Detroit Tigers: Long-term successors for expensive veterans

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila has done a solid job of improving the outlook for the team’s future in in the past few seasons. Here’s a look at the long-term successors for the team’s veterans.

Detroit Tigers fans are used to seeing the team operate with a high payroll in seasons past.

The Tigers found plenty of success with the method from 2006 onwards, but the team needs to get younger and more cost efficient.

Because of this, the days of adding pricey veteran players are likely over.

As it stands, Detroit still has a handful of high-priced veterans remaining on the team’s roster.

There’s first baseman Miguel Cabrera, designated hitter Victor Martinez, outfielder Justin Upton, starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann and second baseman Ian Kinsler.

All come with varying levels of club control for the future.

Thanks to Avila’s recent work through trades and the draft, the franchise has restocked the farm system with prospects who could, and likely will contribute down the line.

Here’s a look at which Detroit Tigers prospects and young players who could replace veterans like Cabrera, Martinez, Upton, Verlander, Zimmermann and Kinsler in the coming seasons, or further down the line in the future.

Projecting which prospects will devolpe isn’t an exact science as some don’t pan out, but these look like the best bets to be key contributors for the Tigers down the road.

Justin Upton’s long-term successor: Christin Stewart or Jose Azocar

Forecasting Justin Upton’s long-term heir-apparent in left field is a bit trickier.

Per Spotrac, Upton can opt out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers after this season. If he doesn’t, he’ll have four seasons left on a deal that runs through 2021.

Should the 29-year-old opt out and seek another payday on the free agent market, the most likely replacement for Upton is prospect Christin Stewart.

Stewart has played predominantly played in left field as a professional so the team wouldn’t have to transition a player in from a different position.

Stewart should also bring similar production to Upton in terms of power.

The 23-year-old has mashed 54 home runs since the start of last season. He also has a penchant for drawing walks.

However, if Upton opts in, he’s obviously the team’s left fielder for the long haul.

Should that happen, Stewart would likely slide over to right field in the Majors.

As it stands, the Tigers have utilized a mix of Alex Presley, Jim Adduci and Andrew Romine in right field since dealing J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 18.

The trio have performed admirably, but Stewart is the better long-term fit in the outfield corners.

Having both Upton and Stewart on the roster would give Detroit a deep lineup that would also feature Miguel Cabrera, Mikie Mahtook, Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario.

In that scenario, Upton’s outfield successor would likely be an outfield prospect in the lower minors like Jose Azocar, Reynaldo Rivera or Jacob Robson who debuts in the Majors towards the end of Upton’s contract.

Justin Verlander’s long-term successor: Beau Borrows or Alex Faedo

As is the case with Justin Upton, finding a long-term replacement for Justin Verlander in the farm system isn’t the easiest task.

Detroit does have starters with ace-like upside.

However, regardless of what young pitching prospects ascend to the rotation, the reality is that Michael Fulmer will be the team’s ace after Verlander.

When Verlander departs Detroit remains to be seen.

The team could conceivably trade him in the offseason, or he could play out the rest of his Hall of Fame career with an Old English “D” embroidered on his hat.

If he’s traded, the closest of the Detroit Tigers’ top starting pitching prospects to the Majors is Beau Burrows.

Beau Burrows

The 20-year-old was only promoted to Double-A in early June, but he looks like he’s already starting to figure things out in a league where the competition is on average 4.4 years older than he is.

Burrows had a rough three-star stretch from June 18 to June 29 (19 hits, 14 earned runs and eight walks allowed in 13.1 innings), but has looked promising since.

The right-hander owns a 3.07 ERA in 38.1 innings, spanning seven starts, since.

Burrows struck out 10 batters on two different occasions in the last few weeks, and held the opposition hitless in his start Saturday.

The flame-throwing right hander scattered two walks over six frames, striking out eight in the process.

Considering he’s further along than the likes of Manning, Kyle Funkhouser and Alex Faedo, Burrows seems the most likely to step in for Justin Verlander among Detroit’s top pitching prospects.

In a similar vein to Upton and Stewart, Verlander and Burrows could very well inhabit the same rotation in a few years’ time.

If that is the case and Justin Verlander stays in Detroit long term, his eventual replacement will likely be a starter currently a few years away like Faedo, Gregory Soto or Sandy Baez.

Jordan Zimmermann long-term replacements: TBD

Jordan Zimmermann hasn’t exactly been the frontline pitcher that Detroit Tigers fans hoped he would be when the veteran signed as a free agent the offseason before last.

He’s certainly shown flashes of it at times, but Zimmermann has pitched more like a mid-rotation arm for the Tigers.

Because of this, he is slightly easier to replace than some of Detroit’s best players from a WAR standpoint like Upton and Verlander.

Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris are ready-made replacements on the Major League roster, while Triple-A Starter Myles Jaye (3.92 ERA in 43.2 innings) could consistently contribute as a starter as early as next season.

Looking to the farm system, Double-A starter Tyler Alexander is another name to watch.

The former second-round pick could also be contributing to the Tigers a year from now.

Ian Kinsler’s long-term successor: Dixon Machado

Ideally, Machado would replace Jose Iglesias in the long run.

Detroit could shift someone like Isaac Paredes, Dawell Lugo or Sergio Alcantara to second in the future.

For now though, Dixon Machado is the closest thing to a best bet as Kinsler’s successor.

Kinsler and Jose Iglesias are both controllable through next season.

If both infielders stay with the Detroit Tigers through the end of their respective deals and then depart, Machado would be left to handle shortstop.

In this situation, second base could be conceivably handled by Lugo or another prospect in 2019.

Paredes may be a bit further away than Lugo. However, at this point, if Paredes continues to rake at higher levels in the minors, he could conceivably arrive sooner than expected.

The former Chicago Cubs farmhand shows an advance approach at the plate and is hitting .277 with a .792 OPS at the Single-A level.

He’s also added 62 RBI, 27 doubles and 11 home runs in 436 plate appearances against competition that is on average 3.2 years older than him.

What’s more, the 18-year-old has only struck out 57 times on the season.

Next: Starting in 2018, perhaps a bit sooner, bullpen will get younger. This is good.

A future infield consisting of some combination of Paredes, Machado, Jeimer Candelario and Jose King is certainly something to get excited about.