The Tigers’ season appeared to slip away on a recent road trip, but in truth it feels like forever since their season held promise after an 18-13 start.
Nearly half the campaign is gone and we now know a lot more about how the Tigers must proceed moving forward.
1. The Tigers have overplayed the lineup flexibility card : Manager A.J. Hinch did a terrific job of maneuvering his lineup during the second half of 2023, but the organization has taken it too far. Heard the term, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” You want a couple players like that, not a whole roster. Putting players out of position has often led to a comedy of errors and misplays, and is impossible to justify metrically.
2. Buy out Javy Baez and bring in an at least replacement level shortstop to take his spot: The Tigers have been paying Baez to help them lose. He was such a great athlete early in his career that his lack of fundamentals didn’t hinder his performance, but the chickens have come home to roost. Baez’s lack of fundamental play sets a bad example for a young team, and points to a lack of accountability. The message is: We are playing him only because we have to pay him. Time to cut their losses.
3. Don’t wait forever to determine whether Spencer Torkelson, Matt Manning and Casey Mize are long-term pieces : Let’s face it, the Tigers have precious few core parts. Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene, for sure. Kerry Carpenter, Reese Olson and Matt Vierling, likely. Perhaps Wenceel Perez. Then you dive into Colt Keith and the prospects. Tork, Mize and Manning only have any trade value while they are relatively young and inexpensive. The fact they were such high draft picks contains no value to the Tigers at this point, but might in the eyes of other organizations.
4. Get the infield in order : What a mess. Shortstop isn’t the only issue. Colt Keith has been a below-average defender at second base. Third base is fine when Gio Urshela is there, but he has been part of the Tigers’ Who’s on first routine since Torkelson cratered. Jace Jung is better at second base than third, which is an incredibly difficult position to play at the MLB level. Oh, and the Tigers’ most underrated prospect, Hao-Yu Lee, who is tearing up Double-A ball at Erie this summer at 21, is also a second sacker. It’s an imbalance, but could present some promising trade opportunities for the Tigers to acquire a shortstop.
5. Get a legitimate DH : The Tigers missed an opportunity to replace an unproductive Miguel Cabrera for a productive bat for much less cost under the guise of, “Lineup flexibility for Hinch.” Many fans and pundits were right: J.D. Martinez would have been a perfect fit. Thing is about DH, the only tool that matters is the hit one. The Tigers, correctly, are giving defensively-challenged Justyn-Henry his due shot. But if he’s not the answer, stop overthinking the process and get a genuine hitter.
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