Offense
Detroit’s offense has been one of the most intimidating units in baseball for years, and certainly has the pieces to be successful moving forward. Injuries did their part to derail the Tigers in 2015, and those concerns are going to remain for the foreseeable future.
Miguel Cabrera showed no signs slowing down at the plate, posting a 165 wRC+ in 119 games according to FanGraphs.com. However, Cabrera strained his calf on July 4 and missed a significant chunk of time, all but ending Detroit’s shot of making a run in the second half.
Victor Martinez also struggled with injuries from the start and was limited to a miserable -2.0 WAR per FanGraphs, making his recent four-year contract extension look disastrous. While Martinez’s best years are well behind him, he still has the ability to bounce back to a respectable level.
The good news for Detroit is that J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler were both excellent in 2015, and Jose Iglesias played like an All-Star in the first half. If Cabrera and Victor Martinez stay healthy, a huge “if” given their ages, the Tigers will be in business next season.
With Avila likely headed elsewhere, the promising James McCann is expected to take over as the everyday catcher. Detroit will also count on a better season in center field from Anthony Gose, who struggled as the plate but has plenty of upside.
That leaves left field as the most pressing position player weakness for Detroit this offseason, as Tyler Collins is currently the projected starter for 2016. Third base is also a bit of a question mark, but the Tigers are likely going to roll with Nick Castelleanos after his strong second half.
Detroit’s bench appears largely set, with Bryan Holaday at backup catcher, Andrew Romine as the utility infield and Collins transitioning to a backup role once the team signs a left fielder. With few in-house options, the Tigers will likely need one more reserve outfielder, and re-signing Davis seems like a good fit.
Next: Pitching