When Tigers’ general manager Al Avila announced his own contract extension in the midst of an awful 2019 season, he called it the team’s “darkest hour.”
Avila was wrong. This is worse.
The Tigers are on pace to lose 117 games. Their run differential is higher per game than the 1962 Mets and 2003 Tigers, who lost 120 and 119 games.
Miguel Cabrera is hitting .098 with a .392 OPS and a minus 0.8 WAR that is 651st among MLB’s 657 players. He shares first base with Jonathan Schoop, who is minus 1.1 WAR and 655th. Albert Pujols was released by the Angels this week hitting 100 points higher, and with a better WAR, than Miggy. On the other end of the spectrum, first-week phenom Akil Baddoo is hitting .192. At least it rhymes.
Better to laugh about it than cry. The Tigers have the worst team ERA and OPS in the American League.
Subsequently, Avila is getting considerable criticism, and it’s justified. Even those of us who know Avila well, and respect his extensive background in the game, can’t defend the indefensible.
This club is brutal to a degree that’s inexcusable.
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The key words for the current state of the Tigers are “should” and “more.”
Manager A.J. Hinch should be making more of a difference. Top pitching prospects Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal should be more improved season-to-season. There should be more power arms in the bullpen. The many prospects Avila acquired in the Tigers’ recent selloffs at trade deadlines should be more impactful at the MLB level by now.
Ok, so prospect rating websites such as MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, ESPN and The Athletic have been praiseworthy of the Tigers’ player development system recently. Don’t hold your breath, though, for the cavalry arriving from the minor leagues any time soon to rescue the Tigers from another 2019, 2003 or 1996 disaster.
Spencer Torkelson, the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, has just one hit and has struck out nine times in his first 12 professional at bats at High A West Michigan. Matt Manning, a prospect the equal of Mize and Skubal, was the opening night starter for Triple-A Toledo. He allowed three home runs.
It’s as if anything that can go wrong for the Tigers, will.
Avila inherited a monumental task. Understood. Baseball rebuilds are especially ugly. Get it.
However, the Tigers waited too long to get into their rebuild. The Tigers’ first two drafts with Avila as GM, in 2016 and 2017, were poor. While Avila was wise to understand the glaring need to catch up on analytics, the Tigers took forever to advance. The Tigers have not done well with international signings, which is odd given Avila’s background and success in that realm with the Marlins.
There are some adjustments that can be made in the short term. Maybe Jason Foley can help the bullpen, Isaac Parades the infield and Derek Hill the outfield.
Renato Nunez and Nomar Mazara perhaps can, too. Can’t be any worse, right? Well, that’s the problem.
Maybe the 2020 draft class will pay off. While Torkelson has struggled, second-round pick Dillion Dingler has been swinging the bat well for West Michigan. Riley Greene, the fifth overall pick in 2019, has been raking for Double-A Erie.
Yet, it doesn’t erase the sting from this start. Not even close.
Nobody expected a spot in the playoffs, but this represents a minor league product at the MLB level. Again.
It’s disappointing. It’s discouraging. This town deserves much more from its baseball team, that’s for sure.