(Photo by: Nick Laham/Getty Images)
This is an article I wrote for RBI Magazine, which can be found here.
Key Additions
SS Adam Everett, C Gerald Laird, RHP Edwin Jackson, RHP Brandon Lyon, C Matt Treanor, RHP Juan Rincon
Key Subtractions
OF Matt Joyce, LHP Kenny Rogers, SS Edgar Renteria, RP Kyle Farnsworth, CL Todd Jones
A Look at the Lineup
CF Curtis Granderson
Curtis has spent the majority of Spring Training coming off the bench for team USA in the World Baseball Classic. While he may not be getting as many at-bats as he would be if he were with the Tigers in Lakeland, he’ll still be the Opening Day leadoff hitter for the Tigs.
Granderson is a mainstay in center field; expect him to have similar numbers to the last couple years.
2B Placido Polanco
Placido has been the No. 2 hitter for the Tigers since he came over in a trade from Philadelphia in 2006. He has hit above .300 in four out of the last six years—and those other two years weren’t too shabby (.295 and .298). He’ll be the everyday second baseman.
RF Magglio Ordonez
Magglio is one of the four Tigers players that have been playing for team Venezuela in the WBC. Maggs had a bit of a drop-off last year from his stellar 2007 season, but that was to be expected.
He still hit a more than respectable .317/21/103. I’d expect similar numbers from him this year. He’ll be the everyday right fielder barring injury or the occasional day off.
1B Miguel Cabrera
Miguel is another Tigers player on team Venezuela in the WBC. Miguel is probably one of the most prominent hitters in baseball, and I don’t think he gets all that much attention with the likes of A-Rod, Manny, Hanley, etc. He will be 26 years old in April and is coming off a career year in HR and RBI.
His batting average took a hit due to a musty start to last season, but he should rebound in that category this season. I don’t expect this true hitter to produce any less than he has so far in his young career.
LF Carlos Guillen
Guillen will make the switch from 3B to LF this season with hopes to remain a bit healthier than he did last year. Nagging back and leg injuries forced him to miss his fair share of games, and hopefully this position change will make him more durable.
That being said, he’s still a very productive hitter and will probably put up numbers close to what he had in 2007 if he stays healthy (.296/21/102).
DH Gary Sheffield
Sheffield came into Spring Training feeling healthier than he has in years. He’s missed 200 games over the past three seasons due to a lingering shoulder injury that heavily impacted his swing and his production.
With his shoulder finally healthy again, he should start to produce like he did late in the 2007 season. He is just one home run shy of 500, and it’d be safe to guess he’ll shatter that this season.
Peter Gammons said if Sheffield remains healthy, he could be this season’s Comeback Player of the Year. All signs point to him being healthy.
C Gerald Laird
Laird was acquired in a trade with Texas this offseason. He will be the everyday catcher, taking over for Brandon Inge, who is moving back to 3B. Laird has a little pop in his bat, but the Tigers will rely on his defensive capabilities more than anything else. In 2008, he cut down runners at nearly a 40 percent clip.
If he hits anything like he did for Texas in 2008, it would be considered gratuitous in the eyes of the Tigers.
Matt Treanor was signed to give Laird a breather every now and then.
3B Brandon Inge
As mentioned before, Inge will be moving back to 3B to assume those duties this season. After attributing his struggles at the plate to not knowing when he would be playing and catching most of last season, he no longer has a valid excuse not to produce at a higher level.
He will be in the lineup every day this season—unless he continues to hit just a shade over the Mendoza line like he did last year.
The Tigers would like to see him get back to his 2005 and 2006 production level, which still isn’t much. He’s just a career .237 hitter, and hopefully flashing the leather at third will take the focus off his inevitably low batting average (although he is hitting .294 in spring training through March 20).
SS Adam Everett
Everett is another offseason acquisition for the Tigers to help shore up the holes on defense. He is not known for his stick, but is known for his glove. He will certainly save the Tigers some runs on defense but won’t produce much at the dish.
This career .246 hitter has a career .976 fielding percentage, which puts him up there as one of the game’s best defensive shortstops.
He’s not the generally preferred speed guy in the nine hole, although he did have 21 steals in 2005, but he generally puts the ball in play. The Tigers are not expecting much from him at the plate; just that he continues to be the vacuum he’s been his entire career at shortstop.
The only concern with him is that he’s only played 114 games in the past two years.
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