3 needs for the Detroit Tigers to address immediately after the lockout

3. Depth

One of the marks of a successful organization is its ability to deal with injuries. The World Series Champion Atlanta Braves won a World Series without one of the five best players in the sport last season. It speaks to their depth.

It isn’t flashy or fun, but having players waiting in the wings ready to step in when injuries happen (and they always do) is not only valuable, but vital. Thanks to the ability to still sign minor league players, the Detroit Tigers have gotten a bit of a headstart on this front, agreeing to terms with infielder Jack Lopez, second baseman Luis Carpio, and right-hander Carlos Canabria, according to multiple reports.

It will be interesting to see if the Tigers opt for finding a major league deal for some of their depth desires following the lockout. On the position player side, the Tigers are well-stocked with talent: Victor Reyes, Daz Cameron, Derek Hill, Isaac Paredes, Kody Clemens, Eric Haase, Harold Castro, and Willi Castro among their in-house options.

My gut says that financial resources could be better allocated elsewhere than finding a bench bat, but as we alluded to previously, the organization can never have enough pitching. That might be an area where the organization can continue to fill out that Mud Hens rotation.