Detroit Tigers: 3 things to learn from the Orioles rebuild

The Detroit Tigers can learn a lot from the Baltimore Orioles’ rebuild.

Coming into the 2022 season, the big-time news from Chris Ilitch surrounding the Detroit Tigers organization was that he proclaimed the rebuild to be over. With a couple of big signings this past offseason in Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodríguez, the feeling was the rebuild was ending.

Ilitch took it upon himself to say that it had ended; in a piece from the spring, he referred to the Detroit Tigers rebuild being 100% over. Oh, was he wrong. It’s now the middle of September, and the Tigers’ record is 54-87, sitting in last place in the American League (AL) Central.

On top of that, they have seen a goose egg in the runs score column on 21 different occasions this year, setting another unflattering record. The bottom line is that the rebuild is far from over. Ilitch’s proclamation is off-base.

Whether it was the ineptitude of Al Avila, who was fired, or injuries to the pitching staff that deteriorated the team in the snap of the fingers, 2022 has been bad for the Tigers. The rebuild will continue, and the Tigers still need to emerge on the other side.

Another team that began its rebuild around the time the Tigers did was the Baltimore Orioles. They have started to poke through the glass and look like they will be a force in a very tough AL East division.

The Orioles front office, coaching staff, and players from the top to the bottom of that organization have things moving in the right direction. The way the baseball scene talks about the Orioles is that they are getting better and becoming a team to be scared of.

Since they have done so well with their rebuild, let’s take a look at some of the things they have done well.

Here are three things the Detroit Tigers can learn from the Orioles’ rebuild.

Prospects. Prospects. Prospects. The Detroit Tigers need to draft deeper.

The Detroit Tigers once had a stable of prospects waiting to break through to the big leagues. While some of them have, and the best of the organization is in the big leagues now, the team is lacking some of that depth that other organizations have.

On the other hand, out east, the Baltimore Orioles have seen their former first overall draft pick settle into his own. They called up Adley Rutschman this year, who has settled in nicely behind the dish and looks like he will dominate for years to come.

They called up shortstop Gunnar Henderson who has been off to a good start as well, getting to make his big league debut. Another prospect who is going to be legit for the team moving forward. While I can sit here and detail which Orioles’ prospects are on the way to the big leagues, that’s not the point.

The important thing for the Tigers to note is the crop of prospects the Orioles have. The team is on the hunt for a new general manager, and this new regime needs to try and mimic this. While they have a lot of prospects that you can get excited about, there are not many guys who will vastly shake up the roster on their way to the big leagues.

The Orioles have secured some of the best talents with their draft classes. Even after losing Nolan McLean, who opted to go back to school, it freed up slot money to sign Carter Young, who they drafted in the late rounds.

The Orioles appear to be excelling at being able to hit on late-round draft picks. At a minimum, they are stacking the farm with promising talent by piecing together some incredibly deep draft classes.

The Orioles are building a farm for the future, and the Tigers need to learn from this. The Tigers’ new regime should look to draft deeper in the coming years. But it does not stop there. Making effective transactions is another thing the Orioles do well, leading me to reason number two.

The Detroit Tigers need to learn how to capitalize on efficient transactions.

One of the things the Detroit Tigers have not done well is capitalizing on the trade market. During Al Avila’s seven-year tenure, it feels like the fanbase had sat back and been forced to punch the air as the team opted not to trade Matt Boyd or even not trading Michael Fulmer back when the Gleyber Torres rumors were big.

It feels like there were a lot of missed opportunities in the trade market. When the Tigers have pulled the trigger on deals, the benefits have been players like Zack Short. Even though Reese Olson was someone to be excited about, he’s not going to be an elite-level prospect.

The Austin Meadows trade looks horrific on the other side, with the Tampa Bay Rays getting a draft pick and potential prospect on top of Isaac Paredes being a present big leaguer in the summer of 2022.

The Tigers trade market has been horrendous. The Orioles have sung to a different tune. During this trade deadline, they opted to move veteran Trey Mancini for two prospects, including a pitching prospect (Chayce McDermott), who immediately helped stock the farm system.

On top of that, they have made smaller moves with high-ceiling prospects coking back in return. The point is that the Orioles’ front office has an excellent talent evaluation system. They make informed decisions on their transactions, and the Tigers’ new regime has to be able to employ a similar set of tactics.

Is there hope for the Detroit Tigers’ sinking rebuild?

Things need to change as the Detroit Tigers try to bail out the sinking rebuild with a new front office regime. The Tigers’ new regime has to check some boxes and do some things better compared to how things were going… if the team wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

While I may be being the pessimist here, Avila’s decisions, Ilitch’s decisions, and the 2022 season itself were about three steps backward in the team’s rebuild. While they took a step forward with some of the positives this team has shown, they’ve taken steps back in the rebuild.

The Tigers’ new regime can learn from the Orioles and what they have done. While the Orioles did not win a title with this new squad, they have not made the postseason yet, and it’s not that they have a master plan.

But the work they have done has been notable. The Orioles have found the light at the end of the tunnel and are starting to get through the other side of their rebuild. The Tigers’ new regime has to be hoping to do more of the same.

The Tigers’ new regime really needs to be able to make changes. When it comes to drafting, as covered, the hope should be that they can continue to “hit” on some of these late-round players and establish a richer farm system.

On top of that, the team needs to start making more efficient transactions. Whether it’s not waiting to pull the trigger on a deal for three years until the player holds far less value, making efficient free agent signings, and bringing in added talent to the farm system.

While the Tigers’ player development has been moving in the right direction, the Orioles have been crushing the player development game. The Tigers need to keep moving up the ladder for optimal player development, which in turn helps the future of their prospects.

As the Detroit Tigers finally bring in a new regime and look to move in the right direction, taking a look at the Orioles’ rebuild is not the worst idea.