Detroit Tigers: A Look at the 2007 Post-Season and Beyond

The year 2007 for the Detroit Tigers was definitely not great, even though the team finished out the year in second place in the American League's central division. Other division teams, such as the White Sox and Twins, also struggled. Looking forward to 2008, the Detroit Tigers have made a few changes that could lead to more as the off-season progresses on. One good note: Jim Leyland signed a one-year extension through 2009, which guarantees he will be back for the 2008 season. All the other coaches will also be back in 2008. The only question mark was first-base coach Andy VanSlyke, who was thinking about managing in the minor leagues. It is looking like he will return, though, for the 2008 season.

A few of the big names that are still up in the air include starting pitcher Kenny Rogers and catcher Pudge Rodriguez. While it sounds like both have good chances of coming back it's still an unknown at this point. The Tigers can choose not to bring Pudge back which would be bad since the back up catcher Vance Wilson has had injuries in the past including all of the 2007 season plus defensively Pudge is one of the greatest. His offense this year was a little off but still solid and he's only 36 so he can still play the game well. Kenny Rogers could choose to retire if wanted to but it just doesn't seem like he will right now at least. Odds are we will see Rogers back for the 08 season if it looks like he can stay healthy. The Tigers really need a veteran pitcher for their staff.

One other move the Tigers have made is Carlos Guillen's move over to first base. This pretty much ended Sean Casey's stay with the Tigers, which he said, will be his most memorable span of his career. It is unknown if the Tiger's will keep Ramon Santiago at short stop or if they will trade for another. Pittsburgh and Atlanta had shortstops that the Tigers were interested in but would most likely mean they would want one pitcher if they were to have interest in a trade. The Tigers really need another left handed batter that can hit. Casey was good defensively but his bad wasn't solid enough.

One area the Tigers need to focus on is their relief pitchers. The Tigers need somebody that can be solid for a few innings and Zumaya should move to the closer if Todd Jones chooses not to return next year. Fernando Rodney can be solid most the time and would be find if they left him as the 8^th inning guy. If Tigers want to get back into the playoffs, their relief pitchers really need to step up or the Tigers need to find some better relievers.

So far the Tigers have made some good moves and it can get even better if they get a short stop that can hit just as good as Guillen does. Sheffield will be finding out pretty soon if he will have surgery done on his shoulder or if rehab will be an option to get his swing back. If he has surgery then it's unknown how it will affect his 2008 season. For now the Tigers have a lot of work to do and will be interesting to see what moves they make for the 2008 season.