Detroit Tigers: 68.5 wins
- Baseball Prospectus: 68 wins
- FanGraphs: 70 wins
After years of kicking the can down the road, the Tigers have come to grip with reality and are embarking on a complete rebuild. It’s likely this would have been done years ago, but owner Mike Ilitch was trying to hold on and win a World Series before he died. Ilitch passed before the start of last year, but the Tigers were unable to go on an inspiring run for their former owner and began auctioning off key trade chips at the deadline.
Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila were dealt away in quick succession, with Ian Kinsler moving during the offseason. The Tigers have been gutted down to bare bones, and could continue making deals this summer to pull in even more prospects to replenish a farm system that was woefully neglected for the better part of five years.
After last year’s deadline, the Tigers finished out the year 17-41, including an ugly 6-20 month of September. That’s what Detroit fans can expect for a full season. The only saving grace will be seeing Miguel Cabrera bounce back and play well enough to be traded.
Conclusion: The Tigers look like a 100-loss team. Bet the under. Way under.