Detroit Tigers Links: Has Eugenio Suarez stablized shortstop, Tigers leadership & could Huston Street be the answer

Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Eugenio Suarez explodes onto scene, but too early to suggest Detroit Tigers have solved shortstop woes – James Schmehl, MLive.com

"It may take a week, it may take two months, but there’s a strong chance that Suarez’s hot bat will suddenly turn cold. Whether he can pick himself up will help the Tigers better determine if he can be the team’s savior at shortstop or whether the Tigers will need to explore options around the non-waiver trade deadline."

Well of course, Suarez’s bat is going to cool. He won’t be on a pace of hitting 0.5 HR/game and average an RBI per game. Even when that happens, he’ll still present a more formidable challenge than Andrew Romine or Alex Gonzalez had.

Can The Tigers Change History? – CBS Detroit

"The Tigers brought up rookie shortstop Eugenio Suarez to replace the disaster that was Alex Gonzalez, Andrew Romine and Danny Worth – who all tried to replace Jose Iglesias, who the Tigers lost for the entire 2014 season. Nick Castellanos appears to be working out, as Dave Dombrowski intended, as he is hitting .265 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI."

This “change history” part of the article discusses a Tweet from Jon Paul Morosi, which stated that no team in the wild-card era (1995-present) went to the postseason with a rookie SS and 3B combining for more than 210 starts in one season. No matter what the stats say, as mentioned above, Suarez appears to be the best of the options for the Tigers.

What can Detroit Tigers do at closer? Maybe trade for Huston Street? – James Jahnke, Detroit Free Press

"Street often was linked to the Tigers leading up to last season’s trade deadline. And he has been even better this season. In fact, he might be the most impressive closer in the majors thus far. Street is 1-0 with 18 saves, a 1.08 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 25 innings.He is making $7 million this season, and his contract has a team option for $7 million again next season. Nathan (7.04 ERA, 13 saves) is making $10 million this season and has a team option for $10 million next season, with a $1-million buyout."

Huston Street seems like he’s been around forever, but, at the age of 30, he’s actually an astonishing nine years younger than Joe Nathan. Street may be one of the more underrated closers ever. He’s posted 20 or more saves every year since 2009 and in 7 years out of his nine-year career. Still, to me, he’ll always be the pitcher that gave up the pennant-clinching homer to Magglio Ordonez (in a non-save situation) and it will always be in the back of my mind when he comes in to close. And yet, as fans of the Detroit Tigers, we are used to buckling the seat belt when our closer comes in–so he’d fit in perfectly.

Do Detroit Tigers lack leadership – MCB special to the Free Press

"When I look at the Tigers’ roster, I don’t see a natural leader. Miggy is the best player on the team, so some may look to him for guidance. But he seems more focused on his own play than others. Just because someone is a star doesn’t necessarily mean he is a leader, but that also means that the mantle of leadership needs to be picked up by someone else."

The Tigers seem to generally have good team chemistry, which is fine. But when the losses are piling up, someone’s got step up and get angry. Who’s going to be “that guy?”