Detroit Tigers: 5 offseason tasks that need to be accomplished

Too many outfielders?

It’s hard to see a rebuilding team getting rid of players, but the Tigers have more major league ready outfielders than they have room for. As of now, the Tigers will go into 2019 with the following players having big league experience in the outfield: Nicholas Castellanos, JaCoby Jones, Mikie Mahtook, Jim Adduci, Christin Stewart, Dustin Peterson (who they claimed earlier this month) and Victor Reyes. That doesn’t count Niko Goodrum or Ronny Rodriguez, although both have played in the outfield as well.

They need to find a way to clear some roster space, especially if they want guys like Stewart and Gerber to get a shot at consistent playing time. I’d imagine JaCoby Jones will get every chance to start in center field, with Christin Stewart in left and Castellanos in right.

They have a few options to clear things out.

Victor Reyes

For starters, Reyes will mercifully be eligible for the minor leagues next season. He should start out in Triple-A, and honestly unless he hits the crap out of the ball he should probably spend the entire season there. His performance this year makes it pretty obvious he needs more seasoning before he can be a regular big leaguer. Remember, he came to the Tigers having never played at Triple-A.

Mikie Mahtook

Mahtook is reaching his first year of arbitration eligibility, meaning the team could choose to non-tender him and allow him to become a free agent. The 28-year-old had a horrendous start to the season, but has slashed .254/.359/.522 with six home runs in his last 20 games. It would be hard to lose a veteran like Mahtook, but he doesn’t project to be a part of the team’s future and his spot could go to Gerber or Peterson – younger players who need a chance to show what they can do at the big league level.

Nicholas Castellanos

One option the Tigers could explore is moving Castellanos – either to a new position (more on that later) or to a new team via trade. If the Tigers and Castellanos don’t work out a contract extension, it is quite likely the team will trade him to a contender before he hits free agency in 2020. They could choose to pull the trigger on a trade sooner than later, if they feel they can get the right value for him.

The Others

Adduci is a AAAA guy who could spend more time in AAA next season, as he will still have a minor league option remaining next season. Peterson is only 23, and while he has hit well at Triple-A the Tigers may feel he and Gerber are better suited for Triple-A duty to start the season.

If nothing changes, I predict a Tigers starting outfield of Stewart, Jones and Castellanos with Peterson and maybe Gerber on the opening day roster as well.

Who’s on First?

There’s little doubt that Miguel Cabrera will return to the Detroit Tigers as a full-time designated hitter. Victor Martinez has announced that the 2018 season will be his last, freeing up at-bats at DH. Cabrera’s myriad of health issues in the last couple seasons make it a necessity to keep him off the field as often as possible, so that he can remain healthy to play out the remainder of his eight-year, $240 million dollar contract.

As such, the team needs a first baseman heading into next season. First is one of Detroit’s weakest positions in the minor leagues, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It does require them to find either an in-house alternative or a cheap free agent stopgap for 2019.

John Hicks sits atop the depth chart at the moment, having filled in while Miggy was hurt. Hicks played 59 games at first base in 2018 before injuries cost him the rest of the year. He slashed .260/.312/.403 with nine home runs and was serviceable defensively. The problem is that Hicks is supposed to be Detroit’s backup catcher. Having him start at first base means that Grayson Greiner or another veteran on a minor league deal will need to fill in behind the dish when James McCann needs a break. That’s okay, but it seems odd to utilize Hicks as a first baseman when a big chunk of his value comes from his ability to work behind the dish.

Jim Adduci is an option as well, having played 38 games at first this season. He’s approaching 34 and has never played more than 50 games in a big league season however, so expecting him to be Detroit’s starting first baseman would not be ideal. He’s hitting .284 this year, but has virtually no power to speak of and is more of a bench bat than anything.

Lastly, the Tigers could opt to move Castellanos to first base, although switching his position for a third time seems cruel and unnecessary at this point.

That leads us to the free agent market, where the Tigers could likely find a cheap stop-gap for 2019. If they find someone who plays well, they could always deal them at the trade deadline for more prospects as well.

Here are a few names to consider: Matt Adams, Lucas Duda, Logan Morrison, Steve Pearce, Mark Reynolds and Luis Valbuena.

Getting a Shortstop

Unlike first base, the Detroit Tigers actually have a lot of middle infield prospects in the minor leagues. Again, very few of them are ready for the major leagues. With veteran Jose Iglesias set to hit free agency at the end of this season, the team needs to decide how they want to handle one of the most important positions on the diamond in 2019.

Obviously one option would be to re-sign Iglesias. With a limited shortstop market, it’s possible the Tigers could get him back on an affordable one or two-year contract. Iglesias is going to have a hard time finding a starting job on the open market, and Detroit may be able to get him back and consider flipping him at the deadline if a team presents themselves with a need at shortstop.

Internally, the team has Goodrum, Rodriguez, Lugo and Dixon Machado all capable of playing shortstop. One of them, likely Goodrum or Lugo, will need to be the regular second baseman. Rodriguez and Machado have not hit exceptionally well this season, and neither look like future big league regulars. They could certainly fill in for a year if needed, but Detroit will have some extra money to play with this offseason (thanks Victor) and might as well make sure they have someone who is capable of playing short at the position.

Plus, if they sign a veteran and they play well – they could deal them for more prospects at the trade deadline. By that point it’s possible Sergio Alcantara or Willi Castro will be ready for big league action.

A few free agent names to keep an eye on (besides Iglesias): Adeiny Hechavarria, Jordy Mercer, Freddy Galvis and Eduardo Escobar.

More SP Trade Bait

Last offseason, the Detroit Tigers signed two pitchers – Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano – primarily to provide added depth to their rotation but also to serve as July trade bait.

While Liriano is still on the roster, the Tigers were able to ship Fiers to the A’s for prospect Nolan Blackwood and a player to be named later.

While Detroit’s outstanding rotation prospects are inching closer to the big leagues, none of them will be in the rotation to start the season – barring a miracle. As of now, Detroit’s rotation will likely look something like this: Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris, Blaine Hardy and Jordan Zimmermann. The Tigers may want Hardy back in the bullpen, and could certainly use more insurance from injuries and ineffectiveness.

Looking at the free agent market, there are a handful of pitchers Detroit could target on a one-year deal. Pitchers like pitching in the spacious Comerica Park, and if they perform well they know that Avila is willing to send them to contenders to restock the farm.

Here are a few names to keep an eye on: Marco Estrada, Jaime Garcia, Drew Pomeranz, Tyson Ross and Josh Tomlin.

Making the Rule 5 Draft a Success

The Detroit Tigers have not had a ton of success in the rule 5 draft. Chris Shelton was their first overall pick in 2003, and he was solid for two seasons. That same year the Tigers look Lino Urdaneta, and look how that turned out.

Otherwise, most of the players they have picked have not worked out. Daniel Stumpf looked like a solid LOOGY his first season, but blew up this past year and now looks like a fringey bullpen piece going forward.

Victor Reyes has had a rough go of things this season for the Tigers, and he looks ticketed for AAA next season. His ceiling, in my opinion, is of an athletic fourth outfielder – and even then I’m not sure he can reach that potential.

The Tigers will once again have a top five pick in the rule 5 draft. While rule 5 picks rarely work out, it would be really nice if Detroit could add a future bullpen piece next season. Their bullpen has continued to be an issue, and finding a hard-throwing youngster who some team left off their 40-man is a solid risk for this Tigers team to take. Relievers are very common rule 5 selections, as they don’t have to be used all that often and therefore don’t take up as much ‘room’ as a guy like Reyes.

Teams have not begun to set their 40-man rosters, so it’s not feasible to predict which players will be available for Detroit to pick from. However, here are a few recent rule 5 relievers that teams have successfully drafted and retained:

Dylan Covey (CWS) Joe Biagini (TOR) Tommy Kahnle (COL) Hector Rondon (CHC) and Joakim Soria (KCR). Saying the Tigers will find the next Soria or Rondon is far-fetched, but there is talent to be had out there. Using their Rule 5 pick on a hard-throwing reliever could pay dividends for Detroit in the long-run.

It should be another busy offseason for Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila. Rebuilding is not easy, and this team is likely in for another rough 2019 season. However, if they are able to take small steps forward this winter, it could go a long way toward making the return to glory that much sooner.