Improved Defense and Baserunning
Somehow, the Tigers need to increase their speed and efficiency.
Take baserunning, for example. In 2016, Tigers baserunners took extra bases just 34 percent of the time. That means that 66 percent of the time, runners were satisfied with moving up one base rather than trying to go from first to third or to score from second.
The Tigers were tied for the worst rate in MLB in this aspect, and it was hardly the only demonstration of their lack of speed. There were 22 teams who had more success at stealing bases, and the Tigers made outs while on base more often than the league average. Overall, this team is not built for speed.
Detroit needs to find a way to score that doesn’t involve home runs. The Cleveland Indians shut them down this season in large part because the Tribe’s starting pitching was so strong. The Tigers weren’t able to hit the ball out of the park enough times to make up for their inability to score in other ways.
Finding room for speedy, defensive-minded players might be difficult. With so much of the Tigers’ lineup for next year already set, it will require creativity on the part of the front office.
Getting rid of Cameron Maybin seems like it would hurt the team’s speed and defensive metrics even further, but trading J.D. Martinez could help. Call to the Pen’s Brad Faber discussed this on Friday, noting that Martinez only has one year left until free agency and Avila has already stated that a long-term contract isn’t likely given the Tigers’ new budget.