Tigers: Three Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Reason #3: Fans only have to watch Jordan Zimmermann lose all of his starts for one more year

Face it; it needs to be said, Jordan Zimmermann is useless for this Tigers rotation, the team signed Zimmermann to a lengthy five-year, $110 million contracts that will finally be completed after the 2020 season. Zimmermann was 1-13 with an ERA of 6.91 and a WHIP of 1.52 for the Tigers in 2019, which is horrendous.

More from Detroit Jock City

• Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
• Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
• Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
• This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
• 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings

Tigers fans can finally be relieved after the 2020 season when Zimmerman will become a free agent, and the Tigers will no longer have to watch Zimmermann get shelled once every five days. The rotation spot that Zimmermann is clogging may eat up innings, but it traps some of the younger pitchers in the minor leagues, preventing them from reaching the big leagues.

Essentially, if Zimmermann is not in the rotation, it allows for some of the younger pitchers like Casey Mize or Matt Manning to be able to be rotated in for small stints with the big league club to start getting them acclimated to Major League Baseball talent. Fans only have to suffer through one more season of Zimmermann losses which is something to be grateful. Besides that, Tigers should be thankful that after 2019, Detroit will free up $25 million a year after Zimmermann’s average-annual value comes off the books when he becomes a free agent.

The 2020 season maybe something to dread as a Detroit fan, it is not going to be pretty, it may be very very similar to this 2019 season but look at the positives. Fans, be thankful that Zimmermann only has one more year, the Erie Seawolves staff will be closer to reaching the big leagues, they have the first pick in the draft, and plenty of other things that were not talked about in this piece.

This Thanksgiving holiday, while watching the Matthew Stafford-less Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears, just take a moment to think about the Tigers and be thankful for things like this.