The Detroit Tigers will likely be turning to Dixon Machado to replace Ian Kinsler at second base. Are they in need of a sufficient backup plan?
Last December, the Detroit Tigers traded Ian Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for prospects Troy Montgomery and Wilkel Hernandez. Kinsler had an excellent four-year run in Detroit, batting .275/.328/.436 over 2,639 plate appearances. He also played great defense and earned a Gold Glove back in 2016.
The leading candidate to replace Kinsler is Dixon Machado. Before spending all of last season as the club’s utility man, Machado was briefly with the Tigers in 2015 and 2016. This is his first chance at a starting job.
Despite tapering off a bit in the second half, Machado ended last season batting a respectable .259/.302/.319 through 73 games. While he has always been known more for his glove than his bat, he showed last season that he could hold his own against big league pitching.
In recent years, Machado has also had a couple of relatively solid seasons with the bat in the minor leagues. Back in 2014, he hit a combined .286/.375/.404 with six home runs and 40 RBI between High-A and Double-A. In 1,136 plate appearances in Triple-A between 2015-16, he hit .264/.331/.344. According to Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, Machado added more muscle over the offseason as well.
Machado’s job to lose?
According to CBS Sports, while Machado looks to be the favorite to win the second base job, Detroit could still explore “a late free-agent signing” to add additional competition. At this point, however, the options are quite limited. It would be tough to imagine Detroit spending on Brandon Phillips or Neil Walker. The other remaining free agents may not present much of an upgrade over Machado.
The Tigers also have a couple of intriguing players competing for a utility job, who might be able to provide some relief in the event that Machado falters. Among these players is Ronny Rodriguez. Last season, the 25-year-old Rodriguez showed a considerable amount of pop for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Through 117 games, he hit .291/.324/.454 with 17 home runs.
Other players competing for a utility role include Niko Goodrum, Alexi Amarista, and Pete Kozma. Lastly, Dawel Lugo, who the Tigers acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the J.D. Martinez trade last summer, may not be far away from the majors either. Some have envisioned a future infield of Machado at shortstop and Lugo at second. While the Tigers currently have Jose Iglesias at shortstop, he is in his final season of team control and could become a trade candidate this summer.
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Right now, the Detroit Tigers are apparently in rebuilding mode. It makes perfect sense to give Machado an extended opportunity to show what he can do. Of course, Machado shouldn’t be expected to do the job that Kinsler did. He almost certainly won’t match the 22 home runs that Kinsler hit last season either. Still, if Machado can bat in the .250-.270 range and play great defense, that may be enough to fill the Tigers’ current needs.