Writer: Gage O'Leary
Twitter: @Deep_Shot_Gage
Twitter: @DeepShotSports
The 2022 season has been a complete disaster for the Detroit Tigers organization. Starting with the great potential the young rotation showed, just to be ripped apart by injuries. It's honestly like an EF-5 tornado ripped through the Tigers starting rotation. The hype grew larger as it seemed Detroit was building around the young, talented rotation, adding LHP Eduardo Rodriguez in the off-season. Rodriguez has been a no show since recovering from an injury more then a month ago... It wasn't until a few days ago that the Tigers front office/coaching staff finally heard from the southpaw. Why has E-Rod been absent?... Nobody knows that answer right now and it's not really all that important. Rodriguez is expected to return some time next month... Detroit added some pieces to they're lineup this off-season, most notably Javier Bàez who signed a 6-year contract worth 140 million dollars before the MLB Lockout was in affect. He certainly hasn't been lighting the world on fire this season, but nobody in the lineup has... Trading for OF, Austin Meadows at the tail end of Spring Training looked like perhaps the greatest move GM' Al Avila made in his tenior with Detroit, but that's turned out to make the Tigers look even more like the laughing stock of Major League Baseball as the player sent to the Tampa Bay Rays in that deal, 3B, Issac Paredes has been really good this season, he started out as the hottest hitter in Baseball, hitting HR after HR. He's batting .216, with 13 HR's, 28 RBI's, .779 OPS... Obviously those numbers aren't gonna jump out at anybody, but his start to the year has people thinking it was of the worst trades of the off-season. I've been disagreeing with those statements all year, what he did starting out was certainly impressive, but I'm confident Meadows will be the better player moving forward... It did though get to the point where Rays coaches were mocking the Tigers for the trade... Since then it's been a miserable season for Detroit, and after hearing Ken Rosenthal's report, it's likely gonna get worse...
What a difference April to July has made for Tigers fans. Chris Ilitch, Owner of the Detroit Tigers, said in an interview in the first week of April as the Tigers were preparing to kick off the season against the Whitesoxs at Comerica Park, that the Tigers rebuild was "100 percent over"... Yeah, okay, sure it is Chris! Fast forward to now and per, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic the Tigers are willing to Trade LHP Tarik Skubal as well as "About everyone else"... Does that sound like a team that's rebuild is 100% over? No, it absolutely does not. Now many would think this is Al Avila's last chance to prove he should be running an MLB Franchise, many others believe he's already proven he isn't deserving of his position as Tigers GM, and I have to say that both sides are correct... After this horrible start to the year and the fact that the Tigers are going to go another year without a winning record under Avila, he should probably been let go by now for sure, is he all to blame? No, we have a awful owner who doesn't really seem to care as much about the team and his statement at the Redwings press conference introducing HC' Derek Lalonde to Hockeytown proved that as he was asked about the Tigers season and he somehow said he was "Pleased" with the progress this season... Of course he isn't gonna go on about how bad they've been this year but to say he's PLEASED is ridiculous. Skubal is the best pitcher on Detroit's roster, and although he's a bit streaky he has insane potential so it's scary to think Al Avila might send him away to some other team. Could it be a good thing, yes, but with Al Avila calling those shots it's a scary thing to go through as a Tigers fan myself... If the Tigers are gonna trade Tarik it's gonna have to come with a huge haul for the Tigers, and I'm not sure I'm confident in Al to make the correct trade. They also mentioned that "Everyone else" is on the trade block, what players could be most likely be on the way out?...
I don't know about the majority of other Tigers fans out there but I am relieved that I know that we may see some familiar faces leaving at the deadline, rather than being blindsided if Skubal or someone else I was expecting to stay in the D was traded. You just know however that the front office has an idea of who they will most likely move if a offer is on the table, who are they?... The last couple years, Michael Fulmer's name has been thrown around a lot at this time of year, with the front office looking like they're willing to atleast browse the trade market with most the players on their roster it seems that may be this season is the likeliest that we see Fulmer out the door, and that breaks my heart. Not sure what a trade package featuring Fulmer would look like but I'd assume a young bat would be heading the Tigers way... Joe Jimenez has been with the Tigers for a few years now and he hasn't returned to his All-Star form but he has been somewhat better this season, may he be packing his bag at the deadline?... Perhaps Gregory Soto would bring a bigger haul back to the Motor City then any other bullpen arm on the roster, he's a back-to-back all-star and is a flame throwing Closer. Any contender who's closing role isn't necessarily locked in would be happy to have him and the "contender" probably wouldn't mind giving up a good young bat in they're farm system for him... I'd be most comfortable trading Andrew Chafin at the deadline, the Vet has pitched really well for Detroit but is on a 1-year contract, and newsflash Detroit isn't making the playoffs this season, so, getting something for Chafin makes all the sense in the world...
What is Avila's approach at the deadline?:
For me Al is gonna have one of these 3 approaches:
1.Trade arms, young and/or old for young bats
2.Trade someone like Skubal and make moves for proven MLB bats who you feel you can gain control (contract wise) of for multiple years
3.Take the offers as they come and be conservative
NOTES: The best young bat on the trade block is reigning HR Derby champion and Nationals OF, Juan Soto and while I believe the Tigers have the pieces to easily do it, it's a dream that'll never come true, mostly because of Chris Ilitch and less because of Avila. Acquiring some young bats should be the #1 priority for Al and the Tigers, even if it's not a player of Soto's caliber.
I wanna hear what you think about the upcoming deadline Tigers fans... Please vote below
Will the Tigers improve or decline at the Trade deadline on Aug. 2nd?
0%Improve
0%Decline
____
Thank you for reading.
Comments