The Detroit Tigers, after shedding players like Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, and Justin Wilson are entering their first season of what looks to be a long rebuild process.
Lets just cut to chase on this one, the Tigers are bad and will likely compete with the Marlins for the title of worst team in baseball. Some of the regulars are still on the team, those being Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Nick Castellanos, but the rest of the position players are new to the starting lineup.
Players like 3B Jeimer Candelario and C James McCann could be potential pieces for the future in Detriot, with Candelario expected to challenge for Rookie of the Year, while McCann gets his first crack at being an everyday catcher. JaCoby Jones played 56 games in Detroit last season without much to show for it, so Leonys Martin was added, however, the Tigers hope Jones can win the position later this season.
The rotation will feature 25-year-old Michael Fulmer, who has been solid in his first two seasons in the majors, and Jordan Zimmerman will look to rebound from an injury-riddled 2017 that saw his ERA balloon to 6.08. Beyond that, the rotation lacks star power but does have some arms with upside. Daniel Norris and Matthew Boyd could be potential backend starters, and the team did add veteran Francisco Liriano who proved effective with the Astros out of the bullpen last season.
The Tigers will rely on Shane Greene to close games this year, who is nothing more than a potential fantasy sleeper. The bullpen does have solid depth, but only one lefty-reliever in Daniel Stumpf, but for a team that’s going to be as bad as the Tigers, a balanced bullpen isn’t a top priority.
Best Case Scenario
If Miguel Cabrera can go back to being one of this generations best overall hitters, and some of the younger players like Candelario and McCann can get on on base in front of him, the Tigers offense could be ok. Victor Martinez will likely still DH, whether or not that’s a good thing, and could provide some pop. Castellanos seemed to have found himself last season when he made the switch to the outfield, breaking out in a big way with 26 home runs and a .447 slugging percentage.
The Tigers pitch isn’t terrible if Zimmerman can stay healthy and pitch like the guy he was with the Nationals a few seasons ago. Injuries had derailed the 31-year-old righty, now that he is healthy hopefully he can prove he was worth that 5-year $110 million deal the Tigers gave him. However, Michael Fulmer looks like a future stud for Detroit, as he was on pace for a 3.20 ERA season through his first 16 starts. He struggled through his final five starts and would end the season on the DL with for an elbow injury the required surgery. But with Fulmer and Zimmerman playing at their best, with a half decent backend rotation, the Tigers pitching could carry them.
Their bullpen isn’t fantastic but they could do a lot worse than Greene as their closer, who despite only registering nine saves last season finished with solid numbers (2.66 ERA, 9.71 K/9). However, the Tigers will still need to score runs, and right now their only proven hitter is Miggy and he’s another year older.
Don’t hold your breath.
Worse Case Scenario
The Tigers desperately need some of their youth players to develop, particular players like Candelario, Daz Cameron that was included in the Verlander trade with the Astros, along with their four top 100 pitching prospects. If the development of one of these players were to be derailed, it would make the already hefty rebuild task that much harder for Tigers GM Al Avila. Beyond that, the Tigers could use some players to flip at the deadline, but the players would likely be interested in wouldn’t command much in terms of prospects.
If Zimmerman were to continue his rough tenure in Detroit, he makes the Tigers front office look that much worse. Same goes for Fulmer, who was included in plenty of rumors at the deadline and this off-season. If the Tigers missed their opportunity to capitalize on Fulmer’s trade value, it’d be hard to imagine Avila keeping his job with the Tigers much longer.
Team MVP
Michael Fulmer – SP
It’s gotta be someone.