Bottom Line
Tigers will win the division with 93-94 games; but if their pitching doesn’t hold up, it could be a disappointing season even with their line up.
Expectations
After two successful seasons, Tigers fans have a lot of expectations for 2008. Their faith is well placed, especially with the addition of Edgar Renteria as short stop, Miguel Cabrera at 3rd base and Dontrelle Willis as a starting pitcher.
Hitting strength
The Tigers strength is definitely their hitting. They were number one in all of baseball in runs scored last year, and they should be even better this year with the new lineup. For instance, under-performing Brandon Inge was moved out of the lineup and will serve as a utility player, and Carlos Guillen was moved from short stop to 1st base, a position less prone to injury. Another bat was also added to the lineup -- while Sean Casey had a lot of hits in 2007, he had no power and was not resigned by the Tigers for the 2008 season.
Bull Pen: Starters
The only real question mark leading in to the 2008 season is the bull pen. While the Tigers added Dontrelle Willis as a starter, he is coming off of two bad seasons, especially his last season for the Marlins. The team is also counting on the fact that Jeremy Bonderman will continue to improve and become a dominant pitcher; but he has never quite been able to break out of the first inning.
Bull Pen: Middle Relievers and Set-Up Man
As is true with every baseball manager in the history of both leagues, Manager Jim Leyland wants to get more innings out of his starters. With Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney injured, however, closing the inning gap between the starters and closers is just good strategy. Zumaya hurt himself helping his parents clear his house out during the fires in California, and Rodney was hurt during Spring Training.
The Tigers seems to be expecting Jason Grilli to fill the role of set-up man, but he’s only ever been a middle reliever. Likewise, expecting Todd Jones to be able to consistently close at 38 years old may be too much of a long shot.
While the Tigers watched some promising up-and-comers during spring training, as well as some notable veterans, the potential of these pitchers to fill the hole will not really be known until season play.
Other Health Issues
Health issues may also be a factor for the Tigers in 2008. For instance, designated hitter Gary Sheffield has a perpetually bad shoulder, and pitcher Kenny Rogers, who is 43 years old, had a vascular bypass in his throwing shoulder. Additionally, aging catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez is coming off of a lackluster season.
Competition
The Tigers play in a very hard division. The Indians are coming off a year wherein they took Boston to seven games in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), and the White Socks have added talented players. The Twins, however, won’t be very good this season because they got rid of the Johan Santana.
Manager
Five years ago, the Tigers lost a record number of games. General Manager David Dombrowski and Manager Jim Leyland managed an amazing turn around for the team in recent years. In fact, the team bloomed under Leyland, who, after a six-year stint as a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, brought the Tigers to the World Series in 2006, his first year back as a manager. His secret seems to be his experience dealing with star players and his status as a father figure to the team.
General Manager
It is Dombrowski, however, who should be credited for much of the team’s turn around. He is simply good at evaluating talent, and he is not afraid to make a deal either in acquiring a free agent or making a trade. For instance, the Tigers signed Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez and Kenny Rogers – undervalued free agents who turned out to be instrumental to the team. The Tigers also traded Jeffrey Weaver for Jeremy Bonderman, got Placido Polanco for Ugueth Urbina (now in jail) and got Carlos Guillen for almost nothing from Seattle.
Success Breeds Success
Coming off of two winning seasons, there is more interest in the Tigers than there has ever been. For instance, Comerica Park is sold out, and experts are picking the Tigers as the second or third best team in baseball, behind Boston and possibly the Yankees.
The increased notoriety and success has its own impact: Ilitch is putting more money into the team, and the Tigers are spending more money than they ever have. For instance, the Tigers signed Miguel Cabrera to an $18 million a year contract for seven years.
