Baseball is back, so let’s see what the Tigers got done this past off-season. This winter was a weird one for baseball. The collective bargaining agreement between the players’ union had expired at the end of the 2021 season, December 2nd to be precise. The owners decided to execute a preemptive lockout on that day to force a swift agreement. This was slightly undercut by waiting about six weeks before they made their first offer, really narrowing the window before pitchers and catchers traditionally report to spring training in mid-February. A deal was eventually reached, and most observers feel like while the union did a little better than last time around, the players probably got the short end of the stick. The got a few concessions, such as the implementation of a draft lottery to discourage tanking, tweaks to free agency and arbitration rules, and a bump in minimum salary. But it’s easier to be a billionaire than a millionaire and a player’s earning years tend to be more limited than an owner’s, so the really rich guys beat out the pretty rich guys in this case. Although the season was delayed by a week, we will get all 162 games via a condensed schedule featuring more double-headers than usual. Now, on to Detroit.
The Tiger’s made three early moves before the lockout. They traded for Tucker Barnhardt, an excellent defensive catcher with an average bat. He brings two Gold Gloves and a reputation for being a good pitch framer, a skill which will lose its value when the inevitable robot umpires are implemented. But for now, the Tigers will benefit from every strike he can wrangle out of the human umps through body and glove positioning. I rate this as a B+. Barnhardt will help out a young pitching staff and defense in general was a true weak point last year for Detroit. This, along with another move we’ll get to shortly, should really help out.
The next transaction was the signing of Eduardo Rodriguez, a 28 year old LHP to anchor the young starting staff. The deal is for 5 years and $77 million, which is quite reasonable for one of the better starting pitchers available in his prime. Although his ERA last year was 4.74, his fielding independent pitching was 3.29, 12th best among starters last year. So, assuming average fielding behind him, his ERA would have been almost 1.5 runs better. The move to a more pitcher friendly location like Comerica Park can’t hurt either. I rate this as an A. Both a reasonable price and a reasonable length to lock in a very good starter to what the Tigers hope will their championship window? Great work.
The final move before the lockout was signing SS Javy Báez. Although the Tigers looked at all five top shortstops (also including Marcus Semien, Cory Seager, Trevor Story, and Carlos Correa) and made a reported 10 year/$275 million offer to Correa, the consensus best available in a historically good SS free agency class, Correa said no and the Tigers honed in on the most affordable, most exciting, and most flawed option. The deal is 6 years/$140 million, which isn’t too bad considering how badly Detroit needed to fill the premium infield position. Báez strikes out too much, doesn’t really walk, and the move from Wrigley Field will probably hurt his power numbers. But he’s thrilling and aggressive on the basepaths and an excellent defender, and should put butts in the seats. Correa would have been nice, and his eventual signing by division rival Minnesota twists the knife a bit, but Detroit got a quality shortstop. I give this move a B.
After the lockout, the Tigers stayed active with a couple of pitching additions. Andrew Chafin, a 31 year old lefty reliever got a two year/$13 million dollar deal to strengthen the bullpen. Chafin was one of the best available relievers, so this move gets an A-. Next up was RHP Micheal Pineda, who went 9-8 with a 3.62 ERA last year for Minnesota. This was a one year deal for $5.5 million plus incentives. I like this deal; it’s short term and helps solidify the rotation during a season when Spencer Turnbull is recovering from Tommy John surgery. A.
The last deal was a trade with Tampa Bay. Detroit sent Isaac Paredes and a draft pick for Austin Meadows, a former all-star who was a victim of Tampa’s salary shedding approach. Detroit was happy to pick up an established veteran outfielder (26 years old) in a move precipitated by an unfortunate injury to Riley Greene, who had a monster spring and had made the team as the starting center fielder. The broken bone in his foot will shelve him for 6-8 weeks. This was a bold move, but I like to see the aggressive mentality from Al Avila and Chris Illitch. This may lead to fewer at-bats for Akil Baddoo once Greene returns from the injured list, but overall I like how little we gave up for a potential all star in his prime. I give it a B+.
My overall grade for the off-season is a B+. We could have signed Correa and remained below the luxury tax. I know Miguel Cabrera’s contract makes the Tigers leery of a huge guaranteed payout, but the timing was perfect for the best shortstop in the game to reunite with his former manager in Motown. Other than that, a bunch of solid to very good signings added up to a not quite great off-season. I am looking forward to seeing what transpires this year in Detroit. The spending is finally starting to happen to go along with the young prospects’ arrival in the big leagues. Go Tigers!