Detroit Tigers: Wolves at the Door

After less than a week since the opening of a new campaign, we are seeing inherent weaknesses of the Detroit Tigers and looking at a dismal 2018 season.

Certainly, spring training raised the eyebrows of experts and fans alike. The majority of baseball outlets had predicted the Detroit Tigers would finish last in the American League Central and win, perhaps, 65 games. Only Tiger fans could see through the gloom and see a fourth-place finish with over 70 wins.

Even the optimists had to agree that there were potential problems. Pitching and team depth was ever-present concerns even to the casual fan.

While the pitching staff has shown the benefits of the hiring of new pitching coach Chris Bosio, lack of team depth and the failure of timely hitting has led to a dismal 1 and 4 record. Pitching has been beyond anything Tiger fans expected. At this point in the season, only a handful of players are hitting over .250 and the majority of players are batting under .222. On Tuesday, April 3rd, Victor Martinez had a good day at the plate but the Bengals are going nowhere if V-Mart continues to bat under .250. Jacoby Jones continues to hit as he did in Lakeland. But they are only two others with a respectable batting average. Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos are the only other players to be hitting over .280. If this malaise continues 65 wins may be a Godsend.

The cavalry is not on the way. If so, they are led by George Custer. General Manager Al Avila has made it clear that this year’s team will be subtracting not adding.

Next: Previewing the Opening Day Lineup

Had it not been for his below average 2017 season, Miggy would have been traded even if the Tigers had to pick up a large part of his salary. GM Avila has already indicated Jose Iglesias will probably not be with the team by the end of the 2018 season.

The Tigers only recourse is the minor leagues. The cupboard is bare. This will be a long season filled with despair.