never seen a team with this much talent

[tomdalton22]

Avila is better than average.

And Jackson was playing at an MVP level before he got hurt.

Other than that yeah, not a strong supporting cast for the star players.

Avila isn't playing above average and doesn't have a long enough resume to assume he can be the player he was last year.

 

[theTutor]

I have to come to the realization that this team just really isnt very good..Outside of Cabby, Prince, and Verlander, the team is really just a bunch of average to below average players.

Fister is above average when healthy, but this year he has been hurt. Everybody else are what they are..

Im starting to think that I had way to high of expectations for this team heading into the season..

100% agree. I tried to tell anybody I know who tries to knock Leyland. A lot of people were spoiled and had unwarranted high expectations for this team but in all reality:

1) Fister had ONE good second half
2) Peralta and Avila are just ONE time all-stars (like Brandon Inge)
3) Valverde had one heck of a ridicoulous season last year (he was bound to cool off due to law of the universe
4)Boesch is just a average, maybe even below average player

Leyland should actually get a lot of praise for how he got that team to all produce at the same time. This team has a great shot at winning the division but people calling for 100 wins and killing the division is just silly.

This team has two rookie starting pitchers and a bunch of preseason minor leaguers....this isn't going to be a team that is going to easily sweep teams.

 

[mjsb2]

Avila isn't playing above average and doesn't have a long enough resume to assume he can be the player he was last year.

Actually, Avila is playing above average this year.

 

[Rebbiv]

The 3 real drops in positions are 2B, RF and DH. Dirks on the DL will drop LF some.

 

[grandy]

100% agree. I tried to tell anybody I know who tries to knock Leyland. A lot of people were spoiled and had unwarranted high expectations for this team but in all reality:

1) Fister had ONE good second half
2) Peralta and Avila are just ONE time all-stars (like Brandon Inge)
3) Valverde had one heck of a ridicoulous season last year (he was bound to cool off due to law of the universe
4)Boesch is just a average, maybe even below average player

Leyland should actually get a lot of praise for how he got that team to all produce at the same time. This team has a great shot at winning the division but people calling for 100 wins and killing the division is just silly.

This team has two rookie starting pitchers and a bunch of preseason minor leaguers....this isn't going to be a team that is going to easily sweep teams.

Can't believe I actually agree with most of this. This is also why I really don't give Leyland a hard time...take a step back and look at what he has to work with, especially with the guys they have on the DL.

I really wouldn't mind seeing DD go. I know he's not the worst but he's certainly not the best and he's done a piss poor job at constructing a deep organization.

 

[biggunsbob]

Jim is 1613-1614 overall. He has done some really good things in Detroit as had DD but to give either a pass would not be correct. Blame should be on everyone from DD and Jim on down to the players. Some of the line-ups and in game moves Jim makes has been puzzling. But the players do need to look at themselves in the mirror.
Hopefully Jim and DD can turn it around before the season becomes a full blown catastrophe. A team with this much money should be prepared for injuries. When your team is not pitching well for over a season... Fire the pitching coach... When they are not hitting... Fire the Hitting coach...Be proactive... Time for Jim to dial up a 14-4 stretch...

 

[mjsb2]

Can't believe I actually agree with most of this. This is also why I really don't give Leyland a hard time...take a step back and look at what he has to work with, especially with the guys they have on the DL.

I really wouldn't mind seeing DD go. I know he's not the worst but he's certainly not the best and he's done a piss poor job at constructing a deep organization.

DD is a mediocre GM.

 

[grandy]

DD is a mediocre GM.

If only Mr. I knew this.

 

[bdtay1971]

Avila is better than average.

And Jackson was playing at an MVP level before he got hurt.

Other than that yeah, not a strong supporting cast for the star players.

But the supporting cast doesn't need to be a bunch of all-star caliber sluggers. I would just like to see us be more solid up the middle (2b & SS) with more team speed and fundamentally sound. The bullpen looked like it was going to be strong but I think we may need a mid-season make-over in that department as well.

 

[mjsb2]

But the supporting cast doesn't need to be a bunch of all-star caliber sluggers.

I never said it did?

 

[spockmaster]

i honestly think that we cant fix the holes this team has. we have noone in the minors to fill them and trading for a player or 2 to fill them would almost certainly get rid of the last few good players we have in our system. we're fucked.

 

[bdtay1971]

I never said it did?

I didn't mean to imply that you did but the way I quoted you I could see that it looked that way. I just meant to post in general what I'd like to see addressed with this team.

 

[tomdalton22]

When you have 3 $20 million players the rest of the team is going to have some serious holes.