Detroit Tigers 2022 off-season grades have been passed out

The MCB staff gets together and grades out the Detroit Tigers off-season additions.

As a collective here at Motor City Bengals, just like the fans of the Detroit Tigers, we all look at the off-season from completely different points of view.  There are a percentage of Tigers who view not getting Carlos Correa as a “failure”. There also a selective few who believe that Al Avila not making a trade for a starting pitcher (i.e. trading for a Oakland A’s starter) and instead settling in signing a veteran was not the right course of action.

However, the reality of the situation is that the Tigers upgraded their roster significantly. They signed a shortstop in Javier Baez who was a huge upgrade on defense and offense, a top of the rotation starter in Eduardo Rodriguez, another bullpen arm in Andrew Chafin and a starter in Michael Pineda. There is more to this, but I will come back to that later for my off-season grade.

Here are the MCB contributors’ thoughts about the off-season. Some gave a letter grade and others wrote their thoughts down.

Jake: What I did like: they addressed their needs effectively. The Barnhart trade was a win right away and finally did what many had clamored for in taking on a little payroll from a team that was retreating and, in doing so, minimizing the prospect capital necessary to make the acquisition. They got one of the five big shortstops everyone argued they needed, and they acquired enough pitching to help them navigate the season.

What I didn’t like: it’s a minor disappointment, but I really would’ve loved Correa in a Detroit Tigers uniform. It would have made him the biggest star in the city and would have done a lot to quiet the Ilitch detractors.I also would have preferred a more mid-rotation arm over a fifth starter like Michael Pineda, but I’m also glad they didn’t overpay in prospects for someone like Manaea, who is only under contract for one more year himself. For a club not quite ready to make a deep postseason run, Pineda is a fine fill-in and saves my dream of Verlander opting out next year to come home.