by
David Price
The trade was splashy. The trade was daring. The trade was the topic of every conversation around Detroit after 4:00 pm.
But was it the right thing to do?
The Tigers have always had superb starting pitching. Even in last year’s playoffs when they bowed out to the Red Sox, the starters were dominant. It was the punchless offense and unstable bullpen that did the Tigers in.
Acquiring David Price does not improve those weak spots.
It bolsters an already strong unit, and in a big way, but it leaves the Tigers without their speedy center fielder and recently reinvigorated leadoff hitter.
Austin Jackson has been on an absolute tear of late. Since being moved back to his comfortable spot atop the Tigers’ order at the beginning of July, he’s batted at a .349 clip. He posted a stretch of seven consecutive multi-hit games.
The team will look to unproven Ezequiel Carrera to replace Jackson’s range in center. Rajai Davis will be expected to do what he’s been doing, and more.
And while nobody has ever uttered the words, “Outfield defense wins you championships,” the Tigers sure are taking it to the extreme.
Offense Still an Issue
David Price is as imposing as they come. He’s 6-foot-6, he’s left-handed, he can dial the fastball up to the high-90’s. But he does not swing a bat.
Look no further than the aforementioned 2013 playoffs as an indication of just how much this team’s offense has sputtered in October.
Justin Verlander started three games in that postseason. He allowed one run. Total. In his 23 innings of work, only one guy crossed the plate. And the Tigers emerged victorious in just one of those three games.
It is understood that many teams struggle to put up big numbers in the playoffs. The weather takes a drastic dip and the pitching becomes much more challenging. But the Tigers always seem to struggle just a little more than the others.
Which is why this trade leaves many with a feeling of uncertainty. Bringing aboard David Price would have been completely satisfying if it was coupled with another transaction involving a powerful hitter.
It is no secret that Miguel Cabrera’s power isn’t quite there. Whether it’s lingering effects from surgery or not, the guy would have to work his tail off over the final two months to reach 30 home runs (he has 16), a feat he’s accomplished with ease each of the last seven seasons.
Torii Hunter has had a mid-year resurgence, and J.D. Martinez continues to surprise, but does this group as it stands today have the makings of a World Series champion lineup?
The Tigers are hoping that doesn’t matter. Just pitch, pitch, pitch, and hope to scratch out a couple of runs. And that could work.
All-Stars Everywhere
The team now has an embarrassment of riches on the mound. The rotation is so stacked that a 12-5 Rick Porcello or former ERA champ Anibal Sánchez might be relegated to bullpen duty come playoff time.
(Give it up with the Verlander-Tim Lincecum comparisons. This guy will be a starting pitcher for the Tigers in October. He’s made seven playoff starts in the last two years. He was utterly dominant in six of those. Such heroics are not forgotten quickly by Tigers’ brass, nor should they be.)
So the Tigers putter along into the dog days of the summer, armed now with Price, one of the most fearsome southpaws in the game. He’ll be expected to turn around his post season demons -- he’s made four career starts on the big stage, none going particularly well, and each one resulting in a loss.
The Tigers are said to be going “all in” this year. It’s a championship or bust.
But while all the focus is now directed at the men on the mound, it’s the ones in the batter’s box we should really be worried about.
As George Carlin liked to say, baseball is not football. A bloodthirsty defense can’t present the offense with scoring opportunities in baseball. The rules require they do it on their own.
The Tigers recently traveled to Anaheim for a four-game set. After winning the opener, they dropped the next three. And scored a total of two runs in the process. Those Angels could very well be a first-round opponent of Detroit two months from now.
David Price can pitch until the cows come home.
But the Tiger bats must join him on that quest.
And now they’ll be forced to do so without one of their hottest hitters. What do you get when you combine a hall of fame rotation with a mediocre lineup?
We’ll see in about 60 days.
