Detroit Tigers Thread aka "Won't someone rid me of this meddlesome short stop?"

[CONN CHRIS]

Very nice bullpen addition!

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/m...ct/7060758001/

I am experiencing irrational exuberance over the Motor City Kitties.

[cephasjames]

Nothing irrational about your exuberance!! Let's go, Tigers!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Nothing irrational about your exuberance!! Let's go, Tigers!

Wooo hoooo!

My son and I are trying to line up dates to see them in New York and Boston for June. We may even enterain a trip to Baltimore!

[monkeyman576]

Wow you must be desperate to see them win to go to Baltimore.

[CONN CHRIS]

Strictly proximity-based. We live about 2 hours from both Fenway and Yankee Stadium. Baltimore is a 5-hour drive and an overnight trip. If they played at the Mets, Nationals, or Phillies those would be considerations as well.

Michael Pineda is another welcomed edition. Avilla wasn't blowing smoke when he declared the re-build over last July.

I wasn't able to watch yesterday's game but see that Daz Cameron had a 3-3 outing. I had sort of written him off as being in Christin Stewart's bucket (always looks good but never quite major league ready). If Greene is truly ready and Hill doesn't take a step back I can't see how he could be on the roster but if he makes some noise, they have an abundance of choices on what outfielders come North.

[cephasjames]

It's going to be interesting to see how well Greene and Tork do. If either or both make opening day, there will be some interesting decisions on some borderline players. The Castros in the IF, Jake Rogers behind the plate, and Hill in the OF. This is a great problem to have!

[cephasjames]

MLive.com predicts Tigers' Opening Day Roster


Starters
C: Tucker Barnhart
1B: Spencer Torkelson
2B: Jonathan Schoop
SS: Javier Baez
3B: Jeimer Candelario
LF: Akil Baddoo
CF: Riley Greene
RF: Robbie Grossman
DH: Miguel Cabrera

Bench
C/OF: Eric Haase
C: Dustin Garneau
IF: Harold Castro
OF: Victor Reyes

Rotation
1. Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP)
2. Casey Mize
3. Tarik Skubal (LHP)
4. Matt Manning
5. Michael Pineda

Bullpen
1. Gregory Soto (LHP)
2. Michael Fulmer
3. Andrew Chafin (LHP)
4. Jose Cisnero
5. Alex Lange
6. Joe Jimenez
7. Jason Foley
8. Tyler Alexander (LHP)
9. Wily Peralta

[CONN CHRIS]

If Haase's bat hasn't tailed off, I doubt they'll keep Garneau and opt for Paredes or Willie Castro (whichever has the stronger spring) to have more versatility. If he looks good enough, I'd even bet on seeing Kody Clemens rather than Garneau.

That roster is basically replacing Nico Goodrum's swiss army knife- like spot with a third catcher and a limited COF.

Otherwise, I like that projected roster a whole lot!

[cephasjames]

Three catchers (since Haase also plays outfield) seems to be the general consensus among the learned thinkers and writers.

Jason Beck Predicts the Opening Day Roster (28 Players)

C: Tucker Barnhart, Eric Haase, Dustin Garneau
1B: Spencer Torkelson, Miguel Cabrera
2B: Jonathan Schoop
SS: Javier Báez
3B: Jeimer Candelario
OF: Akil Baddoo, Riley Greene, Robbie Grossman, Derek Hill, Victor Reyes
IF: Harold Castro

SP: Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Tyler Alexander
RP: Gregory Soto, Michael Fulmer, Andrew Chafin, José Cisnero, Alex Lange, Jason Foley, Joe Jiménez, Rony García, Miguel Díaz

I like this team. It may not be a championship team yet, but it looks so much better than it has for quite a few years.

[cephasjames]

USA Today predicts Tigers at 80-82 for the season with the potential of making the playoffs (only because 12 teams make it now ).

Not sure how I feel about that. 80 wins is only 3 wins improvement from last year's final record. I think they've added some nice pieces that give them more than 3 extra wins. Hinch and Co. is also amazing at getting more out of players than other managers. So, we'll see. I predict a winning record, maybe 85-77, and a chance at the playoffs. Either way, I think there is potential for a fun year.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

USA Today predicts Tigers at 80-82 for the season with the potential of making the playoffs (only because 12 teams make it now ).

Not sure how I feel about that. 80 wins is only 3 wins improvement from last year's final record. I think they've added some nice pieces that give them more than 3 extra wins. Hinch and Co. is also amazing at getting more out of players than other managers. So, we'll see. I predict a winning record, maybe 85-77, and a chance at the playoffs. Either way, I think there is potential for a fun year.

They do seem like they've added more than 3 games with the new faces. Much more so when you consider the dreadful first month and a half last year. They were actually one of the better teams in the league after their poor start. Predicting +3 wins seems like a lazy analysis.

[Westheim]

Boy, those Tigers look almost like a real ballclub now!

I think that a winning record is pretty likely, and they might actually be fun to watch for the first time since when they still had, oh, Scherzer and Verlander and Mister Fister and the like.

[actionjackson]

Irrational exuberance? Nah. They may break through this year, and really look good to be really good in 2023 and forward. They look like a really well built team to me. As a Blue Jays fan, once the schedule is balanced more (starting in 2023), and the Tigers arrive as a contender, that rivalry is going to be like the 1980s rivalry, and I can't wait.

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

USA Today predicts Tigers at 80-82 for the season with the potential of making the playoffs (only because 12 teams make it now ).

Not sure how I feel about that. 80 wins is only 3 wins improvement from last year's final record. I think they've added some nice pieces that give them more than 3 extra wins. Hinch and Co. is also amazing at getting more out of players than other managers. So, we'll see. I predict a winning record, maybe 85-77, and a chance at the playoffs. Either way, I think there is potential for a fun year.

May be more of a reflection of the improvement of teams in their division than anything else. I think 80 is short, but really, who cares about predictions? Your team looks very good now, and is definitely headed in the right direction. Whatever happens, they're going to be fun to watch. As with every team, health will determine how far they go. With good health, they could win a lot of games. Hinch is one of the best managers in the game. I can't see a downside to being a Tigers' fan over the next five years. Better buckle up, 'cause it's gonna be a fun ride.

[actionjackson]

Really, really, really like the improvement in up the middle defense. It's not Parrish/Whitaker/Trammell/Lemon level yet (not many teams reach that level), but it's much improved. Don't know much about the defense at second base, but the additions of Barnhart, Baez, and (eventually, or maybe to start the year) Riley Greene are really gonna help this team. Nobody values defense enough in these projections, but that level of improvement up the middle, plus another year of development for the young starting pitchers, is gonna lead to very good things, sooner rather than later.

[cephasjames]

Riley Greene fractures his foot. Will open the season on the IL. No timetable for his return as of yet.

[actionjackson]

While I'm in here, is John Hiller a HoFer, or not? 134 ERA+, 7.5 K/9, in an era when the league average K/9 never broke 6.0, 125 saves in an era when firemen who pitched multiple innings, whenever it was warranted, were the norm, rather than ninth inning closers. I like this site for getting a baseline as to whether a guy should be in or not. Hiller's at 66, Rollie Fingers is at 53, Bruce Sutter's at 54, Trevor Hoffman's at 63, Billy Wagner's at 65, Francisco Rodriguez is at 56, Kent Tekulve's at 56, Dan Quisenberry's at 57, Joe Nathan's at 61, Stu Miller's at 57, Lee Smith's at 62, Lindy McDaniel's at 58, Keith Foulke's at 50, Doug Jones is at 51, John Franco's at 52, Don McMahon's at 54, Tom Henke's at 52, Jesse Orosco's at 53, and Jonathan Papelbon's at 54. The Captain Obvious guys are Mo at 130, Hoyt Wilhelm at 108, and the Goose is at 89. When we set the cutoff at 60, we get:

Rivera, Wilhelm, Gossage, Hiller, Wagner, Hoffman, Smith, and Nathan.

I'd say him being in the top five at his position warrants his inclusion. What say you? Obviously Whitaker belongs, and him not being there is ridonkulous, but in my mind Hiller should be there too.

[cephasjames]

Tigers trade Isaac Paredes to Rays for outfielder Austin Meadows.

Meadows, who turns 27 next month, is likely to become the Tigers’ everyday left fielder, joining Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman in the outfield.

Paredes was one of those guys that I hadn't been sold on, so I'm okay with this. This trade will make it interesting once Riley Greene gets off the IL. Meadows, Greene, Baddoo, Grossman, Reyes, and Haase. That's too many OFers.

[Hrycaj]

Opening Day! Go Tigers!

[Westheim]

Yes! Down with the White Sox!