Detroit Tigers: Way too early 2022 roster predictions

The Detroit Tigers are winding down the 2021 season and it has been a reasonably enjoyable ride. However, the looming off-season is setting itself up to have some definite roster madness if they start to pursue marquee upgrades to contend in 2022.

The possibilities are widespread. Fans and columnists have been speculating about the Detroit Tigers making a huge splash for an elite shortstop in this year’s market for well over a year.

A.J. Hinch has been stoking speculation with quotes seemingly targeted toward free agents about the bar being raised in Detroit and now is the time to hop on.

Chris Ilitch has mentioned more than once he’d be ready to be aggressive when the time is right. If not now…when? We’ll see if the “fire inside to compete” he touted himself as having is for real or just the rumblings of a bad food truck decision.

Justin Verlander and his brother Ben have talked about a Tigers reunion at various times. As exciting as that prospect is…does it make sense?

The new CBA is going to be fought over this winter as well…what kind of monkey wrench does that throw into the mix? Will it give owners the excuse not to spend? Right now, we don’t know. I do suspect “service time manipulation” will get addressed with some satisfaction landing on the side of the union. This could get Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson to Detroit soon.

Let’s get crazy with this Detroit Tigers roster

This exercise will be strictly about what your kind and friendly author would do. This isn’t what Chris Ilitch will do. It’s not what Al Avila will tell you it’s what he wanted even though we may suspect Hinch is calling the shots.

Here’s how I see it. The Tigers offense is in need of a fair amount of help. They scored a lot of runs in June and July but there was some mirage factor involved. I coined the offense that was struggling in April as “The 2-Run Machine”. They were reliable for two runs a night. That disappeared for a while. However, it’s reappeared in late August with the club currently having scored 2 runs or less at the end of nine innings in 12 of its last 15 games. (Twice in Toronto they were able to add runs in extra innings with help of the ghost runner rule)

The lineup is in desperate need of depth. Jeimer Candelario is a fine player but one gets the sense he should be batting 6th or 7th on a good team instead of 3rd or 5th where he currently works.

This bit of roster speculation will also attempt to stay fiscally sane. Mike Ilitch isn’t rising up from the grave to order a leap toward luxury tax territory. We’ll stay within reason.

At the same time, this organization should comfortably be able to add $60M in payroll to push toward $140M to $150M. I refuse to allow this organization to make an excuse for being over $40M under the league average payroll or having a payroll slightly less than the Oakland A’s. Brad Pitt isn’t playing Al Avila in this movie.

The Tigers just don’t have a ton of trade depth from this view. It’s hard to see anyone the Tigers don’t consider part of the young core having real trade value. Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Robbie Grossman, and a few others aren’t bringing back a whole lot at this stage.

It really does seem like free agent investments are the way to go at this point while the organization does build depth it can deal off for big league help.

It would be great to work out a deal for Arizona’s Ketel Marte, for instance,  but such a deal likely means parting with Tarik Skubal, Dillon Dingler, and others. They might even want Riley Greene. Trading for Marte would sting because of what would need to be offered up, no doubt. Probably not what the Tigers are looking to do.

Will there be a small swap or two by Avila? Most likely. But it’s hard to see a blockbuster looming. Tampa Bay is always looking to shed some money and/or create roster space. Taylor Walls and Brandon Lowe would be interesting targets…but again Detroit’s ammo is limited. If a deal for either is out there for either it could be worth pursuing.

Detroit Tigers Opening Day Roster 2022

C: Eric Haase

1B: Jonathan Schoop

2B: Isaac Paredes

SS: Marcus Semien

3B: Jeimer Candelario

RF: Riley Greene

CF: Starling Marte

LF: Robbie Grossman

DH: Miguel Cabrera

Bench: Jake Rogers, Harold Castro, Willi Castro, Derek Hill

SP: Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Justin Verlander, Matthew Boyd, Matt Manning

RP: Gregory Soto, Kyle Funkhouser, Jose Cisnero, Collin McHugh, Michael Fulmer, Tyler Alexander, Derek Holland, Alex Lange

This isn’t actually a ton of turnover for a below .500 team. The  Detroit Tigers have identified a few guys who can be kept around for more looks like Haase, Rogers, Hill, and others.

They have the two major prospects looming in Greene and Torkelson which so much of the future relies upon. This look has Greene starting on Opening Day. If he tears up the Grapefruit League he goes North. Torkelson might be in Detroit to play first-base by mid-May when Schoop would slide to second-base and Cabrera would be a full-time DH.

Ryan Kreidler’s development could force his way to Detroit at some point as well.

Overall take on the 2022 Detroit Tigers predictions

Adding Semien, Marte, and Greene to the lineup lengthen the danger looming in the lineup considerably. If the Tigers have any realistic designs at making a real move toward a 90-win plateau and playoff contention they aren’t going to find the mojo for that completely from their internal system.

They will have to bold. Or call it “reckless” if you want. They don’t have the depth in their system right now to pull off the patient approach any longer.

They have sustained massive payrolls in the previous decade. This plan doesn’t really approach those days. But it’s a nod in that direction. It gets the Tigers over the league average payroll but not in the Mount  Everest region.

The amount of TV money, digital income, and revenue sharing put a lot of money in the coffers before a single ticket is sold. They can afford three marquee players. Indeed none of the three are even going to be among the highest-paid free agents.

The Tigers have made some internal changes to the front office this week. Hopefully, these new positions mean a change in direction with regard to payroll and free agency. The Tigers can contend with a few thunderclap moves this winter. Will they fulfill Ilitch’s talk of being “aggressive” in free agency?