Detroit Tigers will end up with a losing record after all

The Detroit Tigers seemed like they were heading towards a possible winning record in 2021 that would not come to fruition after all. They will end up falling short of this for the fifth straight season after a recent loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

As it stands, the Detroit Tigers are 75-83, with four games remaining in the season. Initially, it seemed like the Tigers may have been able to break the .500 mark and get out of the losing trenches.

The way this team played in 2021, it seemed like they may have been able to do it, but the cards have not fallen that way. In reality, the Tigers have dealt with some adversity in 2021 and still managed to piece together a better-looking season than most would have expected.

The way things shook out, the Tigers were able to garner some attention and even seemingly get the fans excited for the direction the team was moving in. If the team is really going to get going in a different direction in 2022, the 2021 season was a good indicator of that possibly happening.

However…

In 2021, the Detroit Tigers will finish with a losing record.

Under new management with A.J. Hinch calling the shots, the Tigers are moving in the right direction. With it being cemented that the team is going to finish with a losing record, the Tigers are going to have some decisions to make going into the offseason.

The two biggest decisions are going to be in regards to prospects and if Christopher Illitch is going to start cutting checks.

The prospects issue is going to be an issue once Spring Training rolls around, but with some recent staff changes in the team’s player development group, ensuring that they have solid offseason development plans in place is going to be crucial.

Even more importantly, getting together and making some preliminary plans for the spring as to which players may end up at which ranks and who may be getting their chance to debut. It’s far too early to predict call-ups, but the Tigers need to have some discussion internally.

Secondly, the Tigers are going to need to quickly adjust their sights to this offseason and start figuring out which players they plan to pursue. The plan has seemingly been to spend some money and bring in some guys who are going to stick around a while; the question is who? and how much?

The Tigers are going to have to decide if they want to spend money like they hinted at or keep it as another year of minimal additions. The hope should be that they can add an impact shortstop and a quality arm or two for the rotation, but the question is if the Illitch will open up the checkbook.

But, one thing is certain, the Tigers have fallen short of the .500 mark for another season, even though the team was plenty more fun to watch than in prior years.