Detroit Tigers Position Breakdown: Shortstop
Mar 10, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias (1) dives and throws to first base during the first inning of a spring training baseball game at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
(This is the fourth installment of me series breaking down the Tigers position by position for the 2015 season. If you want to see the previous articles, Catcher, First Baseman and Second Baseman, click on the respective positions).
Besides, Catcher and the bullpen, shortstop was one of the most controversial positions throughout last season. Once Jose Iglesias was out for the rest of the season with stress fractures in both shins, the Tigers were in a bind for the rest of the season.
They had to lean on the likes of rookie Eugenio Suarez (.242/.316/.336) and Andrew Romine (.227/.279/.275), who didn’t really replace Iglesias well, even with Suarez starting out hot. Along with their defensive abilities, it showed how valuable Iglesias both with the bat and the glove.
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Though with this, Iglesias shin injury has reoccured during Spring Training in a game against the Mets this past Thursday with a right shin contusion. He did return on Tuesday, but this gave fans a scare about Iglesias’s shins.
In order for the Tigers to win the AL Central and go further than the ALDS, they need Iglesias to be healthy.
Iglesias’s impact on the field both with the bat and his amazing defensive ability at shortstop, is too great to be left off the field for another season.
Iglesias was the main piece that the Tigers acquired in the three-way trade with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, that shipped talented outfield prospect Avisail Garcia to the White Sox.
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Since Iglesias was the main component for the Tigers in that trade, good things are expected of him. Although in his tenure with Detroit, Iglesias has been playing down compared to his years with Red Sox, only hitting a .259/.306/.348 line with two HR and 10 RBI’s. With this, he also only hit .231/.286/.231 in the 2013 postseason.
Again, Iglesias’s defensive ability is spectacular enough that his offensive flaws can be overlooked to a certain extent. His defense is simply too good to be replaced by Romine and other likely backup infielder Hernan Perez, since Suarez was traded for Alfredo Simon.
Another thing Iglesias brings is youth, which the Tigers need to value as a priority. The combination of athleticism, defensive ability and potential with the bat, makes him the most likely shortstop of the future both for the Tigers, and in the MLB.
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Overall, Iglesias’s presence in lineup and on the field is too important to the Tigers. If the Iglesias isn’t healthy, and they have to rely on the likes of Romine and Perez, the Tigers will definitely have a tougher time competing for the AL Central crown.
What do you think about the shortstop situation for the Tigers? Should the Tigers rely on Iglesias for the rest of the season and the future? Can he stay healthy? Should the Tigers trade for somebody else if Iglesias gets injured again? Share your opinion in the comment section below.
Next: Third Baseman