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Maybe it’s good for the favorite to become a bit of an underdog every so often.
The Detroit Tigers have been safely perched atop the Central division for three straight years now. They’ve possessed a slew of powerhouse arms, a formidable offensive attack (at least until October), and wily manager with a Silverado full of experience.
This offseason, a few changes have taken place. And from the local response, you’d have thought the organization took its beloved Olde English D and flipped the timeless logo upside-down.
Rotation stalwart Doug Fister was unceremoniously shipped off to Washington for spare parts.
The ageless Joaquin Benoit was replaced with the ageless Joe Nathan.
Playoff anti-hero Prince Fielder was dealt for Ian Kinsler, who will take over 2nd base from Omar Infante and hit first in the order because Austin Jackson strikes out more than Joe Dumars during free agency.
Oh, and the bullpen is also presumably in shambles.
With the Pistons wrapping up what has been quite possibly the saddest season in their existence and the Red Wings stumbling to a low playoff seed, the town has turned its attention to the yet-to-begin Tigers with a state of collective panic.
But is it warranted? Is the 2014 model so much different than the ’13? Have things changed so dramatically to justify our worry machines getting ratcheted up to levels only previously reached by nervous mothers on school picture day?
I’m not so sure.
Core Remains Strong
Admittedly, the club has weakened in spots. Losing Fielder’s clout will make Miguel Cabrera’s job a bit more difficult, and the injury to Jose Iglesias was a disconcerting blow.
But the strength of the team is still firmly in place.
The starting rotation, long the backbone of these annual playoff participant Tigers, remains one of the best in baseball.
While the absence of the rocksteady Fister is unfortunate, and by most accounts entirely unnecessary, the four holdovers are no picnic for the opposition.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are each capable of winning the AL MVP. Anibal Sánchez flirts with no-hitters so often you wonder if he’s the spawn of Dave Stieb. Rick Porcello seems primed for a 17-win season.
Sure, the bullpen will be patchwork and more of an adventure than some would prefer, but let’s not pretend that last year’s edition was some type of shut-down crew that locked up games from the 7th inning on. The defeat at the hands of the Red Sox in the ALCS was due in large part to the inability of Benoit and company to get key outs in tense moments.
Winter Is For Worrying
It’s a natural tendency of fans to overreact during the long and cold winter. There are no games being played and no on-field performances to critique. There are only the moves we want to see made and the ones we’d rather not have taken place at all.
In a perfect world, Scherzer would have signed his long-term extension long ago, Fielder would have slimmed down and stayed on as Cabrera’s lineup bodyguard, and left field would finally have turned into a a strength instead of a never-ending merry-go-round of mediocrity.
But that’s generally not how it works. So we’re left with today’s reality; a rookie manager with a rookie third baseman and a variety of question marks occupying shortstop and the relief corps.
But when you step back and evaluate the whole picture, and take a look at the four other divisional opponents, you realize things are actually pretty sunny in the Motor City.
The Tigers still have the league’s most feared slugger. They have a right fielder (Torii Hunter) and designated hitter (Victor Martinez) that seem to defy the very laws of human aging. And there are probably 29 other teams in the league that would gladly swap starting rotations with the current Detroit quintet.
You can question some of the decisions. You can worry about the setup man. You can wonder how to correctly pronounce “Rajai.”
But one thing you need not do is panic. Ten teams will advance to the baseball postseason in six months, and the Tigers will almost certainly be one of them.
The car has been tinkered with and rearranged. It looks a bit different and feels a little funny.
But it’s still the same car.
And it has always run pretty good in the past.
