Detroit Tigers Spring Training: Five Big Questions

Spring training started last week with pitchers and catchers reporting.  The initial bullpen session have gone bolstering expectations for the staff  With the first full team workout scheduled this week there are still plenty of questions surrounding this team that need to be answered before the start of the 2015 season.

When will Miguel Cabrera be in the line-up?

Just prior to pitcher reporting last week, the Detroit Tigers were waiting on news about Miguel Cabrera surgically repaired foot.  After being hopeful that Cabrera would be ahead of his rehab schedule, it was revealed that Cabrera won’t be ready to play in Comerica Park until a couple of weeks into the season.  That is in-line with the orignal rehab timeline.

Barring any set backs, Miggy won’t miss too much baseball but you can bet the Tigers will wait for him to be 100% before putting him back at first base.  With Victor Martinez also on the mend from off-season surgery, Cabrera’s healthy return to the line-up is crucial to any success this season.

Will Justin Verlander return to form?

Early indications are that Justin Verlander is back.  According to early reports, Brad Ausmus and the rest of the Tigers staff have been impressed with J.V.’s early bullpen sessions. But just knowing that Verlander is healthy isn’t enough.

The question will be whether or not Justin Verlander can return to the Cy Young pitcher he once was.  After trading Rick Porcello and sending Max Scherzer away in free agency the team will need everything they can get from Verlander to stay on top of the AL Central.

Will the bullpen be improved?

Although the bullpen was clearly this teams biggest weakness going into the offseason, Dave Dombrowski made just one move to help shore it up.  Tom Gorzelanny is the lone bullpen acquisitions for the Detroit Tigers this offseason.  The left hander is definitely an upgrade from Phil Coke but there are still other holes.

Dombrowski and company banking on Joakim Soria meeting expectations and Bruce Rondon‘s return to be the missing links to a bullpen that ranked near the bottom of the league a season ago.

Read Related Post: Hanrahan Could Have Extended Spring

Can Alex Avila stay healthy?

Alex Avila missed significant time due to concussions last season. Instead of retiring, Avila is back for another season but not without some changes to his catching style.  A new stance and helmet are among the changes being made this spring with the hopes of avoiding issues similar to those experienced in 2014. With prospect Brain McCann on the rise, Avila needs to be healthy and produce this season to stay in the line-up.

Read Related Post: Avila Hoping To Avoid Injury This Season

Can J.D. Martinez do it again?

J.D. Martinez came out of nowhere last season when he hit .315 and 23 homers last season.  Dave Dombrowski literally pulled Martinez off the scrap heap last season. He came through in a big way finally plugging the hole that existed in the #5 spot in the order.

It’s hard to say whether last season was an anomaly or the norm but either way the Tigers are all in on J.D. Martinez in 2015. Can he make Dave Dombrowski look like a genius again?