What to Make of the Detroit Tigers: Predictions for the Lighthearted

The Detroit Tigers have been nothing but short of mysterious this 2008 Major League Baseball season.

By mysterious, I mean this: Poor record, signing a young player to a $150 million contract, and the new development of this saga—trading away an icon.

Where do I start?

The Tigers have been plagued by injuries, that is nothing new. Jeremy Bonderman out, Joel Zumaya playing more video games, and early on in the year it was Curtis Granderson and Gary Sheffield.

You take away those pieces and any team is going to have a tough time keeping up to par.

I am going to make prediction number one and say that Todd Jones will not be a Detroit Tiger next season. Sorry fans, no more door slamming and moustache.

The Tigers' acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth basically sealed the deal. In my opinion, when Zumaya is healthy, he will be the closer.

If he can once again become healthy.

Next prediction I want to make is that fact that Brandon Inge, whether he has an unproductive second half of the season or not, will be the starting catcher next season.

Sorry all of you Tigers fans, but that theory of Detroit bringing back Pudge next season is just that—a theory!

A couple other predictions I am not smart enough to keep in are:

Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco will be the only Tigers above .300 this season.

Justin Verlander will finish the season with 14 or 15 wins.

Matt Joyce will emerge, if he already hasn't, as either starting LF or Magglio's replacement when Mags is done

You will see Eddie Bonine once again.

And last but not least, Todd Jones will be seen crying in the bullpen once he realizes that Detroit would have offered him in the trade to the Yankees but he was being payed $11 million a year!