I'm not going to make this a 'thing' every spring. I'm not going to take time to analyze the Tigers and what they should do. I leave that to the people that get paid to do so and after they do so, I shall scream at them through the internet and tell them how I would do it if I ran the organization. Like a sane, rational person does. However, I feel like I should weigh in on the whole outfield thing. Because, you know, I'm getting that itch for baseball and this is as close as I'm going to get until April.
It appears that the Tigers have a bit of a congestion problem. In the outfield. And only one player anchored there for years and years to come: Austin Jackson. Behind him you have a mess of players elbowing each other for the other two spots. Andy Dirks, Quintin Berry, Brennan Boesch, Avisail Garcia, and Torii Hunter are all on the forty man roster. There's also this kid named Nick hanging out in Toledo. He isn't going to be there very long.
We all know that Hunter is going to keep right field nice and warm this year, but for how long after that? One year, maybe two? And that is being optimistic. He is one of three batters that was not born in the 1980s. If the Tigers were to win the World Series this year, I can see him retiring after getting that ring.
I loved Berry when he came out of nowhere last year when Jackson got hurt. He brought speed the team doesn't have, he brought energy that can be infectious, he brought a new style of running down routine fly balls. The out, pause, in, sprint, dive, or OPISD. Make it a defensive statistic sabermetric nerds! After Jackson came back, I was reminded of what a steady hand in the outfield brings to the fans: comfort. Comfort knowing that diving for a fly ball should be a last resort, not the norm for an out. I see Berry as possible trade bait for a team that likes to run, which the Tigers don't do.
I loved Boesch much like everyone else when he came out swinging for the fences a few years ago. And he was connecting, it was great. He has such a nice and easy swing. Then he tanked after the first half of 2011. Injuries and inconsistencies have brought him to the point of fighting for a spot on the roster after being solidified in the order just last year. Time to cut bait and run. Find some desperate team that has a short right field porch where he can flourish.
During their run to the World Series last year, Avisail Garcia came up and looked like a mini Miguel Cabrera. In stature only, he did not impress me at all. If you are going to compare a young player to the best the bigs have to offer, he better show me why. I think he needs a little more time in Toledo before becoming a part of the team year round. If he is the future in Kaline's Corner, he has a year to develop this promising talent everyone else sees.
This leaves Andy Dirks. He is not going to be around as an everyday player once Castellanos is ready to go (which could be this year if the Tigers are willing). I want to see Dirks in left field to start the year. I have been a fan of his since he was in college in Wichita. I almost went with him as 'My Tiger' once Magglio retired, but went with Avila instead. He is a solid all around player. Good defense, makes good contact at the plate, minimal problems running on the bases. And he made this play which I called the play of the year weeks before Bless You Boys. Suck it! Even if he isn't going to be an everyday player in the future, he needs to stick around as the forth outfielder. He has the grit that Jim Leyland likes and he can hit unlike Don Kelly.
So, with two trades, one retirement, and two call ups, within two years the outfield problem will be solved. Castellanos, Jackson, Garcia will be your starters with Dirks riding the pine. You're welcome. Shower me with your praise. And give me Dombrowski's salary. I don't do this shit for free.
No comments:
Post a Comment