Detroit Tigers are finally playing 2024 games: 10 reasons why they might be fun to watch
LAKELAND, Fla. — Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the next stage of spring training.
The Detroit Tigers begin their Grapefruit League schedule Saturday against the New York Yankees.
Finally.
So, after a few weeks of watching this team at TigerTown and talking with the players and members of the front office, let me take this opportunity to offer 10 thoughts, bold predictions and observations about this team:
1. A great signing
I gotta give props to Scott Harris, the Tigers president of baseball operations, for signing Gio Urshela, an eight-year MLB veteran., this week
Urshela is a player the Tigers were watching all offseason. It is believed his asking price was significantly higher during the winter. That’s typically how these spring training signings go. A player asks for a big boatload of money in the winter and then settles for a reasonable rowboat-full when spring training starts.
Harris waited, showing restraint and discipline, then signed him for a bargain-basement price of $1.5 million plus incentives. Consider this: Urshela made about $15 million over the past two seasons combined with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.
I know he’s older — he turned 32 in October — and coming off a broken pelvis last June.
But it’s a low-cost investment with a tremendous upside.
The Tigers are getting a third baseman who was a Gold Glove finalist in 2020; he instantly lengthens the batting order, too.
All in all, a tremendous signing with little downside.
"When Gio is healthy, he does three things really well," Harris said. "He makes a ton of contact. He hits the ball hard, and he plays above average defense at third base."
Put another way: He's exactly what this team needs.
2. Improved defense
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch came into this spring training wanting to improve his team’s infield defense.
And then — boom!
The Tigers added Urshela, who not only strengthens the infield but also gives Hinch the flexibility to use Matt Vierling in the outfield, where he is a plus defender. Which, in turn, makes the outfield defense even better.
That’s a win-win.
“We feel like he fits our roster because he has a chance to strengthen our infield defense,” Harris said. “But also, he allows A.J. to reconfigure the rest of the diamond to strengthen the outfield defense. He fits how we play and we feel he’s going to fit really well in the clubhouse.”
This is also a safety net if rookie center fielder Parker Meadows struggles.
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3. Vierling goes big
By the way, the ball is jumping off Vierling's bat.
My bold prediction: Vierling is going to have a tremendous season at the plate.
It doesn’t matter if he’s playing third or the outfield, he’s going to make an impact on this team.
4. The Javy thing
Nobody has said this to me — it’s just an educated guess.
I think Javier Báez has made errors when bored. But I think playing alongside Urshela will make him focus even more.
They are friends, and you never want to look sloppy around your buds.
5. The ace
One thought I have every time I see him, every time I talk to him: Tarik Skubal carries himself like an ace.
He talks like an ace.
And when he’s on the mound, just chewing up batters — even his teammates in live bullpens — he looks like an ace.
Another bold prediction: if he can stay healthy, he’s going to be an American League Cy Young candidate.
6. A thought on Carp
I don’t think Kerry Carpenter is going to have any kind of letdown. After returning in June from a shoulder injury, he posted an .824 OPS over his final 98 games.
This year? He wants to play every day, and I think his bat is going to force the Tigers to keep him in the lineup, whether it’s in the outfield or as a designated hitter.
He has a minor setback right now — he tweaked his hamstring this week and will miss the weekend's games — but he looks primed for another fantastic season.
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7. A thought on the kids
I saw a little of Max Clark on the back fields. Clark, the Indiana high schooler who was the Tigers' top pick in July (at No. 3 overall), went into the offseason as the organization's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
And I can report: He’s an absolute character.
Blue glove. Bling around his neck. Super-tight pants. Full of charisma and personality.
But that's just the outward show. By all reports, he’s the real deal.
By contrast, I saw a bit of Kevin McGonigle, July's second pick (at No. 37 overall) who slotted in as the Tigers' No. 5 prospect. The Pennsylvania prep star is not as flashy at Clark, but he has this blue-collar vibe in the infield. All business.
They are the next big wave of prospects — still years away, but fascinating players.
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8. A thought on Colt Keith
The person I am most interested in watching in games this spring is Colt Keith, the heir apparent at second base.
Right now, his bat is ahead of his defense.
But he doesn’t have to be flashy on defense — he just needs to make the routine plays.
On offense, he has some pop, he can hit both righties and lefties and he is a tough out.
Is he going to have times when he struggles? Of course.
But I firmly believe the Tigers will be patient with him, giving him time to develop.
And that’s another subtle benefit of the Urshela signing: It's another solid bat. And the more offense that the Tigers surround Keith with, the less pressure he will feel.
Consider it a lesson learned from Spencer Torkelson's rookie season in 2021: That year, Torkelson felt pressure to hit, I think, because the rest of the team wasn’t simply wasn't.
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9. The Jace Jung thing
How will Urshela in the infield affect Jace Jung, the Tigers' top pick in 2022 who moved from second base to third late last yeart?
He won't, not really.
Jung has only played 47 games above A-ball, and none above Double-A. If he continues to rake in the minors, he will move up when he's ready. The Tigers will find a spot for him.
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10. The big, big prediction
What is this team?
There are times when I look at this roster — featuring a strong group of pitchers and an improved defense and the potential for an improved offense — and I convince myself that this team is going to be interesting all summer.
Then I think about how many youngsters are in key roles, and I remember that Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene are still relatively young, and I remember that development is never in a straight line and I think: Man, if they all go cold at the same time, this team is gonna be brutal to watch.
Then, I see Meadows yank a homer in live bullpens, and I remember how Keith responded to pressure in the minors and I settle on the positive side: I really think this team is gonna win more than it loses.
I think these youngsters are going to develop. I love the vibe on this team. The pitching and defense are going to be solid. And if these Tigers can just improve a little at the plate, it’s going to be a fun, exciting summer.
Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.
To read Seidel's recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
For (spring) openers: Yankees
Matchup: Tigers (78-84 in 2023) vs. N.Y. Yankees (82-80 in 2023), Grapefruit League opener.
First pitch: 1:05 p.m. Saturday; Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Florida.
TV/radio: No TV; WXYT-AM (1270).
Probable pitchers: Tigers — RHP Reese Olson (5-7, 3.99 ERA in 2023); Yankees — RHP Luis Gil (0-0, 9.00 ERA in 2022).
Opening Day: At Chicago White Sox; 4:10 p.m. March 28; Bally Sports Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers might be fun to watch: 10 reasons why
