Tigers are in brutal position
The Detroit Tigers are a proud franchise. Currently, however, there is little to be proud of.
Sure, management can convince fans to come out for the games because of the star power on the roster. What kid wouldn’t want to watch Miguel Cabrera at the plate, or even a man like Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez or Justin Upton? Detroit can be entertaining, it just is not very good.
The Tigers are already seven games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central, sitting at 15-18. Detroit has allowed 153 runs thus far, only better than the Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros in the AL. The Tigers have also been hideous at Comerica Park, sporting a 5-9 record at home.
So with all those hitters, why be so down about an early-season slump? Because the pitching is terrible, the contracts are huge and the players are old.
The starting rotation has a stud in Jordan Zimmermann, who might be the early favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award. Everything after that is flat out horrific. Justin Verlander has been bad in recent seasons and he continues to appear finished, rolling out with a 5.40 ERA, already allowing five home runs. Verlander, 33, is also impossible to trade to a contender this summer, with his contract calling for four more years after 2016 with $28 million due each of the next three campaigns and $22 million coming in 2020.
Anibal Sanchez is another train wreck. Sanchez has made sevens starts this year and has yet to record a quality one. The veteran is pitching to a 5.89 ERA and has an astounding 22 walks to 35 strikeouts. Sanchez, 32, is also locked up for a spell, staying in Detroit through 2018 at an average of $16.4 million/year. Luckily, there is a team option on the last year.
Offensively, the team has some aforementioned contributors but at outrageous prices. Cabrera is hitting .288 with four home runs and 14 RBI, a solid pace but certainly not imposing. He is 33 years old and signed through 2025, being paid $30 million each year except for 2022 and 2023, when he gets $32 million. When his contract expires, Cabrera will be 42 years old.
Upton is off to a slow start, hitting .221 with two bombs and nine RBI in his first 131 at-bats. Upton, 28, has always been a good player if not quite great, but he was paid like a superstar. Upton is making $22.125 million for each of the next five seasons after 2021. All of the years from 2018 on are player options. If he continues to play like this, those are automatic.
Victor Martinez, 37, is also signed through 2018 at a rate of $18 million per season. At least he’s still raking, hitting .348. However, he eats up the Designated Hitter spot, something that could be valuable with Cabrera aging.
The Tigers are bad in 2016, but that’s the least of their problems.
