Following roster expansion, Steve Colyer, Curtis Granderson, John Ennis, Franklin German, Roberto Novoa, and Ryan Raburn have joined the Tigers. Detroit drafted Granderson out of the University of Illinois-Chicago with a third round pick in the 2002 draft. He spent the remainder of that season at Oneonta in the Short-Season New York-Pennsylvania League and then played for A+ Lakeland in the Florida State League in 2003. In a full season at AA Erie in the Eastern League this year, he hit .303 with a .407 OBP and .515 SLG on 140 H, 19 2B, 8 3B, and 21 HR with an 80:95 BB:K and 14/22 SB% in 462 AB. His impressive plate discipline, substantial power, and modest speed skills make him an intriguing prospect.

The Tigers planned to send Granderson to the Arizona Fall League once the AA playoffs finished, but when the Seawolves were eliminated on September 11th, Detroit decided to give him a taste of the majors now. He should play in a few games before the end of the year, but this call-up is more about experiencing the atmosphere of the big leagues and rewarding the 23-year-old's strong season than it is about playing time. Hopefully, the Tigers will allow him to establish himself at AAA next season before bringing him to the majors, so that he can break into the majors with a bang rather than stutter around trying to refine his skills. Regardless of when he arrives, Granderson appears to have a promising major league career ahead of him.