Detroit Tigers: Should team be worried about Mike Fiers?
By Brad Faber
Mike Fiers’ rocky spring training has left some wondering if he is deserving of a spot in the Detroit Tigers’ starting rotation. It also appears that he might be challenged for that spot by Daniel Norris.
Over the offseason, the Detroit Tigers took a chance on Mike Fiers, signing him to a one-year, $6 million deal. While Fiers has had past success in the big leagues, he has struggled in recent years, posting a 4.84 ERA since the beginning of 2016. He was also left off of the Houston Astros‘ postseason roster.
This spring, Fiers has posted a 9.53 ERA over four starts for the Tigers. He has allowed four home runs over just 11.1 innings of work.
Last week, it was reported that Francisco Liriano was likely to earn the fifth spot in the rotation. Many took this to mean that the Tigers’ starting rotation would likely consist of Jordan Zimmermann, Michael Fulmer, Matt Boyd, Liriano, and Fiers. Such a rotation would have left Daniel Norris as the odd-man out, likely making him ticketing for another stint in Triple-A Toledo.
Norris still fighting for a rotation spot
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Fiers’ struggles have left many wondering how secure his spot in the rotation might be. Evan Woodbery of MLive recently raised the possibility that Fiers could begin the season in the bullpen, should his struggles continue. Woodbery also pointed out that Fiers dealt with a minor back issue earlier this spring, so it’s possible that they could find a way for him to open the year on the disabled list. Either scenario could open up a spot for Norris.
So far this spring, Norris has been decent, but unspectacular, posting a 4.00 ERA over four games (two starts). In his last start, he allowed two earned runs over four innings of work against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Norris, the most significant piece the Tigers were able to acquire in the David Price trade in the summer of 2015, has yet to reach his full potential. He showed many flashes of potential in both 2015 and 2016 but posted a 5.31 ERA over 22 games (18 starts) last season. He battled injuries last year as well.
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Right now, it seems likely that the Detroit Tigers may have to choose between Fiers and Norris. With only a couple of weeks left to go until the start of the 2018 MLB season, there isn’t much time left to decide. It should be interesting to see which direction manager Ron Gardenhire decides to go.