Detroit Tigers Links: The Tigers might actually be pretty good

I guess we just have to win the whole **** thing

Following the initial rumors of wholesale changes in November, it easy to forget that these Detroit Tigers are still a very talented team that should compete in the American League. With a veteran infield, a solid pitching staff, some surprising depth, and a little good luck with injuries, the Tigers will be in the playoff picture. The 2017 season is a make-or-break year for the manager — and the whole organization, really. Don’t be surprised if they rise to the occasion.

They are called prospects, not trade chips

The gang is getting back together for 2017! With an organization that looks averse to further spending, the prospect pipeline is more important than ever. The team isn’t quite as barren as it once was, as they placed two prospects in ESPN’s top 100 and ended up 24th in Keith Law’s organizational rankings. Minor League Ball sets the scene with the team’s top 20 prospects, while FanGraphs gives a high-level review of the key names to track. And, if you are curious about what the future of the AL Central holds, you can find the overview here.

Go Team... Dutch?

That is a surprising amount of good players that are Dutch-ish.

[Ed.: I’ll take a shortstop from Curaçao, please.]

Continue to feel bad for San Diego sports fans

Can you name any of San Diego’s starting pitchers? If you said yes, you are either lying or you work for the Padres organization. At least they are the only show left in town, so people have to go, right?

Offseason links personified

Presented without comment: a picture Yogi Berra and Willie Mays riding a bobsled together.

(h/t Cut4)

The Dodgers do not give a f...oul ball

Rob covered the Logan Forsythe trade and what it means for the Tigers, but here are two more takes on the Dodgers. Both center around the relative inefficiency shown by the Dodgers, who had to give up a high-level prospect for a somewhat underwhelming second baseman. SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee views the move as the Dodgers no longer being able to exploit a more conservative market. I tend to agree with Dave Cameron at FanGraphs, who highlights the Dodgers’ lack of cares about being inefficient in the long term when the team has the money to constantly be on a short-term track. Think Tigers of the early 2010s.

For your free time.

The Angels signed Luis Valbuena and their fans are happy with their new-found depth. Did you know there was a fly ball that Kevin Kiermaier didn’t catch? Turns out it actually happened. A new study identifies jet lag’s effect on a team’s play. Mark Lowe is looking to bounce back. Fortunately, he can’t really get worse.

Baseball is awesome