3 calls the Detroit Tigers should make immediately

Detroit Tigers Call Number 2: Brad Miller – Utility Man

The Detroit Tigers are in a bit of a strange place. Their lineup could theoretically be upgraded at a handful of positions, but they also don’t have any glaring holes. At least not if we project Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson to join the club quickly.

They will eventually have to make some harder decisions, particularly with regard to their young outfielders, but for now they are left to make smaller improvements at the margins. It looks like Harold Castro, Willi Castro, Isaac Paredes, and Zack Short will be battling for utility duties on the club, but if the Tigers are really interested in competing this year, they should be targeting a little more stability.

Brad Miller is a flawed player, but he would give the Tigers some much needed left-handed power along with patience and defensive versatility. It might be helpful to compare him to another flawed lefty slugger, Joc Pederson:

Pederson has better career numbers, but Miller has been the better player over the past few seasons. He’s was also superior to Pederson by Statcast’s numbers last year, with the same hard hit rate, but a higher average exit velocity, a higher barrel rate, and a faster sprint speed.

We bring up Pederson only as a means to suggest Miller might be undervalued. The FanGraphs crowdsource numbers expect Pederson to get a two-year, $18-million deal. They didn’t even bother to project Miller.

And again, Miller can play multiple positions. He’s not a great outfielder by any means, but last year he played both outfield corners as well as first base, second base, and third base. He could help form the strong side of a platoon and buy the team some time if Greene or Torkelson need a bit more seasoning.

Detroit Tigers Call Number 3: The Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds will probably be fielding a lot of phone calls (or texts, as it were). They seem to be in the process of rebuilding again, and they have a trio of interesting pitchers due to be free agents after the 2023 season. Luis Castillo is the best of the group, but that means he’d also be the most expensive in a trade. Tyler Mahle doesn’t have a long track record of success, but he had a real breakout last year, and he’s the youngest of the trio, so he also figures to costs a lot. And then there’s Sonny Gray.

Gray is still just 32, so he’s not an old man, but his age combined with his contact figure to make the acquisition cost a bit more palatable. His contract isn’t prohibitive by any means — he’s due $10 million this season, and has a team option for $12 million next year with some performance escalators. That’s peanuts compared to what a healthy Sonny Gray can contribute to the Detroit Tigers.

Over the past three seasons, Gray’s numbers compare well with Eduardo Rodriguez’s:

Recall that Rodriguez is getting $15 million a year from the Tigers, and it’s generally viewed as a bargain. The Tigers could probably put together a deal for Gray that doesn’t include any of their top five prospects, and the teams have already made one trade this offseason, so presumably the Reds would have a list of targets ready.

These three moves probably wouldn’t have the Detroit Tigers getting fitted for World Series rings, but they could move the club much closer to being a real playoff contender in 2022.