Detroit Tigers: 2016 Season in Review
What Went Wrong?
The biggest thing that went wrong with the Tigers’ season was their inability to defeat the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers managed to go 4-14 against the Tribe thanks to some late inning wins, but they struggled all season long.
Detroit also had difficulty in handling the Kansas City Royals, going 7-12 against the defending World Champs. The Tigers’ struggles with the upper echelon of the division counterbalanced their 15-4 dominance of the 100-loss Minnesota Twins, as well as their 12-7 record against the White Sox.
Not having the upper-hand within the division was a primary reason for the Tigers’ results, but there were other disappointments as well.
Disappointing Pitching Performances
In 2015, Mark Lowe was one of the most dominant setup men in the game. Lowe pitched in parts of the year for Cleveland, Seattle and Toronto, before electing free agency in the off-season. The Tigers gave him a two-year deal worth $11 million, which now seems like a very questionable decision following his first season in Detroit.
This year, Lowe earned a 7.11 ERA in 49.1 innings, despite striking out 49 batters. That’s because he also gave up 57 hits and 21 walks, as well as 12 home runs. Altogether, he allowed 39 runs this season.
Lowe had never been truly dominant until last season, so asking a career middle reliever to be a lights-out setup man was probably a poor choice on Detroit’s part. There’s almost no way they can unload his contract for next year, so hopefully Lowe can turn things around in 2017.
Mike Pelfrey was similarly disappointing. This is another signing that seemed a bit unusual, given that Pelfrey’s last three seasons were spent as a very mediocre pitcher in a bad Minnesota Twins rotation. The Tigers gave him a two-year deal worth $16 million, and he thanked them by going 4-10 with a 5.07 ERA.
The bullpen as a whole underperformed, which has been a repeated issue for the Tigers over the last several seasons. Justin Wilson started strong, but seemed less effective as the season went on. Overall, this is an area that Detroit continues to struggle in. It may be time to consider whether the bullpen coaching staff needs a shakeup, as well.
Players Who Didn’t Live Up to Expectations
Jordan Zimmermann was lights-out to start the season, but injuries derailed the second half of his year. After signing a $110 million, five-year deal, Zimmermann simply didn’t live up to his cost.
But by far the worst pitching contract on the Detroit roster is that of Anibal Sanchez, who was a key cog in the Tigers rotation in 2012 and 2013. Last year, Sanchez posted a 4.99 ERA, and this season, he was even worse. In 153 innings, Sanchez owned a 5.87 ERA and struck out 135 batters. He walked 53 hitters, allowed 171 hits, and gave up a whopping 30 home runs.
In 2016, Sanchez made $16.8 million and he is set to make that next year as well, so there is absolutely no chance that anyone will take on his contract. The Tigers would have to eat a ton of salary, and wouldn’t get anything back in return for him due to his struggles. With those limitations, the team needs to hope that Sanchez has a bounceback season next year.
Similarly, the Tigers spent too much last winter to get Justin Upton. Upton will make $22.1 million in each of the next five seasons, unless he opts out of his contract after 2017. The Tigers aren’t dealing that contract, either – not after Upton batted .246/.310/.465.
A strong second half saved Upton from what was shaping up to be a historically bad season for someone with his salary. As it was, he finished with the worst season of his career. His 179 strikeouts were a personal high, and his .775 OPS was his lowest since his rookie campaign in 2007.
Optimists might point out that his 31 home runs were a boost to the Tigers, which is true, but Detroit deserves more consistency from such an expensive player.