Stark: Tigers roaring toward postseason

• Who will be managing the White Sox next season? We tossed that question at a baseball source who is tight with team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and got this succinct reply: "Ozzie Guillen." The same source also said, with zero equivocation, that if the Marlins think they can wait this out and then scoop Guillen off the unemployment line this winter, they'd better re-think. Unless the folks in Florida want to trade a big-time player to the South Side, the source said, the White Sox won't make any move to resolve Guillen's future until after the Marlins have hired a manager. Damon • More and more, it sounds as if the Rays would be amenable to bringing back Johnny Damon for another year of DH fun. And Damon would love to stick around. But remember, Damon wanted to go back to Boston, New York and Detroit, too -- and his trusty agent, Scott Boras, sometimes has different ideas about what Damon is worth than his former employers. As Damon himself said last year, after finding himself in Detroit: "I usually stay out of this stuff. I leave it in Scott's hands -- and I always end up changing teams." • Sources say Aaron Rowand definitely wants to play next season, but isn't likely to play again this season unless he gets an offer he can't turn down. The Phillies had kicked around the thought of bringing Rowand in this month, even though he'd be ineligible for the postseason. But with the arrival of Hunter Pence and the emergence of John Mayberry Jr., they can't offer him any playing time -- and aren't a fit down the road because they probably don't have much of a role to offer him for next season, either. Rowand has told some ex-teammates that since the Giants will still be paying him next year and money won't be a factor, his No. 1 criterion this winter is to land with a team that can offer him a chance to play. But other clubs seem to view him more as a platoon player at this stage of his career. Of the 217 players in the big leagues who have gotten 350 plate appearances this year, Rowand ranks 209th in OPS (.621). But if you look beyond those numbers, here's what you find: Away from AT&T Park, his OPS was 131 points higher (.682, versus .551 in San Francisco). And against left-handers, he hit .327, with an .818 OPS, away from AT&T Park (versus .240/.609 at home). • Scouts who have been following the Braves keep reporting they think the Braves' bullpen is finally showing signs of wear and tear. Just nine NL pitchers have appeared in 70 games this season. And guess the only team with more than one reliever on that list. Yep, it's Atlanta -- with THREE (Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and closer Craig Kimbrel). Neither Kimbrel nor Venters had let a late-inning lead get away since June until last week, when both of them blew saves against the Phillies and Cardinals. So it's getting increasingly noteworthy that Kimbrel leads all closers in innings (71⅔), while Venters leads all relievers, period (81⅔). Manager Fredi Gonzalez told Rumblings he never set out to have that happen, and he's trying his best to avoid riding these guys too hard. "But it doesn't help," he said, "that you play 23 extra-inning games. So that's 47 extra innings in those games. And they're all bullpen innings." • Finally, for all of us National League MVP voters, one of the toughest questions we face is just figuring out who's the MVP of the Brewers, let alone of the league. We've asked a bunch of people in baseball that question this month, and they're all split between Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. "I'll tell you one thing," said one of them. "You'll find out next year -- when Fielder's gone, and Braun walks about 150 times." Five Astounding Facts (Tuesday edition)