Detroit Tigers Ongoing 2015 Thread

[MiamiVice]

SP – David Price >>> Drew Smyly – Price is a Cy Young candidate

SP – Alfredo Simon << Max Scherzer - You can’t easily replace Scherzer



Bench is versatile but less than last year

Manager – Brad Ausmus >> Ausmus – He’s a smart person, had to learn a thing or two last year.

Tigers 98 – 64 (ok so I am an optimist homer)

Just a few questions here... Why are you comparing Price to Smyly and not Scherzer? That is a much more reasonable comparision... As would Simon to Smyly.

Why is everyone saying the bench is worse this year? Because we lost Don Kelly? LOL... Seriously... Davis in back to being a 4th outfielder like he should be... Perez is a better bat than kelly ever dreamed of being... Romine is a weak link but he was on the bench last year too... hard to see McCann not being an upgrade as a backup catcher.... So outside of Romine being on the bench... which he was last year too... Not sure how the bench is weaker than last year. If anything it is stronger in my opinion. And Toledo has a little more depth this year as well if there are any DL stints. i feel comfortable with Collins coming up if needed.. Holiday coming up to catch... Heck even Fields and Machado look like good depth. I just don't see any reason to panic about the bench... is there a big bat for pinch hitting... not right now.. but later in the season you will see Collins or Moya in that role almost guaranteed at some point.

I doubt the Tigers win 90 games this season.. let alone 98.... but I still think they will win enough to get the division one last year... next year... it will be all about moves that are made to get some young talent in.. because the rotation is a going to have to be rebuilt after this year almost for certain.

 

[aar000n]

MLB appt just told me Rondon is in 15 day dl with a bicep tendonitis. Great way to start.
As far as Rotation

1. D. Price = Scherzer
2. J. Verlander = Verlander
3. A. Sánchez < Sanchez Hope
4. A. Simón < Smiley
5. S. Greene < Porcella

Overall the Tigers are relying on hope. We hope Green doesn't shit the bed, We have simon doesn't shit the bed, we hope Verlander is back to form, we hope sanchez pitches better. Two unproven on potentially washed up leaving two solid starters. Blow pen is the same with blow Nathan.

 

[MiamiVice]

Not to be a dick.. but we are always relying on hope... the past how many seasons have the Tiger's came in with a loaded roster and didn't come through in the end, yet a team with flaws that nobody saw coming ended up in the world series and winning it. Nobody is giving any attention what so ever to the better depth in the upper minors at all.

Years before... the bull pen sucked there was nobody in the minors to look to... the tigers have 5+ guys that could see time in the majors bullpen this year and succeed unlike years past. The Royals bullpen didn't come from free agent signings... it came from loading up arms... when they failed as starters they were converted to bullpen guys. Show me a great bullpen and I will show you a handful of failed starters that were converted to relievers. Name me one team that won a title recently with a bullpen that didn't have at least half of their guys from their own farm? You DO NOT invest big money on relievers... its suicide. Outside of Rivera... most closers lifespans are 2-3 seasons. Tiger's fans need to stop calling for trades and free agent signings of relievers... they should be developed at the farm level. Money is spent on 1-5 in the lineup and the rotation... spending money in the bullpen more often than not turns out like Joe Nathan has. DD should be called out on the inability to do what teams like the royals, rays, marlins, and cardinals always do.... develop relievers from their own farm system.

 

[broncosmitty]

Im excited for tommorrow.

Not excited for the rotation, cuz it's worse now than it was at the end of last and the beginning of last season. But Im confident the bullpen can't be worse. Maybe Im just hoping it can't be, cuz there's no real reason to think it can't be. Gorzellany was much worse than Coke this spring, Joba was more like he was at the end than at the beginning of last year, this spring. Rondon still isn't here. Nathan is just as awful, but older and a bigger douche. Krol, well, Im hoping Krol does well so I don't have to eat my words again for cleeves. Maybe Nesbit turns the tide in our favor.

Our bench is unimpressive. Still no bat off the bench. (Kelly would be the third best outfielder and best 3rd baseman again. Romine isn't either of those.). But I like that we'll have a base stealing option off it everyday.

Defense should be improved. Gose, Cespedes and Iggy take care of that.

KC took a hit losing Shields, that rotation is shaky now. Shedding Billy Butlers dead weight scares me a little though. Rios and Morales were nice cheap additions, imo. Hopefully Cleveland didn't gain enough ground to jump us. I don't think Chicago did, hard to make up that much ground by adding a starter, a closer a LaRoche and getting back two young outfielders. But they might have.

Here's to a fun 2015 season fellas

 

[Voltaire26]

Just a few questions here... Why are you comparing Price to Smyly and not Scherzer? That is a much more reasonable comparision... As would Simon to Smyly.

Why is everyone saying the bench is worse this year? Because we lost Don Kelly? LOL... Seriously... Davis in back to being a 4th outfielder like he should be... Perez is a better bat than kelly ever dreamed of being... Romine is a weak link but he was on the bench last year too... hard to see McCann not being an upgrade as a backup catcher.... So outside of Romine being on the bench... which he was last year too... Not sure how the bench is weaker than last year. If anything it is stronger in my opinion. And Toledo has a little more depth this year as well if there are any DL stints. i feel comfortable with Collins coming up if needed.. Holiday coming up to catch... Heck even Fields and Machado look like good depth. I just don't see any reason to panic about the bench... is there a big bat for pinch hitting... not right now.. but later in the season you will see Collins or Moya in that role almost guaranteed at some point.

I doubt the Tigers win 90 games this season.. let alone 98.... but I still think they will win enough to get the division one last year... next year... it will be all about moves that are made to get some young talent in.. because the rotation is a going to have to be rebuilt after this year almost for certain.

(1) We kinda traded Smyly (and Jackson) for Price

(2) Your right Last year's bench = this year's bench ... not that's not good

(3) I am an optimist homer + I truly think the Tigers are better this year

 

[dengel6]

ST wasn't very good, but as AI once said "practice, I'm talking about practice"???????
As BS just said "Im excited about tomorrow".

Go getum Tigers.

 

[Howie115]

My assessment of the team (should be no surprises to anyone here) as the season's first pitch approaches...

Major Improvement: DEFENSE
Gone are Eugenio Suarez and Torii Hunter from last season. Replacing them are Jose Iglesias and Yoenis Cespedes, both among the best defensively at their positions. Anthony Gose is as good or better than Austin Jackson was in CF. And the Tigers retained their three Gold Glove finalists from last season: Alex Avila (C), Miguel Cabrera (1B) and Ian Kinsler (2B).

Improvement: HITTING and SPEED
The Tigers 2-6 hitters are likely to be Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes. There’s no break in there for opposing pitchers. No. 7 hitter Nick Castellanos should improve over his rookie season, and has 17-20 HR potential.
The Tigers added flyer Anthony Gose and still have base-stealing threat Rajai Davis. Cespedes has excellent wheels, and the return of Jose Iglesias adds another speedy baserunner. Yes, the team has a bunch of big, slow base-cloggers in the middle of the order (except for Cespedes), but those guys were there last season, too.

Minor Improvement: COACHING
Brad Ausmus made some notable goofs last season, but should have learned a lot from his rookie season and he is returning his entire staff.

Push: BULLPEN
Only because it can’t be worse than last season. Bruce Rondon will help when he returns from the DL, and Tom Gorzelanny is better than any LHP the Tigers trotted out from the pen last season. Other than that, there isn’t much to like.

Major Decline: STARTING PITCHING
Gone are Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello. In their places are Alfredo Simon, who is 33 and has only been a starter for one full major league season, and Shane Greene, who showed flashes of brilliance in 78 innings for the Yankees in 2014 but is no certainty to do that over a full year. If fully healthy, Justin Verlander should bounce back some from his worst season since 2008, but there is no question the Tigers’ rotation is considerably worse off in 2015.

 

[MiamiVice]

Im excited for tommorrow.



Our bench is unimpressive. Still no bat off the bench. (Kelly would be the third best outfielder and best 3rd baseman again. Romine isn't either of those.). But I like that we'll have a base stealing option off it everyday.

I hope you are speaking about defense... because Kelly would have been the 5th outfielder on this team if you take offense into effect. His defense was solid.... but I wouldn't say he was that much better than JD... Cespedes and Gose clearly are better... I love me some Don Kelly... but he is 35... Perez is a better option off the bench than he would have been... all though I would take Don Kelly over Romine any day.

 

[broncosmitty]

Yeah, Im just talking defensively.

DK was patient at the plate, but he didn't do anything with the pitches he waited for anymore.

 

[burfboy]

Opening Day at Comerica
Davis
Kinslar
Miggy
VMart
JD
Cespedes
Nick C
Avila
Iggy
Price on the hill

 

[broncosmitty]

Cespedes staying down there makes me happy.

Good looking lineup. Great starter. Nice day for baseball.

Enjoy Opening Day guys!

Hoping to catch most of this one on the radio.

 

[gandydancer]

No doubt he's incredibly talented as a hitter. I only hope he can be decent at third someday. Not asking for any more than that. Nothing wrong with decent.

I hope 3rd basemen do not develop like a QB. Otherwise that decent may be around year 8.

 

[Howie115]

Avila and J.D. with some early yard work.

 

[dengel6]

Country Joe West called another great game. Ask Torii about that last strike. Hey, he missed a lot more, but we got the W. YIPPIE.

 

[Howie115]

Torii woulda whiffed on the next pitch, anyway, He swings at everything.

 

[dengel6]

O.K. Detroit. Just like in Bull Durham, "its time to announce your presence". If everyone stays healthy (Miggy/Victor) should be 4.5 - 5 runs every game.

 

[jdwills126]

Cespedes is going to be fun to watch in the OF this year. With him and Iglasias the defense will be vastly improved over last season.

Do want to see Gose play.

 

[Howie115]

Rick Porcello gets a 4-year/$82.5 million extension. Clearly the Red Sox are banking on the fact that he's just getting into his prime years. I'm not so sure we didn't see his ceiling last season.

 

[dengel6]

Lil Ricky getting $20 mil a season??????? WHAT The Fudge gives here?

 

[Howie115]

Starting pitching is clearly being put at a premium in MLB. Rick is still young, doesn't walk many, and throws a lot of ground balls. But a pitch-to-contact guy of any kind in Fenway? I just don't know.