3 Ways the Detroit Tigers offseason could turn spooky

Three ways this offseason could be one to forget for Detroit Tigers fans

The Detroit Tigers 2022 season was scarier than any haunted house one might shuffle through this fall, but it is possible that trend could continue and the team’s misfortunes can leak into the offseason.

As we have thoroughly detailed at the site, the Detroit Tigers recently hired Scott Harris as their President of Baseball Operations. Upon completion of the World Series, Harris’ first offseason will begin. The Tigers are expected to be very active this offseason and will need to be to turn the tides on a disappointing 2022 which featured a combination of injuries, regression, and disappointments.

Perhaps the biggest question is what that activity looks like and how high the Detroit Tigers have their sights set on improving the roster–a roster that was once thought to be well-positioned for balanced offensive output and consistent pitching. Could Scott Harris examine this year’s League Championship Series’ as grounds to aim higher and bring a star to the Motor City (see Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole, etc), or could he attempt to bring his same Giants magic here by stringing together a cast of strong players who don’t have that same newspaper-selling name?

Nevertheless, with our focus on all things scary, the Tigers’ offseason could go south rather quickly with just a few negative developments.

2. Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal misses the entire 2023 season

Tarik Skubal was on his way to establishing himself as the workhorse starter many thought his frame and stuff could make him before getting shut down. His team-leading 21 starts would still produce 1.3 bWAR and many count on Skubal being a vital part of the club’s success next season.

Many felt Skubal’s shutdown could be more of a product of the team’s competitiveness or lack thereof, but AJ Hinch’s comments shortly after the roster move paint a future grimmer than fans hoped:

“We’re concerned about Tarik. He’s not going to pitch for the rest of the season, that much we know, which is why we put him on the 60-day injured list. The inflammation, the pain that he’s felt continued when he started throwing again.”

Skubal has already undergone flexor tendon surgery, and while it isn’t the Tommy John type of comeback, it is worth noting that former Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd underwent the same surgery last September and did not appear in MLB action until September 1, 2022.

The Tigers have not been public with Skubal’s timetable, but it appears the margin for error with his recovery could be fairly minimal, and an additional surgery could end his ambitions of pitching next year altogether.

It would be a devastating blow to a Detroit Tigers staff that will already be without Casey Mize for the majority of the season and could potentially be without fellow starter Matt Manning, too, who was shut down with a right forearm strain.

3. Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows retires from baseball

We all hope that Austin Meadows is suited and ready to go when next season rolls around, but perhaps the spookiest and most serious development that remains possible is that outfielder Austin Meadows steps away from baseball for good.

Austin has dealt with a litter of sicknesses and injuries this year ranging from COVID to vertigo to issues with both achilles before eventually becoming public about some mental health struggles he has been facing in between. Baseball is a game of failure–those struggles may only compound when mental clarity is fogged.

It’s scary from a team perspective, sure. Meadows was expected to be a middle-of-the-order bat heading into the 2022 season and was coming off a season in which he hit 27 home runs and batted 106 in for Tampa. Exponentially more important: it would be a dire situation on an individual level and would further speak to the seriousness with which his mental health journey has taken him.

We wish the best to Austin Meadows and hope to see him ready to go as the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day 2023.