Detroit Tigers: Five Players Who Need to Bounce Back in 2017
By Matt Snyder
Five Detroit Tigers players who need to bounce back after rocky 2016 seasons if the club hopes to contend for a championship in 2017.
The Detroit Tigers entered the offseason seemingly intent on selling off several of their big-name contracts but did an about face on that strategy after on such deals materialized. They didn’t do much to add to the roster, so the push toward a championship isn’t a strong one, but the front office believes they can stay competitive with the pieces that are in place.
It doesn’t appear altogether likely that the Tigers will find themselves in the postseason in 2017. They’re resetting the season with much the same roster that missed out after winning 86 games in 2016 (minus Cameron Maybin), with win total projections ranging from 78-84 wins.
Baseball projections come with wide error bars. Even with a .500-ish projection, the Tigers could very well find themselves in the thick of the race come September. They’ll need a few favorable bounces along the way (all teams do), but a wild card berth certainly isn’t out of the question.
Here are five players who need to bounce back if the Tigers hope to find their way into the postseason in 2017.