Detroit Tigers Ongoing 2014 Thread

[Howie115]

Sweet day for Ajax...3/3 with a triple......Alverz looked good out of the pen....they were talking on TV Ajax will hit 6th and Avila #5....

Against RHPs, anyway. Can't see Alex playing a lot vs. LHPs, let alone hitting in the 5-hole against them.

 

[Howie115]

Tigers preview posted today at our old stomping grounds...

2014 team preview: Detroit Tigers - CBSSports.com

Axisa pretty much sums up what you've read in here. Biggest strength: starting rotation (even without Fister). Biggest weakness: Middle relief and the bullpen in general.

"The Fielder trade was a short-term loss and a long-term win while the Fister trade was just ... weird. Still having trouble wrapping my head around that one. I think the Tigers are a worse team than they were last year, at least on paper, but I still think they're the best club in the division and headed for another AL Central crown. Again, on paper....

....I think Detroit has another division title coming but I also think they're more vulnerable now than they have been at any point in the last three years."

 

[burfboy]

todays lineup looks like one we may see a lot this season except when Iggy comes back
Kinsler
Hunter
Miggy
VMart
Avila
Ajax
Nick C
Davis
Perez

 

[jalopy]

I'd like to see the speed players hitting consecutively. That could mean AJ hitting 2nd and Hunter 5th or moving him lower.

 

[Cleaves2000]

Tigers preview posted today at our old stomping grounds...

2014 team preview: Detroit Tigers - CBSSports.com

Axisa pretty much sums up what you've read in here. Biggest strength: starting rotation (even without Fister). Biggest weakness: Middle relief and the bullpen in general.

"The Fielder trade was a short-term loss and a long-term win while the Fister trade was just ... weird. Still having trouble wrapping my head around that one. I think the Tigers are a worse team than they were last year, at least on paper, but I still think they're the best club in the division and headed for another AL Central crown. Again, on paper....

....I think Detroit has another division title coming but I also think they're more vulnerable now than they have been at any point in the last three years."

I seen that too.....they pretty much said the exact same thing i been saying....think someone stole my story....copywright infringement? Lol

 

[Cleaves2000]

Cleaves, I will make you a deal. You set the standards about how to judge the performance of the BP. If the '14 Tigers are under-performing the '13 Tigers at the All-Star break. I will accept a "punishment" of your choice. I ask nothing in return.

We dont have to make a punishment....unless you want to put phil coke as your avitar.....only thing i can think of is if the BP blows a save 6th inning on.....i dont think joba getting into a game down 7-1 and giving up 7 would really prove anything....mop up duty is mop up duty....but if the pen starts blowing leads in late innings....thats what im worried about....6-7-8 innings are what scares me, especially if the starters dont last long because of pitch counts.....we will find out early since starters are usually on a lower pitch count early in the year...


Porcello got rocked today..

 

[Cleaves2000]

I'd like to see the speed players hitting consecutively. That could mean AJ hitting 2nd and Hunter 5th or moving him lower.

I like your idea of hunter batting 5th but i think we need him in the 2 hole....you need a contact hitter in the 2 hole and ajax isnt it...id like avila to hit 5th vs righties and give nicky c the spot vs lefties...thats one of the weaknesses i said we had...a #5 hitter to protect miggy and vmart...thats why i think nick and rondon are the biggest wild cards...if they both perform well than some of my fears will be eased. A 5 hitter and set up guy are what we are missing in my eyes....well and a lefty reliever....

 

[Cleaves2000]

Anyone else getting worries about iggy and his shin splints....they wont seem to go away.....

 

[MiamiVice]

Anyone else getting worries about iggy and his shin splints....they wont seem to go away.....

Not really. Its Spring. The team is going to be fine with out him if he misses time... Shin splints don't end careers. I would say if I had to bet... He either play opening day or very close to it. Outside of Dirks... not much else on the injury front so I think the Detroit media is making more of this than it is. Only way to treat shin splints is to stay off your legs for a few days... He will be fine.

 

[MiamiVice]

Tigers offense is looking great so far. I think its going to surpass last years... Prince never got it going last year and outside of fear of a hr... pitchers didnt have to worry about him after miggy was hobbled and couldnt run. I bet Texas regrets the Prince deal... I take a guy like Kinsler to age better and bounce back from a down year over Prince any day. I think Prince is going to turn into a .250 hitter with 25-30 hr for Texas... not worth 20 mil.

 

[MiamiVice]

Here is a discussion... what position will Dombrowski be focusing in on at the trade deadline. My guess is outfield or starting pitcher... And Steven Moya and Devon Travis are getting the hype machine treatment to be our trade chips....

 

[gvsulaker82]

Hes going to have to focus on bullpen at the trade deadline and trade away good prospects for relievers.

 

[Cleaves2000]

Not really. Its Spring. The team is going to be fine with out him if he misses time... Shin splints don't end careers. I would say if I had to bet... He either play opening day or very close to it. Outside of Dirks... not much else on the injury front so I think the Detroit media is making more of this than it is. Only way to treat shin splints is to stay off your legs for a few days... He will be fine.

In an article i read hes been battling shin splints his whole career so far....

 

[Cleaves2000]

Tigers offense is looking great so far. I think its going to surpass last years... Prince never got it going last year and outside of fear of a hr... pitchers didnt have to worry about him after miggy was hobbled and couldnt run. I bet Texas regrets the Prince deal... I take a guy like Kinsler to age better and bounce back from a down year over Prince any day. I think Prince is going to turn into a .250 hitter with 25-30 hr for Texas... not worth 20 mil.

Sorry i cant agree....kinsler didnt just have one down year...its been a good 5 years since he was great....dont get me wrong, i like him, but i cant just act like hes lou whitaker reborn because hes a tiger....he had a good game today tho.....and on prince...ill take any bet he hits better than 250....he will easily reach 25 HR's in texas...not to mention he walks alot and doesnt ever miss a game...he may not be worth 20 million, but outside of players on their first contracts who is worth the money they make? Phil coke will make 1.9 million this year..any pitcher on west michigans team can come up and do what he does for peanuts...i dont think anibal sanchez is worth the money he makes...

 

[Cleaves2000]

Hes going to have to focus on bullpen at the trade deadline and trade away good prospects for relievers.

Yup when he could of just signed someone in free agency instead and saved the prospects...but DD is still my tiger...just didnt like this offseason....my opinion

 

[MiamiVice]

Sorry i cant agree....kinsler didnt just have one down year...its been a good 5 years since he was great....dont get me wrong, i like him, but i cant just act like hes lou whitaker reborn because hes a tiger....he had a good game today tho.....and on prince...ill take any bet he hits better than 250....he will easily reach 25 HR's in texas...not to mention he walks alot and doesnt ever miss a game...he may not be worth 20 million, but outside of players on their first contracts who is worth the money they make? Phil coke will make 1.9 million this year..any pitcher on west michigans team can come up and do what he does for peanuts...i dont think anibal sanchez is worth the money he makes...

Sanchez was one of the best pitchers in baseball last year...

 

[MiamiVice]

Hes going to have to focus on bullpen at the trade deadline and trade away good prospects for relievers.

Tigers have no real "good" prospects left after Castellanos. The others have ceilings that range from fringe MLBer to Mid rotation starter at best. The tigers need a good 3 to 4 years to rebuild the farm after emptying it out the last few years and not having picks in the first round. They will get value out of what they have though... Dombrowski is a magician.

 

[MiamiVice]

I will bet anyone here Prince Fielder hits below .270... He may hit 30+ hr.. but he is not going to hit for average nor will he be anywhere close to be worth 20 mil. The guy hit .300+ once... it was a fluke. He isn't going to get magically better in Texas... the only thing he may do better is hit a few more HR... but out side of that... Kinsler will have a better season. The lineup around him in Texas is nowhere near what surrounded him last year in Detroit... and you can only blame so much on his personal problems with his wife. Guy was slowly getting worse all year last year...

 

[MiamiVice]

Cleaves... whats up with the negativity this off season... You need to trust in DD... the guy hasn't made to many wrong calls.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Tigers have no real "good" prospects left after Castellanos. The others have ceilings that range from fringe MLBer to Mid rotation starter at best. The tigers need a good 3 to 4 years to rebuild the farm after emptying it out the last few years and not having picks in the first round. They will get value out of what they have though... Dombrowski is a magician.

If thats the case then they will be trading lesser known prospects for phil coke types of relievers. Either way they should have solidified the pen in the offseason and not at the trade deadline. Instead it was made weaker by trading fister, and letting benoit and veras walk.