now, I think they'd be more comfortable with Chamberlain than Rondon in the ninth. Could be wrong. Too early to tell.

Good question, Joe. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll definitely see McCann. He's expected to open the season as the primary catcher in Triple-A Toledo. But, as we've seen the past couple years, Alex Avila isn't the most durable of catchers. He gets knocked around. A lot. So, should Avila go down with injury, Bryan Holaday would seemingly fill the everyday role and McCann would likely be called up to Detroit as the backup.

As for Fields? Tough to say. He'll probably open the season in Double-A Erie and could very quickly find himself in Toledo. If the Tigers are out of contention or own a hefty division lead in September, there's a good chance Fields could get called up when rosters expand. Then again, in order for that to happen, he'll need to put forth another season like the one he had in Erie last year.

No Rick? Dang. You've caught on, I see. Guess I can't say it'll be him for a fourth straight year. OK, if I can't go with Porcello, I'll go with Melvin Mercedes. He's a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, and it's possible he might not even reach the majors this year, but if he does, watch out. The Pillsbury Doughboy can throw.

Easy. Taco Express. Closed on Sunday, cash only. My recommendation? The carne asada taco. They're tiny. So order five. Or 10. Like I said, don't judge me.

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