ICYMI: MCB Digest–Detroit Tigers Week That Was

Oct 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman

(24) prior to game three of the 2014 ALDS baseball playoff game against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

You have made it. Made it to the weekend and made it through another week, which means we are just about three weeks out from pitchers and catchers reporting to Lakeland, Florida to begin yet another Detroit Tigers’ season.

In the meantime, the writers of Motor City Bengals kept the fires burning and provided top-notch analytical views of YOUR Detroit Tigers.

Take the slideshow joy ride and check out everything you may have missed from this week.

Zane Stalberg kicked off the week and looked at the Tigers as they currently stand. While they are definitely different, Zane feels they are also a better team than a year ago.

The 2015 Detroit Tigers will be new, but improved

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"When the Detroit Tigers first take the field in 2015 there will be just as many new faces around the diamond as there are familiar ones. However, to improve is to change. And, despite significant departures, the Detroit Tigers will be better in 2015 than they were in 2014. It starts with defense. Up the middle the Tigers project to be one of the best teams in baseball. Between Ian Kinsler and Alex Avila, alone, the Tigers were worth 4.1 wins above replacement in 2014, and you can expect that number to be much higher when you supplement Andrew Romine and Eugenio Suarez with Jose Iglesias and add Anthony Gose. Iglesias, in particular, will have an effect on the Tigers’ defensive efficiency. Having a defensive wizard like Iglesias back in the fold makes the Tigers better not only at short, but at third as well, by limiting the amount of plays Nick Castellanos will have to make. Castellanos posted a -2.8 dWAR in 2014. On paper, the Tigers will be much better defensively. And, not just up the middle, either. Yoenis Cespedes who posted a dWAR of 0.6 in Oakland (0.5 in Boston), and led the league in outfield assists (16) in 2014, will replace Torii Hunter who posted a -1.9 dWAR last year. READ MORE"

Last Saturday was TigerFest and one of the hot topics on that cold day was that the Tigers and David Price seem mutually interested in working on a long-term extension past Price’s final season before free agency in 2015.  Tom Zahari thinks this may be a bad idea.

David Price Should Not Sign a Long Term Extension with the Detroit Tigers

"It is rare that someone actually thinks about a player’s needs on a team before we think of the team’s needs, but let’s take a look at David Price’s needs now. David Price would be foolish to sign a long-term extension with the Detroit Tigers before he tests free agency next offseason. Price is easily going to be the most pursued free agent in next year’s class. He is a top 5 left handed starting pitcher in the baseball. A top of the line lefty is more prized than a top of the line right handed pitcher like Max Scherzer. The Tigers tried to get a deal done with Scherzer, but he decided to test free agency and was rewarded with $66 million more than his original offer. Reports surfaced earlier this week that Price would be open to signing a long-term deal with the Tigers and he would be excited if the Tigers signed one of Price’s closest friends in baseball, James Shields. Price also acknowledged one free agency’s perks (and it’s not just the money): “More or less being able to pick where you play. It’s kind of like a video game; you create your player and you’re like, ‘All right, I’m going to play for this team; that’s always enticing. I guess I’m about a week short of six years [in Major League Baseball] now, so at the end of the year I’ll almost have seven, and I guess that’s 32, 33 starts away from being able to pick where you play.” Price hit the nail on the head and basically told Tigers fans in that quote that he will not resign with the team before testing free agency. He is going to be able to go out and pick where he wants to play, where he wants to live, and how much money he wants to make. Even if the Tigers sign Shields, Price would most likely go out and test the open market. READ MORE"