Miguel Cabrera
The Detroit Tigers are currently the hottest team in baseball.
They’ve won six straight games; an impressive sweep at Fenway Park over the Red Sox, and a home destruction of the playoff-contending Astros.
So with today’s flurry of trade deadline activity all across the league, the Tigers decided to stand pat. The old saying goes, “Dance with the one that brung ya.” The Tigers are doing just that.
The team that Al Avila assembled this past off-season appears to finally be taking shape.
The offense is popping, with Miguel Cabrera smoking hot and key contributions coming from unlikely sources such as Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Tyler Collins, and Cameron Maybin.
The pitching staff, still a work in progress, has been better of late.
Justin Verlander looks like an ace again. Michael Fulmer is the odds-on favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year. Even Mike Pelfrey managed to throw the ball pretty well in July, with the Tigers winning four of his six starts, including the last three.
And perhaps the main reason Avila felt comfortable not making a major splash today is the injured players his club is set to get back soon.
Adding From Within
J.D. Martinez, out for the last six weeks, is slated to return on Wednesday. He was having another solid campaign in the outfield (12 HR, .286 BA) before fracturing his elbow in mid-June.
Jordan Zimmermann, despite throwing grapefruits up towards the plate for several starts before getting injured, should still be a welcome addition to the rotation. It’s not safe sending Anibal Sanchez out to the mound every five days, and a healthy Zimmermann will automatically be a major improvement. He’s been out for close to a month with a strained neck.
And promising lefty Daniel Norris might finally be ready to stick and stay with the big club, too. He’s been shuttled most of the year between the minor leagues and the disabled list, but it might be time for him to join the Tigers rotation on a permanent basis. Matt Boyd has been serviceable in his stead, but it’s not really sustainable to have a starting pitcher that rarely lasts beyond five innings.
So while the Rangers, Indians, and Red Sox all made their rosters stronger through trades, the Tigers will rely on the overall health of their own personnel to boost them to a playoff spot. Beginning play today, the Tigers trail Cleveland by just 4.5 games in the AL Central, and are a mere one game behind Boston for the league’s final wild card slot.
Possible Holes to Fill
Were there places the Tigers could have improved? Of course.
The catching position still consists of two players barely hitting above .200 (James McCann: .204, Saltalamacchia: .201).
The bullpen has been a bit more stable recently, but it still seems like a dicey proposition trusting Bruce Rondon in a big spot down the stretch or during the post-season. Another veteran arm for Brad Ausmus to use in the late innings would’ve made plenty of sense.
Even another bat, for some pinch hitting duties or maybe a spot start here and there, could have strengthened the Tigers. After all, I think the entire city of Detroit has cried “Uncle!” on this whole Mike Aviles experience.
But alas, none of those scenarios appealed enough to Al Avila and the Tigers’ brass for them to pull the trigger on a deal. They see a veteran-laden team that is 57-48 and at the moment, playing their very best ball of the season. Moving a major piece could potentially have disrupted the collective rhythm this squad has generated over the last week.
This Ain't the Dombrowski Way
Maybe this more reserved approach will work for the Tigers. We’ve seen them add significant players at the deadline in past years: David Price, Jose Iglesias, Jarrod Washburn, Aubrey Huff (waiver deal), Doug Fister, Joakim Soria. Sean Casey was awesome in the 2006 World Series, but even that mid-season trade bonus could not bring the franchise its first championship since 1984.
This time, they are holding steady. And believing the 25 guys in the clubhouse right now, or at least in a few days, are good enough to make a serious run at some hardware this fall.
Of course it is always more fun when your team jumps in on the action and creates major buzz around the league. But the Tigers weren’t really in that spot this year.
Brad Ausmus’ team has proven to be deep enough to contend, and the front office appears willing to sit back and provide them that opportunity.
The Detroit Tigers won’t lead off any sportscasts tonight with news of a blockbuster deal.
But if they keep winning games at the rate they have in June and July (six over .500 each month), they’ll be commanding front page headlines soon enough. And possibly well into October.
