Detroit Tigers: Future is Bright, but Plenty of Questions Remain
By Mike Rizzo
This season has been a huge disappointment for Detroit Tigers fans, and it got worse when the Tigers decided to sell off parts of their team. First, David Price got traded to Toronto for pitching prospects, the main one being Daniel Norris, then Joakim Soria got traded for prospect JaCoby Jones, and finally Yoenis Cespedes got traded to the Mets also for pitching prospects, this time mainly Michael Fulmer.
The only prospects I had heard of are Norris and Fulmer, the others were more off-the-radar, but the Tigers had to make these trades. With the bad contracts they have on the books, and a weak minor league system, the Tigers really were looking like they were going to be the Phillies of the American League in a couple years.
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The Tigers were not going to get Price back, at least not without subjecting themselves to a massive bidding war, so they were smart to deal him for what many consider to be a great haul. Because the Tigers made these trades, they rejuvenated the top tiers of their minor league system while also possibly positioning themselves to get Cespedes back in free agency.
If the Tigers are smart with their free agent signings, they could be contenders again next year. I would like to see the Tigers go after Johnny Cueto, Doug Fister (remember him) and Cespedes. Cueto and Fister together might cost the team $30-40 million a year whereas Price could end up costing a team $30 million per year by himself. Cespedes has reportedly stated his desire of reuniting with the Tigers in 2016.
The 2016 Tigers, if I was the general manager, would hopefully look something like this:
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Catchers: James McCann, backed up by either Alex Avila or Bryan Holaday (I would like to see Avila back personally).
1B: Miguel Cabrera
2B: Ian Kinsler
SS: Jose Iglesias
3B: Nick Castellanos
LF: Yoenis Cespedes
CF: Anthony Gose and Rajai Davis platoon
RF: J.D. Martinez
DH: Victor Martinez
Starting Pitchers: Johnny Cueto, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Doug Fister, and Daniel Norris.
The bullpen is obviously still a big problem, especially with Soria gone. The only dependable relievers of late have been Blaine Hardy and Alex Wilson. The Tigers are going to need to find themselves two or three reliable relief options in free agency.
The next big question is ownership. Who’s calling the shots, is it the aging Mike Illitch or is it his son Chris Illitch? Will the Tigers eventually be put up for sale for Dan Gilbert to buy? The future, in my opinion, is brighter then it was a year ago, but there are still a several of question marks left. The 2015 offseason should be one of the most interesting offseasons this franchise has had in a while.
Next: Is Brad Ausmus to Blame for 2015?