FanPost

Going to be a whirlwind likely as the refining of the team keeps going on

Do you feel it? Things are changing. Things are getting "real."

The Tigers are getting competitive again based on their own farm hand / prospects coming up. It's been an amalgam of prospects to date from their own drafts and other teams, obtained via trade, but the pipeline is looking really promising.

I think there will likely be a lot more call-ups and waivers in the immediate future. I hope that the bigger star prospects don't struggle to establish themselves but all we can do is wait and see.

Let's review where we are again.

Catchers -

Rogers has been up and down and I think he's finally building himself into the front-liner. I'd like to hope that he can improve more, but he's on the right track and contributing regularly now.

Haase has been in the background so long it seems and finally emerging as an intriguing player. His contributions remind me of John Wockenfuss since he can play different roles on this team besides being a catcher.

Greiner has been up and down and still seems to have some upside, but the window is slowly closing on him. More prospects are in the pipeline and going to challenge for his third-string ranking soon.

Dingler is marching up the ranks. He has the unique power hitting potential that will open doors for him quickly. It might still be a year until he's called up, or he might get a glimpse of the big leagues this fall, but I'm inclined to believe it'll be next year so that the Tigers can have a bit more time to figure out their 40-man roster.

Others - there are a handful of other prospects that could emerge to play a role on the team in the future. Alfonzo just keeps hitting, Johnson has promise, McMillan could emerge yet, and the two newest additions to the farm system (Crouch and Rothenberg) have interesting potential too.

First Base -

Miguel Cabrera will wind down his career after the 2023 season. He'll be 40 and seems likely to call it a career then. For the most part I think he'll likely play DH 90% of the time.

Spencer Torkelson is likely the apparent heir to the position. All of us hope he can command it with power and a solid batting average to also hold the 3 or 4 hole in the lineup.

Others - Rey Rivera could still emerge a prospect to play in the big leagues. There is Renato Nunez that could see time later this year. There are a handful of others too, Piniero, Ward, Rodriguez, and more, that might be given some opportunity, but the 40 man roster likely holds at best 20 field position player slots, so it will be tough unless there is considerable wiggling and wrangling on who is and who isn't on that roster due to injury perhaps.

Chris Meyers, a recent draft pick, looks pretty versatile and had a .378 BA that looks enticing. Maybe he's a player that will surprise.

Second Base -

Paredes likely will be the future, but Willi Castro probably wants to have something to say about it yet.

Willi Castro showed so much promise last season, but it seems to have disappeared this year. I hope he re-emerges, but it is both his offense and defense that need to improve.

Kody Clemens is being groomed to be a utility player. He will likely get a chance with the Tigers, but his hitting will ultimately determine his fate.

Harold Castro remains a steady small ball hitter and versatile utility player that should find a niche with the Tigers albeit not a starting role consistently.

Wenceel Perez is a possibility to emerge at some point and has shown hitting capabilities that are intriguing.

Third Base -

Candelario is a consistent average player. I just don't see him sticking long term. If Torkelson needs more time to establish his consistency in the minors, Candelario might move and hold first-base for a seaon or so, but I think this is not very likely. I don't see his defensive flexibility or the productivity of his hitting cementing his future with the Tigers. I see him likely moving on much like James McCann and Nick Castellanos did. Perhaps he's much better player than I give him credit for, but I just don't envision him as the veteran leader on this team.

Although Paredes could become the long term third-base answer, I'm inclined to believe we have yet to see several, if not many options brought forward from the minors. These include, Lipcious, Quintara, Lester, and others that may begin at shortstop and then ultimately wind up as the best third-base option.

I don't see this position as being settled for several years, but more of a role that is filled by who the Tigers decide to try next, or simply to rotate into the line-up as the hottest hitter.

Short-stop -

Zack Short deserves a chance, but I doubt he is a very long term answer.

Niko Goodrum will play a bit more, but likely is destined to become a free agent that moves on.

Ryan Kriedler perhaps gets a shot in a year or so. He's an interesting option that might surprise us.

Gage Workman is rising pretty fast. He has a chance to be the guy one day for several years.

Izaac Pacheco will be given a chance to play short, but I am inclined to see him become the eventual long term option at third-base.

Others - Reyes, Santana, and some other international signings could emerge too. There has been a major investment in talent that we barely know anything about.

Outfield -

It seems just too hard to list any single spot to say it will be led by one or a group of certain players. Several of the infielders will likely see time in the outfield too, and we also have Haase playing LF, so other catchers may get that opportunity too.

Grossman will likely move on after his second year contract is over. He's been a good addition, if not spectacular one.

Baddoo likely will be around for a long time (5 years, if not even longer). I hope he emerges as a star.

Cameron has potential to become a regular, but it's up to him to hit regularly.

Hill is so good of a defensive center fielder, if he can hit .250 or so and be a productive hitter, I see him with the Tigers for some time too.

Reyes seems to fallen off a cliff. I hope he returns to his former self, but we will have to wait and see. The clock on his free agency doesn't help his case to stick with the Tigers.

Stewart seems destined to move on. Jones too. Mazera as well.

Robson and Woodrow seem like they deserve some chance, but there really isn't much roster space to play with.

Greene, Carpenter, Packard, Cabrera, Campos, De La Cruz, de la Cruz, Meadows, Bojarski, Liniak and recent draft picks Murr and Schultz are lining up to be considerations. Of course, Riley Greene is in the lead.

With the position not likely to need more than 5 on the Tigers' roster at any time, opportunities and chances to stick will be limited and definitely prized.

Starting Pitchers -

This is probably above all the most important piece of the Tigers' resurgence. Mize, Manning, Skubal, Turnbull, and Boyd form a great rotation, but it is likely to continue to evolve, especially as Boyd and Turnbull reach their free agency period.

Knocking on the door are Wentz, Faedo, Rony Garcia, Lange, Rodriguez, and perhaps someone like Hutchison. A little further back in line are maybe Shore and Brieske. Soon to be in contention I believe will be Ty Madden, Dylan Smith, and even Jackson Jobe, if things go smoothly in their minor league debuts. Matthison, Kohlhepp, Hurter, Marks, Burhenn, Petit, Holub, Anderson, and Haase might prove to have one or two surprises in store too.

Retaining some veteran free agent talent likely will be key to sustaining success given inning limits for young arms is vitally important. Julio Teheran might be renewed despite the huge disappointment he had in 2021. Jose Urena has to re-establish himself. Wily Peralta is making a longer term case. Derek Holland seems unlikely to be in the picture.

Long relievers could be another instrumental part of the Tigers' strategy. Funkhouser, Alexander, Norris, Fulmer, Farmer, and others that are toiling in the minors in this role could be drafted into this role for the long term.

Relief Pitchers -

For some reason this season has proven to show us we have a wealth of relief pitchers brewing and getting ready to emerge as a dominate group. Soto, Funkhouser, Fulmer, and Alexander showed a ton of promise.

There look to be a ton more ready to hit the stage too. Foley, Bryan Garcia, Jimenez, Blackwood, Carlton, W Pinto, Ecker, Del Pozo, Hess, Houston, and literally tens more pitchers seem to be reaching new levels of efficiency and capability to stock the bullpen with quality.

Retaining this talent will likely become a new challenge and this also might be how the Tigers envision adding new talent to their pipeline. Trading desirable pitching prospects is still big business in baseball. Rather than letting Rule 5 picks be the end of the line for Tiger prospects, they could be moved two for one, or simply for a position of greater need.

The option of sending two good prospects for one great one, really is appealing, but I don't know how viable it is as an option. It starts to become more and more evident that baseball, like all sports, is a game of very, very few opportunities and roles at the highest levels.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.