MLB Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers had a disappointing finish to another solid season as they won 89 games last year. The Tigers in the end could not continue to overcome key injuries to their starting rotation, and the bullpen was not the same without hard throwing Joel Zumaya in uniform for much of the season.

The 2007 season did provide further evidence that the Tigers have one of the best centerfielders in the game by the remarkable season that Curtis Granderson produced last season. The Tigers lineup was amongst the best in the game as Gary Sheffield provided a nice spark to the lineup before wearing down later in the season.

The 2008 team enters the season with more optimism at this time of the year since 1984 when the Tigers won their last World Series.

Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 season for the Tigers.

(1) Does the addition of Miguel Cabrera give the Tigers the best lineup in baseball?

The Tigers already had arguably the games best lineup before the acquisition of Cabrera, and now that he'll be replacing light hitting Brandon Inge at third base it's hard to find a better lineup in baseball.

Curtis Granderson gives the Tigers a solid leadoff hitter at the top of the order, and there may not be a better #2 hitter in all of baseball than Placido Polanco. Polanco rarely swings and misses, which allows the Tigers to put runners in motion while he is at the plate.

The Tigers middle of the order can only be matched by the Yankees and Red Sox, as pitchers will be losing a lot of sleep prior to facing Cabrera, Ordonez and Sheffield. Magglio Ordonez had a career year last year, and until the team fell out of contention in September was a bonafide MVP candidate. Cabrera will be seeing many pitchers for the first time, but his offensive skills are matched by very few Major Leaguers and he should have very little trouble becoming acclimated to American League pitching.

The Tigers also made another deal in the off-season that should pay dividends for them in the 2008 season. By acquiring Edgar Renteria the team was allowed to move Carlos Guillen and his troubled knees to first base. Guillen may not have the power that most first basemen posess, but he will give the team a substantial upgrade from the Chris Shelton's and Sean Casey's of the world.

The lineup will also feature a platoon of Jacque Jones and Marcus Thames in left field, and future Hall Of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Rodriguez is not the player he used to be and his lack of patience at the plate is becoming more apparent by the year. One glaring weak spot in an otherwise All Star like lineup should not slow the Tigers down this year.

(2) Is this the year that Jeremy Bonderman can join Verlander as a legitimate ace?

Ever since Jeremy Bonderman was acquired from Oakland during the three team deal that sent Jeff Weaver over to the Yankees, Detroit fans have been waiting for Bonderman to develop. Many experts around baseball felt that last year would be the year that Bonderman put everything together and would be mentioned amongst the leagues best.

That simply did not happen last year as Bonderman only won 11 games and posted an ERA over 5. Bonderman has the stuff to become an ace but he has always had first inning troubles, and seems to let one inning unravel him during his starts. The Tigers will need some production from Bonderman this year as the rest of their rotation has plenty of questionmarks.

The team also acquired Dontrelle Willis in the deal with Florida last winter. Willis is coming off the most disappointing season of his career as he posted an ERA over 5. Willis should benefit from his unique delivery as AL hitters won't be as accustomed to seeing it as the NL hitters became over the previous 5 seasons.

The Tigers also will be counting heavily on Kenny Rodgers to stay healthy this season as they traded most of their top pitching prospects away this off-season. The underrated Nate Robertson rounds out the rotation, and his ability to eat innings will once again be crucial for the Tigers this season.

(3) We know the Tigers bullpen is an area of concern but just how bad will it be?

As good as the bullpen was for the Tigers in their improbable run to the World Series in 2006, it was equally as bad last season. It doesn't appear to be looking any better in 2008 as the Tigers will be without Zumaya for part of the season, and Fernando Rodney's status is also up in the air for the beginning of the 2008 season.

Without the main two cogs in their machine it really is unclear where the Tigers will go for middle relief. It appears as if the Tigers will have no other choice but to rely on Jason Grilli and Zach Miner for the 7th and 8th innings. It's definitely not an area of strength but if the Tigers are able to get 2/3 of a season from Zumaya and Rodney then the bullpen may be able to return to the form of the 06 season.

Todd Jones will once again be the closer, and despite not having a dominant fastball, or a dominant pitch for that matter, Jones still is consistent and is able to take the ball the next day after blowing the save. Jones has been amongst the league leaders in saves over the past two seasons, so the Tigers should be relatively ok in the closer spot.

The Tigers will be in a highly competitive race with the Cleveland Indians this season, and much of their success will be tied into the performance of Dontrelle Willis, and the health of Zumay and Rodney. I simply don't see all three of those questionmarks getting answered and think they will be in a better position to win the Wild Card this season.