Detroit Tigers: 6 spooky scenarios that are frightening to think about

It's spooky season, ladies and gentleman. While the World Series is now in full swing, most people have had football on their minds for a while as we are now deep into fall. Conversely, the Detroit Tigers have been in offseason mode for about a month now.

Halloween is just around the corner, and in the spirit of the season, we came up with some scary scenarios that Tigers fans probably shouldn't think about. We don't want these things to happen.

None of these things are all that likely...at least we hope. Some of them are less likely than others, but they're still very frightening to think about.

So get some popcorn and grab a blanket, because it's about to get spooky. Here are six Tigers scenarios that are frightening to think about.

A.J. Hinch leaves for another team

We talked about this last week as something that's not very likely to happen, but for most Tigers fans, this is something that is still scary. Hinch is not perfect, but he's one of the managers in the league, hands down. The Tigers would be far worse off with another manager at the helm.

There are several managerial openings across the league. The Giants were able to steal Bob Melvin away from the Padres, which created another opening, but it sounds like San Diego is going to promote from within. Still, Cleveland, and Hinch's former team, the Astros, are still looking for managers after both of their former skippers retired.

Would Hinch go back to his old team? Well, as we established in last week's story, that would be a shocking development. Hinch isn't going anywhere. The thought is frightening for sure, but he will be the Tigers manager for at least the remainder of his contract.

Tarik Skubal has another major surgery

Tarik Skubal was money after returning from flexor tendon surgery. He looked like he hadn't missed a beat after missing almost a full season. He looks like he should be Tigers ace for the forseeable future.

But what if he suffers another elbow injury? What if he has to have Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career?

Skubal had his first TJS as a freshman in college, and the book on TJ is that it only keeps the UCL in tact from 5-10 years before it becomes prone to another tear. He lucked out last yar, but next time he may not be so lucky.

You never know what can happen. Who knows? Maybe he stays major injury-free for the rest of his time in Detroit, though that doesn't seem likey given the frequency of elbow injuries among pitchers these days. There has been talk about possibly trading Skubal this offseason, but I am personally VERY against, but I guess I can see why people would want to move him to get peak value for him in the event he has another injury.

All we can do is hope and pray that Skubal stays healthy.

Spencer Torkelson regresses back to rookie form

Tork took a huge step forward in 2023. He went from just eight home runs in 2022 to 31 this past season. He made consistent hard contact, and the swings were just so much better than his rookie campaign.

But what if it was all a mirage? What if he ends up reverting back to his 2022 form? That would certainly punch in the gut to Tigers fans after seeing him improve so much.

If Tork went back to being late on every fastball and looking lost at the plate on a nightly basis, we could see the bust label being thrown around again, only this time, it would be justified. To see him start to look like the guy they took No. 1 overall in 2020, only to go back to someone who should have flamed out in Double-A would be incredibly disappointing.

It seems highly unlikely Tork falls off that hard, but it's a scary thought nonetheless.

Riley Greene suffers an offseason setback

All signs point to Riley Greene being ready for Opening Day 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September. Being a position player as opposed to a pitcher certainly helps with that. He may have to DH at first, but from everything we've read and heard, he should be all set to go.

But what if he suffers a setback in his recovery? What if he feels some elbow soreness in spring training? That would be very deflating, especially for Greene himself, who's already had several injuries throughout his short MLB career.

When healthy, Greene is the Tigers' best player. He's athletic, has a sweet swing, has some swagger, and has shown the ability to hit .300 with 20+ homers. He could be a really special player. He just hasn't been able to stay healthy.

Some people have said he could be the next Grady Sizemore. Remember him? He was an outstanding player for Cleveland in the mid to late 2000s before injuries wrecked his career. Personally, I feel it's too early to start making that claim, but I would lying if I said I didn't see some similarities.

Greene is the Tigers most important player. They need him to be healthy if they want to compete in 2024. The thought of him missing more time in 2024 is certainly frightening.

Kerry Carpenter gets traded

Back around the trade deadline, there was a rumor that teams had called the Tigers and inquired about Kerry Carpenter's availability thanks to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Morosi. It seemed like a stupid idea at the time, and quite frankly, it still does.

Kerry Bonds is part of the Tigers' blossoming core. He's proven to be a very consistent and productive hitter. Why would the Tigers trade him?

Well, if it means getting a superstar in return, they may have to consider it. Carp is a young hitter under team control for a while. Those do not grow on trees. He would have a lot of value on the trade market.

The Tigers would have to get an abosolute star in return to order to justify moving Carpenter. There's no way they could make it sound good to the fanbase if they traded him for prospects. They would need a proven player.

Personally, I wouldn't even consider trading Kerry Bonds. The Tigers have finally developed a hitter in house. It would not be wise to move him. The mere thought of Scott Harris dangling him on the trade market is...scary.