Detroit Tigers: Three big questions for the next 99 games

After Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Royals in Kansas City, the Detroit Tigers officially have 99 games left in the 2019 season.

We’re not even halfway through the 2019 Detroit Tigers season yet, but with 99 games left, it gives us an opportunity to look at the state of the team and what moves should be made going forward. So, let’s examine some of the biggest questions for the Tigers in the 99 remaining games of 2019.

Detroit Tigers- Should Matthew Boyd Be Traded?

In a rotation plagued by injuries so far this season, Matthew Boyd has become the new ace for a struggling Tigers pitching staff. Boyd has a 5-4 record through 14 starts so far in 2019 with a solid 3.08 ERA. He is by far the best starter Detroit has that could be traded but would sending him away be a good thing?

Boyd could easily be dealt away for a decent return in the form of prospects to any team at the deadline who is looking to add one last arm to help with a playoff push. However, Boyd is under contract with the team through 2022, and could still serve a pretty good purpose for the Detroit Tigers.

Boyd could serve as the closest thing this team has to an ace to keep the starting pitching staff somewhat afloat for the rest of the season. He could also be an experienced mentor for some of the pitching prospects who may be in the major leagues later this year. The Boyd question is a tough one, and the answer may not come until on the day of the trade deadline.

Detroit Tigers- Is The Offense Gonna Stay This Bad?

Of course, we all know just how insufferable the Tigers have been at the plate for much of 2019. Despite a few games here and there where fans might witness an offensive explosion, Detroit has had trouble putting up runs all season long.

There have been a few bright spots, such as Ronny Rodríguez’s explosive stretch at the plate in early May or JaCoby Jones’ current string of production in the batter’s box that has lasted over two weeks. Impressive stretches of performances like that are few and far between and don’t last forever, and one guy can’t carry an entire offense no matter how hot he might be.

This Tigers team is second to last in the entire MLB in runs scored and team home runs, and an aging Miguel Cabrera leads the team in RBI despite being a shell of his former self. In the last 99 games, we might see a few more exciting performances from some guys here and there, but don’t count on things improving a whole lot at all when it comes to offense.

Detroit Tigers- When Does Call-Up Season Really Begin?

It’s no secret that 2019 is completely focused on rebuilding for the Detroit Tigers. With some prospects showing a great deal of improvement and promise in the minor leagues, there’s reason to believe that GM Al Avila may not wait until September to start making serious moves when it comes to calling up prospects.

Obviously, former number one overall pick Casey Mize comes to mind as the starting pitcher has completely lit up the minors so far this year. However, don’t forget about arms like Kyle Funkhouser and Beau Burrows, whom GM Al Avila said last week could make their MLB debuts before Mize once they fully recover from their respective injuries.

As for offensive prospects, OF Daz Cameron and INF Willi Castro are a couple of guys who have put on some impressive performances at the plate in Toledo this year and could likely see some time on the Tigers big league roster before 2019 ends.

All in all, I don’t think Tigers fans will have to wait until September to see some of these players make their MLB debuts. It seems that around late July or early August is when we may see Avila start calling up players in droves to test their skills in the big leagues, but it could be even sooner than that.

What are your biggest questions for the next 99 games? Feel free to let us know in the comments section down below.