2015 Detroit Tigers Facing Early Adversity

It’s not yet Spring Training and the Detroit Tigers already find themselves dealing with some potentially threatening setbacks for the 2015 season. Not serious in a “foreign automobile manufacturers are dominating the market” sense. Because in reality, the Motor City’s automobile industry should be rather content about their strong market share to open the 2015 calendar year compared to this time last year. Maybe the government bail outs were a positive thing. But who will the Tigers call on for reinforcements if or when they find their 25-man roster depleted?

News broke yesterday afternoon that AL MVP runner-up, Victor Martinez, is set to undergo surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered during workouts. It is the same knee, but a different ligament (meniscus), than the one he had surgery on in 2012 for a torn ACL. He’s set to make $14 million in salary this year.

Adding insult to injury, 31-year old Miguel Cabrera — the two-time AL MVP winner during his tenure in Detroit — had offseason surgery in October to remove a bone spur from his right ankle. Not overly daunting, but when you consider he also had a second procedure to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone of his right foot, it could be cause for concern. Miggy is a right-handed hitter, so much of his weight is supported through the right leg when he generates power for his swings.

With their two best hitters questionable for Opening Day, the emergence of J.D. Martinez last season coupled with the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes will garner added attention in Grapefruit League play. However without the protection of two of the premier hitters in all the AL not in the lineup with them, it’s unlikely Martinez or Cespedes will see a lot of strikes during regular season action, should that scenario arise.

V-Mart, 36, is no stranger to missing time in his career. He missed half of the 2008 season with the Cleveland Indians and all of 2012 with Detroit. One of the more highly valued hitters in free agency, he could not have played better in a contract year. Martinez became only the third player in AL history after Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams to hit 30 home runs while going down on strikes less than 50 times at the plate in a single season.

Given his age and medical history, Martinez was a risk to take on for his expected salary demands. Now the Tigers are reeling somewhat. They might not have their starting first baseman or designated hitter for April and possibly beyond. This is a worst case scenario, but to deflate the situation more, the rotation will not be what it was in 2014.

The Tigers were unsuccessful in luring Max Scherzer back to Motown and Justin Verlander appears to be in decline. Also remember, they had to hand over Rick Porcello in order to land Cespedes. Of all pitchers on Detroit’s staff last year, he finished with second highest WAR (4.0) behind Scherzer (6.0). David Price — for the one season Detroit has control of him for — is the silver lining.

Aside from the back end of the rotation and previous years issues in the bullpen, the club will look to get a boost with the return of their everyday shortstop, Jose Iglesias. But even he comes with red flags. A career .274 hitter, the 24-year old Cuban missed all of 2014 with stress fractures in both of his shins.

There is not much to turn to in the farm system for depth, either. ESPN’s Keith Law ranks the Tigers’ minor league system dead last for 2015. MLB.com ranks only one prospect for Detroit, OF Steven Moya, inside their top 100.

The 25-man active roster is thin on players who could support a first base or DH role as well. It would seem right now like GM Dave Dombrowski and the club are keeping an optimistic yet open mind toward things.

Should they have to reach out and sign someone, the most reliable player(s) the Detroit Tigers camp could bring aboard right now via free agency to play either DH or 1B for them would be Lyle Overbay, Carlos Pena and/or Gaby Sanchez.