I promise, it’s spring, it may not look like it, but it is technically spring and the Tigers are due to open up the season in only 6 days! This is your last and final look at the Tigers, their offseason and what is to come for the rest of the season, from the boys over at GHE.
Let’s get some of the fun stuff out of the way first, I asked all my cohorts what their thoughts were on the upcoming season, how many wins for the club? Where do they finish and who leads the team in wins for a pitcher? I don’t imagine anybody would pick anybody but Miggy to lead the team in homers or average, so other than him, who leads the team? Here’s what we came up…
A lot of love for VMart at the dish, along with Jackson picking up right where he left off in the playoffs. A good mix of starting pitchers coming back should create a healthy competition for who could lead this staff, a lot of us are counting on JV to come back and be the JV of late last season. Hopefully Joe and I are wrong and the Tigers can win the Central Division for the 4th straight season.
Catchup to Speed
With this offseason, there has been ups and downs, and the feeling that you get when talking to the fans around town is one of nervousness, and I don’t think fans are wrong for feeling that way. The additions so far, don’t seem to equal the subtractions all the way around.
The biggest moves include moving Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler which shipped Miggy Cabrera over to first base and created room for highly-touted prospect, Nick Castellanos to finally come up and be the Tigers opening day third baseman. Next came Doug Fister being shipped of to Washington for prospects, Ian Krol and Robbie Ray along with utility infielder, Steve Lombardozzi. The move created a void in the backend of the bullpen because the Tigers had to move Drew Smyly into the rotation, which was likely the plan all along anyway, but the bullpen still needed help.
All the while this was going on, the Tigers watched Joaquin Benoit and Jose Veras leave in free-agency and replaced them with oft-maligned former New York Yankee, Joba Chamberlain, who will be counted on to perform well out of the pen as the Tigers likely 7th or 8th inning man.
The more nondescript moves include bringing in Rajai Davis to platoon in leftfield, trading spot-starter Jose Alvarez to LA for Andrew Romine and most recently, trading Lombardozzi to Baltimore for 37 year-old shortstop, Alex Gonzalez who was likely going to be put on waivers in the coming weeks.
(If you’re curious about some of the new guys, try these articles: Volume 1; The Speed, Volume 2; The Pen and Volume 3; The Rest)
That was the tedious part, a repeat and regurgitation of what most of you probably already knew, but it’s my responsibility to get all the rest of the fans up to speed. Finally, here’s your look at what’s been going on the last week or two heading into into the season and what we have to look forward to for the next five or six months.
Starting with the bad, it came out in the last week that Max Scherzer had turned down a deal from the Tigers, reportedly worth 6 years and $144 million. It has been rumored that Scherzer and his agent, Scott Boras, are looking for 8 years and roughly $220 million. The statement that came out from the Tigers front office is the bigger cause of concern;
“”The Detroit Tigers have made a substantial, long-term contract extension offer to Max Scherzer that would have placed him among the highest paid pitchers in baseball,” the statement reads. “And the offer was rejected.””
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/detroit-tigers-max-scherzer-contract-2014-3#ixzz2x05R6Zn1
That statement is a sign that the Tigers are upset about what happened with Max and is the result of a team who is usually very coy about their moves becoming frustrated by a player and an agent, and effectively slammed the door on any real chance of bringing Max back longterm.
No matter what happens this season, Max Scherzer will be getting paid next season and he has earned that. Scott Boras is going to take him to free agency and get him a $200 million contract. If Zach Grienke, who had injury/mental health problems, can get 6 at $147 million, Max will get his and it likely won’t be from the Tigers.
Scott Boras, Max Scherzer’s Agent (Photo credit; gettyimages.com)
Injuries
You know what may hurt the most? Jose Iglesias missing at least 5 months, and likely the whole season with stress fractures in both of his legs. Just this morning, the Tigers sent Danny Worth to their minor-league camp and Hernan Perez was assigned to AAA Toledo, leaving Andrew Romine and Alex Gonzalez as the SS combo to start the season. Unfortunately, both of these players rate out as below replacement players and it took the Tigers making trades to get them both here, rather than going to their farm-system which has been known as one of the weakest in the league for the better part of the last decade.
As if the city of Detroit needed more injury woes with it’s sports teams, Bruce Rondon, the phenom fire-baller who was supposed to be the Tigers 8th inning guy, will be sidelined for the entire season with Tommy John surgery. There’s not a clear answer for his replacement at this point, it will probably be a who’s-who of whichever bullpen guy is hot at the time.
Prediction Time;
It sounds like new head coach, Brad Ausmus has most of his lineup figured out to this point and unless something drastic happens, the top 6 should go: Kinsler 2B, Hunter RF, Miggy 1B, Martinez DH, Avila C, Jackson CF followed by some combination of Davis LF, Castellanos 3B and Gonzalez SS.
GM Dave Dombrowski and Coach Brad Ausmus (Photo credit; blogs.metrotimes.com)
The starting rotation won’t be vastly different than last year, going: Verlander, Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly.
The bullpen is the biggest question, but unlike years past, that doesn’t start with the closer. Joe Nathan will lock down that position and the Tigers will build from the 9th inning backwards with the pen. The guys likely to break camp with the team are Al Albuquerque and Joba Chamberlain (likely guys to get 7th and 8th inning), along with lefties Ian Krol and Phil Coke and righties, Evan Reed and Luke Putkonen.
The bench will likely be filled out by Romine, Don Kelly, Tyler Collins, Bryan Holaday and potentially Eugenio Suarez.
My prediction for the season is that an improved Cleveland team finally makes a run at the division and holds off the Tigers down the stretch. Any sort of injury to Miggy, JV, Scherz or any of the other many cogs, could seriously cripple this team and make it difficult for the Tigers to repeat as AL Central champs for the 4th straight season. Detroit has huge questions on offense coming from LF, C, SS and potentially with Nick Castellanos. The speed should be vastly improved, which has been proven so far by the Tigers leading all teams in stolen bases in Spring Training (I know it’s only Spring Training). Castellanos was never known for his defense in the minors but replacing Miggy at the hot-corner isn’t a huge task, while moving Miggy to first in place of Prince is a huge improvement on the other corner. Jackson will be what he has been for the last couple years, a gold glove caliber CF. Torii is another year older and wasn’t the best defensive outfielder but he gets the job done, while Dirks (Gold Glove candidate last year in LF) is out, Davis will be taking his place and despite his speed, he takes bad routes and has a wet-noodle for an arm. Shortstop is going to be the biggest drop-off, with Iglesias being gone, that leaves Gonzalez and Romine, who are not “glove guys” the way Iggy is, and that could cost a pitching staff that is made up of a couple different ground-ball pitchers.
I think starting pitching will be one of the best rotations in the league, the offense will be there but the pen and the defense will cost the team the most.
The Fun Part: What You Can Look Forward To
- At some point during the 2014 season, you are likely to see Miguel Cabrera become one of the highest paid players in baseball history, if not the very highest, and how could he not be?
- You are going to see Nick Castellanos get a huge role with this team and hopefully develop into the hitter that he has always been projected to be.
- This team is going to run, so for all the people who disliked the lack of speed with the Tigers in seasons past, you’re finally going to see a team built for the park.
- Is it a bold prediction to claim that we’re going to see Miggy compete for the Triple Crown again and probably be a top contender for the AL MVP for the third straight year?
- Brad Ausmus is going to be a fun coach to follow, he’s got new ideas and a liveliness about him that Leyland seemed to lack at times. (For the record; I loved Jim Leyland as a coach)
- If you’re a fan of competition, you’re going to see a fun season, with an improved Cleveland team and a young but skilled Kansas City team challenging for the division crown.
- If they’re in the race, which they should be, the Tigers will likely make yet another splash at the deadline.
(Photo credit; static6.therichestimages.com/)
Obviously all of our hopes (other than Jeremy, who’s a RedSox fan) are that the Tigs compete to bring owner Mike Ilitch that World Series banner that he’s been wanting so bad for so long. This team has all the pieces to do it as long as they stay healthy and maybe get a little luck here and there. No matter what happens though, we know at GHE, that this team has some of the best fans in the league, and you guys will be there all season to cheer this team on, starting with next Monday as they kick the season off against the Royals… as long as the weather cooperates, of course.
For one last time, we’re asking for your prediction. What do you think about the upcoming season? Can the Tigers compete? Does Miggy win another MVP? Is Ausmus going to bring this team a championship in the next 3-5 years? Get involved, let us know your thoughts on twitter @GordieHEntrance or comment on our facebook page; The Gordie Howe Entrance
There’s always more to say, just ask if you’ve got questions or let us know if you have comments!
#EatEmUpTigers
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