A.L. Central Discussion 2016

[MiamiVice]

Now you've gone and done it.

At least five pages of "Mike Pelfrey is so much better than Simon, and the Tigers' revamped rotation will rival the '98 Braves" are incoming.

The Tigers rotation is not going to be great.. but its not going to be horrible either... IF... IF sanchez can stay remotely healthy they will be ok.. but I agree that if he struggles with injuries they are screwed unless they make a trade... Pelfrey is nothing more than a 5th starter... He is listed as the #4 because they want to be able to limit Norris's innings by skipping some of his starts... I am not happy about what they paid him.. but Pelfrey isn't going to be the difference between the Tigers winning the division or losing it. Verlander/Zimmerman/Sanchez will be... and the health of Vmart and Miggy.

 

[MiamiVice]

Say that you were wrong about the average age of the Tigers' 40-man roster and that they are the youngest team in the AL Central.

SAY IT!

I was wrong.... I did the math by averaging out to the year and adding it on my iphone...

 

[MiamiVice]

I am not going to put money on the Tigers to win the division as is.. but its not out of the question that they are within reach of the division lead near the deadline and add pieces. That is actually what I would predict will happen. If the Indians can get even a decent amount of offense they are going to win the division this year.. they have by far the best pitching. The Tigers are going to have the best offense in the division... but their pitching is probably going to be 3rd or 4th at best.

 

[broncosmitty]

Now you've gone and done it.

At least five pages of "Mike Pelfrey is so much better than Simon, and the Tigers' revamped rotation will rival the '98 Braves" are incoming.

Twas my desired outcome.

 

[MiamiVice]

I think the AL Central is going to play very heavily in the remaining free agent market.. The White Sox are going to sign a OFer... and I wouldn't be surprised one bit to wake up one day and see the Tigers sign Cespedes. However I think that Avila is saving money to use in season at the trade deadline instead of pushing all the chips in now. The Indians have money to spend if they wanted to get in on a bargain before spring training too...

 

[broncosmitty]

I am not going to put money on the Tigers to win the division as is.. but its not out of the question that they are within reach of the division lead near the deadline and add pieces. That is actually what I would predict will happen. If the Indians can get even a decent amount of offense they are going to win the division this year.. they have by far the best pitching. The Tigers are going to have the best offense in the division... but their pitching is probably going to be 3rd or 4th at best.

I might lean towards the Twins on offense.

But I'll continue to pray Miggy is healthy for the first time in three years.

 

[MiamiVice]

I might lean towards the Twins on offense.

But I'll continue to pray Miggy is healthy for the first time in three years.

Miggy and Vmart were coming off surgeries last year... Its not even comparable. They both have normal offseasons this year instead of getting a surgery performed in February and not even having a normal spring training let alone offseason. The Tigers lineup when healthy is hands down the best in the division... But I have a feeling the White Sox are going to add Cespedes or Upton... and if they do they are going to be pretty scary on offense too...

 

[MiamiVice]

The Twins lineup played way over their heads last year... and they are losing Torii Hunter and his 22 HR and 81 RBI. He may have been old as shit.. but he was a legit bat that they haven't replaced.

 

[broncosmitty]

Miggy and Vmart were coming off surgeries last year... Its not even comparable. They both have normal offseasons this year instead of getting a surgery performed in February and not even having a normal spring training let alone offseason. The Tigers lineup when healthy is hands down the best in the division... But I have a feeling the White Sox are going to add Cespedes or Upton... and if they do they are going to be pretty scary on offense too...

I'm gonna keep on praying.

Not for VMart though. He needs PEDs imo, not prayer.

 

[MiamiVice]

I'm gonna keep on praying.

Not for VMart though. He needs PEDs imo, not prayer.

Yeah... I am not going to ever expect to see Vmart hit 32 HR again... but his bat speed is still very much there. If you look at his splits. When he batted right handed he was still a beast. Left handed was where he struggled and I am sure that his knee had a lot to do with it. I had a similar knee injury a few years back and I can tell you that there is no way that I would have been able to play baseball as fast as he did. Granted he has a top notch pro sports medicine team... but my surgery was done at the university of miami which is no slouch.. and I didn't start to feel normal for well over a year. Maybe Vmart's wife can get the same treatment as Peyton Manning's did... lol

 

[broncosmitty]

Yeah... I am not going to ever expect to see Vmart hit 32 HR again... but his bat speed is still very much there. If you look at his splits. When he batted right handed he was still a beast. Left handed was where he struggled and I am sure that his knee had a lot to do with it. I had a similar knee injury a few years back and I can tell you that there is no way that I would have been able to play baseball as fast as he did. Granted he has a top notch pro sports medicine team... but my surgery was done at the university of miami which is no slouch.. and I didn't start to feel normal for well over a year. Maybe Vmart's wife can get the same treatment as Peyton Manning's did... lol

I wish he wouldn't have played baseball so fast either. Was a huge drag on that lineup. I think Ausmus really regrets sticking with him in the middle of the order. (Overly patient being his biggest flaw. He's said so himself in interviews.) especially considering those splits and his reluctance to alter the order versus lefty/righty most of the season.

I do think Victor can be a good piece again. He's as "professional" of a hitter as there is. But not expecting him to be a source of power again.

Tbh, I assume that one season of power outburst was on account of PEDs. Much like Joe Mauer.

 

[MiamiVice]

I don't know if it will ever happen.. but I honestly have no problem with athletes using HGH to recover from major injury. There are plenty of studies out there that argue that it is not harmful to the human body. HGH is not a steroid. All it does is allow you to recover faster and work out more than you normally would be able to and allow you to elevate the amount of stress your body can take during period of heavy training.

To be honest... The media has demonized it way more than it really is. HGH is less of a hazard to your body than cortisone shots and those are regularly used in pro sports... along with opioids in various pill forms... which we all know are not the greatest thing to be putting in your body.

 

[MiamiVice]

Ausmus had way bigger problems than being overly patient. He lost at least 4 games from decisions to pull Miggy or Vmart for a pinch runner in extra or late innings only to have the pitch runner come up to bat the next inning after not scoring the inning before.. in a situation that a hit could win the game.

Ausmus over thinks everything. That is his biggest flaw. The beautiful thing about guys like Leyland is they are the exact opposite. They go with their gut. I can guarantee you that you would never had seen Leyland pulling miggy in the 9th inning of a game when he is on 1st base with 1 out... but you saw Ausmus do it.

His ability to manage a bullpen is questionable too.. but the biggest issue with me was his repeated use of a pinch runner for Miggy and Vmart.

 

[da55bums]

I was wrong for trusting the article. I don't know what he based his statement on, the 25 man roster, 40 man roster, last years roster...who the hell knows.

 

[da55bums]

my AL Central predictions still don't change

 

[MiamiVice]

Go sit in the corner dunce.

 

[da55bums]

Go sit in the corner dunce.

lol, you couldn't even add, AGAIN, 27...you grab the other corner

 

[MiamiVice]

lol, you couldn't even add, AGAIN, 27...you grab the other corner

LOL... Bums.. seriously... I was right.. You were wrong. The Tigers are not the oldest team in the AL Central. I am not going to have a long drawn out ordeal with you again.. I don't have to. Because once again you were shown for what you are. A joke.

 

[Nosferatu]

The Twins lineup played way over their heads last year... and they are losing Torii Hunter and his 22 HR and 81 RBI. He may have been old as shit.. but he was a legit bat that they haven't replaced.

They won't miss Torii's .293 OBP. The Twins lineup can't be anything but better in 2016. A full year of Sano, hopefully Buxton figures it out and the addition of Park will easily make up for Hunter being gone. They did hit pretty well with RISP so that might take a slight turn down but the offense should be better.

Not one starter had an AVG of higher than .267 three player had subs .300 OBP's. Dozier, Plouffe, Escobar OBP's were .307, .307, .309

Nowhere to go but up IMO.

 

[da55bums]

LOL... Bums.. seriously... I was right.. You were wrong. The Tigers are not the oldest team in the AL Central. I am not going to have a long drawn out ordeal with you again.. I don't have to. Because once again you were shown for what you are. A joke.

like I said, you get all excited when your right once in a while after I show how wrong you are most of the time...congrats cupcake.

Who knows what will happen by opening day and who will be the oldest team. Hell rumor is starting about Cliff Lee to the Royals and Cespedes and other OFers to Detroit.

Nobody knows the age of the 2016 rosters yet, lol.