What if the Detroit Tigers are done making moves?

What would the team look like if the Detroit Tigers stopped now?

The Detroit Tigers forecasted a busy offseason and have already made three moves on their big league roster; signing pitchers Matt Boyd and Michael Lorenzen while also trading away reliever Joe Jimenez for two prospects--but what if this is it?

For clarity's sake, I don't believe this is the last move that Scott Harris makes--there are still needs that many fans want to see addressed; mainly catcher, outfielder, and third base. Harris would undoubtedly like to address these areas, too. The club had shown interest in catcher William Contreras early in the offseason, and Harris has stated they are interested in finding a left-handed hitting infielder and a right-handed hitting outfielder.

It makes sense, considering Torkelson, Schoop, Baez, and Kreidler are all right-handed hitters and outfielders Austin Meadows, Kerry Carpenter, and Riley Greene are all left-handed hitters. Finding the contrary in each area would allow for more complimentary baseball overall while also giving manager AJ Hinch the opportunity to insert more favorable match-ups depending on who is starting.

Nevertheless, let's examine each position group and go over the glares that still may exist, if any:

Bullpen

In the bullpen:

Gregory Soto, Alex Lange, Jose Cisnero, Will Vest, Jason Foley, Rony Garcia, Mason Englert, Tyler Alexander

Depth:

Brendan White, Angel De Jesus, Sean Guenther, Austin Bergner

State of the bullpen:

Like the rotation, the bullpen should be able to sustain itself if they were to leave it alone, even considering the loss of setup men Andrew Chafin and Joe Jimenez. Gregory Soto and Alex Lange have both been excellent in their respective leverage roles, although I don't think Soto is a traditional closer on a competitive team.

Even so, the emergence of Vest and Foley have given the bullpen some length to bridge the gap and Garcia, Englert, and Alexander would all be capable of multiple innings. It would be nice to have Chafin back as a left-handed, late-inning option, but that is nitpicking.

I lobbied for the Tigers to acquire a legitimate closer to unseat Soto this winter but it doesn't appear that will happen, which isn't the worst thing. Relievers are the most volatile position group and their financial resources can probably be better allocated elsewhere. While I wouldn't go as far to say the bullpen is a strength as it was last year, it would be fine to begin 2023.

Infield

Around the diamond

Eric Haase, Spencer Torkelson, Jonathan Schoop, Javier Baez, Ryan Kreidler

Bench

Kody Clemens, Jake Rogers, Andy Ibanez

Depth

Wenceel Perez, Andre Lipcius, Zack Short, Dillon Dingler

State of the infield

Plainly, they need a third baseman. The Tigers have toyed with the idea of moving Schoop to third and instead signing a second baseman with the notion Schoop would be better off with the upcoming rules regarding the shift, but moving Schoop to third base doesn't fix their predicament with their offense--and Schoop is likely part of a contingency plan at first base in the event Spencer Torkelson is not ready.

It's a challenge addressing the need in free agency--third base options were slim to begin with and have only gotten slimmer, so if their intent is to address the position adequately, they'll likely need to do it via trade. I don't love the idea of gifting Ryan Kreidler or Andre Lipcius the job out of spring, but would happily oblige if either or both played their way into a regular role somewhere around the diamond.

Unlike the crowd, I'm actually okay if the Tigers leave the catcher spot as it is, although some of that will hinge on how much they are expecting Eric Haase to patrol the outfield. Rogers was showing signs of life offensively prior to his injury and Haase likewise had a strong finish to the season after a sluggish start with the bat--and really, the standards for offensive production out of the catching position might be the lowest they have ever been league-wide, so even perceived shortcomings may not be bad relatively speaking.

Even so, there is an argument to be made for the club to still address catcher, third base, and second base before season's start--making this position group by far the weakest of the club.

Outfield

In the grass

Austin Meadows, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter

Bench

Akil Baddoo, Eric Haase, Bligh Madris

Depth

Parker Meadows, Steele Walker, Jacob Robson

State of the outfield

While not quite as dire, the Tigers could use a right fielder to inject some power into their lineup. Fast riser Kerry Carpenter made a name for himself in just 31 games and appeared in eight games in right, but as previously stated, the Tigers would prefer a right-handed bat.

I'm still of the opinion that Riley Greene will eventually need to patrol a corner spot primarily and while I don't think that time is this year necessarily, if their intent is to sign someone for multiple years, it might be beneficial to have someone that could handle either spot defensively, which would also help a club that is relatively unathletic on paper.

There have been rumors and speculation around two former Padres, Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar, that would each fit the mold of what they are seeking. Assuming Austin Meadows is back and healthy it does wonders for the complexion of the top half of the lineup, but the lack of power 4-9 will need to be addressed in some fashion--corner outfield is likely the best way to do it.