FIVE FOR FRIDAY

/ totallytigersblog

by Holly Horning

Now with the trade deadline over, and no new MLB-ready players acquired, it’s time to turn our attention to the next opportunity the Tigers will have to improve their roster.

And this means the off-season.

While the team will bring up a handful of players in September, it’s merely to get a sense of their development and how they may fit into the roster down the road.

In order to improve the team, we’ve got to identify the biggest problems Detroit is currently facing.

And there are a lot.

So how can we winnow down the issues that need to be addressed? 

  • Let’s limit it to internal moves only which means that trades and free agency are, for now, off the board. 
  • It must also involved the actual roster.
  • And because it is a given, we’re excluding Chris Ilitch and Al Avila from our lists.  Been there, done that.

Given all that, here’s my top 5 concerns that must be addressed this off-season.

1. SOLVE OFFENSIVE PROBLEMS

The Tigers are setting historic records (not the good kind) for hitting and about to break their own record (dating back to 1901) as well as MLB’s for least runs scored.  They are striking out alarmingly often and cannot hit fastballs to save their lives.  So far this season, they’ve lost 22 runs alone via the fastball.  It’s going to take more than firing the hitting coach to solve this one.

2. SPENCER TORKELSON

It’s not enough just to send him down to Toledo to regain his mojo.  Historically, he’s always struggled when moving up the minor league rungs but now that he’s reached Detroit and the entire team is struggling offensively, he needs some dedicated attention in the off-season.  The Tigers can ill-afford to lose yet another first round draft pick because he couldn’t hit.  It would also make the tanking process all for naught.

3. INJURY EPIDEMIC

Have you ever seen so many injuries on a team?  And now it’s become almost a daily occurrence. It is insane.  The Tigers are going to have to look at a number of factors beyond their pitching coaches.  Their medical staff, trainers and conditioners all need a good hard look. 

But it’s also about what the Tigers are not offering that other teams are.  It’s inexcusable for them to continue to trot all the old ways and not to focus on the importance of core, balance, lengthening and flexibility.

4. POSITIONAL HOLES

The Tigers are once again coming up empty at filling most of their positional slots.  Tucker Barnhart and Jeimer Candelario will most probably be gone, opening up the need for a new catcher and 3Ber.  First base is a big question mark.  Reports have the team already looking at options for 2B despite Jonathan Schoop’s contract that takes him through 2023.  The only infield spot that is filled is SS.

Looking at the outfield, there are openings in LF and RF.

More holes that Swiss cheese and it would be surprising if anyone came up from Toledo in September and became a solution for filling one of these spots.

5. MIGGY

Ironically, I picked this subject even before the recent news about Miggy broke on Thursday. We’ve now learned that even though he is no longer playing in the field, Miguel Cabrera is in significant pain with his knee that is no longer allowing him to hit for power and has made his plate appearances increasingly challenging.  It’s time for the Tigers to consider how to address this.

This is a topic unto itself so we’re going to save this discussion and comments for early next week.

Is there a concern that you would include in your top 5?  One that involves the roster and internal solutions?

Don’t see your comment? Comments are limited to a maximum of 3 sentences. Please make sure to check out the other rules for posting under the link at the top of the page.

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41 thoughts on “FIVE FOR FRIDAY”

  1. Lost in the wretchedness of these dog days so summer is the matter of two consecutive horrible starts in April/May. The coaching staff needs to do a review of their spring training program. Are there changes that could prepare the team to come hard out of the gate, ready win games instead of digging a hole?

    Liked by 8 people

    • I couldn’t agree more Hughie. Hinch’s Little League strategy of everyone getting to play for the first couple months needs to go too. Evaluate the team and play the best players – for me it should be Reyes/Greene/Meadows (if healthy) in the OF, Haase behind the plate and Harold Castro somewhere!

      Liked by 3 people

  2. At this point any minor league prospect that can make contact and put the ball in play on a regular basis should be given priority in making the team. So tired of hitters standing there like the house on the side of the road and watching the ball go by.

    Liked by 7 people

  3. Two players I’d like to see brought up are 3B Ryan Kreidler and OF/DH Kerry Carpender. As for how exactly you would go about fixing all the problems with this team as presently constructed and the underlying factors contributing to this hot mess…3 sentences cannot begin to cover it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi, All – The limit of 3 sentences is meant to inspire interaction and back and forth conversations. So if onelonggone has started a conversation, maybe someone else can respond and offer their 2 cents. Remember that your sentences are limited in a single post but you may respond and add thoughts to others’ comments as often as you like. It would be great to see some long threads here discussing an issue a reader has posted. – TT

      Liked by 1 person

      • I’d sit Schoop and/or Candelario the rest of the season and let Kody Clemens play everyday the rest of the season. I feel that his attitude and his desire to play will prove that he can be a good major league ball player. If Hinch has one drawback it is he won’t sit some players not producing.

        Liked by 3 people

    • it looks like September will be an early spring training for the Tigers, with viable Mud Hens getting playing time in Detroit. Krieder, an infielder, could play 3rd, and Carpender is a hitter who is parked in the outfield. Hopefully he can run down major league deep drives and well as hit deep drives off of major league pitching.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Torkelson like many of us can be stubborn He needs to go to work this offseason, where is Doug Latta, or he will not get close to what should be his ceiling.

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  5. I love today’s 5, Holly but I have to disagree regarding the number of positional players needed next year. With 16 errors, a .224 BA and an (well known) alarming disregard to alter his batting approach, Javier Baez and the shortstop position needs to be addressed. More specifically, his contract is not congruent with his output and something has to occur to change this dilemma.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi, Paradisevolt – We’re on the same page re Baez but I didn’t include the SS position because he’s here to stay unless he has an outstanding season next year and opts out. His poor stats and long contract almost guarantee he’s untradeable. Esp. so considering he can block trades to 10 teams. Whether we like it or not, Javy will fill that SS slot. We can only hope that Hinch and whoever becomes the new hitting coach can address some issues. – Holly

      Liked by 1 person

  7. The historically bad offense is especially troubling since this is definitely not like the 2003 Tigers roster full of AAA caliber hitters. There are (were) several guys on this roster who while inconsistent, have decent track records. When so many guys struggle across the board and look abysmal at the plate, you have to question everything.

    Liked by 5 people

      • Agree, Robert. And why do we never hear what the coaches are trying to do with individual players? And what is the overall hitting strategy?

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      • Perhaps a good majority of these players actually suffer from informational overload. Maybe they could use some old-school hitting philosophy. See ball Hit ball

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  8. Great points, everyone. I personally believe that the Tigers need to look at the type of players that make up their roster. Tigers have no speed and not one player who hits for contact to take advantage of it. Everyone is waiting on the three-run homer. We need a team built for speed and contact.

    Liked by 3 people

  9. MLB OPS average is .708. The Tigers do not have a single starter who is above that. The odds of that happening by chance are astronomically low.

    Liked by 4 people

    • There is only one Tiger over .700 to date in 2022, Hitting Harold at .722. The team average OPS (if my math is correct) in 2022 is .604 and the “regulars” have a 2022 OPS average of .623, 110 points below their career averages. So nobody is getting on base very often (too many SO’s?) and when they are on base no one is hitting for power to knock them in.

      Liked by 4 people

  10. If insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results, then as a Tiger fan I am watching that definition in motion every day. Watching the same group of subpar ML players every day, who obviously are not foundation pieces of any rebuild, is driving me crazy. Isn’t it about time to do something, to do anything, to take a different road and shake this team up?

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Second base, I have seen several comments on social media suggesting that Baez be moved there because all of his throwing errors. I can’t remember if he played there with the Mets since they had Lindor. One thing is for sure those errors can’t continue..

    Liked by 3 people

    • Janvan99: Baez did get playing time at 2B with the Mets. In 2021, he had roughly 25% of his at-bats while playing 2B. Interestingly, his batting average and OPS were significantly higher as compared to playing SS. At SS: BA=0.247, OPS=0.772; at 2B: BA=0.328, OPS=0.959.

      Liked by 6 people

    • Isn’t first base where you put the players who can’t throw? Maybe Spence would like to try another position?

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      • He played some 3B early on in his lone year in the minors before he was moved to 1B. His skillset is more suited to 1B

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      • More accurately, you put those players at 1B that cannot move. Prince Fielder comes to mind along with the Miggy of the past 5+ years. Miggy actually had a decent arm when he came up and played some in the OF and at 3B. Of course if you want decent overall defense, the 1B has to be able to field to save the many errant throws you get from ML infielders. 🙂

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  12. Regarding the training, conditioning and medical staff, I don’t see them making any changes anytime soon. Since historically the Tiger Organization is usually decades behind everybody else, I figure those guys are safe for about another 5-6 years🤦‍♀️

    Liked by 4 people

    • Sandy Kelly, speak the truth!!. This is a hidebound, backward looking organization without a scintilla of progressive thinking. The medical and conditoning staff, in my opinion, is guilty of professional malfeasance. The amount of time lost by the team because of injuries is shameful.

      Liked by 3 people

      • Amen Essex. It just blows my mind that they are still around (but then again, so is Avila, Leyland, McClendon, Chadd, Littlefield–I could go on but I think you get my point-lol.

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  13. I would also like to see Kriedler brought up to play infield (2b or 3b) for rest of the season.
    Carpenter could spot start in outfield and DH if Miggy goes on the IL. I also would like to see outfielder Jacob Robson get another chance.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Everyone is missing the big elephant in the room – the stadium outfield is too massive. They are not drafting players to hit in this ball park.

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