Can you build a playoff team out of former Detroit Tigers players?

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The Detroit Tigers' 2023 season hasn't gone particularly well and frankly, it probably was a bit much to expect them to contend this soon. Going into the final game of the regular season, the Tigers are seven games below .500 and 10 games out of a playoff spot. Again, not fun for anyone involved, but Detroit is at least in second place in the AL Central.

With all of the fanfare surrounding Miguel Cabrera's farewell tour, it is hard not to think about what might have been if the Tigers had been able to hold on to some key players from their recent past. In fact, when you really look at it, you can get pretty close to building a playoff contending roster from former Tigers players who are still active right now.

Building a playoff contending roster out of former Detroit Tigers players

The rules here are pretty straightforward. Only currently active players are eligible and players must have actually played in the Tigers' organization previously (former prospects are okay). Also, a player had to have played at a given position at some point to get that roster spot, although being a bit loose about WHEN they played at a position is okay just to make this exercise possible. This also isn't going to be a full roster as that would be next to impossible and also incredibly time consuming, but all the positions do get some love.

Here's what a potential playoff contending roster out of former Tigers players looks like and frankly, it is better than you may think although it certainly has some issues.

C - James McCann

McCann was a pretty easy choice because, well, there are not a lot of former Tigers catchers that are active and/or worth having other than him. McCann was in Detroit from 2014-2018 and has posted a .652 OPS this season in Baltimore.

1B - Jeimer Candelario

Moving Jeimer over to first base is a concession that needed to be made to fill out this roster even though he is more valuable as a third baseman. Jeimer's production in Detroit from 2017 to 2022 was all over the place, but he has put together a pretty nice season in 2023 with an .803 OPS and 3.0 rWAR this season.

2B - Isaac Paredes

Thankfully, Isaac Paredes is a very versatile defender which made getting the infield here much easier to get sorted out. Paredes was traded by the Tigers in the ill-fated move to acquire Austin Meadows and Isaac has certainly done his best to make Detroit regret parting with him. In 141 games with Tampa this season, he has put up 4.1 rWAR and hit 31 homers on a Rays team that looks very dangerous heading into the postseason.

SS - Willi Castro

Outside of the 2020 season, Willi Castro's time with the Tigers was fairly pedestrian from 2019-2022. However, he has blossomed a bit in Minnesota where he has slashed .256/.335/.413 with strong defensive numbers. His inclusion gives this roster another versatile defender and makes our up the middle defense quite good.

3B - Eugenio Suarez

After the Tigers' traded Eugenio Suarez to the Reds for guy that ended up being accused of multiple felonies, he would go on to have a very successful run with Cincinnati where averaged an .811 OPS and 27 homers a season. He isn't anywhere near what he once was, but he has put up 2.0 rWAR and 21 homers for Seattle this season.

RF - Nick Castellanos

From 2013 to 2018, it felt like Nick Castellanos was just one step away from becoming an offensive star with Detroit. He was still very good, but his defensive limitations were problematic. He has since gone on to have stints with a few different clubs and has hit 29 home runs and made the All-Star Game for the Phillies this season.

CF - Jose Azocar

Center field is not a strength of this roster as there just are not many former Tigers that play the position that are still active. Jose Azocar gets the nod here as a warm body that can actually play the position, although there is a strong likelihood that he is batting ninth in his lineup.

LF - Robbie Grossman

Next up is left field and Robbie Grossman gets the spot here. Grossman was a Tiger from 2021-2022 and while his .739 OPS for the Rangers this season isn't overly exciting, he does have a little pop and knows how to draw walks. Grossman's inclusion also gives us a switch-hitter to help play matchups with.

DH - JD Martinez

The Tigers got a major gift when they were able to snag JD Martinez on a minor league deal before the 2014 season. JD would break out in a big way in Detroit before moving on to have successful stints with the Diamondbacks, Red Sox, and now the Dodgers. He is the easy DH pick here as he is still one of the best designated hitters in baseball right now.

SP - Justin Verlander

Another easy pick here as Justin Verlander is still kicking around and just helped the Astros clinch another playoff appearance. He is certainly in the twilight of his career as his numbers have dipped in 2023, but he has still been very good and it's just nice to think about how good he was with Detroit from 2005 to 2017.

SP - Max Scherzer

The top of our rotation here may be old, but it wouldn't make much sense to have this sort of list without Max Scherzer on it. Scherzer's five year run in Detroit from 2010-2014 was amazing and he still put up 3.2 rWAR this season before getting hurt in mid-September. No one is going to be shocked if he defies the odds and finds a way to pitch in the postseason for the Rangers because, well, Max is an animal.

SP - Julio Teheran

The last rotation spot is surprisingly tricky, but Julio Teheran gets the nod here. Teheran only pitched one game for Detroit back in 2021, but he managed to battle his way back to the majors this season and has posted a reasonable, if unexciting, 4.40 ERA in 14 appearances with the Brewers in 2023. As a number #3, this roster could do worse.

RP - Joe Jimenez

Joe Jimenez is the first reliever to get added here and he has turned out to be a pretty good one with the Braves. Jimenez always missed bats in his time with the Tigers from 2017-2022, but he has turned into a reliable late inning workhorse in Atlanta with a 3.07 ERA in 58 appearances this season.

RP - Drew VerHagen

Next up for the bullpen is Drew VerHagen who was a Tiger from 2014-2019. After leaving Detroit, VerHagen pitched in Japan for a couple years before the Cardinals signed him to a two year deal and he returned to the states. After being hurt last year, VerHagen posted a respectable 3.90 ERA in 2023 and is a good option against lefties or righties.

RP - John Schreiber

Finally, we come to John Schreiber who played in Detroit during the 2019 and 2020 seasons and did not play well at all. However, his time with the Red Sox has been notably better as he put up a 2.22 ERA in 2022 and while his numbers this season haven't been as good, he has remained very good against opposing right-handed hitters.

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