detroittigermania

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4/21/19: Norris shines over Chicago, earns first win since 2017

For the moment, Daniel Norris can breathe a deep sigh of relief. With Matt Moore out for the rest of the season due to a torn meniscus, Norris has been handed the reins to fill the gap in the rotation. Whether this is a permanent solution to Moore’s absence remains to be seen, but Norris did not take it for granted, throwing five shutout innings and only allowing three baserunners, while striking out 6. Detroit held on to win 4-3 against the Chicago White Sox to bring Detroit back to a .500 record, sitting at 10-10. It was also Norris’ first win since September 28th 2017, when he won against the Kansas City Royals, also throwing five shutout innings. Moore had looked much like he did in his early days with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he was elected to the All-Star game in 2013. He threw seven shutout innings in his first start with Detroit against Toronto, and had another three shutout innings against Kansas City before sustaining a knee injury while fielding a bunt from Billy Hamilton. Initially thought to be a more minor injury that would shelf him for a month turned into a season ending surgery, and Detroit was now out two starting pitchers for the entirety of the 2019 campaign. It was clear that Norris was going to have to step up and find the consistency that Detroit has been waiting on for nearly three years. Coming into today’s game, Norris held an ERA of 4.32 after making three appearances, all in long relief. While he hasn’t been shelled hard, he had struggled prior to his first start, allowing 11 hits and 3 walks in only 8.1 innings of work while only recording 4 strikeouts. The defense has been able to help him limit damage and keep his base runners in check, but eventually allowing so many on base will spell trouble in the future. But against Chicago, he showed signs that maybe being in the rotation was the confidence booster he needed. He threw a total of 79 pitches, averaging 16 pitches an inning. While he most likely had more in his tank, manager Ron Gardenhire probably didn’t want to stretch Norris too much since this was his first shot at throwing more than three innings this season. Even though he was able to retire the side in his last inning of work, he needed 20 pitches to accomplish this as the batters were making more contact: signs that the batters may have been picking up his pitches better.  Assuming he gets the call five days from now to make another start, he will more likely have a little longer leash after showing he’s up to the challenge and able to deliver with flying colors. Blaine Hardy is another candidate to make spot starts moving forward, but since he has had a sluggish beginning to the season, it looks like the spot in the rotation is Norris’ to lose for the time being. Detroit takes a trip to Boston to take on the struggling Red Sox for a four-game series between Monday and Thursday. Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.96) will take on the downtrodden ace of Boston’s staff Chris Sale (0-4, 8.50) at 7:10 PM. Though Boston has struggled out of the gate to start 2019 after winning the 2018 World Series, they are currently riding a three-game winning streak.

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4/19/19: Zimmermann inconsistent, drop second game to Chicago

Hindsight is always 20/20. I’m sure that Ron Gardenhire and the fanbase can agree with that one. After allowing just 2 runs through 6 innings, Jordan Zimmermann proceeded to allow another 3 runs while recording only 1 out in the seventh inning. Daniel Stumpf came in for Zimmermann and allowed 2 runs without getting a single out. The Tigers would eventually lose the game 7-3. It brought a lot of questions from fans on when too much is too much for Detroit’s Opening Day starter, as he continues to play Jekyl and Hyde since coming from Washington, where he made two All-Star appearances and was a Top 10 Cy Young candidate twice. He showed signs of slowing down when he loaded the bases in the fifth inning and walked in the tie-breaking run. He was able to get out before any more damage was caused, but it was clear his control was getting very shaky. He walked four total, which was the amount of walks he issued in his first four starts combined. Miraculously, Zimmermann still only had 79 pitches total when he took the mound in the seventh inning, so it made sense why he’d be allowed to go back with his team only down a run. He had also gotten a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth to bounce back from his rocky fifth. To Ron Gardenhire, it made sense in more ways than one. But still, the seventh inning came around, and the White Sox were able to plate 5 more runs, seemingly putting the game out of reach for Detroit. The game had been so close the entire way through, but the wheels came off very quickly. It’s easy to say that Zimmermann should have been pulled, especially after seeing what happened in the seventh. But Zimmermann can’t be completely to blame. As said before, he made quick work of the White Sox in the sixth inning, needing only 8 pitches to record three outs, after needing 24 to get through the fifth. But more importantly, he was pulled after allowing one more run to score, and was responsible for the two runners on base when Stumpf stepped in his stead. He then allowed a single, a double, and a another single before being chased back into the dugout. It begs the question: could Jordan Zimmermann have gotten out of it without allowing any more damage? Obviously, we’ll never know the answer. This is what makes baseball so strategic and unpredictable. Daniel Stumpf had not allowed a single run to score all season long, and had only allowed 5 base runners over 4.1 innings of work. To say he was a great choice for such a high-leverage situation would be an understatement: he was the best choice, and was also fully rested. Gardenhire, as well as the fans, should have felt good about their chances to keep the game from getting away by too much. Even if one more were to come across, the game would be 4-1, leaving Detroit three innings to make up three runs. Sounds like a tall order, but it’s a much more desirable situation than trying to make up six runs in the same time frame. While three straight base hits was the outcome, Detroit was banking on Stumpf inducing a weak ground ball to get the double-play and get the Tigers back into the batter’s box with only a two-run deficit. Summarizing it all, Chicago was able to get the best of Detroit and capitalize on mistakes and keep their train rolling. Once they punched the clutch, they didn’t let up, even when Detroit threw out one of their best bullpen pitchers up to that point. Sometimes the team can just be outplayed, even when you push all of the right buttons. It’s what makes it a competition. If it were that easy to make all of the right decisions, or decisions that look right or better on the outside, there’d be more teams to go 162-0 in a season. The only thing Detroit can do is move onto the next game. They still have 143 games left in the season, and being 9-10 to start is far from awful. It’s just a good idea to be prepared for some heartbreaking losses in close games, as well as blow outs that seem so unfair.

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4/11/19: Detroit shutout for third time, drop first series to Cleveland

We all knew it would happen eventually. Detroit’s dreams of not losing a series for the entire season is destroyed by the Cleveland Indians. Detroit alternated wins and losses with division rival the Cleveland Indians in a three game series to be handed their first series loss of 2019. Detroit had previously won or tied the first three series of the season. Shane Bieber (1-0, 1.80) mowed down Detroit’s offense to a tune of 7 innings pitched, only allowing 3 base hits and 1 walk, striking out 6. Those would be the only base runners Detroit could muster, as the Cleveland bullpen through 2 innings of perfect ball. Spencer Turnbull (0-2, 4.80) had his worst start of the season, as well as the shortest start for a Detroit starter (barring Matt Moore’s injury shortened start), as he only made it through 4 innings, giving up 8 base hits, 3 runs, and walked 1. He struck out 4. Interesting to note is that Turnbull ended with 91 pitches, which marks the third straight start with that amount. The finale for Detroit’s first series against Cleveland continues Detroit’s offensive woes, as this was the third time Detroit has been shutout in only 13 games. This puts The Tigers on pace for being shutout 33 times. For those not in the know, that is the highly dubious record for total shutouts in a season, set by the 1908 St. Louis Cardinals. While early season projections are incredibly ludicrous (seriously, after the first game Christin Stewart was technically on projection to hit 162 home runs this season), it does paint a strong picture to how rough the offense has been thus far. The bats are still expected to heat up over time, but if the Tigers want to hang around the top of their division, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. The next game has Detroit’s Tyson Ross (1-1, 2.25) sizing up against Minnesota’s Michael Pineda (1-0, 2.00). Pineda, who has had numerous shoulder surgeries and Tommy John surgery in the past, is looking to revive his career after being a part of the New York Yankees rotation from 2014 to 2017. Tyson Ross is doing much the same after finding success with the San Diego Padres. If he can match what he did in his second start, he just might be on the right path.

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4/10/19: Detroit chases Bauer, wins 4-1

Apparently the Detroit Tigers did not get the memo that Cleveland Indian starting pitcher Trevor Bauer had been nearly untouchable coming into his start at Comerica Park. Whichever intern is in charge of delivering the memos should just go on vacation. After allowing just 1 run and 1 base hit over the first 14 innings of the season, the Tigers touched Bauer up for 4 runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings before being pulled from the game. It was the first time Bauer had given up 4 or more runs in a start since July 20th, 2018, against the Texas Rangers. It was also the first time he allowed 2 home runs in a game since September 15th 2017, against the Kansas City Royals. Bauer previously had a no-hitter through 7 innings against Toronto, but was pulled after issuing 6 walks with an elevated pitch count. In the first inning, Miguel Cabrera smacked a single to right field with two outs. Niko Goodrum cashed in with a two-run home run to right field, his first of the season. John Hicks chipped in with a couple of base hits, including his very own home run--a solo shot--in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-1. Josh Harrison drove in his first RBI of the season when he singled up the middle and sent Gordon Beckham home to score the game’s final run. Only Nicholas Castellanos did not record a base hit for Detroit, going 0-for-5 with 2 strikeouts. Matthew Boyd (1-1) walks away with his first win of the season after another strong start, throwing 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6. His lone run allowed came in the sixth inning when Hanley Ramirez doubled to center field and drove former Tiger Leonys Martin home from second. Through his first three starts, Boyd is sporting a 2.60 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts through 17.1 innings. Detroit was sweating bullets in the 8th inning, after Joe Jimenez managed to record the first two outs and then proceeded to walk the next three batters to load the bases. Jimenez was pulled, and Buck Farmer came in to induce a ground ball to get the force out and leave them loaded. Detroit moves to 8-4 and swaps places with Cleveland to take the lead in the American League Central Division. With a Minnesota Twins (6-3) loss today, Detroit would have sole possession of the division lead. Even with another win and leading their division, Detroit is still tied for scoring the least amount of runs in the entire league: Miami and Detroit have both totaled 33 runs so far. The bats have looked more alive as of late, and scoring 4 runs off of one of the premier pitchers in the American League is nothing to shake a stick at either. When all is said and done, Detroit won’t be averaging less than 3 runs a game at the season’s close. Tomorrow, Detroit sends out Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 4.09) against Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (0-0, 3.38) in an attempt to win the first series of the season against their division rivals. Both pitchers are coming off strong starts that resulted in no-decisions.

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10 Game Recap: 4/8/2019

Wow. What a start to the season for Detroit. I mean, going into their second full rebuilding season chock full of young prospects, journeymen and veterans,  I don’t think many people expected the rotation to be this dominant, the bullpen this efficient, or the defense this flashy.

Just take a look at our starting rotation’s stats for the first 10 games this season. They are absolutely eye popping: Jordan Zimmermann: 0-0, 0.66 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, 10 K, 1 BB* Matthew Boyd: 0-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 23 K, 4 BB Spencer Turnbull: 0-1, 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 15 K, 4 BB Matt Moore: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP, 9 K, 1 BB Tyson Ross: 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 12 K, 5 BB (*Bold means leading the rotation.) What does this mean? Well aside from Boyd having one of the highest strikeout totals in the majors, Moore and Zimmermann being in the Top 5 in ERA in the American League, Moore leading the American League in WHIP (Zimmermann is also in 6th)...I’ve lost track. Simply put, the Tigers rotation has been phenomenal. There’s no other way to describe it. Smack all of those stats into one, and you have a rotation that has a stat line like this: Win-Loss: 1-3 ERA: 2.44 WHIP: 1.12 K’s: 69 BB: 15

Want more? How about the rotation’s K-BB ratio is 4.6. The Tigers will strikeout 4-5 batters before they walk 1. Their strikeouts per 9 innings? Nearly 13. Not to mention, this is just the rotation’s numbers. We haven’t gotten to the bullpen yet. If we compile the bullpen numbers, they look like this: Win-Loss: 6-0 ERA: 2.81 WHIP: 0:90 K’s: 30 BB’s: 9 K-BB: 3.3 K/9: 8.4 What’s to note here? The biggest one is that the bullpen is allowing less than one base-runner per inning on average. That in itself shows sheer dominance over the opposition. Not only has the rotation been lights out, but the bullpen has also been strong. While the Win-Loss record looks nice, I think we’ve all learned by now that W-L record doesn’t mean too much. But for Detroit’s situation, it definitely means something: the bullpen has been able to keep the game close for Detroit to come back and either break the tie or take the lead to win the game. It’s not like they are getting shelled and then Detroit’s bats bail them out. They have stone-walled the opposing team, giving the offense time to pick it back up. But, all good things must come to an end. Though the pitching has left opposing batters swatting at pitches like they are mosquitoes coming in full force after a rain storm, the offense has been relatively lukewarm. I use the term “relatively” because in the last series against Kansas City, there were signs of them breaking loose. In the first 10 games, Detroit managed to get only 27 runs to cross home plate, placing their game average at 2.7 runs a game. There are only 3 teams in the league that have a lower average: Toronto (3-8), Cincinnati (1-9), and San Francisco (3-7). Those three teams combined have the same win total as Detroit. Case in point: Detroit has won their games thus far mostly on nearly spotless pitching. If the pitching begins to regress and Detroit keeps the pace with their bats, it won’t be long before the L’s start to pile up. The first 10 games have been great, but it’s hard to imagine both the rotation and bullpen keeping a strong level of consistency, especially once Detroit starts getting their turns with stronger teams. Here is where that “relatively lukewarm bats” comes into play. In the first 7 games of the season, Detroit scored 12 runs total, yet had a record of 4-3. In their last 3 games (against Kansas City), they scored 15 and went 3-0. More than half their run total came in the last series they played. Christin Stewart broke out of his Opening Day funk with 5 hits in the series, with 2 doubles, a triple, and a grand slam. These were his first base hits since his opening day two-run home run that eventually won the game for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera had 3 base hits and 3 walks prior to the Kansas City series. In the last 3 games, he has 5 hits and 4 walks. The power still isn’t there, but compare getting on base 9 times in 3 games to 6 times in 7. The difference is night and day. Not to mention he drove in 2 runs, and struck out only once in the series (compared to his 9 times in the first 7 games). As you can see, two of the players that Detroit expects to be impact bats in the lineup have looked a lot like what they were expecting. Of course Cabrera is turning 36 this month and has battled a multitude of injuries the past few seasons, but his OBP is still a very respectable .381 after a nightmareish start to the season. Even if his power has diminished, his ability to get clutch base hits and draw walks will become invaluable to Detroit, especially with guys like Niko Goodrum, Jeimer Candelario, and Christin Stewart batting behind him, and Nicholas Castellanos batting in front of him. It’s not perfect, but it’s more than just a step in the right direction. The strikeouts continue to be a problem, as they have the 4th highest strikeout total in the entire league. But they are also tied for 8th in walks, meaning their approach to the plate has become a double-edged sword: They are very solid at not swinging at bad pitches, but are missing too many that are in the zone. Cutting back on even a percentage of the strikeouts to add a few more walks or balls put into play could work wonders for them. So, what does all of this mean? Does Detroit have one of the best rotations or bullpens in the league? Are they actually going to win 113 games? Will Christin Stewart end the season with 162 RBI? Is this hypothetical question getting a little too long? Yes. But only to that last one. Obviously this is a very small sample size, but it is only natural to get excited regardless. The team is playing exceptionally well to start the season, there’s no denying that, and the hopes that they can continue this level of play have entered fans everywhere. It is worth mentioning, however, that expecting them to keep up everything they’ve done thus far is only going to end in disappointment, lest we see MLB history being made right before our eyes. For a final calculation of their numbers, Detroit is on pace to allow 421 runs over the course of the entire season. The lowest total in nearly 20 years prior? The 2015 St. Louis Cardinals, who had allowed 525 runs total. Very few teams in the past 20 years have allowed less than 600. So let’s just say that the pace Detroit has set thus far may seem rather impossible. But hey, a fan can dream, and fans everywhere are more excited for Detroit baseball than they have in some time. Let’s continue to ride it out.

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4/3/2019: Detroit takes series against New York

When a team like Detroit starts off the season splitting the first series and winning the second, it’s the cause of a nice celebration. Matthew Boyd sets a new career high in strikeouts in a game with 13 and Detroit squeezes a win out of the New York Yankees to secure the win over the series with a 2-1 victory. Boyd was left with a no-decision as Detroit took the lead in the 8th inning after Gordon Beckham crushed a solo home run to right field. The pitcher on record was Buck Farmer. The bullpen continued to shine, as they combined for 2.1 innings and allowed only one base runner, a walk from Joe Jimenez in the 8th inning. They also combined for 5 strikeouts, bringing the total for Detroit to an otherworldly 18. The bats were once again quiet in this matchup, with Detroit only able to muster 3 base hits. They did however draw 3 walks, had timely hitting, and a dash of luck to score the runs they needed for the win. Detroit scored their first run on a Christin Stewart sac-fly with the bases loaded and one out to bring Nicholas Castellanos home. After a strong throw from Aaron Judge in right field, Castellanos was able to avoid the tag and make it safe. Boyd’s lone run on the day was allowed in the third inning when DJ LeMahieu hit a one-out double, with Judge singling him in the following at-bat. Boyd was able to limit the damage to that run alone when Aaron Judge was hit by a ball in play while advancing the bases three batters later. Detroit (4-3) comes home for their Opening Day against the Kansas City Royals (2-3) and currently sit in second place in the AL Central, trailing only the Minnesota Twins (4-1). Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 5.40 ERA) takes the mound against Kansas City’s Jakob Junis (1-0, 4.76) at 1:10 PM.

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4/2/2019: Tigers win over New York, 3-1

Detroit must not have gotten the memo that Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is one of the best in the business, as they tag him for two runs in the 9th inning to break the tie and win. Detroit broke out of their offensive funk, collecting 11 hits against Masahiro Tanaka and Chapman, arguably their best starter and one of the best closers in baseball. Every starter in Detroit’s lineup--sans Christin Stewart--scratched out a base hit. Jordan Zimmermann delivered a second straight glowing start, throwing 6.2 innings with 6 K’s while allowing 1 run on 6 base hits and 1 walk, which was an intentional walk to Aaron Judge: New York’s best hitter. It was also the first walk he’s issued over 13.2 innings to start the 2019 campaign. The bullpen threw 2.1 perfect innings combined to secure the win and bring Detroit back to a .500 record. Through 6 games, Detroit has allowed only 16 runs in total: the only team in the majors that has played six games to have a lower run allowed total is the Tampa Bay Rays, with 10 runs. Dustin Peterson collected his first major league hit and it came at the best time: a tie-breaking double in the 9th inning to drive home Niko Goodrum from first base. He would later collect his first run as Jordy Mercer smacked a single to send him home from second. With a 3-1 lead, Shane Greene works a perfect 9th inning to stun the Yankees. Matthew Boyd will close out the series against New York’s Johnathan Loaisiga and work to put Detroit back over .500. Away From The Game JaCoby Jones and Drew VerHagen will both require rehab stints in the minor leagues before being reinstated from the injured list. JaCoby Jones went down before the start of the season with a sprained shoulder, but his stay on the injured list is not expected to last much longer. With the nearly non-existent production from Mikie Mahtook, as well as a defensive blunder in Boyd’s first start, Jones’ presence could be an immediate help to the team. Drew VerHagen started the season on the injured list as well with a forearm strain. He currently has no timetable set for his return to the bullpen in the majors, but his stay on the injured list is also not expected to be long in the length. 

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4/1/2019: Tigers fall to the Yankees, 3-1

New York spoiled Tyson Ross’ Detroit debut by using the long ball, and the bats continue to falter for Detroit. Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner tagged Ross with a pair of solo home runs, and Ross was handed his first loss of the season as Detroit could only manage one run to cross home plate. Ross went 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 walks, and 2 earned runs while striking out 4. Detroit only mustered up two base hits (both from Jordy Mercer, his first hits as a Tiger), and scratched out a run due to a throwing error from Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez that sent Christin Stewart home from third. Over five games, Detroit has only scored 7 runs, being shutout completely in two of them. The batters strikeouts continue to pile up as they have recorded 59 strikeouts in the first five games of the season. Though two of those games went into extra innings, the high rate of swing-and-a-miss outs is quite concerning. There were some pros to this game, however. Though there weren’t many base runners from the bat, there were plenty from the eye as Detroit drew 7 walks. Detroit has shown to grind out at-bats so far into the 2019 season, but are looking to patch up the several glaring holes in their swings when they finally decide to lift the bat off of their shoulders. The outfield defense has been messy to say the least, but Jeimer Candelario, Jordy Mercer, and Josh Harrison have had plenty of success with the glove at their infield positions of third base, shortstop, and second base, respectively.

The first run through the starting rotation has also proved to be rock solid. In the first five games of the season, the rotation stats look like this:

ERA: 2.48 WHIP: 0.82 K/9: 9 BB/9: 2.89

The bullpen has also done very well, only allowing 5 total runs to score over 16 innings. Their first five game rundown is as shown:

ERA: 2.81 WHIP: 1.06 K/9: 7.9 BB/9: 2.81

The Tigers sit at a record of 2-3 to start the season, and will look to make it back to .500 when they take on the Yankees tomorrow: Jordan Zimmermann will look to build off of his spectacular opening day performance, and Masahiro Tanaka will attempt to get New York over the .500 mark after losing a three game series to the Baltimore Orioles.

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Landing Spots

8Rebuilding seasons are weird. It’s been a long time since Detroit went into a full-fledged rebuild, where we’re trotting out young guys that no one has really heard of, and the star players of yesteryear are now swinging and throwing for a team that has playoff aspirations. It’s a tough thing to swallow. It puts us in a position to sign random free agents to one-year deals, just to fill holes in our roster for the sole purpose of flipping them to another team in exchange for prospects when the trade deadline rears it’s face. It’s like that show “House Flipping”, but with baseball players. Coming to TLC this summer! This offseason, the Tigers signed a slew of players to one-year deals, hoping they would surprise the baseball world and prove they were still worth a lick. Players like Mike Fiers, Francisco Liriano, and Leonys Martin are the most noteworthy, as all of these players have found success in their major league careers prior to finding their new team in Detroit. Now that Detroit is essentially out of the race (that they never planned on being in in the first place), the midseason “fire sale” is beginning to formulate. These players are almost without a doubt going to be seeing themselves in new uniforms by August, as they can give some playoff contending teams an upgrade somewhere on their roster. But where exactly might they land? What teams actually need these players to keep them afloat and playoff bound? Let’s take a closer look. Mike Fiers: 2018 stats: 3.65 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 74 K, 6-5 in 17 starts Tradeability: B Overview: Fiers has been, more or less, the best starting for Detroit up to this point. Though Michael Fulmer is still considered our ace, Fulmer has struggled all season with a few great starts mixed in the bunch. Fiers has impressed, allowing only three runs over his last three starts, and looks like he’s finding his groove going into the All-Star break. If his last start before then also goes well, his trade stock is going to be pretty high. Possible landing spots: Washington or Seattle. Both teams are in the thick of playoff races, but are lacking a strong rotation. Beyond Max Scherzer in Washington, there’s not much to talk about, with Tanner Roark having an ERA closing in on 5, Gio Gonzalez has spiraled out of control after a great April and May, and Stephen Strasburg continues to be injury prone as he’s been on the disabled list since early June. Their rotation is hemorrhaging for some help. Seattle has faired a bit better, but with James Paxton (8-3, 3.49 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 154 K) being their best pitcher and Felix Hernandez being a shell of his former self, they don’t have much filling in the gaps. Mike Leake has righted his own ship since his awful April and May, but it’s possible Seattle is going to seek some starting rotation depth. While there are better starting pitching options to trade for, Fiers is a candidate that will not cost much, being able to net maybe a mid-level prospect and possibly a throw in that has no real upside. Jacob DeGrom and Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets are two of the top name pitchers, some that Seattle could try to make a play for, but don’t expect Washington to get their hands on them: New York is one of their divisional rivals. They wouldn’t want Washington to hold one of their best starting pitchers that have a good load of team control under their belt. Francisco Liriano: 2018 stats: 4.03 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 57 K, 3-5 in 13 starts: Tradeability: C Overview: Man, Liriano was good for Detroit in April. Of the five starts he made, he never allowed more than 3 runs a start, and three of those starts were quality starts. The other two he wasn’t able to finish the sixth inning to qualify. Everything after April has been a headache. While he has not really been lit up in any start this season (his worst being against Cleveland on May 15th, throwing 4.1 innings and giving up 5 runs), he isn’t doing himself any favors by walking almost as many batters as he gives up base hits (41 BB, 57 H), averaging a putrid 3+ walks per start. He hasn’t walked less than two batters in any start this season, and that amount of free passes is bound to lead to more runs scoring against him. On top of that, he has battled the disabled list this season as well, recording an ERA of 4.50 since returning in mid-to-late June, and having a WHIP close to 2. Those are not happy statistics to his name. All of the reasons above are why I listed his tradeability at C. While it’s almost certain Detroit will unload him to another team (or at least try to), it’s uncertain who will want to take him as he isn’t much of an upgrade on anyone’s roster that’s making a playoff push. Not only that, but Detroit won’t be getting much in return for an aging starting pitcher that is not performing well, on top of only being a half season rental. His one great start this season was against Seattle, where he took a no-hitter deep into the game before allowing his one base hit. The other two good starts he had were both against Kansas City, one of the worst teams in the league. His tradestock is incredibly thin to say the least. Possible landingspots: New York Yankees or Arizona. This is a large stretch here, as more than likely if these teams go to the trade market to find an upgrade for their rotation, Liriano will be near the bottom of the list. But it’s no secret these teams are also desiring some rotation help. In the Yankees case, everyone behind Luis Severino and CC Sabathia has been very rough. Sonny Gray quickly became a villain in New York with his sky-high ERA closing in on 6, and Masahiro Tanaka has been ineffective and is currently on the DL. But with New York’s powerhouse offense and great bullpen, they’ve been able to keep up with the rest of the American League. They are currently 2 games back of the American League East, and have a stanglehold on the Wild Card spot with a 9.5 game lead on the team in third for the Wild Card (Oakland). Arizona isn’t quite as bad with the starting rotation, but Patrick Corbin and Zack Greinke have been the only consistent rotation pitchers thus far. Clay Bucholz has been great as well, but there’s no telling if he can keep it up for the whole season, especially when he comes back from the DL. The positive to these teams is that if they wanted to make a small upgrade, it would come with a low price tag of a low-level prospect or two, and Detroit would have to eat most of what Liriano is owed for the rest of the season, which is roughly $6MM. Leonys Martin: 2018 stats: .259/.327/.431, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 1.8 WAR Tradeability: B Overview: Martin has been a solid centerfielder this season, being 13th in the league in WAR and leading the league in outfield assists. His WAR would no doubt be a bit higher, as well as his counting stats, but he has spent two separate occasions on the DL this season. The other positive is he has stolen 9 bases season, giving him a good repertoire as an outfielder with decent power, speed, a strong arm, and above average defense. With him also being a half season rental, it won’t take much for a team to trade for him. Possible landing spots: St. Louis or Colorado. Also another stretch, as most of the teams leading their divisions don’t really need any strong upgrades in their outfields. Though Leonys Martin is a center fielder by trade, teams could implement him in corners as well as center if they needed. This why I brought up Colorado, who has been using Charlie Blackmon in center field with a -2.2 defensive WAR. His offense has been great, but he is by far one of the worst center fielders in the league. Colorado is only 3.5 games out of the NL West and 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. He could prove to be a good upgrade in any spot of the outfield to help save some runs and possibly win a few more games. St. Louis is much of the same story, being 4 games out of the Wild Card and a less-hopeful 7.5 games out of the NL Central. The struggles of Dexter Fowler are well documented and the Cardinals are looking for a life-preserver to keep them from drowning.

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Machado Out, Goodrum In

It’s never fun seeing a player for your favorite team get the boot. Well, okay. Scratch that. Sometimes that move is overdue. But this is a move that may fall somewhere in the middle of those two distinctions. Earlier this week, Detroit opted to designate second baseman Dixon Machado for assignment. For those that do not know what that phrase means, I’ll give you a bare bones description of it: Any player DFA’d means they are placed on waivers. Any other major league baseball team now has seven days to decide if they want to add him to their 40-man roster or not. If no other team claims the player, that player can be assigned to one of the teams minor league teams, or released outright. Basically, Machado has three courses: Either he goes back to our minor league system, another team’s system, or can be forced (or choose) to become a free agent. Got all that? Then let’s continue. It seems like a rough way to let go of our Opening Day second baseman, but there are more than offensive/defensive stats and spreadsheets to explain why the Tigers had to make a move. First off, Machado is 26 years old. He’s not old, but he’s not young either. He made his major league debut in 2015 and had only played in 105 games from 2015 to 2017 for Detroit. He did not impress much in that time, and considering Detroit had Jose Iglesias and Ian Kinsler manning the middle infield, there was just no real room for him unless someone was injured. After the trade that sent Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels, a roster spot opened up. With no one in AAA really ready for major league action, he was the best option in a very thin lineup. Second, a man named Niko Goodrum appeared like a goddamn wild Pokemon or something. Battle music and all. He is by and large the biggest reason why Machado no longer had a spot on our roster. Originally meant to be a utility player, he wasn’t a real threat at second base. Or third base. Or...any position really. He was the new Don Kelly. Goodrum has played every fielding position, barring catcher and center field. Nowadays, we’re seeing him play second base for a single reason: he’s all-around better. His defense has been better, his offense has been better, and he has the ability to play multiple positions and do them well. He has played in every game since June 10th, and it has paid dividends as in the month of July he is batting .481/.500/.786. 6 of his 13 base hits have gone for extra bases. He struggled at the end of June, and Detroit continued to platoon Machado and Goodrum as a comparison type of move. It was clear Goodrum was performing better, plain and simple. Machado had been given many more chances to pick himself up, but hasn’t be able to do so. At that point, it just makes more sense to play the player that is playing at a higher level. To Machado’s credit, he does have something that is in fact enticing, but it’s also something Goodrum has as well. That would be... Team control. It’s true that Goodrum and Machado are almost the exact same age (Goodrum being 6 days younger), and they have the same level of team control. Both players have not spent the required 173 days on a major league team in any major league season to total one year of service in the major leagues. This means that they are on level playing field in the aspects that teams look at that aren’t always effected by statistics on the field: age and team control. The Tigers are in a rebuilding season, and the influx of young no-names running out by Rod Gardenhire isn’t a mistake. On top of trading for young prospects, our other goal is to get some of them some seasoning at the major league level to see how well they fare, and let’s be honest with ourselves here. Goodrum has, in all facets, performed better. Assuming this will be the first season that Goodrum stays on the 25-man roster for the required 173 days, he will have logged his first full year of MLB service. Also assuming he continues to be a regular in our lineup, or at least on our team moving forward, we will have control over him until after the 2023 season is over. That’s definitely enough time for Detroit to rebuild and get back into playoff contention. While that’s all good and all, there’s yet another reason why Goodrum could be getting this much attention... Trade-bait. Well, possibly. This is yet another assumption, but if you haven’t noticed, our middle infield is a bit...crowded. Jose Iglesias, Dixon Machado, Niko Goodrum, Dawel Lugo, and Ronny Rodriguez make up the middle infielders we’ve had on our team that are either mainstays or are prospects (no, Pete Kozma does not belong on this list). The last two are young and are considered prospects, and Iglesias is the veteran that will not be moving from shortstop. With all of these players taking up spaces either on our major league roster or bubbling under in the minors, it’s only natural to start weeding out the competition, choosing certain players over others. The pickings will also shorten up once we come to... Jose Iglesias’ free agency. This is why I said the trade-bait is an assumption. Because the Tigers are in a rebuilding, it’s also in itself assuming that Detroit does not sign Iglesias to a free-agent deal after this season. In fact, they’ll probably trade him at the deadline to a team that needs an upgrade at shortstop for a couple of prospects. So Goodrum himself may not be the tradebait. Keep in mind that Goodrum is a shortstop by trade, but he’s not going to be taking over Iglesias’ spot while he’s still in a Detroit uniform. Once Iglesias is no longer wearing the Ol’ English D and Goodrum continues to play well... Goodrum will become Detroit’s everyday shortstop in 2019. This is where this whole article was coming to. Looking at all the pieces, it only makes sense that Detroit would be tossing their chips into this guy:      1. He’s playing well now that he’s been promoted to everyday duty.      2. He has loads of team control available.      3. Their everyday shortstop (Iglesias) is expected not to be in Detroit past               2018.      4. He’s going to be cheap for Detroit to work with until after the 2020 season.      5. Detroit’s farm system does not have a lot of shortstop prospects nearing             major league status. (Parades not expected to be major league ready until           2020 at the earliest, and Alvaro Gonzalez until 2022)

Looking all of this information, from this arm-chair manager, it just makes sense. He’s not expected to be a super star. He might not ever be an All-Star during his career. But for what Detroit is working towards with their rebuild, he fits very well. More than likely this was not the plan running into the season, but with what he has done for Detroit this season thus far, it’s a direction I’m sure the front office has considered. Machado just doesn’t have the same direction with Ronny Rodriguez and Dawel Lugo being some higher prospects in that list that can take over second base and do it better than Machado. However, it is worth mentioning that Machado is also a shortstop by trade, but like Goodrum, he’s not taking over shortstop until Iglesias is no longer manning that spot. At this point it comes down to what are the upsides for both of these players, and which one is brighter? As of today, it’s Goodrum. No slight to Machado, but I can imagine Detroit sees it the same way. It hurts to watch young players get the opportunity to play everyday, and in three short months get demoted outright. But baseball is, after all, a business. Goodrum happens to be better for business. These are a lot of assumptions, as I do not work for the Detroit Tigers in any shape or form. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But if I were lucky enough to be a part of the thought process going into what makes our team the way it is, that would be my vote.

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Potential Free-agent targets: Center Field

With Cameron Maybin being traded away to the Angels early on this offseason, the Tigers find themselves with a hole between Justin Upton in left-field and J.D Martinez in right. GM Al Avila has stated that the goal for Detroit is to lower the payroll while making the Tigers into a better team simultaneously. The obvious course is to pull up a young prospect from the minors, but it is entirely possible the Tigers may sign a free-agent to a short-term contract at a low price. Looking at the list of free-agents, here are some possible ideas the Tigers could toss around. Peter Bourjos: .251/.292/.389, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 6 SB. 123 games 2016 salary: $1,650,000 Summary: Though he’s primarily a right-fielder, he has a lot of experience playing center field and has the legs to back that up. He won’t be mashing home runs and driving in runs, but he can steal some bags, leg out some extra bases when he’s on the base paths, and cover a lot of ground in the spacious Comerica Park. His salary isn’t expected to jump up significantly, and he would slide in fairly well as a batter at the top or bottom of the order. The Tigers could sign him to a 1 or 2 year deal worth $1-3MM a year as a “low-risk high reward” type of player. Michael Bourn: .264/.314/.371, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 15 SB. 118 games 2016 salary: $13,500,000 Summary: Don’t be fooled by that salary from last season, because Bourn will not get anything close to what he was making during his last contract. Previously a premiere center-fielder, Bourn is on the wrong side of 30 and has dropped considerably from his days with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves where he stole a total of 256 bases over a 5 year period while batting around .290 overall. However, there is still something to gain from Bourn: extra veteran leadership for the younger players, and he still swiped 15 bases, proving his legs are still able to get things done. With a decent average and OBP, Bourn, like Bourjos, could find a decent spot in the Tigers lineup at the top or bottom, setting the table for the meat to send him home. With his decreased value and numbers to show, he won’t be making a substantial amount. Tigers could sign him for a 2-year $10MM contract. Rajai Davis: .249/.306/.388, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 43 SB. 134 games 2016 salary: $5,000,000 Summary: Tiger fans will recognize Davis, who played for them in 2014 and 2015. Though he just turned 36, Davis is still a solid center fielder and, if the Tigers go for small ball, is a perennial threat when standing on first base. With a Tigers outfield that is not so crowded, it would be possible to see Davis see most of the playing time in center while the Tigers continue to season and develop their prospects in the minors. The only real thing that will raise his price tag is his stolen base count--43 last year which led the AL--which could make him a commodity for teams looking for an experienced fielder with a load of speed.

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Detroit exercises K-Rod’s option

The Detroit Tigers have exercised Francisco Rodriguez’s option for 2017, paying him $6MM for the season. Rodriguez, affectionately known as “K-Rod”, saved 44 games for Detroit in 2016 with an ERA of 3.24, having the second most saves in the American League, behind Baltimore’s Zach Britton. As is the story for most Detroit’s closers for the last decade, K-Rod was met with mixed reception, positives coming from being more consistent than most closers Motown has seen, but also blew 5 saves, including a dreadful game against Kansas City on September 24, where he blew the save by giving up a 2 run lead that ultimately ended in Detroit losing 7-4, leading fans to blame him for Detroit missing the playoffs. K-Rod is expected to hold down the closer role for 2017.

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Cameron Maybin traded to Angels for minor league pitcher Alcantara

After Al Avila’s comments on wanting to drop the team’s payroll and bring in younger talent, his first move was made yesterday when center fielder Cameron Maybin was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for minor league right-handed pitcher Victor Alcantara. Maybin, who began his career in Detroit in 2007 and was traded to Florida (now Miami Marlins) as part of the package that brought Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, played well for the Tigers but was hindered by injuries--again--and was limited to a total of 94 games. Maybin has only played in three full seasons in his career, with many injuries plaguing him. Victor Alcantara, 23, has spent five seasons in the Angels system, and pitched to a 3-7 and 4.30 level at their Double-A affiliate, and was on their 40-man roster. With Maybin traded, questions on whether J.D Martinez will be traded or not this offseason more than likely have been stifled a tad, as Martinez being traded would open up two spots in the outfield. With Avila’s mindset to lower payroll, it’s unlikely he would go out and sign a player, and the Tigers farm system doesn’t have enough talent to throw two young outfielders into the Show. Minor league players such as Steven Moya, Tyler Collins, and JaCoby Jones would be part of the selection process to call up if the idea is to promote a younger player to a starting role.

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Cespedes, Gordon potential targets for Tigers outfield

After Detroit traded for former first round draft pick in Cameron Maybin from Atlanta, the front office has expressed further interest in bolstering the outfield with another star player. Most notably in the discussion is Yoenis Cespedes (who Detroit traded away in the middle of the 2015 season) and Alex Gordon (currently a free agent after winning the World Series with Kansas City). Cespedes was having a strong campaign with Detroit last season, batting .293/.323/.506 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI before being dealt to the New York Mets before the trade deadline. He finished the season with career highs in home runs, RBI, hits (including doubles), and runs scored. Cespedes has expressed in returning to the Tigers, giving Detroit a little bit of favor in their quest to bring him back in an old English D uniform. Alex Gordon has consistently been one of the Major League’s premier defensive outfielders and has spent his entire 9-year career in Kansas City. A three-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner, Gordon is one of the hottest outfielders on the market during the Winter Meetings, and is expected to earn a good-sized contract after coming off a stellar string of seasons, stretching from 2011 to an injury-shortened 2015 season. Other outfielders that have been thrown around as possible fits for Motown are Gerardo Parra, Alejandro De Aza, Denard Span, and Dexter Fowler.

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Strong as an ox and nimble as a cat.

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