MLB Season Preview: 2009 Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers had some people (guilty) picking them to win their first World Series since 1984 after acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in a trade and signing Edgar Renteria to go along with that good young pitching.

They didn't count on Willis getting hurt, Justin Verlander falling flat, Renteria trying out his Claude Rains impersonation, and a plague of locusts descending on Comerica Park.

Will more woe come to the Motor City this season, or can the Tigers hunt down the postseason again?

OFFENSE: B+

The Tigers could do two things well last year: land on the disabled list and blow out scoreboard lights. They finished sixth in average (.271), fourth in home runs (200), and fifth in runs scored (821).

Cabrera was as good as advertised, even with a rough start, he put up MVP-type numbers (.292, 37 homers, 127 RBI). CF Curtis Granderson continued to come into his own (.280, 22, 66) and DH Gary Sheffield, while only hitting .225, still popped 19 homers and is one shy of 500 career.

Add to it just two words: Magglio Ordonez (.317, 21, 103).

Heck, even part-timer Marcus Thames drove 25 out.

PROJECTED LINEUP: 1 Polanco 2B 2 Granderson CF 3 Ordonez RF 4 Cabrera 1B 5 Sheffield DH 6 Guillen LF 7 Laird C 8 Inge 3B 9 Everett SS

STARTING PITCHING: C-

Verlander followed up a stellar 2007 (18-6, 3.66 ERA) with a rocky 2008 (11-17, 4.84 ERA). How much, and if, he bounces back will set the rest of the rotation on a certain path. The Tigers got good news out of number two starter Armando Galarraga (13-7, 3.73), but an injury-plagued mess from Jeremy Bonderman (3-4, 4.29 in only 71.1 innings). Detroit raided the upstart Tampa Bay Rays and took solid Edwin Jackson (14-11, 4.42) away, and Willis, provided some other injury doesn't further thwart this once promising star, is slated at five, but Zach Miner (8-5, 4.27) and Nate Robertson (7-11, 6.35) are right at his heels.

In other words, manager Jim Leyland may want to stock up on Tums now.

PROJECTED ROTATION: Verlander, Galarraga, Bonderman, Jackson, Willis

BULLPEN: C-

Father Time is no longer in the Detroit bullpen. Todd Jones, after a long, good career, decided to hang it up after his injury-shortened 2008, leaving the Tigers to find a good closer to follow his act.

Mission accomplished in Brandon Lyon, acquired from Arizona and who converted 26 of 31 opportunities.
The question is: Who's going to set him up?

Joel Zumaya? Sure, if he can get through an entire season without hurting himself somehow, like the past two seasons.

Fernando Rodney? He's got the stuff, he even closed some last year in Jones' stead, and, given Zumaya's history, he may be what's left.

Last year, this bullpen finished 27th in ERA at 4.90, which may be while rookies and winners of coffee cups like Freddy Dolsi, Kyle Bloom and Casey Fien are going to get long looks this year.

The Tigers are hoping, in other words, what they throw at the wall sticks.

CONCLUSION

Last year, everything fell apart out the gates for this loaded team. This year, the Tigers unloaded a little bit, but their foundation is on shifting sands, and, especially if injuries continue to shovel the sand out, they'll continue to sink this year.

PREDICTION: 75-87, fifth place in American League Central