The Big Questions
By Blake VandeBunte • Jun 1st, 2009 • Category: 2009 SeasonHere we are. It’s June 1st and the Detroit Tigers have a four game lead in the American League Central. Who saw this coming? I’ll be honest, I thought the Tigers were a .500 team at best. That still may happen given that the season isn’t even half way done yet, but we have to be impressed with what we’ve seen the first two months of the season.
This is generally the time of year where you can start sizing up who is for real and who isn’t. The New York Yankees got off to a slow start, but look who’s in first place today. Just because a team struggles out of the gate doesn’t mean they’ll play the whole season that way. On the opposite end of that spectrum we see the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays of the baseball world. These guys started out hot and have since cooled off a great deal.
The Tigers on the other hand have been pretty even keeled throughout the season. However, the White Sox have gotten hot the past couple of weeks and one can never count out the Twins. Where exactly do the Tigers stand? Do they stand pat with the club they have now or do they sell of pieces?
Here are some of the big questions I have for the remainder of the season:
- What do the Tigers do with Magglo Ordonez? If he gets enough at-bats with the Tigers this year, his contract ($18M) becomes guaranteed in 2010. Is that really what’s best for the Tigers?
- Who sticks in the starting rotation? Jeremy Bonderman has yet to pitch while Dontrelle Willis and Armando Galarraga are HUGE question marks.
- What do the Tigers do when/if Carlos Guillen comes back? That means less playing time for the young guys who may just give the Tigers a better chance to win than Guillen at this point in his career.
- Where does Marcus Thames fit in? With the Tigers new emphasis on speed and defense, it’s hard to picture my favorite Tiger getting many at-bats.
- Is the bullpen going to pitch this well all season? Fernando Rodney is perfect in save situation, he can’t possibly keep that going, can he? Does it make sense to trade off a prospect for a reliever near the trade deadline?
- Does Jim Leyland deserve a contract extension? When does Dave Dombrowski make a decision on Leyland’s future?
- If the White Sox make a trade for a pitcher like Jake Peavy or Roy Oswalt, should the Tigers make a move in response?
- How many innings should the Tigers allow Rick Porcello to pitch this season? He has been one of the best pitchers in the AL this season, but the Tigers don’t want to wear out his arm in 2009 and sacrifice his performance for future seasons.
- Is Jim Leyland ever going to stick with a batting order? What’s the ideal order?
Please feel free to chime in with ideas or answers to these big questions.
Blake VandeBunte is a posting fiend.
Email this author | All posts by Blake VandeBunte
All good questions. The one that concerns me the most is Carlos. I feel like we might actually be a better team without him in the lineup right now. He is a solid hitter, but I love the dynamic Thomas and Anderson bring to this team.
-s
trumbullandmichigan.com
Did you see the comments that Aubrey Huff had about Verlander and Jackson? If not, he said that those two are the best back-to-back starters that he has seen in his career.
I did see that. I have a hard time believing that, not that it isn’t true. It’s just that Huff’s been around for a while now. Hard to argue though, considering what they’ve done this season.
What do the Tigers do with Magglo Ordonez?
As long as Mr. I thinks (with input from Leyland) playing him over someone else gives the Tigers the best shot of reaching the playoffs this year, he will tell Leyland to play him as needed regardless of the long term cost.
To alleviate the logjam in the outfield it probably makes the most sense to trade a Thomas or an Anderson (low salary) to a non-contender for a bullpen arm. I’ve become a big fan of Anderson this year, and would like to see him sign long-term. But what does that do to Raburn, Thames, and Thomas?
63 Tiger: I think you are right. Before the season started the organization seemed to want to give Leyland every chance he had to save his job and right the ship. If that means play Maggs a bunch (despite the longterm contract concerns) I think that’s what he’ll do.
As far as the OF jam goes, I really don’t know. I’m glad I’m not in charge of things in Detroit because I would have no clue where to start. I don’t think Anderson deserves a long-term deal, but he certainly has looked good so far.
Good questions. While the speed and defense have been a huge asset, at some point, somebody has to start driving the ball. Tonight’s game against Boston is case in point for that. While it will be difficult to mix in Guillen and Thames when they return, and it will be tough to watch a couple of the young outfielders go down to the minors, we need their bats.
Some nifty platoon work will be necessary, but when you have the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with no outs, you need somebody to be able to drive the ball into a gap or out of the yard. Having another thumper to go with Cabrera, Inge, and Grandy would really help, especially if Maggs is going to continue being a mostly singles hitter. In my opinion, how they deal with this OF situation will have a larger impact on the season than any other issue because it has a huge impact on both the defensive and offensive sides of the game.