Put away that "Tigers can't afford a Shortstop" talk, they can, what they can't afford is to not get one of the remaining top free agent Shortstops...
__
Enough is enough. The Tigers have the money, it's time to use it to fill their biggest need. It's not a secret, the Detroit Tigers are on the verge of making a playoff run, they are about one big piece away. A Star free agent Shortstop can give the Tigers the push they need and there is no time to waste.
__
Are the Tigers really gonna test out another season of Willi Castro?. I think not... Issac Paredes?. No, thank you... The Tigers need one of these remaining players.
__
The hot stove in general has gone crazy the past 72 hours, but the SS market is heading up fast. The Rangers have took two of the top options for Detroit off the board by signing, Marcus Semien to a 7-year, 175 Million Dollar Deal, and former Dodger, Corey Seager to a 10-year, 325 Million Dollar Deal. Only four of the top free agent Shortstops remain. If the Tigers don't sign one, then they have failed this off-season...
__
Top 4 remaining free agent Shortstops the Tigers could sign.
1.Carlos Correa, Astros FA
No other Free agent's name has been linked to the Tigers more than Correa. By far, the biggest superstar left on the market, Carlos Correa's relationship with AJ Hinch, current Tigers manager, may give Detroit the edge in the fight for Correa. You can't say that Detroit is underdogs because of a "money problem". Believe me, Detroit can afford Correa. Chris Illitch is the fourth richest owner in Major League Baseball, and the long rebuild the fans of Detroit had to endure has set them up for this moment. Getting the biggest superstar in the market sends a message to the leauge. That message is Detroit isn't messing around and have their eyes on the World Series trophy...
__
2.Trevor Story, Rockies FA
Myself, I think Trevor Story would be an excellent fit for the Tigers. He jumped onto the scene as a rookie and made a huge splash. In his storybook rookie season, Story hit 27 Homeruns, had 101 hits, 72 RBI's, 35 walks, and batted .272... Story reached another milestone in 2021 by competing in the Homerun derby. Story went into round one as a huge underdog, as he faced then Texas Rangers slugger, Joey Gallo. Story took down Gallo in front of his home crowd, but was eliminated in round 2. Trevor Story already has 158 career Homeruns, super impressive for only being 29 years old...
___
3.Javier Bàez, Mets FA
He is 28 and is from Bayamõn, Puerto Rico. He bursted onto the scene as a Chicago Cub. He's one of the most powerful Shortstops in the game, but struggles with a huge flaw. He strikes out at an alarming rate. "El Mago" would without a doubt bring a spark to the Tigers lineup, a spark that Willi Castro couldn't provide. It's the inconsistency of Bàez that made teams hesitant to pull the trigger, and the Tigers may have taken advantage of that. "El Mago" probably didn't rank top 3 among this off-season's stacked Shortstop market before it opened up, but is without a doubt in my mind an upgrade from Castro. Javy Bàez had an up & down 2021 season, his first half and early 2nd half was full of swing & misses and Strikeouts. Something clicked for Bàez later in the year, and he turned things around nicely. Bàez finished 2021 with 31 Home Runs combined with the Cubs & Mets. He had 83 hits, 65 RBI's, and batted .248 as the Cubs Shortstop in 2021. When he was traded to the Mets at the July 31st deadline, the Mets knew they had a project on their hands. They needed to clean up his vision troubles and they ended up doing that later on. Bàez had 50 Hits, 22 RBI's, and batted .299 as a Met. In the 2020, COVID-19 shortened season Bàez batted .203, with 8 Home Runs, 45 hits, and 24 RBI's. That's what Javy's recent stats look like… Bàez has hit 149 career Home Runs in his career, that's really good for a 28 year old. "El Mago" still has room for improvement, and has time to clean up his strike zone issue. This could be an underestimated signing down the road for the Tigers. Bàez would in all likelihood move to the meat of the Tigers order in 2022 if signed...
__
4.Chris Taylor, Dodgers FA
Chris Taylor may not be a household name, but... He would be a lot easier to live with, than Willi Castro, if your a Tigers fan. Taylor has played for two teams in his career, Seattle Mariners from 2014-16 and the Dodgers from 2016-2021. He was traded to LA in that 2016 season and has been a big contributor to the Dodgers playoff run the last few years. You could refer to him as Mr, Clutch. Because that's what he was for LA. Especially after his walkoff Homerun in the sudden death NL Wildcard game in the postseason against the Cardinals. Taylor has 79 career Homeruns, with a career batting average of .261 and a career total of 309 RBI's. If Tigers signed Taylor it may come off as a disappointment at first, but he could turn out to be a very good pick up for them this off-season. If needed Taylor could even play a super utility role, that of course would depend if injuries hurt the Tigers next season...
_
Thanks as always for reading. Happy Holidays!.
Comentários