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With the 2017 season mercifully winding down, most have begun looking forward to what a 2018 Detroit Tigers squad would look like. And with all the recent departures, the answer is “very different.”
Miguel Cabrera will be here, although no one knows what kind of shape his back will be in (#RestMiggy). Mikie Mahtook will be looking forward to round two after a breakout campaign this year. Nicholas Castellanos will be playing somewhere on the diamond. And pitchers Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Jordan Zimmermann, and Daniel Norris will make for a completely fine starting rotation. Outside of that, things are looking mighty fluid.
Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias are trade candidates. Anibal Sanchez will likely be paid to leave, according to BYB’s own Kurt Mensching. A host of other players look to be auditioning for rival teams, vulnerable to waivers, or on their way out.
The good news is the team finally has some exciting young talent to promote and play at the major league level. The 2018 season looks to be a brutal year for the Tigers’ win-loss record, but the optimism around youth should help make it manageable.
Exhibit A
Jeimer Candelario with the Tigers: 16 games, .377/.476/.585, 1.061 OPS, 2 home runs, 10 walks. Small-sample it all day, but a bigtime start.
— Lynn G. Henning (@Lynn_Henning) September 18, 2017
On those Magnum P.I. bros
I don’t have a hot take on whether the 45 guys that dressed up as Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. should have been kicked out of Comerica Park. The details remain foggy. I just wanted to commend them on an incredible bachelor party idea. Also, how does someone acquire 44 friends?
The only reason this is a story is because the Tigers are terrible. Outside of a near no-hitter, this is the most exciting thing that has happened to the team recently. These are sad times we live in.
The Tigers’ most meaningful contribution to 2017
Alex Presley's HR is #5,693 in MLB this season, tying the all-time record
— David Adler (@_dadler) September 20, 2017
Sign Shohei
I’ll leave the actual numeric reasoning to the other Patrick, as he lays out how the Tigers could offer some additional money for Otani. I just want some additional excitement for the organization, and this guy brings it 24/7.
And yes, the team has basically zero shot at signing him in its current state, but we sure can guarantee a lot of playing time.
Around the horn
Minor League Ball profiles Artie Lewicki. The Tigers need more innings from their starting pitchers. Listen to one of the oldest radio broadcasts of an MLB game: Yankees vs. Tigers from 1934. Bryce Harper and his glorious flow could be back next week. Juiced balls made 2017 the most home run friendly year of all time. The Giants did not contribute. The Matt Harvey situation is sad.