Detroit Tigers Trade Deadline Preview
By Ron Juckett
OFFENSE
The strong side of the Tigers, Detroit can hit and slug. With a slash line of .270/.330/.438, they are a top three offense. Unless it comes to scoring runs. The 354 tallied as of Sunday ranks sixth in the AL. Their 637 strikeouts are fourth-worst. All well and good to get on base, but strikeouts do not move runners along.
The usual suspects of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are doing their job. Martinez is hitting .316, Cabrera at .296 with 16 home run. Ian Kinsler continues to make Detroit not miss Prince Fielder with his 14 doubles and home runs.
Cameron Maybin—in his second stint with the Tigers—is having a breakout year. Hitting .349 in 35 games, he provides speed and the ability to slash singles. His eight stolen bases tie him with Kinsler for the team lead. Those four players, and Nick Castellanos, are a solid corps and allow the Detroit to produce runs.
Then you have James McCann and Justin Upton. Upton has 95 strikeouts in 71 games and McCann sports a .207/.250/.343 slash line. With J.D. Martinez injured through early August and Jose Iglesias not hitting, Detroit is vulnerable at the bottom of the lineup. They will need extra-base hits to move runners along as Cabrera and Martinez have the speed of a herd of thundering turtles on the base paths.
With a thin bench, the Tigers would love to add another outfielder, which would be a real need if J.D. Martinez is out longer than expected. However, the top priority is the starting pitching. As of now, the Tigers need to make do with what they have unless they grab someone cheap.
Next: A Long Call to the Pen