As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this eighth installment we will analyze the Detroit Tigers
- Detroit Tigers (2009 W/L: 86-77, 743 RS, 745 RA)
Key Additions: OF Johnny Damon, OF Austin Jackson, RP Jose Valverde, RP Phil Coke, SP Max Scherzer, RP Daniel Schlereth
Key Losses: OF Curtis Granderson, SP Edwin Jackson, 1B Aubrey Huff, 2B Placido Polanco, RP Brandon Lyon, SP Jarrod Washburn, RP Fernando Rodney, SP Nate Robertson
Overview: The Tigers enter the 2010 looking to avenge their collapse at the end of the 2009 season that saw them blow a seven game first place lead with 26 games remaining before ultimately losing a one game playoff to the Minnesota Twins. GM Dave Dombrowski looked to erase the bad memories was a mini-overhaul of the roster. Will that be enough to outlast the Twins and White Sox?
Infield: First baseman Miguel Cabrera anchors the infield offensively and continues to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Cabrera faced criticism from fans due to off the field issues during the Tigers’ late September swoon but apparently has got his head on straight and he might just put up a monster season to silence any lingering critics. Rookie Scott Sizemore will replace Placido Polanco at second. Sizemore has been successful in all levels in the minors and the 25 year will finally have a chance to shine in the majors. Shortstop Adam Everett is all glove and a minor league bat. After spending his entire career bouncing around the diamond, Brandon Inge finally has a defensive home at third base, it’s too bad that he rarely ever finds first base offensively. Inge’s saving grace is the fact that he runs into the ball (27 home runs in 2009) on occasion, but aside from that he never gets on base (.314 OBP, and that’s an improvement from 2008) and he strikes out a ton (career high 170 strikeouts last season). Veteran Gerald Laird remains behind the plate but much like Everett provides nearly nothing offensively.
Outfield: The outfield has a nearly entirely new look. Former Yankee prospect, CF Austin Jackson replaces Curtis Granderson. While the Yankees still felt that Jackson was a year away from helping their lineup, the Tigers felt otherwise and are not only prepared to let him have a full-time job but are also expected to bat him leadoff. In leftfield another former Yankee, Johnny Damon, takes over. Damon had an excellent 2009 season, but the move to Comerica Park will likely hurt his numbers and his poor defense will be exposed in the large leftfield in Detroit. The only returning face in the outfield is 36 year old Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez suffered from an extreme power outage in 2009, hitting just nine home runs and driving in 50 runs. His performance offensively will be one of the biggest differences between a competitive season for the Tigers or a lost season for the Tigers.
Designated Hitter: Veteran Carlos Guillen returns after a disappointing 2009 that was marred by injury. If healthy, Guillen will put up decent numbers as well as insurance in the infield should Everett or Inge completely embarrass themselves offensively. Fourth outfielder Ryan Raburn may also some cuts at DH and the Tigers should also make it a goal to get Damon time at DH to rest his legs.
Starting Pitching: Justin Verlander reestablished himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in 2009. Verlander went 19-9 and struck out 269 batters in 240 innings last season. Rick Porcello will look to build upon a solid rookie season that saw him go 14-9 with an ERA of 3.96. From there, the Tigers have question marks. Max Schzerer comes over from the Diamondbacks where he had decent numbers for a 25 year old, going 9-11 with an ERA of 4.12 in the NL West. The old adage goes that you need to add at least half a run to a NL pitcher’s ERA when he comes over to the AL, meaning that Scherzer’s numbers could take an ugly turn this year. One thing that will help Scherzer is his ability to rack up strikeouts, he struck out 174 batters in 170 innings last season. Right hander Jeremy Bonderman should slide back into the fourth spot in the rotation. Bonderman has made just 13 starts over the past two seasons, and in 2007, when he made 28 starts, he wasn’t very good. At the very least, if he can stay healthy, he should eat up innings to help offset the loss of Edwin Jackson. Dontrelle Willis rounds out the rotation. The left handed enigma was absolutely embarrassing last season, making just seven starts and going 1-4 with an ERA over seven. Willis has the pretty superficial numbers this spring (2-0, 3.26 ERA), but a deeper look shows that he’s allowed 30 base runners in just 19.1 IP. It’s safe to say he’s enjoyed some good luck this spring and it won’t be long until he’s exposed again.
Relief Pitching: Closer Jose Valverde is an improvement over the departed Fernando Rodney but the loss of Brandon Lyon leaves the Tigers without a proven setup man. If he can improve upon his 2009 performance, Ryan Perry should find himself in that role. Lefty Phil Coke’s propensity to give up long fly balls will not hurt him as much in the pitcher friend Comerica Park, but Tiger fans will still likely be holding their breath any time he is placed in a high leverage situation. Will this be the year that Joel Zumaya stays healthy?
Projection: The Twins have an excellent lineup and a decent pitching staff and the White Sox have an excellent pitching staff and a decent lineup. The Tigers? They have a ton of questions in both. The only certainties for the Tigers heading into this season are Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and likely Johnny Damon. Outside of that there are a significant amount of rookies and second and third year players being relied upon to perform at a high level in order for the team to compete. Could everything fall into place for the Tigers? Could Verlander/Porcello/Scherzer become one of the most feared trios in baseball? Could Austin Jackson make everyone forget about Curtis Granderson? Maybe, but more than likely, this will be a competitive but ultimately mediocre team.
2010 Detroit Tigers: 82-80, 3rd Place, AL Central.
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