Tag: Detroit Tigers

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Detroit Tigers prospects giving hope for the future

Embed from Getty Images As the Detroit Tigers rebuild is moving along. The Tigers minor leagues are nearing top 10 status. Yet the 2019 Spring training is giving a look at what will be. Here is a hint. It looks pretty darn good.

This is the first Spring training the Detroit Tigers have had all of their top prospect together. Seasons past found prospects scattered. Some in instructional, some in advanced. The fact that the gang is all together shows how far prospects have come in a short time.

Top Tiger pitchers are in mid season form. Matt Manning has really stood out. In my opinion he will be the staff ace once the prospects invade Comerica Park. Casey Mize last seasons number one overall draft pick would be a staff ace anywhere else. That is a small glance at how deep and good Detroit minor league pitching is.

Alex Faedo, who saw his velocity dip last season looks like he has found his groove again. The problem is where does he fit in? A starter? Possibly. A closer? He would be nasty out of the bullpen late in games. The Tigers will sort that out soon enough.

Then the position players. The one that stands out above the rest is short-stop Wenceel Perez. At 19 years old he can do it all. Slick with his glove and dynamite with a bat in his hand.

Detroit brought in 20 year Tigers short stop and MLB Hall of Fame member Alan Trammell to work with the young infielders. Trammell could be anywhere he chooses to be. He chooses to work with the young players. Not many better for a young player to learn from.

Detroit desperately would like one of the organizations to prospects to take better care of his body. Isaac Paredes. He can hit. Good Lord, can he ever. With a logjam at minor league short stop Paredes will either be placed at third base or outfield.

The Detroit Tigers are getting better where it counts. With prospects. While the parent club will have a bad season the growth of the prospects is what matters most. They are providing what will be a bright future.

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A recent poll at the Detroit Free Press has the Detroit Lions winning a title

Embed from Getty Images The Detroit Free Press polled the four professional sports beat writers and asked which team would win the next championship for the city. The Detroit Lions were the winners.

As I read the pros and cons for each team winning a championship I looked at the state of all four teams. When I broken them down this is what I found.

The Detroit Pistons are a wreck. Stuck with bad contracts and a team that by and large has hit their ceiling. The team is years away from being a serious playoff threat let alone making it to the NBA Finals. The plan is to build around Blake Griffin. That is a start.

The Detroit Tigers are in mid rebuild. There is talent in the minor leagues. Serious talent. But most of the prospects are going to have to hit their ceiling and some are going to have to out play their projections. Still the Tigers are close to being competitive again. About 3 years.

The Detroit Red Wings are coming to the end of their rebuild. The Wings are set to win for a while. This is going to be a nasty hockey team. First they need to get into the playoffs and get their brains beat in. That is how it works in hockey. Young teams need to learn how to win the post season play. The Wings could make a playoff push next season. Even as bad as they have been. Young players have taken huge steps forwards and the Red Wings will have a league high $20 million in cap space.

Then we have the Detroit Lions. Rebuilding since 1957. Ask any Lions fan it is not a joke. It is how they view the team. For some strange reason the NFL is a league that sees teams turn around seemingly at the blink of an eye. L.A. Rams anyone? The Detroit Lions are actually a team that is 3-5 players away from becoming a very good team. Right tackle, edge rusher, tight end, wide receiver, backup running back and the Lions will be good.

So which team is in the best title position? The Tigers and Red Wings are set up for long term success. The Pistons need a direction. Leaving the Detroit Lions as the team that should bring the next championship to the city. I can not believe I just put that down.

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Casey Mize impresses during Spring training

Embed from Getty Images Eight months after being drafted number one overall in the 2018 MLB draft. Detroit Tigers rookie Casey Mize wowed during the opening of Spring training. The Tigers have found their future ace.

Casey Mize was a non-roster invite to the big league Tigers camp. He is expected to shoot through the minor leagues. This past Tuesday the Detroit Tigers saw up close just what Mize can do.

103 mph. That is what the speed gun read after Mize wound up an threw his first pitch. Tiger coaches and catchers were in awe. The Detroit Tigers have not had a rookie that did that since Justin Verlander.

Sure hitting 103 mph does not mean future success is sure to follow. However with Casey Mize it is a bit different. He threw strike after strike. at 21 years old in his first big league camp Casey was not phased.

He dipped into all of his pitches. Not only did he throw them all, fastball, curve, slider, changeup, split finger fastball. He had control over all of them. Pop after pop from the catcher’s mitt.

The legend of Casey Mize is already growing. “he is one of the first ones here in the morning and one of the last ones to leave.” Tigers pitching coach Rick Anderson said. Something you do not see in a lot of young players.

Casey Mize is slated to begin the season in Lakeland with the Flying Tigers. Weather will dictate when he moves to Erie P.A. and the Seawolves. In other words not very long.

Casey Mize is expected to arrive in Toledo with the Mud Hens this season. He has all the tools. Matt Manning also has all the tools. Alex Faedo and Franklin Perez have all the tools. Leading the media (in and outside Detroit) to call the four young Tigers pitches the “Fearsome Foursome.”

Right now it is all about Mize. How is destined for greatness. Along the lines of Detroit Tigers greats Hall of Famer Jack Morris and the aforementioned Justin Verlander.

The good news for the Detroit Tigers is there is no need to rush these fantastic prospects. The team is two years away from spending money again. So Detroit can let the pitchers and others develop and then bring them all up together.

The Detroit Tigers pitching prospects look an awful lot like the 1990’s Atlanta Braves pitching staff. That is very good news.

 

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In order to prolong his career the Detroit Tigers should move Miguel Cabrera to full time D.H.

Embed from Getty Images It happens to the best of them. Age catches up with all of us. That is the case with Detroit Tigers first basemen Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera, already a first ballot Hall of Fame caliber player who has made life rough for MLB pitchers.

A groin tear, two herniated disks in his back in 2017, a cracked foot  in 2014 and a ruptured bicep last season is proof that father time has caught the elite slugger. For his sake he needs to put his glove away.

Cabrera, has played around 2,265 games in his 16 year career. In order for the rebuilding Tigers to keep his batting average, R.B.I.’s and home runs in the lineup The move to full time designated hitter should be made this season.

Word is general manager Al Avila, and Tiger manager Ron  Gardenhire have approached Miguel about spending “more time at D.H.” For a player who prides himself on his defense. He gets a rather large paycheck for his offense.

For the first time in his career  Miguel Cabrera is open to the switch. Perhaps a silent acknowledgment that time has caught up. Perhaps, he understands his value is with a bat in his hands. Showing the young Tiger players how to go about at bats.

One problem is it would leave a HUGE hole at 1B. Unless the Tigers place John Hicks or move Jeimer Candelario from 3B to 1B. One other option would be to see if Nick Castellanos could field the position. Castellanos is playing on a one year deal and is the focus of trade rumors.

It is never easy, never fun to watch a star enter the twilight of their playing days. But if there is a way to ease a player into it those steps should be taken. Cabrera can still help the team. That needs to be the focus.

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In the right move the Detroit Tigers are going back to the smaller “D” on the ball cap

Embed from Getty Images All is right with the world again. Well in terms of Detroit Tigers baseball anyway. Gone is last seasons over sized Old English “D” enter the good old smaller “D.”

 

Listening to the fans anger the Detroit Tigers have done an about face. Last season they tried to say the larger “D” was a better overall appearance for the Tigers uniform. It was not.

 

Detroit Tigers fans like tradition. Being one of the original baseball teams they typically do not respond well to change. To change the look of the Tigers caps has never gone well.

 

In 1994 the Tigers put an orange bill on the away caps. The fans voiced their displeasure and it was gone this next season. 1995 the team tried to change the away cap all together. A tiger crawling through the “D” with an orange bill. Fans were over-the-top upset.

 

It is a teams right to change uniforms. The Lions have done it several times. The Pistons have as well. But in Detroit where baseball and hockey reign supreme. Where one of the oldest MLB team plays as well as one of the original 6 NHL teams play. Those uniforms are off limits. Just ask the fans.

 

To Tiger and Red Wings fans. They want their team to have a direct link to the history of the teams and the city. That is why when new things are offered up they have been short lived. Fans like the clean crisp look of the Tigers and Wings logos. Anything that is viewed as an alteration is shot down.

 

Last seasons hats were by far the worst offering yet. If the 1995 crawling tiger through the “D” did not have an orange bill they could have kept it for a batting practice hat or Spring training cap. As that cap was not nearly as bad as the other offers.

 

Once again the Detroit fans have spoken. Once again the Detroit Tigers public relations people have listened. The Tigers uniform will once again have the classic look that fans have come to well, love.

 

It is good to have a passionate fan base. It is equally as good to have public relation personnel who listen when the paying customers speak.

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Detroit Tigers prospect Wenceel Perez

Embed from Getty Images As bullish as I am on Detroit Tigers prospect Isaac Paredes. I am doubly  bullish for Tigers young prospect Wenceel Perez who is only 19 years old and a switch-hitting SS. He is as close to can’t miss as there is in the prospect ranks.

 

The Detroit Tigers signed Wencell Perez at just 16 years old he hails from the Dominican Republic. A solid contact hitter with limited power and a well above average glove and arm makes Wenceel a prospect worth following. Not to mention he is fun to watch.

 

He will be a Detroit Tigers mainstay for many years. Perez has a great eye at the plate and draws a lot of walks. He will not be in the minor leagues long. He also has great range in the field and moves with good fluidity to the ball.

 

One more thing to know about Wenceel Perez. He is fast. He will steal a lot of bases. Sometimes he runs into outs so he needs to clean that up.  With a 5 for 7 plate performance July 13, 2018 Perez’s legend began to grow. Tigers fans began to talk about this kid.

 

Weceel Perez will not hit many home runs. He is a spay-gap hitter and he has lead the teams he has played on in extra base hits. Perez hits a lot of doubles. He will most likely be a top of the order table setter for the power hitters.

 

A player who can disrupt when on base. Stealing bases something the Tigers do not do enough of because they are limited on speed. 2019 the Tigers expect Perez will take another step forward. Detroit has taken steps the past two years to add speed to the organization.

 

At just 19 years old he is a talent that comes around rarely. His growth will be fun to watch. It will also be fast. Fans can expect to see Perez in Motown at some point in 2020.

 

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In the 2019 MLB draft the Detroit Tigers must get an impact bat

Embed from Getty Images The Detroit Tigers farm system is loaded with great pitching prospects. Having drafted a pitcher with their first round draft pick nearly every year. The rebuilding Tigers need a big bat. That could happen this Summer.

 

7 out of the top 10 draft prospects are position players. That is good news for the Detroit Tigers who have some “nice” bats in their system. The 2019 MLB draft is where Detroit needs to add a big solid bat. There is no shortage of big bats in a very deep draft.

 

At the top of my personal list is Andrew Vaughn, 1b California University. Vaughn meets the Tigers biggest need for a young first  baseman. Vaughn projects as a future all-star at the major league level.

 

3b Josh Jung from Texas Tech is a big bat solid glove player that could be a great addition as well. There is a drawback of sorts the Tigers already have Jeimer Candelario at 3b who projects as an above average player at the hot corner.

There are other players in a draft that has some of the best talent in the past 5 years. In order to keep the fan base happy as the team continues to develop talent then they must show that they can add a big bat. A bat that grades out at 50 contact and 50 power.

 

Another big pitching arm would irritate fans and cause some to wonder if the team has a true direction for the rebuild. While it is true teams win with pitching. That is not a problem in Detroit. Not when there is a glaring need for quality bats.

 

Needless to say I believe general manager Al Avila and owner Christopher Ilitch know this. That pitching will only take you so far. runs must be scored in order for pitching to shine.

 

So as Spring training opens soon. The Tigers front office will gather and collect information like every team. As players begin workouts the hope is the eyes of the front office will see the glaring need and understand they can fill it.

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Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Casey Mize is the No. 2 rated prospect

Embed from Getty Images Pitching is generally not an issue in Detroit. The next wave of great Tigers pitchers will arrive in Motown over the next two years. Leading the way is last June’s No. 1 overall draft pick. Casey Mize.

 

MLB Pipeline last Tuesday released their annual top 10 prospects. Detroit Tigers fans should be both happy and excited to find form Auburn University and top Detroit Tigers pick Casey Mize came in at No. 2. Over some big names.

 

Casey Mize has the highest floor in the top 10. Standing 6′ 3″ 220 lbs, Mize has the most combination of stuff and polish. His unhittable split finger fastball gives way to a 97 mph fastball and a slider in the mid-80’s. Last season while at Lakeland with the Flying Tigers, Mize added a cutter to his already above average offering.

 

This is great news for the rebuilding Detroit Tigers. Many are thinking Casey Mize will arrive at some point this Summer at Comerica Park. Tigers general manager Al Avila has said only if he is ready. Look for Mize to start the season at Double-A Erie with the Seawolves.

 

This is absolutely the right move to make. The team is still two years away from jumping back into competitive play again. No need to rush any prospect. Allowing a prospect time to grown and gain confidence is important to longevity as well as overall performance.

 

Tigers fans will also be happy to hear that pitching prospect Franklin Perez is sitting just outside the top 10. Until the Tigers are ready to roar again, fans need to keep close tabs on the minor leagues to get an ideal of how good this team is going to look very soon.

 

For some this rebuild seems to be taking a long time. When in reality it is not. Savvy trades and smart draft picks have actually sped up the painstakingly long task of gutting a team and building a new one.

 

The Detroit Tigers future is bright and will get even brighter as the team begins to sign big name free agents most likely starting next season to put around their young talent.

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Detroit Tiger fans can circle 2020

Embed from Getty Images The Detroit Tigers in the midst of a rebuild are getting closer to competitive baseball again. While the Detroit front office is and has remained tight lipped about a time table there are some clues that point to 2020.

 

While it has only been a year since the Detroit Tigers have embarked on a full-blown rebuild they have chips in their minor leagues. Solid drafts and wise trades have brought the Detroit Tigers closer to the end. It has the makings of being one of the fastest rebuilds in recent times.

 

After the 2020 MLB baseball season the Detroit Tigers will have around $50 plus million coming off the books. That will free up cash for free agents. It is a safe bet that owner Christopher Ilitch will give the green light to go after and sign top tier free agents.

 

Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann $50 million is off the books. The $20 million the Tigers owe the Huston Astros as part of the Justin Verlander trade is gone as in the $20 million owed the Texas Rangers for taking Prince Fielder. That is a nice chunk of change.

 

That will leave the Tigers Miguel Cabrera as the only big contract left. The Tigers boast 5 starting pitching prospects ranked in the top 100. They also have two outfielder in Christian Stewart and Parker Meadows who will be full-time Tigers very soon.

 

Kody Clemens and Issac Paredes will sure the Detroit infield up the middle at second base and short stop. It is safe to say that after next season Christopher Ilitch and Tigers general manager Al Avila will sit down and take and in depth look at the rebuild.

 

Should the Detroit Tigers be where they are projected by many, Ilitch will open the wallet and Comerica Park summer nights will be fun again. The Tigers currently hold the #6 pick in the first round of this June’s MLB draft. Where they will be able to add another impact player.

 

The Tigers will have holes to fill in the outfield, first base Miguel Cabrera should be a full time designated hitter and utility player off the bench. They could and most likely will address those needs in free agency.  Unlike 2006 when the Tigers came out of a dark decade of bad baseball this return will be both swifter and last longer as the team has pledged to keep and not trade their young talent.

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Detroit Tigers: winter meetings

Embed from Getty Images As MLB general managers and owners gather in Las Vegas the Detroit Tigers needing a short-stop may be willing to listen to offers on a few of their other players.

 

Day one of the 2018 MLB winter meetings bring rumors that teams are asking Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila if outfielder Nick Castellanos is available for a trade.

 

Castellanos, is a gifted hitter who was going to draw a lot of interest. It is and is not surprising that teams are checking in on him day one. The Atlanta Braves showed interest last season and are said to be the first team to ask.

 

Castellanos, is 26 years old and is under team control for one more season before being able to become a free agent. Teams looking for a middle of the order power hitter have turned to the young Detroit budding star.

 

Nick has the most to offer teams and will bring in a solid group of prospects if and when he is dealt. It seems almost certain he will be.

 

I do not think the Tigers are looking to trade pitcher Michael Fulmer at this time. It seems (for good reason) they would like him in the rotation after the rebuild for a crop of young pitchers to learn from. That is a wise move.

 

Out side of a short-stop and possibly moving Nick Castellanos the Tigers figure to have a pretty quiet winter meetings.