A minor league system in Detroit which was at one time recently described as “depleted”, has righted the ship and, with the help of some trades, can now be considered an abundance of youth and skill.

The trade in which the Tigers received Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis was a major key to emptying out the system, as Detroit sent six players to Florida in return. Four of which who were big names in with the Tigers minor league affiliates.

With the deal this off-season that sent Curtis Granderson to New York and Edwin Jackson to Arizona, the minor leagues got some help back. Detroit got in return two young pitchers, a young center fielder and a middle-aged reliever.

Most likely, two to three rookies will make the big league squad for Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland this season, but that isn’t all the young skill in the organization. Let’s take a look at the top 10 prospects to keep an eye on from home…

10.Casper Wells, OF

25 years old – 14th Round of 2005 Draft
Casper Wells has only reached Double-A Erie in his five years in the Detroit Tigers organization, but has been a regular on the 40-man big league roster over the past two seasons. Wells made a huge push to get the last spot on the Tigers roster for the 2010 season, with a very impressive Spring Training. In Lakeland, Wells hit .385 in 26 at bats, including a double, triple and home run.

9. Gustavo Nunez, SS

22 years old - Undrafted
Gustavo Nunez has been described as a “do-it-all” shortstop, and that title got him an invite to Spring Training this year. In just 12 Spring at bats, Nunez hit .250 with a RBI. “He can do it all. He can run, plus he can really play defense. I’ve heard some people say he’s going to be a star,” GM Dave Dombrowski said about Nunez. He hit .315 (2nd highest in Midwest League) with 45 stolen bases with West Michigan in 2009.

8. Alex Avila, C

23 years old - 5th Round of 2008 Draft
Alex Avila burst onto the Major League scene on August 6th last season. In his big league debut, Avila went 2-4 with a double and a RBI. Since being selected in 2008 by Detroit, he has always been a touted prospect in the Tigers organization. Avila, son of assistant General Manager, Al Avila, hit .280 with 37 doubles in two seasons with the West Michigan Whitecaps and Erie Seawolves. Alex made the Tigers 25-man roster out of Spring Training to be the backup to Gerald Laird, as he beat out Robinzon Diaz to get the spot.

7. Andrew Oliver, P

22 years old - 2nd Round of 2009 Draft
Andrew Oliver was selected out of Oklahoma State as a 6’3″, left-handed Junior, in 2009. Oliver pitched just three innings this Spring for the Tigers, he gave up one hit, walked three and whiffed three. Andrew, also known as Andy, has a fastball anywhere from 92-97 MPH with great control. MLB.com compares Oliver to Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Expect Oliver to touch nowhere higher than Double-A Erie in 2010, but he could get his feet wet in the Majors as early as 2011.

6. Ryan Strieby, 1B

24 years old - 4th Round of 2006 Draft
Ryan Strieby has some serious power from the right side of the plate. In his four seasons in the Detroit organization he has just 68 home runs, but Strieby has hit at least 16 the past three seasons, while hitting 29 in 2008. Not only can he swing the stick, Strieby has posted a .991 fielding percentage in over 3000 chances. If it wasn’t for Miguel Cabrera playing first base for the Tigers, Ryan Strieby might be playing there everyday for Jim Leyland’s club.

5. Austin Jackson, OF

23 years old - 8th Round of 2005 Draft
At the end of last season, Austin Jackson wouldn’t have made this list, simply because he was not apart of the Tigers organization. An off-season deal brought A-Jax to Detroit, as he has spent five years in the Yankees organization. Jackson hit .288 in the minor leagues, along with 124 stolen bases. This season with the Tigers, Jackson won’t play in the minor leagues and will get his Major League debut on April 5th, Opening Day, this season. In Spring Training this year, he hit .356 with four doubles, three triples and four stolen bases.

4. Scott Sizemore, 2B

25 years old – 5th Round of 2006 Draft
Scott Sizemore is rated by Baseball America as being the Tigers best hitting for average prospect and also named best strike-zone discipline. Sizemore has always been a great hitter in four seasons of minor league ball, as he has put together a .296 average to go along with a .824 OPS. After Placido Polanco was not given arbitration by the Tigers, Scott Sizemore became the second baseman by default and has not let his opportunity slip away. Rumors had Detroit looking to upgrade at second, which was “totally not true,” GM Dave Dombrowski said. Sizemore will get his big league debut, likewise as Austin Jackson, on Opening Day, and he will hit in the bottom third of Jim Leyland’s batting order.

3. Brennan Boesch, OF

24 years old – 3rd Round of 2006 Draft
In the four seasons since Brennan Boesch has been drafted, he has played for Oneonta, West Michigan, Lakeland and Erie. Boesch has compiled a .269 batting average to go along with his 50 dingers and nearly 300 RBIs. Boesch was a standout at Double-A Erie in 2009, as he was named to the Mid-Season and Post-Season EAS All-Star teams, with his 28 homers and 93 runs batted. His great campaign in 2009 got him named the Tigers Minor League Hitter of the Year.

2. Jacob Turner, P

19 years old – 1st Round of 2009 Draft
Just a year removed from the lunch lines and crowded hallways of High School, Jacob Turner is taking the Detroit Tigers organization by storm and may be the most touted prospect since Justin Verlander. Turner was reported to have a fastball clocking around 90-92 MPH, but is expected to pick up velocity. At 6’5″, 210 lbs., Jacob Turner is very big and very projectable. This Spring, Turner threw just three innings with the Tigers, as he walked three and struck out four. Although Turner is on Detroit’s 40-Man Roster, he most likely play at Single-A West Michigan this season, moving up if he excels at that level. “You have to be excited when you have a player of Turner’s caliber with your club,” West Michigan manager Joe DePastino said. “He really has good stuff.” Baseball America ranks Turner as the Tigers top prospect.

1.  Casey Crosby, P

21 years old – 5th Round of 2007 Draft
Casey Crosby really came on strong in the 2009 season, as before that he had appeared in just three games while playing for the Tigers Rookie League team based in the Gulf Coast League. Crosby was named the best Tigers Minor League Pitcher in 2009, after a phenomenal season at West Michigan. Casey went 10-4 with a  2.41 ERA, 1.127 WHIP and a 2.44 K/BB ratio. He was named to Mid and Post-Season Midwest League All-Star teams, also in 2009. Baseball America ranks Crosby as having the best fastball in the Tigers system, along with predicting he will be in the 2013 rotation (along with Verlander, Porcello, Turner and Scherzer). Casey Crosby has a good chance to start the 2010 season with the Double-A Erie Seawolves and if necessary, move to Triple-A Toledo. Expect Crosby to make a big push to get a spot in the bullpen for the 2011 Detroit Tigers next Spring.