Tigers Offseason - Position Players

Its amazing to think that just 6 months ago the Tigers were the World Series favorite and yet they ended the year under .500, and in last place in the American League Central. So, was last year a fluke, or do the Tigers have serious offseason needs that have to be addressed in order for them to reach the playoffs yet again?

I am going to go through the three main departments of the Tigers team (starters, bullpen, and position players) and analyze the options and likely moves by the Tigers this off-season. In addition I will state what I think the Tigers need in order to make a serious run at the playoffs next year.

Here is the current status of our positional players:

1B - Miguel Cabrera
2B - Placido Polonco
3B - Brandon Inge
SS - Ramon Santiago
CF - Curtis Granderson
RF - Magglio Ordonez
LF - Carlos Guillen
C - Dusty Ryan
DH - Gary Sheffield

Reserves:
Ryan Raburn or Matt Hollimon
Matt Joyce
Marcus Thames
Vance Wilson or FA????

Well, on its face, the Tigers lineup certainly does not lack power. This is certainly a lineup that can still score runs. What it lacks is speed and a reliable catcher.

First of all, for some ridiculous reason, this organization believes in Gary Sheffield. He has played well for 3 weeks as a Tiger in 2007, and about 4 games in 2008. I have to believe his career as a feared hitter is over. However, he is here to stay and cannot be moved.

A player who could be moved, however, is Magglio. A fan favorite and has been nothing but consistent. I think the Tigers would really miss his production if they were to trade him. I know he makes a lot of money, but he is one of the few Tigers with large contracts that are actually justifying the amount of zeros on their checks.

Bottom Line: I am only trading Ordonez for a LEFT HANDED, bat with some speed. That basically narrows it down to Nick Markakis, Michael Bourn, Adam Ethier, and Josh Anderson. None of these guys are really that likely to be traded for Magglio. Maybe Ethier could be added if the Dodgers are desperate to replace Manny with another RBI guy. This trade is not likely, and really Ethier doesn't have that great of speed. But again, I am only willing to trade Magglio for a talented, left handed outfielder with some speed who is MLB ready. Those guys are not in great supply, so their asking price will be high. But, if the deal is right, I would be okay with trading Magglio.

As for the catching position, Gregg Zaun is an option through free agency. However, I personally think Zaun is awful. I would only sign him if it was for a very minimal price. 38 year old catchers scare me. Miguel Olivo is another option if the Marlins don't pick up his option. But, I dont really think either of these guys is better than Dusty Ryan (and thats saying something). The Tigers are not a young pitching staff anymore, and a veteran catcher is probably overrated at this point. I would rather see Brandon continue to catch on an occasional basis, allowing the Tigers more flexibility.

As for the Shortstop position, we can throw out names like Furcal, but that simply wont happen. Santiago deserves that spot after his solid 2008. Plus he provides far better defense in the 6 hole than either Guillen or Rentaria did. Defense is important and something the 2008 Tigers seriously lacked. Our Infield will be very solid defensively with Inge, Santiago, Polanco and Cabrera. Cabrera should be a lot better after having a year under his belt at first.

Personally, I wouldnt change this at all. I mean I would love to add Carl Crawford for speed, but then where do you put Guillen? In addition, Crawford will cost a lot of money, something the Tigers are trying to avoid.

My Lineup:

Granderson
Polanco
Cabrera
Ordonez
Guillen
Sheffield
Santiago
Inge
Ryan

The only real shocker in that lineup is moving Cabrera to 3. Seems like a logical move though because his bat is something I want up as many times as possible.

If I were GM, I wouldn't change a thing. Make Inge my backup catcher, make Guillen my backup 3rd baseman, and make Joyce my backup outfielder. If Inge simply will not comply with catching any longer, then go out and sign a CHEAP free agent catcher. That's it.

The Tigers will score runs again. Miguel Cabrera is a superstar and can carry this team offensively, but some contributions from Sheffield would really be nice. I really wish I could add some speed and plug that hypothetical, fast player 9th in the lineup. But, really the only way that happens is if you trade Ordonez.

So you might as well stand pat and hope for better 2 out hitting than last year. Combat you lack of speed with hit and runs and sacrifice flies.

Despite a terrible year by Sheffield and Rentaria, the Tigers were 5th in the Major Leagues in runs scored and 6th in average. The offense isn't what needs fixing, so the money and offseason time should not be spent fixing the offense. The focus is pitching and bullpen. So I say stand pat unless you get a great offer that fits my criteria for Magglio.