The Detroit Tigers Got Their Crown Jewel of Free Agency in Victor Martinez, but Now What?
The Detroit Tigers got their top priority of Free Agency, Victor Martinez. Tigers owner Mike Illitch shelled out 4 years and $68 million for the cleanup hitter. The DH seems to have found a home for the rest of his career and the Detroit Tigers could not be happier.
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But now what? What will the Detroit Tigers do now that they got their middle-of-the-lineup bat? With the signing of Martinez it seems that the GM of the Tigers, Dave Dombrowski, has full intentions to keep the window wide open for a World Series.
Unfortunately for the Tigers and their fans, there are still multiple holes to fill this off-season.
The bullpen still has problems. And lots of them. After finishing the 2014 campaign with a blowup on national television during the American League Division Series fans were calling for a change and a big one.
Dombrowski has already picked up Soria’s option for the 2015 campaign. That coupled with Joe Nathan having one more year left on his contract, the Tigers will have to work with what they have.
With the signing of Joel Hanrahan, Dombrowski seems to have started his operation to fix the bullpen. But in order to maximize the bullpen’s potential it’s going to need a lot more help. Though Jim Johnson and Hanrahan were solid low-risk, high-reward projects last season, neither panned out.
The Detroit Tigers will get Bruce Rondo, Blaine Hardy, and Al Alburquerque all back next season but nobody is sure how they will fair in the 2015 season. There are just too many question marks for the Tigers and their bullpen.
What about the outfield? After trading Center Fielder Austin Jackson, the Tigers platooned Rajai Davis and Ezequiel Carrera for the rest of the season. Though that platoon ended with mixed results, the Tigers need to look for possible alternatives, especially with Torii Hunter officially gone.
Sep 3, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Anthony Gose (8) singled during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dombrowski has made some moves for the outfield. He traded prospect Devon Travis to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Anthony Gose. Projected to play strong defense with good speed and a good arm, the move seems to be a necessary one. As a left-handed hitter, he has the potential to platoon CF with Rajai Davis.
Even after trading for Gose Dombrowski has already stated that they believe they are done in terms of moves for their bullpen. Reported by Jason Beck, Dombrowski has already stated he is done with his outfield moves for the year.
“I would say that probably finishes [the OF moves], but I don’t want to say 100% because we’re only in mid-Nov.” -Dave Dombrowski
If this is true, this does not bode well for the 2015 Detroit Tigers. They need all the outfield help they can get. It would be unwise of the Tigers to expect the same J.D. Martinez from last year, as it lasted roughly 500 at-bats. He will need more consistency over the years to be relied upon annually.
As of now the Tigers have Rajai Davis, Anthony Gose, J.D. Martinez. Tyler Collins or one of the other minor leaguers could also be a part of their outfield going into next year. In order to make an impact in a stronger looking AL Central next year, they’ll have to revamp their outfield with at least another move or two.
Now, your thoughts. What do you think the Tigers should do next? Should they go and find more bullpen help? Should they look at the outfield more closely? Answer in the comments section below.