Breaking Down The Tigers - Part 2 of 5

Yesterday we talked about the Tigers’ Infielders. The popular opinion seems to be that Pena could have a breakout season this year, and Inge is fine at third base. It seems the Infield could be set, at least for now.

What about the Outfield? To me, I see a mess. I see a lot of guys on the Roster, and no one that really stands out. It seems that some guys have arms, some guys have bats, and little have solidity.

Let’s examine the Outfield.

Bobby Higginson. Higginson’s contract screams “You can’t trade me!” He’s owed $8 million this season, has a no-trade clause, and will most likely get a shot at keeping his job in left field as a result. I like Higginson in the outfield. I don’t think anyone on the team plays the field better than Higginson. He has ability to chase down balls, and throw people out at the plate. Unfortunately, this is all tainted by his poor hitting. In 2003, he hit .235, and in 2004 he hit .246. Before that, he hit anywhere between .270 and .320. Unfortunately, he shows no signs of regaining the level of hitting we saw years ago. I would not expect Higginson to be re-signed unless two things happen. One, he has a good season. Two, there is no one else to replace him with, forcing the Tigers to ask him to come back. Bruce Fields will need to spend a little extra time with Higginson in the Spring. He’s going to have to try and get Bobby back to the level he should still be at. Higginson’s hitting could be easily corrected with some minor mechanics adjustments. He seems uncomfortable at the plate, and often is inconsistent with his stance. If he can find the right position for his feet, and get a comfortable grip on the bat, he could regain his quality hitting.

Craig Monroe. Monroe could end up in right field next season. He has played all three outfield positions, but lacks the speed for Center Field, and struggled with the ball in Left Field. Monroe is a good hitter. Last year he hit .293 average last year, with 72 RBIs, and 18 homeruns. He has improved each year, but has spent a little time on the DL. For now, he’s an inexpensive, good option in the outfield. He adds depth to the lineup, and decent range from the field. One area of concern -- he throws a lot of balls off the mark when pressed to make a big play at home plate. He needs to work on his conditioning this spring, needs to keep improving his hitting, and work on the mental aspects of playing right field. He’s young, and has a lot of potential to be a good player for the next few years.

Alex Sanchez. Alex is certainly a player with a lot of talent and potential. He’s quick, but can’t judge the ball well. His arm is decent, but he struggles to get the ball into the Infield effectively. One major flaw is over-running the ball. I’ve seen this many times, and have wondered what the problem might be. He's either trying to run to hard, or he's just not able to judge a fly ball. Behind the plate, Sanchez is the best bunting force that I have ever seen. His bad side is that he’s over-aggressive, and as a result, he only had seven walks last year, and a poor on base percentage. Fixing this should be approached with caution. Sanchez is an excellent base-stealer, and you don't want to hinder that just to get him on base a few more times. Sanchez is will most likely have the Center Field job as long as he’s healthy, and as long as the Tigers don’t come up with someone better. He will need to try and improve his fielding, and get on base a little more. Being the leadoff hitter, getting on base is very important. He will need to fine-tune his game to see another contract in 2006.

Rondell White. Rondell is a good hitter, and a bad fielder. He has no arm, and is slow. The positive part about his fielding is that when he does manage to get to the ball, he rarely makes errors. With the size of Comerica Park being what it is, he’s not a good fit, and would be better served as a backup Outfielder, or a DH. Assists from him are rare, and with the Tigers struggling to get to .500, they can’t afford to put a weak arm in the Outfield. Rondell will be 33 when the season starts. He’s on the backside of his career, and I don’t see his arm strength improving, but rather degrading. Whether or not he can win the DH position over Dmitri Young is doubtful. He lacks the power, and clutch hitting capabilities. If I were the Tigers, I would consider giving him some early bat time, and trading him.

Dmitri Young. Speaking of Dmitri Young, I had thought about when to talk about him, and I think even though he’s listed as a First Baseman on the Roster, I’d talk about him as a viable option for the outfield. Yes, he’s a bigger guy, but he’s also an athletic guy. He can run well, but his range factor is low from the Outfield. Unfortunately, this is to be expected from someone who was a career First Baseman. With Carlos Pena signed for another season, I would expect Dmitri to be given the DH job. Young is a career .292 hitter with the ability to drive in runs, and clutch hit when called on. He usually carries a good on base percentage, and can draw a walk 10 percent of the time. He also has the mental toughness to sit the bench, and still be a quality hitter. I would also look to him to backup the outfielders, and Pena.

Marcus Thames. Thames was a real surprise in the outfield. He had no errors in 62 games, and showed decent arm strength. His hitting improved as he played more, and he ended up with a .255 batting average, 10 homeruns, and 33 RBIs. His strike outs were high, 42 in 165 at bats, but mostly came when he first starting playing. Thames will need to work on his hitting. He has to establish himself as a quality hitter in spring training, and bring it into the regular season. He needs to be more patient at the plate, and avoid having a 33 percent strike out rate. His walks seem good, and could improve as a result. I would also look to Thames to bring some big hits. All of this will rest on how much playing time he gets. You have to play to get better, and if he’s only going to see sporadic play, he won’t improve. The way to get playing time is to go into Spring Training and prove that he is better than Craig Monroe. The job could be his to lose.

Over all I think we have an unknown status in the Outfield. I don’t think it is a strong Outfield, and at the same time I don’t view it as a completely weak Outfield. J.D. Drew and/or Steve Finley would have definitely solidified it, but we have to move on with what we have.

The Future is bright, and we haven’t talked about Nook Logan, Curtis Granderson, and a couple others. While I think they will be in Spring Training, I don’t see them starting the season in Detroit. They are for the future. We’ll talk about them on Friday.

Tomorrow I will examine the Starting Pitchers.

Stats provided by ESPN