Detroit Tigers in the midst of a Rebuild that has no end in sight

Saying the Detroit Tigers are having an underwhelming season is probably the nicest way to express it.  The Tigers are downright hard to watch, and it isn’t getting any better anytime soon.

The Detroit Tigers are currently 25-43 on the season a mere 21 games back of the Twins; they are struggling to win games or draw a crowd to Comerica Park.  When you go to the game, you can walk in and basically have your choice of 30,000 different empty seats.  The Tigers rebuild that’s been going on for a couple of years; the original timeline was a five-year rebuild.  It appears it has a better chance to be a ten-year rebuild than five that’s for sure.

I feel bad for Ron Gardenhire; the Tigers skipper probably keeps google open on his computer just to quickly learn who some of these players GM Al Avila is providing him.  The running joke amongst some of the older fans is that the franchise has been rebuilding since 1984. It’s not true, but I understand where you are coming from.

I am still scratching my head wondering how the Detroit Tigers didn’t win the World Series with Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and David Price anchoring the teams’ rotation.  The trio made up three straight Cy Young winners, yet came up empty.  David Price & Justin Verlander have moved on both winning a title, while Max has been arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball since he’s left.

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The team has a few issues to deal with; Nicholas Castellanos refuses to move to first base without a contract extension that will show him the Detroit Tigers are committed to him for the future.  Al Avila has mentioned publically that Nick doesn’t fit into the franchises future plans.

The reason first base is an option is also a problem.  Miguel Cabrera has a knee issue that will limit his availability to play the field.  It’s a blessing in disguise for the Detroit Tigers though because Miguel isn’t the best option in the field anymore and is much better suited as a designated hitter.

The problem with this is Miguel is under contract forever, he’s under contract until 2025, but there is a mutual option before the start of the 2024 season.  The Detroit Tigers then will have the opportunity to buy-out the remainder of his deal that averages 31-million per season.  Much too much money for an aging designated hitter whose power is seemingly diminishing.

The Detroit Tigers have a few pitching prospects that are keeping some fans at least interested in the franchise.  Casey Mize looks like he has the making to be the next Justin Verlander.  He appears to be the next Tigers ace.  Matt Manning looks like he will be an outstanding number two starter behind Mize.  The team also received Franklin Perez as a part of the Verlander trade, he’s a top three prospect within the organization, and as the trend continues, he’s another starting pitcher.

The trio of pitchers give Detroit Tigers’ fans hope, but the glaring need within the organization is position player prospects.  The teams’ top position prospects are Isaac Paredes who is hitting .266 with 3 HR and 27 RBI’s with double-A Erie.  Daz Cameron is hitting just .204 through 59 games with 7 home runs while driving in 24 with the Toledo Mud Hens.  Parker Meadows is playing with Western Michigan; he’s hitting .215 with 3 home runs including 19 RBI’s.

Jake Rogers is the Tigers top catching prospect; he was tearing it up in double-A Erie this season hitting .302 with 5 home runs & 21 runs batted in.  He was elevated to Toledo where the competition caught up to him.  With the Mud Hens, he’s hitting a mere .211 with 5 home runs, driving in 17 during 22 games.  At least he’s driving in runs, but he’s struggling to hit for average.

Basically, none of those position prospects stand out at the moment.  Neither of them are posting any numbers we should be excited about. The Detroit Tigers drafted a high school bat this year in Riley Greene, but he’s years away from making his Tigers’ debut.  Unfortunately, the lack of position players will prevent the franchise from completing the rebuild any time soon. It would be in the teams best interest to acquire position prospects this summer when they decide to sell Shane Greene, Matt Boyd and potentially Nick Castellanos.