2020 - Detroit continues where they left off the previous decade - they are

a bad team, going 23-35. This extends their run of very bad teams to four

seasons. Not only that, there's not much hope of improvement any time

soon moving forward. Tiger fans had gotten spoiled as they had an

eleven year run ending in 2016 where they were in the mix for the

Division title.

□   Chris Ilitch is the owner of the team, having taken over from his father

Mike in '17. Mike had purchased the team in '92. Let's hope that Chris picks

up his game and doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. It took Mike fourteen

years to turn the Bengals from league doormat to a winner in '06. One

would hope that Chris gets it together a lot sooner than that.

□   Al Avila had been GM since '15. He did not have a glowing record.

Avila was fired in '22 and replaced by youthful Scott Harris, 37, who had

had started out in the Cubs organization under Theo Epstein and then

became GM of the Giants in '19. The hiring of Harris is a good sign for Tiger

fans and shows that Chris Ilitch is starting to get his head in the game.

□

a train wreck for the three years coming into the decade.

Gardenhire was mercifully fired and replaced by AJ Hinch.

Hinch is the excellent ex Houston Astros manager who presided over

the Astro mini-dyanasty. Hinch had been suspended for the '20 season

due to his participation in the Astros sign-stealing scandal and the

Tigers grabbed him for the '21 season. This was an excellent move

by Illitch / Avila and showed that Detroit was getting serious about

turning things around.

2020 - FA 2B Jonathan Schoop,28, is signed from the Twins. He's a good

hitter, but that fades as time goes on in Detroit

2021 - The Bengals appear to be moving in the right direction as they win

77 games.

2022 - FA SS Javier Baez, 29, is signed from the Cubs. He's a good hitter

in Chicago, but completely loses his plate discipline in Detroit.

2022 - Detroit stumbles a bit and drops eleven games in the standings to an

ugly 66-96 mark. Lots of injuries to young pitchers sabotages the season.

2023 - Detroit loses 3B Jeimer Candelario to Washington in free agency

for not a lot of money. Not a good fielder, Jeimer, 29, was one of the better

bats in the Tigers lineup. The Bengals trade for Phillies 3B Nick Maton, 26.

A lateral move, at best. Detroit also gets OF Matt Vierling, 26, in the deal.

Matt's not a long term answer at the position. They give up lefty closer

Gregory Soto, 27, for these guys, which seems like a lot.

2023 - Detroit is building, but not nearly there yet.

They gained twelve games in the standings in '23 to 78-84 and are on their way.

They've got some serious pitching talent, but most of it is battling with injuries.

The offense needs a massive infusion of talent.

2023 - Future HOF third baseman Miguel Cabrera retires after the season.

2023 - OF Austin Meadows released after the season

2024 - Detroit's pitching was 8 runs better than league average in '23, a positive

sign. However, the offense was poor generating 87 runs less than league average.

The Tiger run differential indicated a 73-89 mark, so the Bengals aren't quite

as advanced as one might hope. Usually, outperforming your run differential

means that you've got a lights out bullpen that's winning you the close ones.

Not the case with Detroit as they were winning the close ones but not because

of a shutdown pen.

Offense:

The Tiger offense will still be anemic in '24, just not as weak as '23.

3B Gio Urshela via free agency and OF Mark Canha via trade are upgrades.

A pair of highly touted youngsters may be ready to emerge some time during

the year to provide a boost to the offense: OF Max Clark, the 3rd overall pick in

23 draft and IF Colt Keith. The hope is that youngsters Spencer Torkelson,

Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter take a step forward.

□ C Jake Rogers, 29, '17 Trade from Houston, 21-49-.221

□ C Dillon Dingler, 25, '20 2nd round pick, (16-58-.256 A/AA/AAA)

□ 1B Spencer Torkelson, 24, #1 overall pick in '20 draft, 31-94-.233

□ 2B Colt Keith, 22, '20 draft 5th round, top prospect

□  2B Andy Ibanez, 31, '23 Obtained from Texas, 11-41-.264

□  SS Javier Baez, 31, '22 FA from Cubs, 9-59-.222

□ 3B Gio Urshela, 32 '24 FA from Anaheim, 2-24-.299

□ OF Kerry Carpenter, 26,  '19 19th round pick, 20-64-.278

□ OF Riley Greene, 23, #5 overall pick in '19 draft, 11-37-.288

□ OF Mark Canha, 35, '24 Trade from Milwaukee, 5-33-.287

□ OF Matt Vierling, 27, '23 trade from Phillies, 10-44-.261

□ OF Max Clark, 19,  '23 3rd overall pick, top prospect

□ OF Parker Meadows, 24,  '18 2nd round pick, 3-13.232

□ IF Zach McKinstry, 29,  '23 Trade from Cubs, 9-35-.231

Pitchers :

The loss of FA lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez to Arizona is a big blow to the staff

The additions of Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Shelby Miller don't come close

to making up for the loss. The Tigers had been amassing a bunch of promising

young arms, but injuries have sabotaged them. Casey Mize a former #1 pick

had TJ surgery, Tarik Skubal has been battling injuries as has Matt Manning.

What was hoped to be a studly rotation hasn't materialized. Jackson Jobe, a

twenty one year old righty and third overall pick in the '21 draft is the

latest big time mound prospect who may make it to the big club in '24

The bullpen is not special and you wouldn't expect the Tigers to be winning

all of the close ones again in '24.

□ LHP Tarik Skubal, 27, '18 9th round pick. 7-3 2.80

□ RHP Reese Olson, 24, '21 Trade from Milwaukee, 5-7 3.99

□ RHP Kenta Maeda, 36, '24 FA from Twins, 6-8 4.23

□ RHP Jack Flaherty, 28, '24 FA from Baltimore,1-3 6.75

□ RHP Casey Mize, 27, #1 overall pick in '18 draft, TJ surgery

□ RHP Matt Manning, 26, 1st round pick in '16, 5-4 3.58

□ Closer Jason Foley, 28, '16 FA out of High School, 3-3  2.61

□ LHP Tyler Holton, 27, '23 Obtained from Arizona, 3-2  2.11

□ RHP Andrew Chafin, 25, '24 FA from Twins, 3-4 4.73

2025 - The Tigers re-sign RHP Jack Flaherty, 29. He had been dealt to the

Dodgers at the trade deadline in '24 because the Tigers didn't think they would

be a contender and, therefore, wouldn't need to re-sign him for '25.

However, Detroit then went on to make the post season and re-acquired

Flaherty for another playoff push. He was 13-7 overall in '24.

Win-win-win. They made the playoffs, got prospects and got Flaherty for '25.

2025 - Detroit gained eight games in the standings in '24 to an 86-76 mark

and the post season where they beat the mighty Astros in the WC play in.

At the trade deadline, Tigers management correctly assessed that they  were not

contenders and dealt righty Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers. They felt that way

because other than Cy Young winner, Tarik Skrubel's, other worldly 18-4

season, this was a below .500 ballclub talentwise. They were below league

average in runs scored. Anyway, behind Skrubel, the Tigers made it to the

playoffs and management is now in a position of trying to build onto a

playoff callibre team.

2025 Pitching:

Outside of Skrubel, there wasn't anything close to a sure thing in the rotation.

after the '24 trade deadline. Now, they also have their strong number two

starter, Jack Flaherty, back in the rotation. Behind those two are question marks.

Rookie Jackson Jobe has great stuff, Casey Mize is a top talent who has been

decimated by injuries including a back problem, and Reese Olsen had a 3.53 ERA

but only won four games. Jason Foley, 29, is the closer at 3-6 3.15 28 saves.

Beau Briskie and Tyler Holton were effective as setup men in relief last year.

2025 Hitting:

This was a below league average squad last year that has added only one

reinforcement - second baseman Gleyber Torres from the Yankees. Torres helps

but he's not a game changer. Twenty four year old OF Riley Greene is, by far,

the team's best hitter, he went 24 74 .262. There are several other youngsters

that need to develop like 1B Colt Keith, 23, 3B Jace Jung, 24, SS Trey

Sweeney, 25, and C Dillon Dingler, 26.