THE INTERESTING OUTFIELD

by Holly Horning

Quick, fans!  Grab your popcorn and plunk down on that sofa to watch the games going on in the Tigers’ outfield.

No, I don’t mean the actual games.  This one involves baseball’s version of musical chairs.

Changes happened faster than we thought.  Less than 2 months into the season, the entire Opening Day outfield roster, has changed.

Let’s explore what is going on.

All 4 of the original outfielders are now on the IL:  Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Austin Meadows and Matt Vierling.  All for very different reasons.  The process of the disappearing defensive players looked like the plot line of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Greene was the only slam dunk expected to last the entire season.  At the time of his injury, he was leading the team in BA and hits.  He led all of the AL in BA for May.

Austin Meadows played only a handful of games before going on the 10-day IL for anxiety.  That was then changed to the 60-day in which we also heard he was still with the team.  He’s supposed to come off of it in a week but we haven’t heard or seen anything about him in quite awhile.

The news simply doesn’t look promising for his return, esp. since it took only a couple games to send him to the IL.  Could he survive the 4 remaining months of the season without having to go on the IL again?  The odds don’t favor it.

As it turns out, Meadows may have simply IL’d himself off the roster going forward.  While he was gone, 3 more players stepped up to take his place.

Matt Vierling was supposed to have platooned with Kerry Carpenter but ended up getting a full-time slot.  Only leading the Tigers and most of MLB’s RFs in DRS.

But what’s even more interesting is A. J. Hinch’s hint that Vierling is better-suited to playing CF and that a change may be coming with Greene moving to 1 of the corners at some point.

Kerry Carpenter will hopefully be returning soon from the IL after making a spectacular catch and injuring his arm.  The Tigers desperately need his bat so expect him to retain a slot.  He’s also made significant strides in improving his defense.

Carpenter beat out Akil Baddoo for that last outfield spot.  But now Baddoo is determined to stick in Detroit once he got called up to replace Austin Meadows.  He’s only now hitting .302 (through Tuesday’s games) for May while drastically improving his walk rate, cutting down on SOs and stealing bases.  They are the best numbers of his career so far and even his plate discipline has become amazingly better.  His OPS of .913 is 3^rd best on the team.

On an important side note, what do Carpenter and Baddoo have in common?  They are listening and practicing what bench coach George Lombard is addressing with them.  He is coaching them both in the outfield where they have improved significantly.  And Baddoo give him full credit for successfully motivating him to be the best he can.  Not enough is said about Lombard and I will say I won’t be surprised if he eventually becomes the Tigers’ manager, bumping Hinch up to GM.

So far this year, Badoo, Greene and Vierling comprise one of MLB’s best defensive outfields. Each has a positive DRS number attached to their names.  That’s quite a change from the past.

Now there’s a new name to know:  Jake Marisnick.  In a departure from the old regime, Scott Harris was dialing other GMs to find a replacement for Matt Vierling as soon as he got injured.

The Tigers needed a veteran outfielder, a RHH and someone who was also defensively strong.  Check, check and check.

It didn’t hurt that Marisnick played for 5 years under Hinch in Houston.  Oh, and he’s fast, too.

Marisnick also plays all 3 outfield positions.  A definite plus when your outfielders keep going on the IL.

So how can we summarize what is going on here?  Here are the differences:

1.The Tigers’ outfield has now finally become a defensive asset despite having 3 of the same players returning from 2022.

2. Coaching makes a huge difference in players’ performance.

3. Scott Harris has a sense of urgency and finds solutions outside of the organization. It’s also a statement about what the Tigers don’t have in their system.

4. Under Al Avila, the Tigers had no depth in the minors yet their former GM never went outside the organization to find help in-season.  Harris consistently looks outside the Tigers for the best solutions.

5. No longer do players get roster spots simply because there are no other solutions.  These positions now are earned and roster shuffling has become the norm.

It’s an increasingly leaky ship lately, but for now, Harris appears to be plugging the holes. And it’s anyone’s guess exactly which outfielders will remain standing at the end of the year.

We knew this roster would be shuffled well this year.  Just not this soon and this often.

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• Could these be the cause of Riley Greene’s stress fracture?

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
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WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let’s create some running conversational threads.  And for those of you back in actual offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom – as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today’s topic……..

After a horrendous April start, the Tigers have been playing over .500 baseball and have been sitting in 2^nd place in the AL Central.  Through Monday’s contests, they remain 2 games under .500.  They have yet to reach .500.

The MLB trade deadline is in 2 months.  How should the Tigers handle it should they remain in contention for the AL Central title and/or a wild card slot?

Will you consider them to be serious contenders or would you simply want them to perform as best as possible and see where it gets them?  Will the fact that the AL Central’s reputation as the weakest one impact your decision?

Or is it time for the Tigers to stop trading off their talent?

On the other hand, do you think the trade deadline is a chance for the team to make a jump in acquiring talent?  Will trading off certain players help them take a bigger step towards contending next year?  Could they solve some current roster problems or receive multiple players in return who will strengthen the roster?

It’s unlikely that the Tigers will be buyers in the traditional sense – trading off young, promising talent to get an established well-known player.  They are not at that point yet.

So the question to ask is whether they should be sellers or should they stand pat for the most part?  Should they trade off some talent in order to strengthen their future roster or should they retain their stronger players so they may help the team compete for the rest of the year?

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:

What should the Tigers do with Justyn-Henry Malloy?

• Bring him up late summer.  48% 
• Wait until next year to bring him up.  29%   
• Bring him up mid-summer.  16%   
• Bring him up now.  7% 

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• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
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TUESDAY TIDBITS

by Holly Horning

Now that the long holiday weekend is over, let’s catch up on some Tiger news.  It may be a day late but it doesn’t detract from the importance of the following topics.  They may be bite-size, but often they are just as important as the headline-grabbing news.  Sometimes, even more.

And that’s what brings me to today.  A way to bring them out in the open and invite conversation about some of these subjects. Keeping track of these mighty little bits that hit my radar throughout the week and sharing them with you today because I know one or more will also resonate with you. So, let’s kick off this week’s musings…

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We should have seen this coming, especially after the Tigers’ lame home run celebration using props from the owner’s other team got slapped with sponsor logos.  Those Red Wing helmets magically sprouted Meijer logos on all 4 sides so fans couldn’t miss seeing the name. 

Meijer paid the Red Wings 2 years ago to add the logo to their helmets.  Maybe someone there saw the Tiger celebration and pointed out that the helmet in the Tigers dugout needed one as well.

And now Meijer is the official sponsor on the Tiger uniform.  It’s a multi-year deal that is expected to fetch 8 figures.

After MLB signed a contract with Nike to add their swoosh to all team uniforms, the latest CBA agreement now allows teams to add other advertising.  This is the 1^st year it can be done and the Tigers are 1 of 10 teams to rush in.

The patches will be placed on sleeves for maximum visibility.  RH hitters will wear it on the left sleeve, LH hitters will sport it on the right.  Guess why.

At least the Tigers insisted that Meijer not use their signature red logo.  It will be navy. 

Undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Tigers were among the first to jump at uniform advertising is the report that they lost money in 2022.  And then there’s the Bally Sports broadcast contract worth $50 mill/year.  There is uncertainty about how much longer the Tigers will receive that money.

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The Tigers are making a point about controlling the strike zone down in the minors, too.  Both the players and club managers are discussing it regularly with players.

If you’re not familiar with why this mantra is so crucial, it’s that the strike zone influences everything about the game.  For pitchers, it dictates pitch counts, contact quality and leverage, the length of an inning, a pitcher’s game load and the number of pitchers used.

In turn, what happens with the pitcher influences the quality of defense behind him.

For batters, controlling the strike zone creates fewer strikeouts as well as generating more hits and walks.  Better pitch counts.  More runners on base.  More runs scored.  Better offense.  Taxing pitchers more and getting them out of games earlier.

But what few really know is that by forcing a pitcher to offer better pitches to hit, the hitter is better able to do more damage by focusing in on pitches he can hit more successfully.

We have started to see the improvements in the minors already.  Colt Keith has spoken about how this philosophy has allowed him to cut down on his strikeouts and do more damage at the plate.

In early May, he struck out 11 times in 18 at-bats.  After making adjustments, he went on a huge offensive run and only struck out  5 times in 38 at-bats.  He hit .478 BA with a 1.611 OPS, including 4 HRs, a triple and a double.

But he’s not the only one seeing these results.

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The Tigers continue to have problems with their #1 pitching draft picks.  But don’t blame the pitching coaches.

Casey Mize had a setback this past week but it wasn’t due to his Tommy John surgery.  His back is acting up again even as he quietly added that operation right after his TJ surgery.

Mize said “I’ve been dealing with the (back) issue for a long time.  I would say years. It’s something that’s gradually gotten worse over time.”

It’s something the Tigers would have/should have known about before drafting him.  The same thing with his arm.  He had problems with it in college and was shut down from pitching several times.

Yes, Mize was a consensus #1 draft pick but teams did have concerns over his physical issues.  It’s been reported several times that Al Avila, who drafted him, was known not to be a creative GM who could find solutions beyond the mainstream thought. That he leaned upon others within the organization more than other GMs did to help him make decisions. 

He may have simply picked Mize because he was the #1 draft pick and not doing so may have invited ridicule. But from reports in the news, it’s more likely that he did not have the ability or skill to consider other solutions.

As if Mize’s problems aren’t enough, Avila’s other draft pick, Jackson Jobe is also shut down for 3-6 months for another back problem – spinal inflammation.  It could mean that he’ll miss an entire year of development.

Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• Did your children wear Tigers’ jerseys? We’ve got an ongoing Twitter thread with the most popular choices.

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

OPEN MIKE

Today, as we honor those who gave their lives for our country, we welcome readers to share their thoughts about the Tigers or baseball in general. Your observations, comments and questions. Extra credit to those who create topics or questions that generate thoughtful dialog threads.

For this day only, a maximum of 6 sentences please.

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:

When a team and a player are at odds, which side’s decision do you support more?

• The team’s strategy for putting the best product on the field takes precedence.  86%  
• The player should be able to use whatever resources he can to protect his earning potential.  14% 

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

DEEPER DISCUSSIONS

One year before Scott Harris was hired, the Tigers started revamping their player development program with the hiring of Ryan Garko.  To this day, Garko has been brooming this area and hiring new people to help oversee it and implement new plans.

Once Harris was hired, he broomed much of the scouting department and all of the people in charge of drafting.  We will see the first results later this summer.

Both areas have been ignored for decades with the same people in charge.  There is still lots of work to be done and it will take at least several years to start seeing results.

If you were in charge, and could only pick 1 department, which area would you put the most focus, money and resources on?  Why?

Today’s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you’ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts. Of course, you can respond to other readers as well.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:

How well do you believe the Detroit Tigers will perform this year?

• Marginally better than last year.  66%  
• Significantly better than last year.  17% 
• Similar to last year.  17%   

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

SATURDAY SURVEY

The Tigers may have been flirting with second place in the AL Central, but they remain under .500.  After a horrendous April, they have come back in May to play winning baseball.

Do you think that the Tigers will eventually reach .500 this season and remain there for at least 5 days (in total) this season?

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL 

 How many of these 7 pitchers will become regular members of the starting rotation?

• 1-2  53%   
• 3-4  38% 
• None  5%  
• 5-7  4% 

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

On this long holiday weekend, let’s do a deeper dig on the pulse of Tiger fans with a series of polls to gauge their feelings.  The first is on viewership.

After 7 years of attempted rebuilding, the Tigers have hired Scott Harris and an assorted other number of Front Office executives and coaches to turn this ship around.  In this first year, how interested have you been in following the team?

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL 

What should the Tigers do about Eduardo Rodriguez?

• Allow him to opt out of his contract after this year.  58%  
• Renegotiate his contract in order to keep him.  42% 

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

TAKING STOCK

by Holly Horning

Ever since Scott Harris was hired and broomed much of the scouting/draft and player development departments,  I never called this new move a rebuild.  Neither did the Tigers for obvious reasons.

There may be a rebuild next year but it’s too soon to gauge to what extent Harris and Co. may need to do a partial tear down.

I’ve always said that this first year is a reassessment.  A deep dive into the entire organization, including the minor leagues, to properly assess every human asset whether he is a player, manager, coach or department head.  To determine their exact value to this franchise and to the roster.

This was seen earlier in the week when Joey Wentz got pounded again and everyone assumed he’d be sent back down to Toledo.  But A. J. Hinch said he’s staying so they can determine how to help him improve.

The Tigers are still assessing a lot of their players. It may take all season.

It requires 2-3 years to get a complete take on what’s going on.  Personnel cannot be significantly changed or rosters overhauled in a matter of a couple months.

It’s a process as they say.

So why am I bringing this topic up again?

Because it’s key to helping us properly ascertain where the Tigers currently sit and how far they’ve come so far.

Especially important given that this team plays in MLB’s weakest division.  One in which only 1 team is above .500 – and just barely.  One in which the Tigers have been spending some time in 2^nd place.

All of this can be misleading and eventually disappointing to fans who believed the team was charting real progress if they were simply looking at the standings. You may dig deeper into a team’s actual performance, but most fans do not.

A better way of measuring progress is seeing what course-correction has been done, where the team stands in pitching, offensive and defensive rankings among the other 29 teams and movement in the pipeline.

So far, the Tigers have only hit on 1 of the 3 listed above.  The first one.

Scott Harris released almost 20 players who saw action during the 2022 season.  For lack of a better term, they were the dead wood.  Deemed to have maxed out their skills and providing no real value going forward.  Moves confirmed when only 2 of them got new MLB contracts (and less than they were making with the Tigers) and all of them signed at the very last minute or during spring training.

The remaining players are continuing to be reassessed.  Some will stay and others will go at the end of this year.

Which brings us to the roster.  Harris has filled many of the holes created by Al Avila but not all of them will stay.  This year is a tryout for all of them.

Yes, there is improvement in this current roster.  Primarily defensive.

But the question to ask is whether the current roster can improve enough so they may become competitive within the next year or two.

The answer to that is “no.”  This roster is going to continue to change dramatically before it becomes one that the new people in charge designed.

We can most likely assume that Spencer Torkelson, Javy Baez and Riley Greene are here to stay.

But what about the rest?

Let’s look at the others in the infield.

Jake Rogers is more than likely to stay given his superb defensive skills and ability to call a game.  Eric Haase, unless he shows improvement behind the plate, will be gone after this year or next.

It’s still too soon to call 2^nd base but Zach McKinstry currently has a good hold on it.

With the presumed temporary addition of Andy Ibanez to help cover 3B, we know that Nick Maton may not be the solution going forward. At least at this point.

Out of 6 infield positions (including 2 catchers), 2 (maybe 3) are filled.

As we move to the outfield, some holes are emerging.  Matt Vierling is easily the best defensive player on the team but it’s still too early to be confident about his offensive skills.

Kerry Carpenter has the opposite problem.  He can hit but his glove is still developing.

Akil Baddoo is improving both offensively and defensively but he still needs further evaluation.

And it’s looking more and more likely that Austin Meadows will not be a full-time or even long-term solution should he be able to return to playing.

Out of 4 (more likely 5) outfielders, there is 1 certainty, 1 probability and 3 question marks.

As we turn to the bullpen, it’s the most settled of the 4 areas of the roster.  As we’ve seen, the Tigers can trade away 3 of their better performers, fill in the holes with new relievers and still rank among the top 5 bullpens in MLB.

The bullpen is a transient place by nature so there’s no need to run through the current pitchers.  Suffice it to say that Chris Fetter, Robin Lund and Juan Nieves will always find a way to make it work.

Now, for starting pitching.  It’s currently the biggest mess.

A pitcher who is likely to opt out.  Two others on 1-year contracts and a slew of injured arms.

Do we believe that Beau Brieske, Alex Faedo, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Spencer Turnbull and Joey Wentz will become rotation mainstays?

And then you’ve got #1 draft picks Jackson Jobe and Casey Mize who show no signs of returning soon.  Mize had TJ surgery but both of them also have chronic back problems that are reoccurring.  Mize has been shut down yet once again.

If ERod stays, it may not be for a good reason.  The Tigers may have 0 to 1 starting pitchers for next year.  Everyone else is a question mark.

We’ve seen marked progress in the new player development system and we’ll soon see what the new execs in charge of drafting have planned.  What is still too early to see is a moving pipeline of prospects.

Now that the top draft picks have debuted in Detroit, there is little left in the minors. Those who currently appear to be promising are further down in the system, making it much harder to determine how they will do as they advance. 

Once again, the Tigers’ farm system is ranked #25, #27 or #30 by the top 3 published reports.

In order for this team to become competitive, they need to get their farm teams moving and producing.  Rosters aren’t built by free agents.

As we dissect this team, we see that Scott Harris’ work has only just begun.  A lot more has to be done in order for this team to return to respectability.  By that I mean over .500, not sitting in 2^nd place a couple games under.  To be comforted by that standing is really just fool’s gold.

To put this all in perspective, the players who have experience playing in Detroit are still very much the remnants from the Al Avila regime. Chosen by people who are no longer employed by the Tigers – or any other team.

Out of the current everyday lineup, 2 of the 9 players were signed by Harris.  Of the secondary players, 3 of the 8 are new this year.  In total, a little less than one-third of the positional players are new to the Tigers.

Two of the 6 starting pitchers were signed by Harris.  Four of the 10 relievers are new this year.

Those who made the roster this year survived the first cut.  It wouldn’t be outrageous to believe that as much as half the current roster – mostly starting pitching and positional players – will be gone after 2023.  All because Harris and Co. will have had a full year to assess everyone’s value and future.

The Tigers aren’t going to get visibly better by cutting a player here or there.  There needs to be major surgery done to this roster.  But it’s not going to happen overnight.

So let’s add the word “evolving” to “reassessment.”

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• Tina Turner’s connection to the Tigers.
• The best video of horrified Yankee fans that you will ever see.

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let’s create some running conversational threads.  And for those of you back in actual offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom – as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today’s topic……..

The Detroit Tigers have worked their way up from last place and are currently sitting in 2^nd (through Monday) in the AL Central.  The 1^st place Twins are playing just barely over .500 ball in what is known as MLB’s weakest division.  The Tigers are just 2.5 games behind them.

Every team in this division other than the Twins is playing under .500.  The White Sox and the Royals are 2 of MLB’s very worst teams.  The way things are currently looking, there are only 3 teams in the AL Central in the running.

Albeit it’s early but given the Tigers’ position, and the division, do you think there’s a chance that they could see the playoffs this year?  Maybe not as the division winner but potentially as a wild card team?  They are currently 6 games out from gaining 1 of those slots and the team has been playing increasingly better baseball since their horrendous start in April.

What do you think?

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FINAL RESULTS FROM A MAY TOTALLY TIGERS POLL 

What grade would you give Scott Harris for the 3 trades he’s made so far?

• Solid to great  55% 
• Crossing my fingers  41% 
• Disappointed  4% 

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

DIGNITY FOR A DH

by Holly Horning

He’s got the worst slash line on the entire roster – .177 BA, .244 on-base %, .215 SLG and .459 OPS.  Even Nick Maton has bested him in 3 of the 4 stats. And it’s not even close.

His name?

Miguel Cabrera.

This is getting particularly ugly, folks.  And it’s increasingly becoming an issue that ownership must address for several reasons.

It was really brought home the other day when Cabrera struck out at the plate with the bases loaded.  It was his first at-bat of the game and thus he couldn’t be removed.  As a result, the Tigers failed to score and went on to lose the game.

How many more of these games will the Tigers allow the team to lose?  At the very least, to be seriously handicapped at the plate?  They need as much offensive help as they can get and Miggy is no longer the answer.

As the Tigers struggle to stay in second place and try to reach that .500 goal, finding a solution is even more important.

And the more he plays, the more blame that has to go to ownership.  Miggy’s presence in the lineup comes from above.  Not from Harris.  Not from Hinch.

If you’re going to blame Cabrera for anything, it’s that he never really took care of his body for the long run.  And it doesn’t help when you are 40 years old and have bad knees, that you can’t come to spring training having lost some weight to help ease the stress put on those knees.  It’s puzzling that the Tigers did not put a plan in place years ago to help him manage his weight as other teams do.  

Miggy’s deterioration is much faster than previously expected.  There’s been a huge fall-off since 2022.  He remains with only 4 RBIs to his name.  No HRs and not much of anything else.

But Cabrera can no longer be blamed for anything that happens.  Responsibility now rests with Chris Ilitch.

It’s a battle between preserving dignity vs the money grab.

Let’s quickly review the factors at play.

Miggy has a seriously damaged knee that prevents him from creating power at the plate.  It is so bad that he can no longer run even when he puts the ball in play.

As a result, it takes him over 3 hours to prepare his body for a game. He’s in a lot of pain.

Last year, the pain was so bad that he hinted at it being his last year.  It caused quite a stir in the baseball world and the Tigers were very quick to come out with a statement almost immediately afterwards saying that Miggy was misunderstood.  They made him retract his comments.

When a player of Cabrera’s caliber is signed to these monstrous contracts, there is a strategy put into place at the signing to monetize that contract.  Strategies that involve publicity, ticket sales, tv contracts and merchandise revenue, to name a few.  The bottom line is to make that contract more palatable by increasing revenue to help offset the sting.

It is the Tigers’ intent to milk Miggy’s last year as much as they can.  Especially since the team finished in the red last year.

Aside from the money grab, it is an extremely dangerous proposition to bench or release a first-ballot Hall of Famer.  Everyone saw the media maelstrom created by the Cardinals when they allowed Albert Pujols to walk.  It continued for years until the Cards brought him back for his final year in order to placate the fans.

Everyone in baseball was watching and no one is going to repeat that mistake.  Including the Tigers.

But now the situation has changed.  No one thought that there could be such a huge difference in Miggy’s performance between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

It’s become highly embarrassing.  And it’s increasingly becoming a topic throughout MLB and the national media.

Writers – and fans – are wondering just how bad it has to get in order for Miggy to be removed from the lineup.  Because now it becomes an issue about dignity.

And if you’re asking why Miggy doesn’t just hang it up, it’s not up to him.  The reports about playing him emanate from the very top.

Cabrera has a legal binding contract so he can’t leave unless he’s granted permission. Even if he wanted to, there is the issue of having to forfeit the rest of his $32 mill salary plus the $8 mill buyout.

The problem is that ownership doesn’t want to walk away from the many special events they’ve planned throughout the year that will boost attendance and sales.  Say what you will about Cabrera’s performance but he is still overwhelmingly the fan favorite.  No one gets the cheers he receives every time he hobbles up to the plate.

Fans are coming out this year to say that final goodbye.  If Miggy’s not around, who then will inspire fans to come to the park?

The only reason why fans will buy tickets this year, other than to see Cabrera, is if the Tigers start flirting with .500.  If they start to hint at respectability.

They are close.  And that brings up another dilemma.

How can a team that wants to do better keep someone like Miggy in the lineup?

How will fans be comfortable knowing that some games are going to be lost because there isn’t a better hitter in his place?

How will fans feel about the potential for some quality games to be sacrificed because ownership is putting the farewell and money-earning potential ahead of performance and not giving fans their money’s worth?

If the Tigers were having another really bad year, this would be easier.  Miggy’s last year would soothe some fans and act as a distraction for another poor year.

But now that the team is showing hints of possibly becoming respectable, decisions have to be made.

It’s not that Miggy is blocking anyone from coming up.  It’s that he’s now a liability and creates a problem for the Front Office, manager and coaches.  Having him in the lineup doesn’t give them much of a work around.

He is the DH.  And the job of a DH is to hit.  But Cabrera can no longer hit.

Every time he gets up to bat, he’s almost always an automatic out.  If there are runners on base, he’s killing offense on a team that remains near the bottom in generating runs.

It’s a very selfish move for ownership to allow Miggy, his teammates, his manager, coaches, PoBO and the fans to suffer.  All for the almighty dollar and out of fearing bad publicity.

It’s gone beyond giving him a proper and well-deserved send-off.  It now needs to be about dignity.

The old expression “If you love someone enough, you have to be able to let them go”  is what needs to be done now.

There are ways to manage this smoothly.  Keep him with the team, just not playing. Or bring him late in games to pinch hit when there’s nothing much on the line.

The Tigers could easily put him on the 60-day IL.  Then bring him back in the late summer.  Just hope that the Tigers are doing well enough but not too well to jeopardize any standing or potential wild card playoff.

Keep him with the team.  Give fans multiple Miggy sightings.  Have him bring out the lineup card for each game.

Keep him in the dugout.  Make him an assistant coach-in-training.  Many teams allow a retiring player to shadow management so they may learn about coaching.  Remember when Ian Kinsler did it?

It makes sense given that Cabrera has stated he’d like to remain with the organization in some kind of coaching position.  Have him work with players in the batting cage.  Have him assist the hitting coaches.

But something has to change.  Miggy is not going to get magically better. If anything, a long baseball season will only make things worse.

No one, including Cabrera, wants this year to end as it is trending.  If ownership really wants what’s best for him, they will come up with a plan that values and honors him while taking him out of the lineup.

You can’t put a price on dignity.

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