Detroit Tigers: Our Tiger themed Christmas Wish List

In the spirit of the holiday season, the writers at Motor City Bengals came up with our very own Detroit Tigers-themed Christmas list.

Detroit Tigers’ players probably want the same things for Christmas that we all want: health, happiness, time spent with our families, and for the Tigers to not finish last in 2018.

Tigers fans are mentally preparing for the upcoming rebuild here in the Motor City. While it has not been easy to see players like Justin Verlander and Ian Kinsler traded, it is a necessary part of tearing a franchise down.

Still, just because the team is unlikely to compete in 2018 does not mean there is not a reason for optimism and hope heading into the new year. Whether it is seeing your favorite veteran return to form or seeing a new face develop into a star, there is plenty to watch out for next season.

Here at Motor City Bengals, each of the writers has come up with one thing we want from the Detroit Tigers for Christmas this year.

We compiled it into a list (and checked it twice) and posted it here.

First up is Andy Patton’s wish: A return to form for 38-year-old designated hitter Victor Martinez.

Hey, we can dream, right? This is a wish list after all.

In all honesty, there is a reason for optimism surrounding V-Mart heading into his 16th big league season.

Why it could happen

Martinez posted nearly identical walk and strikeout percentages in 2017 as he did in 2016. Additionally, his hard-hit rate and medium-hit rate increased while his soft-hit rate went down between 2016 and 2017.

So Martinez’s walk numbers and strikeout numbers were the same and he was hitting the ball harder in 2017 than in 2016. Yet the results look backwards.

In 2016, Martinez hit .289 with 27 home runs and a 119 wRC+. However, things went south in 2017, where Martinez hit a career-low .255 with only 10 home runs and a career-low 85 wRC+.

Some key differences may have been a product of bad luck for V-Mart.

For starters, Martinez had a BABIP of .303 in 2016. That dropped down to .280 in 2017. His career mark is .309.

Speed plays a big factor in BABIP, and Martinez has slowed down considerably in his later years. It doesn’t seem likely he will every see that .309 mark again, but .280 is the second-lowest mark of his career, and as long as he is still hitting the ball hard he should see that number improve in 2018. If those numbers climb back around the .295 range, V-Mart should hit closer to .275.

With his 8.5% walk-rate, his OBP should climb back into the .350 range.

Power was a big problem for Martinez in 2017. While his hard-hit rate actually improved, he was not getting the ball up in the air enough to generate any home runs. His fly-ball percentage was over 38% three years in a row before dropping to 34.2% in 2017. His ground-ball rate jumped up to 42.1%, his highest since 2011.

Decreasing speed and a higher rate of ground balls is not a recipe for success for Martinez, and it showed last season.

However, a small adjustment to a more fly-ball conducive swing (factoring in the ever popular launch angle) could work wonders for V-Mart next year.

His age and declining bat speed mean he is unlikely to be a star again, but returning to .270 with over 20 home runs and a .350 OBP would be a great bonus for a rebuilding Tigers team.

The Tigers owe Victor Martinez $18MM dollars next year. Unless they trade him or he retires (neither are very likely) he will be in the lineup on a regular basis at designated hitter. It benefits the Tigers tremendously if he is able to regain some of his power and have a strong (likely final) season in Detroit.

Next up is Adam McIntosh’s wish: The Tigers sign Tim Lincecum to a deal.

This is probably the least likely of our Christmas wishes, but I think its the best one and the most controversial.

The Detroit Tigers are looking for starting pitchers still and one not in the “Maserati” section.

Enter, Tim Lincecum. He hasn’t played in the bigs since 2016. But the 33-year old is looking ripped (although he always looked to be in better shape). Of course, nothing is set in stone at this point. But, he was seen working out, bulked up and is reportedly eyeing an MLB comeback.

This is after he seemingly just vanished into thin air.

If there wasn’t some truth to these rumors then that photo wouldn’t have ever surfaced.

Lincecum is only 33, he won two Cy Youngs before 25, by 27 he had been a four-time all-star. Then in 2016 he appeared to be done with baseball and the public eye after posting  a 2-6 record with a 9.16 ERA, 5.4 BB/9, and 7.5 SO/9 over 38.1 innings with the Angels.

The Detroit Tigers are in rebuild mode, signing Lincecum is a relatively low-risk move for the Tigers. It’s a gamble but if Lincecum were to have a bounce-back year, it could bring the Detroit Tigers some prospects if they were to ship him away at the trade deadline or during the offseason.

Next up is our newest contributor, Nic Stevens. He is wishing for a bounceback from young left-hander Daniel Norris.

My Tigers Christmas Wish

The 2018 Detroit Tigers will be the first full season in their brand-new rebuilding phase. They have started to restock their barren farm system and now, according to MLB.com, they have four Top 100 prospects. All four are right handed starting pitchers, and two are already at Double A Erie. They could still use some more prospects and one way is to trade closer Shane Greene.

I wish the Detroit Tigers would trade Shane Greene. Greene did a nice job in the closer role down the stretch last year, collecting nine saves. He had an ERA of 2.66 and a 9.7 K/9. Greene also finished the 2017 season with a WAR of 2.4. He also has three years of team control left. However, there are some underlying peripherals that are worrying.

Shane Greene had 4.5 BB/9 and a FIP of 3.84. Steamer also predicts him to have an FIP over 4 in 2018 while Baseball-Reference predicts him to have an ERA of almost 4.5 and a WHIP of 1.343. Greene’s first two seasons in Detroit are also something to remember, as he had a negative WAR in both seasons.

That is why I wish the Tigers would trade Shane Greene. He had a decent 2017 and his stock might never be as high as it is right now. Several teams have already asked about Greene, so the interest is there. Every team needs pitching and Greene can pitch in any situation; and with his three years of team control left he would be very easy to trade.

Now, what could the Tigers get for Shane Greene? With every team needing pitching and willing to over pay, The Tigers could probably get a lower top 10 prospect and a lower top 30 prospect. They can not get a top 100 prospect, but to be more specific they could get a #9 and #25 prospect I believe. Similar to what they received for Justin Upton. If they were to trade Greene I would hope it would be for a middle infielder and a left handed starting pitcher. We profiled a couple Greene trade options here and here.

Who takes over in Detroit?

Answer is, Alex Wilson with Joe Jimenez getting some save opportunities as well. Alex Wilson has been a very reliable and durable reliever for the Tigers. Yes, 2017 was not great, but he still gave the Tigers some innings and only had 2.3 BB/9. His FIP was also lower than his ERA at 4.17 and while he did go on the disabled list, it was due to a freak accident of a batted ball hitting his leg.

Jimenez struggled mightily in his first taste of the major leagues. He had an ERA of over 12, and FIP of 5.84, over 4 BB/9, a WAR of -1.1, and a WHIP over 2. However, he is only going to be 23 all of 2018 and his minor league numbers are superb, and he did have 8 K/9. Jimenez is still viewed as the closer of the future, just like Bruce Rondon! Thankfully, Jimenez has shown better control and better numbers overall in the minors than Rondon.

So, that is my Christmas wish for the Detroit Tigers. Happy Holidays!

Next: The Corner: Holiday Edition

So there you have it – four Tigers fans proposing their wishes for this offseason and beyond. Rebuilding is tough, but the Tigers can certainly give us plenty to be excited about next season.

From all of us at Motor City Bengals, Happy Holidays!