Simply put: The Tigers are on the rise. They are going to be a popular pick to jump into the field of contenders in 2022 – and for good reason. Though a 77-85 record might not look like a team on the rise, they started the year with an 8-19 month of April and looked downright respectable the rest of the way. Following that disastrous first month, they went 69-66, finishing with their best record since 2016.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B/DH: $72MM through 2023 (includes $8MM buyout on $30MM mutual option for 2024)
- Javier Baez, SS: $140MM through 2027 (with player opt-out after 2023)
- Eduardo Rodriguez, SP: $77MM through 2026
- Tucker Barnhart, C: $7.5MM in 2022
- Jonathan Schoop, INF: $15MM through 2023
- Robbie Grossman, OF: $5MM in 2022
- 2022 commitments: $86MM
- Total long-term commitments: $316.5MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Michael Fulmer – $5.1MM
- Jeimer Candelario – $5.9MM
- Joe Jimenez – $1.8MM
- Jose Cisnero – $1.9MM
- Victor Reyes – $1.3MM
- Spencer Turnbull – $1.8MM
- Dustin Garneau – $1.6MM
- Harold Castro – $1.5MM
Free Agents
- Matthew Boyd, Niko Goodrum, Drew Hutchison, Grayson Greiner, Ian Krol, Derek Holland, Wily Peralta, Jose Urena, Julio Teheran
The Tigers were one of the game’s most active teams in free agency prior to the lockout. With very little long-term money on the books, and a totally clean ledger after 2023, the Tigers had the leeway and the inclination to add premier talent this winter. Though many expected the Tigers to make a play to reunite Carlos Correa and his former manager A.J. Hinch, the Tigers chose to spread their money around instead.
Javier Baez isn’t the talent that Correa is, but he’s still a monster upgrade over Niko Goodrum, who was designated for assignment and released to free agency. Baez will stabilize the infield defense and provide a fairly significant safety blanket for Detroit’s young starting staff. He’s a mixed bag at the plate, but he’s coming off a 116 wRC+ season, and if nothing else, he’s an entertainment machine. Even his glove is a little more erratic than his supporters would like to admit, but the Bengals can content themselves with knowing they had more or less a clean slate financially and a massive hole to fill at short.
Shortstop was their biggest hole to fill coming into the offseason, but GM Al Avila made positive headway in filling out the rest of the roster as well. Tucker Barnhart was losing his starting job in Cincinnati, but that’s largely because of Tyler Stephenson’s offensive upside. Barnhart will set up camp near the bottom of the batting order, and he’s likely to stay there, but that’s not why the Tigers took on the $7.5MM he’ll be owed in 2022. Detroit’s young starting staff could use a veteran hand to guide their pitch selection and game management, and Barnhart’s reputation suggests he’s exactly the guy to do it.
Baez and Barnhart together ought to help create an ecosystem more conducive to run prevention, thereby either increasing the likelihood for success or hurrying the development for Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal. That was likely Detroit’s number one goal this offseason.
Eduardo Rodriguez is another piece of that new-and-improved ecosystem. He steps in for Matthew Boyd and ought to provide consistency to their young rotation. E-Rod’s 4.74 ERA last season is a tad misleading as a .363 BABIP helped bloat the bottom-line run prevention numbers. ERA indicators were more complimentary: 3.32 FIP, 3.65 SIERA were both career-best numbers.
Beyond veteran savvy and life experience, Rodriguez gives the Tigers an innings-eater like their rotation hasn’t had in recent years. His 157 2/3 innings would have led the Tigers, who only had Mize and Skubal finish anywhere near the 150-inning mark. Boyd was solid in his 15 starts, posting 1.4 fWAR and a 3.89 ERA/4.10 FIP, but the Tigers likely figure that E-Rod gives them a better chance of hitting those marks over a full slate. Besides, winning breeds winners, and bringing in someone like Rodriguez can help transform the clubhouse culture into one that expects W’s.
Rodriguez helps, but if the Tigers are truly going to make the leap, it will likely be because Mike, Skubal, and Manning continue their development. Mize made 30 starts but racked up just 1.3 fWAR, in part because he didn’t show much of a propensity for missing bats. Skubal boasted swing-and-miss stuff, but the southpaw was prone to giving up long balls. If Mize, Manning, and Skubal grow up this season, the Tigers will feel pretty good about their run prevention potential. In a nutshell, that’s the biggest what-if of the Tigers’ 2022 season.
The Rodriguez addition was all the more important because Spencer Turnbull remains out after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Turnbull appeared to be on the verge of a breakout, but now they’re in wait-and-see mode. The same for Barnhart and Jake Rogers behind the plate.
Tyler Alexander lines up as the fifth starter for now, but the Tigers are likely to explore more starting options when the lockout ends. Rodriguez will more than likely end up as their big-ticket signing on the pitching side, but there are still plenty of veteran rotation arms that can raise the floor of Detroit’s unit.
The bullpen is another area where the Tigers will explore additions after the lockout. Michael Fulmer emerged as a weapon, saving 14 games and tossing 69 2/3 innings over 52 appearances (four starts). It’s a reinvention for Fulmer, but one that can greatly help the team. Beyond the saves, he also earned nine holds and proved himself an invaluable multi-inning firearm for manager A.J. Hinch.
Gregory Soto took on the more traditional closer’s role, but Hinch is not afraid to use the power lefty whenever he needs him most. Soto saved 18 games over 62 appearances with a 3.39 ERA/4.14 FIP. Hinch has also relied on Jose Cisnero out of the pen. The 32-year-old made 67 appearances and posted a 3.65 ERA/4.13 FIP over 61 2/3 innings.
Fulmer, Soto, and Cisnero give Avila a solid starting place when it comes to building out his bullpen, but they could use some more firepower. There are other arms in-house but expect the Tigers to put some work in here when the lockout ends. Bullpen arms might be more amenable to joining Detroit after the work that’s been put into the roster already.
Offensively, exciting times are ahead. The Detroit faithful have enjoyed the benchmark stage of Miguel Cabrera’s Hall of Fame career, even if the 38-year-old no longer slugs with the authority of his youth. He crossed the 500 home run threshold in 2021, and he’ll get to the 3,000 hit mark early in 2020.
Cabrera might be the best hitter of his generation, and in some ways, it’s been a blessing that the Tigers have been able to line up their rebuilding years with Cabrera’s decline, thereby allowing the organization the difficult decision of when to take Cabrera out of the lineup. Cabrera played in 130 games last year and 57 out of the 60 from 2020’s shortened season. I’d be surprised if he hits 130 games again in 2022, however, as the Tigers will likely start to be a little more judicious with his playing time as they make an earnest effort for contention.
It will be a handing-off-of-the-baton type of season for Cabrera and the Tigers, who together are likely to welcome the top two prospects in Detroit’s system up to the Majors in 2022. Spencer Torkelson is the most obvious side-by-side with Cabrera, as the former number one overall pick is a bat-first corner infield prospect who has a decent chance to end up as a designated hitter eventually. For now, he’ll play first base and only occasionally snipe DH at-bats from Cabrera.
Jeimer Candelario is the third piece of the corner infield puzzle, and he fits nicely between Cabrera and Torkelson as an in-his-prime switch-hitter who only recently locked in his spot on the roster. He’s long been the Tigers third baseman, but for years it seems the former Cubs farmhand was just a placeholder.
Then 2020 happend. Candelario blasted off to the tune of a 138 wRC+ in the shortened season, and while he didn’t continue at that rate last season, he remained solidly above average, posting 3.2 fWAR and a 118 wRC+. He’s still subpar as a defensive third baseman, but now he’ll have Baez flanking him at short, which should help. Candelario and Baez actually began their professional careers together in rookie ball with the Cubs, though Baez rose quickly trough the system, while Candelario was eventually shipped to Detroit with Isaac Paredes for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.
Candelario’s long-term future is unclear, but he’s under team control for 2022 and 2023, so it seems likely he’ll stay at the hot corner for now. If Detroit falls out of the race, the Tigers could explore using Candelario as a trade piece. For now, however, his well-rounded bat is a nice cog in Detroit’s lineup. He may not excel in any one area, but he has average power (.172 ISO), a decent eye (10.4 percent walk rate), and the ability to put the ball in play (21.6 percent strikeout rate) together make up an above-average hitter.
Jonathan Schoop fits a similar mold, but with a more eager approach at the plate. Schoop doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s a legitimate plus against lefties and can hold his own otherwise. Schoop may lose some playing time as Torkelson arrives, but like Candelario, he’s a cog in a rapidly improving machine.
Robbie Grossman: same same. Grossman does everything relatively well, but an elite approach at the plate can make him even more valuable. Grossman keeps the line moving, puts up professional at-bats, and he takes his walks (14.6 percent walk rate).
All in all, the Tigers boast a working-class group of veteran bats that should prop up the baseline and give Torkelson and other young players a little bit of extra runway to find their stride.
The key player may be Riley Greene. If he can stick it in center, that will fill another huge hole in Detroit’s lineup. It’s not easy to find a centerfielder these days, making his development all the more key. Of course, Akil Baddoo may have beat him to the punch. Hinch protected the Rule 5 pick with match-ups in 2021, and it more-or-less worked (108 wRC+). Baddoo’s torching hot start did eventually cool off, but he still finished the year looking promising enough for the Tigers to give him more run in 2022.
Where they might yet add to the offense is with another corner outfielder. Baddoo can play some center along with Victor Reyes, and there are still bats out there that could fit in the middle of Detroit’s lineup. Neither Baddoo nor Reyes needs to be guaranteed a starting spot. Given the contract that they reportedly offered to Carlos Correa, the Tigers still likely have some financial flexibility, should they choose to flex it.
The Tigers have patiently waited out their rebuild, but we know from their history that when the time comes, they are willing to spend. That doesn’t mean that they’re ready to spend it all this offseason, however, so their work could mostly be done. They’ve already made significant additions to the team. They aren’t done, but it’s certainly possible that any bullpen arms, starters, or extra bats they sign will slot in below the players already added, both in a financial and potential impact sense.
Then again, the Tigers have been aggressive. When the crossbar raises and GMs are set loose to sign free agents again, don’t be shocked to see Detroit hit the ground running. Big names have and are coming through the minor league system, but it’s not the deepest farm in the league, so if Detroit wants to make sure they meet expectations and become the cinderella darling of 2022, we might see more free agents changing their address to Motor City.
I hope the bengals are content
Off the top of my head they signed the worst long term contract out of everyone giving Baez that deal but ultimately the tigers improvement just like all teams will come from homegrown players. If Mize, along with all the other young pitchers they have all take the next step they should at least have a cheap pitching staff. Tork and greene look like future studs.
Hard to trust the writer’s credibility here with his lack of reasoning re Baez: an inconsistent bat, overrated defense but he’s entertaining.
Beyond that, with the opt out after Y2, this feels like either a really expensive 2 year deal with chance of boat anchor or if he’s great, he’ll opt out and depart for a new deal after 2023. I don’t expect Kreidler to emerge… would hate it less if they had taken Mayer or Lawlar at 1-3.
Yep Baez should be good for stunts like “thumbs down”. Baez should’ve took the rumored contract the Cubbies were going to give him at one point.
I would bet 10 years from now Baez will be the best signing of any of the shortstops. Correa will get his 10 year deal and be great for 4 of them… ok for 3 and terrible for 3. Seager will be moved from short soon. Simien is over 30 now and has 2 decent years left in him.
Baez is solid defensively… he has power and speed. He knows how to play. He won’t be at the top of the order or batting cleanup… he will probably bat 5th and have some clutch hits. His numbers will not jump out at you, but he will win games with his bat and glove.
I prefer Story myself, but I’d make a decent wage on Baez over Correa for WAR/$, and wouldn’t spend much time thinking about it. His .817 OPS over the past 4 years makes him the best hitter on the Tigers.
You can also point out that Baez showed a lot more patience at the plate while he was with the Mets. I’m hoping that was real improvement which maybe came from the shock of being traded. Anyway good luck to Javy and good luck to the Tigers.
@BG fan
Plus Baez should be motivated, as he can opt out in two years. I am hoping Detroit gets those two solid years, and then has a minor league SS ready, be it Kreidler, Workman, or Cruz.
From what I hear, Kreidler is wanted by alotta GM’s. I have a feeling Detroit might trade for that 2nd SPer they want. Nothing much out there beyond Kershaw, who’s best years are behind him, tho he’s still solid. And Rodon, who will be good if/when healthy.
BobGibsonFan strikes again lol if Baez ends up being a good signing the Tigers will only get him for 2 years.
LOL
2 great years would be worth it.
If he is good then they pay 2 years 44 million for a good shortstop. Any team should want that
But having 4 more years or the ability to trade him for a haul of prospects after 2 years would be better.
I agree with you. Semian is an okay deal too but that’s 7 years added to a 31 year old whereas Baez is 6 on a 29 year old. You won’t get too much slack time on Baez at the end of his deal.
I mean sure, but I don’t think anyone is signing a player to a 100+ million dollar deal with any realistic hopes of flipping them for prospects
“He knows how to play” is always a great analysis. Guess Correa and Seager don’t know how to play as much?
If he has a good first two years, he won’t still be on this deal.
If he has a bad two years, he’ll cash checks for 4 more…
I think the Baez contract along with the Semien and Seager contracts are the 3 so far that will look bad in the later years. They should be good at the early stages though. It’s hard to believe they still owe Cabrera $72 million. They are going to be paying him $40 million for his age 40 season. That extension was so unnecessary. I’m not sure he was “the best hitter of his generation.” I would probably rank Pujols ahead of him. I do think the Tigers have a really good team though. I think they have a chance to finish in 2nd place behind the White Sox. Baez is a good player but he’s frustrating because he could be so much better if he learned patience at the plate. Those strikeouts are irritating. Imagine how much better he could be if he learned how to take a walk.
“He (Cabrera) crossed the 500 home run threshold in 2021, and he’ll get to the 3,000 hit mark early in 2020.”
Typo TC if you care to fix it.
2020 must be getting a “do-over”.
THIS is the kind of typo that actually matters to the articles content.
It’s good for baseball with the Tigers being a competitive team. That “T” looks fly as hell on their hats. Need that brand out there repping baseball.
I honestly cannot tell if this is a joke or not and if it is I don’t get it
D?
I guess I must be missing the joke here?
Lol it’s a little inside joke I have with someone here. After a lot of whiskey and a discussion on the best uniforms in sports we settled on the “T” on Detroit’s hat.
Cubs fans can correct me on this, but I’ve never been sold on Baez. Yeah, he’s a good player—a solid glove, but I’ve never been awestruck by his bat
More than anything else, I wonder about his “clubhouse presence” on a team that wishes to contend and is putting a great deal of effort into that goal.
On the Cubs, he had some guys like Rizzo, Bryant, Ross and Maddon himself who pushed the team ahead Expectations were high and the stars came through.
Contrast that with his time in NY
Not a Cubs fan, but over the past four years, he’s averaged 33 HRs/162 games, with a .270. There aren’t a lot of GG-level SS’s out there like that.
He’s got the WAR worthy of the contract. And it’s hard to see him lose his glove so quickly. So he’ll at least have his glove even if his batting skills start to decline. He is 28 so perhaps he’s just entering his prime.
tiredolddude:
I think judging him based on his time in NY is way too harsh. Players will tell you it’s difficult to adjust to a new team after being traded. They need time to find their place in the clubhouse, and fit in. Their hitting always suffers initially on a new team in a new city. And 2 months is too small a sample to have much value. I’m sure the Tigers will be happy with him.
You’re probably right, tad. As a fan of an opposing team, I’ll admit that I never cared for the guy or his style. Have to say that him leading that fan anger thing last year dropped him another few pegs. But who knows, perceptions can be wrong
I see the White Sox- Tigers rivalry to be very fun/lively this season!
Nice write up, Tim.
I don’t see the Tigers making any significant moves for the bullpen, although I think they should. There is still some low hanging fruit to be plucked in holding leads, and injuries are always a part of every bullpen.
The Tigers improvement last year came despite losing their two veteran pitchers, Boyd and Turnbull. Those two led Tigers starters in fWAR both over the past three years and in 2021, despite making just 9 and 15 starts, respectively. E Rod is a great addition, but the math says they’re still shy at least one starting pitcher.
I would not mind seeing Willy Peralta back in a swing role, but mainly for rotation depth. I also would look at Collin McHugh.
Schoop needs to play second base full time, IMO. His move to first for most of last year gave the team a chance to sort through most of their AAAA players, and see what answers they find, but it’s time to move on from the tryouts and start winning some games. Make a run at that 14 team playoff field in 2022.
Either way, Miguel Cabrera will become just the third player in MLB history to hit 500 homers, 3,000 hits and a .300 batting average, along with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
I think someone like Bassitt from the athletics would be a great player to fill out the rotation and keeping Alexander in that swing role would be ideal.
Nor do I. Avila was asked about the bullpen before the lockout and he pretty much said they were not likely to look at that area. He could change his mind but for now have to go with his public comments. Also said OF wasn’t an area they were looking at.
My guess is he will add another SP because he suggested he was going to sign two before the lockout. Could be someone like Peralta, he did pitch well for us last year. Also could be someone that could flip to the bullpen if they needed. But with Wentz hopefully making some strides this year and Turnbull hopefully in full health by 2023 it likely won’t be anyone that needs more than a one year commitment.
I would love to see Greinke come in on a one year, but am betting he gets offered at least two. I see the Tigers deep in the OF already. Reyes, Hill and Cameron provide good depth and defense. They do need another lefty in the bullpen, even if Alexander is not needed in the rotation. Chasen Shreve could be an inexpensive add. I’d prefer Chafin.
I agree- something needs to be said about Schoop at 2nd base. He is a very solid fielder. I don’t want to waste him at 1st base.
I wonder, with the fact that Cabrera’s avg keeps slipping, he even has a .300 batting average when he is done in 2yrs?
Interested to see how Javy fares against the Raiders.
Consistency? ERod, someone’s barking up the wrong tree…5 and out
A consistent 5 and dive is still consistent
Tigers still could use another top of the rotation option. I would be surprised if they open the season with Torkelson at 1B (barring service time changes), maybe Eric Haase plays some 1B to start the year.
If the young arms take the necessary steps forward this team is not that far off from being a contender
Haase has been told to bring a 1B glove to spring training. Whenever that will be.
If Haase can play a corner OF, 1B and C, while hitting 20+HR that’s someone with value
This team has something. I don’t see Tork and Greene at Triple A for long (if at all depending on Spring Training) Wentz and Faedo are being overlooked, Soto is a legit power arm out of the pen, and I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if the Tigers don’t have one major signing left when the lockout is over.
I think what is being overlooked is how good this team is going to be defensively. When you realize that the outfield is comprised of basically Center field caliber defenders, a solid catcher in Barnhart, and a solid infield, this pitching staff is going to take a step forward.
Now if they add Correa…and shift Baez to 2nd….look out baseball world, things are about to get spicy.
I would like to see DET make a move for either Taylor Walls or the Rangers IKF.
You honestly think the Rays are going to give up a team controlled SS? I mean this is the Rays, I wouldn’t want to know what they would want in return, it’s going to be way to much.
After signing Baez, and having Kreidler, and Short at Toledo, what would be the reason? SS is no longer a need.
Zach Short is not a real MLB player, hopefully Kreidler will be
He’s fine as 4th on the depth chart, after Baez, Harold Castro, and Kreidler.
It’s my opinion. Chill the heck out.
And this is mine. That’s what a discussion is. Besides, I asked what your reasoning was, as I wanted more of your perspective. How much more chill can I get?
I was talking about xxthefettx..
I like Walls and IFK because of their production and knowing from the get-go that they are everyday players. Willi Castro and Short had their opportunities and did not capitalize. W/ that being said, there’s still Paredes who hasn’t produced either. I like Kreidler, but I think he needs a lighter workload when he eventually comes up. I wouldn’t oppose another stint for him in the minors. Imo we will not see Clemens, Short, W Castro, Paredes ever in an everyday roll. Kriedler is interesting, but I don’t want to rely on him day 1.
Short has had a “cup of coffee” in the big leagues…too early to make that call.
I hope he proves me wrong
Skubal has potential ace stuff, probably need one more sp, if Greene hits like expected this will be a fun team to watch.
It would be funner to continue.the rebuild – with some effort this time- and watch them dominate for 10 years rather than be “competitive” ( i.e. mediocre) for 10 years……
Al was poor and then unlucky and also stubborn.
Javy marches to the beat of his own drum, for sure. He is one of the most exciting players in mlb, tho. Detroits pitchers are going to love him. He covers the infield very well and can play 3 infield positions. His bat is streaky but could be dangerous with some protection in the lineup.
Tigers could use 1 more starter. Alexander did great last year, but he can always be a weapon from the pen. I say give the Dodgers a call and see if Price is available. He could be a solid number 5 or he could be an ace. I bet it wouldn’t cost much. The Dodgers gutted their farm getting Scherzer and Turner, they would want a few decent prospects.
While they are on the phone with the Dodgers, they should check on Bellinger. Bellinger is owed $16 mil and the price is only going up even with his bad year last year. He might return to his MVP status, or he could be the worst player out there… it’s a gamble. I would bet he returns to MVP player.
Tigers could get a solid starter in Price, probably a good number 5 with limited innings because of age and he wasn’t used much the past 2 years. They also get a CF that can bat in the middle of a lineup. I doubt it would cost more than a few prospects in the 10-25 range. Maybe even a combination of inexpensive younger players and a prospect… Reyes… Paredes… and a couple prospects.
So, almost $50M dollar gamble for a rebuilding teams prospects? Just think about that for a second. At that point just pay Correa and Wily Peralta is your 5th…hell anyone out there as SP could be your 5th at that point
Red Sox are paying $16 mil of Price’s deal. It’s a 1 year deal at $16 mil. Bellinger would be a 2 year deal at $16 mil and whatever he gets in arbitration.
The Tigers have promoted many of their top prospects… The top 5 prospects for the Tigers are great… beyond that… maybe the Dodgers see something to build with. I doubt any of those other prospects become much.
LOL
I’m from the area and have followed them my whole life but I’ve never, ever heard the Detroit Tigers referred to as the Bengals before.
I heard it before. It’s not very common though. The Tiger in the logo is a Bengal Tiger. Even though the different types of tiger really aren’t much different… The Siberian has a lighter color… Sumatran much darker and smaller… Indochinese has narrow stripes… Malayan are much smaller…
if one is chasing you, you probably don’t care what type it is.
LOL
It’s a thing. I’ve lived in the area my whole life (56 years) and they’ve been called the Bengals from time to time. I don’t care what you call them as long as they keep improving!
Motor City Bengals web site has a lot of good content
It’s used predominantly by writers who want alternative ways of saying the same thing. Or those that don’t have rights to the name. I remember Stratomatic used to have fake names like Boston Beantowners or New York Patriots
agreed. Because it’s stupid to call them that.
I have often referred to my beloved Detroit Tigers as “Those Pesky Bengals” all my life.
Braves/Tigers would be fine with me but I don’t see it happening just yet.
Nice article, but nothing about a still-good farm system despite the promotions. Everyone talks about Tork and Greene. No mention of Kreidler, Dingler (snicker), Wentz, Faedo, or Brieske. The 2021 & 2022 seasons will see a significant turnover of the rotation and position players. Those plus the FA signings make them a potential surprise in 2023.
Jackson Jobe also says hello.
If Willi Castro gets his confidence back he could be a huge plus, not counting on it though. Same basically for Paredes.
I’ve been a Willi Castro fan since the Tigers traded for him, but his defense has been just atrocious at SS and 2B. He needs to spend the season- his last option season in Toledo working out at 2B, maybe 3B and the outfield.
The Tigers sent Willi down and called up Paredes before Willi’s last option was burned, and they went through all sorts of contortions to keep him in the majors and save that last option. Give him a workout and see if he can find a position, because he showed that he CAN hit in the majors.
Paredes and Daz Cameron are the two pl.ayers who didn’t get a full tryout due to injuries. They could give Paredes time at 2B and keep Schoop at 1B if Torkelson starts the year in AAA, but they need to get Schoop back to his home at second base.
The Tigers lineup featured players who were a tick above average at every position except 2B and SS- where they had disgraceful, gaping holes to fill. Baez fills one of them, and Schoop could fill the other. Then, they need a couple of middle of the order bats. Big boppers, and Baez isn’t that.
Paredes is only 22. No reason to be worried about him yet. Even while they worked with him on pulling the ball more, he still walked more than he k’d.
“best record since 2016” when it’s below .500 should leave fans hungry for upside. A good Tiger team is good for baseball.
They’ll likely end up with Correa to play up the middle with Baez. Here’s my take!
1.Grossman RF
2.Greene CF
3.Correa SS
4.Cabrera DH
5.Candelario 3B
6.Baez 2B
7.Torkelson 1B
8.Barnhart C
9.Baddoo LF
1.Rodríguez
2.Mize
3.Turnbull
4.Skubal
5.Manning
Turnbull had TJ in late July. He might make it back at the end of 2022, but that’s it. That’s why they need an extra starter.
Grossman seemed to perform better when he wasn’t at the top of the order.
Correa is a wish.
Schoop is playing everyday while he’s here. I’d rather have 3 Story’s vs 1 Correa so I like the Baez sign.
Correa is not happening. Tigers aren’t willing to pull a “stupid money” off season.
Miggy ain’t a cleanup hitter
Way off on the lineup
LF-Grossman
3B-Candelario
DH-Cabrera
SS-Baez
2B-Schoop
1B-Torkelson
C-Barnhart/Haase
CF-Greene
RF-Baddoo/Reyes
Not predicting stardom, but I have a feeling Barnhardt will have a very positive effect on this team. He’s better than a lot of people think.
Their roster is still pretty mediocre.
Its kind of like the Bad Boys Pistons. No superstars. Just solid everywhere. Its nice to not have holes in the lineup.
I’d rather have Story, Baez & Bryant. 2 of the three versus just Correa.
Nice write up. Agree with most of what was said. At first the Baez signing was a little unsettling. Watching him play for the Cubs in the WS was great, but game in and game out he had a ton of very frustrating AB’s. Lots of swings and misses and usually on pitches way outta the strike zone. But I was very excited to hear the first call he made after signing in the D was to Miggy. He says that he will be side by side to Cabrera picking his brain and if that’s true you can expect to see a much more polished and disciplined hitter in Baez.
And for some reason I also see another pretty big signing for Detroit after the lockout ends. I’m thinking it’s going to be for a corner OF bat, but we’ll see. If you can get 1 more player like a Schwarber or maybe a Suzuki, then the lineup gets that much longer and more intriguing. Then it’s basically how fast our SP’s have grown up. Hoping for the best from the kids (Mize, Manning, Skubal) and a quick recovery from Turnbull. That along with E-Rod and perhaps a 1 year resigning of Matthew Boyd and we may be OK? Regardless, it’s going to be an exciting season in the D!
Grossman has one corner, and with Baddoo having a weak arm, he’s likely the LF, with Haase getting some ab’s. Can’t see any of what’s about there being a better return on investment.
And don’t forget that Grossman had the quietest 20 SBs in MLB last year.
Tigers were already contenders this past year especially if they had just played at decent .500 in April last year.
With all the changes, improvements and young players getting better in the rotation and Tork and Greene on the way, the Tigers are definitely a contender in ’22.
Bring back RHSP Willy Peralta and sign Daniel Boyd again.
Boyd should be ready for bullpen duty by July.
Another bat would be nice Story or Bryant??
Pick up a few bullpen arms for depth(can never have too much pitching).
They got Lucky with Peralta last year. I hope they can do better. I’m not expecting him to repeat his results from last year.
It’s Matthew
Playoffs perhaps, with the talk of a couple extra playoff teams.
Does anybody here kinda think the Tigers agreed to the opt out thinking Kriedler may be a very viable option at that point?
I really don’t see them trading kriedler at this point simply because they MUST know how terrible they have been at the SS position since the Jimmy Leyland years. We might get Javy’s best, let him opt out and then Kriedler can step in if he is ready. It kinda makes sense.
They still need a big bat and help in the rotation and bullpen. Hopefully, Tork and Greene are the real deal. Then, move Schoop to 2nd and say goodbye to Willi!
Kreidler should not be traded. Who knows who will be playing 2B and 3B in a few years?! Candelario gets extended or traded. Schoop may or may not be a long term guy with the Tigers… Isaac Peredes, Daz Cameron, Derek Hill etc need ABs and reps in the field to see what they have there.
on a Tigers thread we have to hear about how great you guys think Correa is? How about we let him prove that first.
I think it’s safe to say, he’s done that for awhile now.
Did you use Eduardo Rodriguez and consistent in the same sentence? Those two things don’t go together.
How can a team that’s lugging miggys corpse around be on the rise
I’m disappointed that writers keep insisting that The Tigers should get another outfielder, and fail to mention Derek Hill! With his defense and the ability to hit and impact a game that he showed last year, he deserves first look! I’ll admit, he seems prone to injury, but we still also have Daz Cameron….we need to find out about both these guys in ’22…..
I agree about Hill. He played outstanding CF last year and had a passable bat for his first season. There’s reason to believe that he will get a lot better offensively. People are somewhat sold that Greene is going to be the future Centerfielder. I don’t see him playing CF, at least not regularly.
Tiger fans, be ready for extreme levels of inconsistency from Baez. When he is hot, he looks like the best player in baseball. When cold, he looks like he’ll never get another hit again. Everyone has extremes, but his are off the chart.
Don’t love or hate him too early as the opposite will come soon enough. When all is said and done, I feel he is a bit overrated.
My first choice was Story. After seeing the prices for SS, however, Baez makes the team better, at only a slight overpay, if he opts out.
Did I make a big mistake drafting Matt Manning on my fantasy team?
Depends on what your other options were.
The Tigers are a venerable franchise and Detroit deserves a strong team. Here’s hoping they’re competitive and can excel, except when they play against my Red Sox.