Detroit Tigers’ Rebuild Hits New Low In First Half

As the Detroit Tigers opened second half of the season by splitting a double header in Oakland against the Athletics, there doesn’t seem to be more pressure on sub .500 team than the Tigers.

Presently, the Tigers are clinging to fourth place in the AL Central by their fingernails, while the Kansas City Royals, another rebuilding team, seem to be poised to overtake them. Things are grim in Detroit after a promising 2021 campaign. In 2022, the Tigers have failed to deliver on those promises.

The apprehension around a rebuild whose reliance on pitching has been well documented. The ineptitude of the Tigers front office has also been well documented. Additionally, the blame may be placed on a manager who has been hamstrung by said inept front office, has also been documented.

People can point to poor timing of major injuries, the cancelled 2020 Minor League season, and a variety of other excuses to try to explain what happened this season in Detroit. Truthfully, excuses seem to be what has come from the Tigers’ front office more consistently than good decisions.

The 2021 offseason, saw the signing of a patient and versatile switch hitting corner outfielder in Robbie Grossman. This seemed to signal a shift in the Tigers’ evaluation processes and profile. Then in the 2022 offseason, the Tigers inked Javy Baez to a six-year deal that seemed to contradict that shift.

It was pretty easy to see how shelling out $140 million over six years for a hitter with shaky peripherals and having him play a majority of his games in unfriendly hitting environments could backfire. Well, it was easy for everyone not named Al Avila to see evidently.

Another interesting development has been the emergence of Riley Greene and to a smaller degree the development of division rival Andrew Vaughn contrasted with the struggles of Spencer Torkelson. While Torkelson is still an elite prospect, his adjustment to the Major Leagues has been rough. Meanwhile, two players that were drafted a season prior seem to be well on their way to developing beyond above average regulars.

Granted, Vaughn is two years older than Torkelson, but it shows that players that have come out of the amateur ranks with stronger overall hit tools fare better professionally than those with 80-grade power, but a weaker overall hit tool. Torkelson’s discipline is still excellent, but his ability to make contact consistently at all professional levels has been a cause for concern.

At this point, it is hard to say that when the Tigers’ young pitchers get healthy again, and when Spencer Torkelson returns to the big league ranks, that everything will be fine in Detroit. Mostly because Al Avila’s inability to supplement the developing prospects with reliable talent has not gone very well.

When there has been money to spend, that money has been spent poorly. And this doesn’t even mention the whole Eduardo Rodriguez situation or the debacle that has been the Isaac Parades trade.

Frankly, the second the Rays came calling, Al Avila should have asked who they were interested in, then hung up the phone and devoted all of his resources to finding out what the Tigers need to do to turn Parades into a 130 wRC+ hitter he became in Tampa.

With the trade deadline looming, the Tigers bullpen might be able to net them some decent pieces, but with Al Avila’s trade history, who knows? Meanwhile Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and even Pittsburgh Pirates fans are beginning to experience some rebuild induced optimism, while Tigers fans can’t seem to catch a break.

Unfortunately, most people with more than a casual knowledge of the Tiger organization could see this coming, but it’s hard to know that if anyone could see 2022 going this poorly for the Detroit Tigers. Obviously, a return to health for their young pitchers will give the Tigers a boost in the coming seasons, but with Al Avila still at the helm, it’s hard to have any confidence that this rebuild is going to work.