Adopt-a-Tiger '09: Drumroll please.

Cats With Bats proudly announces that, with the 78th pick overall in the Motownsports Adopt-a-Tiger draft, she (I? It? We? Should I be talking about myself in the third person if I'm not Gary Sheffield?) has adopted:

Jordan Arthur Tata

If you can believe it, Mr. Tata was once a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Tigers' organization. In 2005, Tata put up a 12-3 record and was named the Organizational Pitcher of the Year - ahead of Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya. Tata was not initially on the 2006 roster, but joined the team early on when Todd Jones went down with an injury. Tata, a starter through the minor league system, came out of the bullpen for the Tigers in '06 and had varying levels of success before he was sent back down. Tata returned in September and pitched sparingly for the team the rest of the regular season. Tata was not put on the postseason roster, and ended up pitching in the Arizona Fall League.

In '07, Tata struggled with a shoulder injury, and missed a considerable amount of time. He posted a 4-5 record and a 3.05 ERA, as he battled for consistency. At the end of July, Kenny Rogers went down with an injury and Tata was called up to spot-start. He pitched well, and helped the Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Oakland A's. Tata struggled in his next start, however, and was sent back down to Toledo.

In 2008, Tata struggled mightily in Spring Training and ended up breaking his finger after punching a wall. Tata eventually found himself in Class-A Lakeland, the place where he'd enjoyed the most success. History didn't repeat itself, however, and Tata struggled with his control, as well more shoulder problems. Tata spent some time with the Gulf Coast Tigers, as well, rehabbing the shoulder injury. He seemed to get himself back on track in the GCL.

2009 is probably the last year for Tata to make an impact on the Tigers. At 27, he's aging and can no longer be considered a legitimate prospect. Tata's velocity has dropped considerably since he began accruing shoulder injuries; once able to hit 94mph, he barely touched the low 90s in his stint with the Tigers in '07. The Tigers seem willing to give him every chance to succeed, though, and Tata provides insurance in Toledo. If he has a good, injury-free, consistent spring, he could be on the short list if a starter or reliever gets injured.