Next Years Starting Lineup?

[justinrose74]

Just throwing it out there:

Jackson CF
Dirks LF
Boesch RF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Peralta SS
Avila C
Betemit 3B
Worth 2B

 

[Mitchrapp]

I hope we get a FA over Worth.

 

[justinrose74]

Mitch[/color]]I hope we get a FA over Worth.

I do too, just not sure who's out there

 

[spockmaster]

i hope we get another FA possibly over betemit too. he's a decent plug-in since inge and kelly both blow, but i wouldnt really be comfortable with him as our starting third baseman. his bat is too streaky (though still pretty good) and his defense is definitely quite a bit below average. the only way id be ok with resigning him is if we have no other choice at 3B.

i dont think Dirks is the answer full-time in the OF either. i think he's a great 4th outfielder or the lefty half of a platoon, but not as a regular outfielder. we definitely need an upgrade from outside the organization in RF. that and 2B should be our 2 main offseason targets, with 3B after those.

 

[johnny2x2x]

It would be great to get a 2nd baseman or a right fielder who is a true leadoff hitter.

 

[Mitchrapp]

3B are provably the hardest position to get from free agency. So im okay with Betemit. But getting someone better than Worth should be no problem.

 

[spockmaster]

yeah, we definitely need a lot more OBP and a lot less Ks out of the leadoff spot.

 

[jh1spartanfan]

I don't think we'll go into the season with Dirks and Worth starting.

 

[spockmaster]

upcoming 2B, 3B, and OF free agents this offseason per Cot's Baseball Contracts: (* indicates a contract with a 2012 option, italicized ones are current Tigers, bolded ones are players id be ok signing)

Second Basemen
Clint Barmes HOU
Willie Bloomquist ARI *
Orlando Cabrera CLE
Robinson Cano NYY *
Jamey Carroll LAD
Luis Castillo NYM
Alex Cora WAS
Craig Counsell MIL
Mark Ellis OAK
Jerry Hairston Jr. WAS
Aaron Hill TOR *
Omar Infante FLA
Joe Inglett HOU
Kelly Johnson ARI
Adam Kennedy SEA
Felipe Lopez TB
Jose Lopez FLA
Aaron Miles LAD
Brandon Phillips CIN *

Third Basemen
Wilson Betemit KC
Casey Blake LAD *
Eric Chavez NYY
Mark DeRosa SF
Greg Dobbs PHI
Edwin Encarnacion TOR *
Wes Helms FLA
Melvin Mora ARI
Aramis Ramirez CHC
Miguel Tejada SF
Omar Vizquel CWS

Outfielders
Bobby Abreu LAA *
Rick Ankiel WAS
Carlos Beltran NYM
Milton Bradley SEA
Pat Burrell SF
Mike Cameron BOS
Coco Crisp OAK
Michael Cuddyer MIN
Jack Cust SEA
Johnny Damon TB
David DeJesus OAK
J.D. Drew BOS
Jeff Francoeur KC *
Kosuke Fukudome CHC
Jonny Gomes CIN
Gabe Gross OAK
Vladimir Guerrero BAL
Carlos Guillen DET
Scott Hairston NYM
Willie Harris NYM
Raul Ibanez PHI
Conor Jackson OAK
Andruw Jones NYY
Austin Kearns CLE
Jason Kubel MIN
Ryan Ludwick SD
Hideki Matsui OAK
Nate McLouth ATL *
Jason Michaels HOU
Laynce Nix WAS
Magglio Ordonez DET
Juan Pierre CWS
Juan Rivera TOR
Cody Ross SF
Grady Sizemore CLE *
Matt Stairs WAS (retired)
Nick Swisher NYY *
Marcus Thames LAD
Josh Willingham OAK



obviously not all of these guys would be perfect fits and by themselves would only upgrade parts of our problems (ie coco crisp wouldnt have much, if any, power but he'd get on base and provide good defense) but all of the guys i bolded i think would be upgrades over what we currently have at the positions.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Betemit k's a lot. Not very good on defense. 3B are hard to get. With that being said, offensively he's having a good year. And with Detroit .326 .380 .457 .837. I'll take it.

And that's not counting tonights 3-4 with a HR.

 

[spockmaster]

for 3B, id totally love Aramis Ramirez if the contract was short enough and not too expensive. he's also below average on defense but has a much better, much more consistent bat than Betemit does.

for the other 2 positions id love for one of them to be a high-OBP leadoff-type hitter with decent to great defense and the other to play at least decent defense and have power (ie, i wouldnt really want both coco crisp and jamey carroll or both kelly johnson and J.D. Drew). i think id take either carroll or johnson at 2B (probably carroll) and david dejesus for RF. the guy is a pretty good player and was always a thorn in our side. i think his problems in oakland this year are mostly due to that park and the pitching in that division than anything else.

neither would add a ton of power to the team but would greatly help defense and OBP which are two of the team's biggest sore spots. if we somehow got all these guys id set up our lineup like this:

Carroll 2B
DeJesus RF
Boesch LF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Ramirez 3B
Peralta SS
Avila C
Jackson CF

IMO that would be a great lineup 1-9 with average to great defense in CF, RF, 2B, SS, and at C. ramirez, boesch, and cabrera are all below average defensively but not to the point that it would hurt too much, especially considering their offensive skills. thoughts?

 

[Mitchrapp]

Why do people thing BB is below average defensively? He's at least average, probably slightly above.

 

[Mitchrapp]

And I doubt we get ARAM.

 

[spockmaster]

Mitch[/color]]Why do people thing BB is below average defensively? He's at least average, probably slightly above.

probably because right now basically all the numbers say he is. he's not horrible a la maggs or raburn, but he's definitely below average. however, he's also greatly improved his defensive play (i no longer feel nervous when balls are hit his way like i did at times last year), so he could well end up being average or slightly above average next year and/or beyond if he keeps working at it (which i think he will, he seems to have a great work ethic judging by how much his D has already improved and how he's been tweaking his swing since last year).

Mitch[/color]]And I doubt we get ARAM.

i kinda do too (in which case id be alright with resigning betemit for a year or two till castellanos is ready, then moving peralta and avila each up a spot in the lineup and hitting betemit 8th), but this is kinda my best-ish case scenario for the tigers in free agency this year and i can hope if i want to ^_^

 

[biggunsbob]

I am all for whatever it takes... With Magglio and Carlos coming off the books it frees up 23 million.. Pretty sure that Valverdes option will be picked up for 9 million.. I would like to see Wilson resigned because he is a switch hitter and he sure is streaky hot at times. I know he is terrible but he has way more pop off the bench then Santiago. The problem with illich and DD and Jim for that matter is the whole organization is loyal to a fault. It would not surprise me if they offered Gullien a one year deal. I am pretty sure they will not with magglio..

 

[mhughes0021]

give all 23 million/yr to Cano

In all seriousness though, Chavez seems to be having a great year in NY....he could be an option at 3b?

 

[kmd47]

DeJesus and Carroll would be sweet.

 

[randyf10]

I'm sure Toronto won't pick-up Aaron Hill's option, he might be an interesting pick-up for a 1-yr deal, maybe a chnage of scenery woul perk his bat back up to what it was a couple of years ago. I would like to see Dirks get a shot, he has had some hits off lefties and we could sign a RH hitter to platoon or back-up. I would love Ramirez at 3b for 3 yrs 36M

 

[bavarianinnman]

I would be be glad if the Tigers were to sign Infante, David Dejesus, for 3rd base i think were going to be stuck with Betemit.

 

[turok]

Just throwing it out there:

Jackson CF
Dirks LF
Boesch RF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Peralta SS
Avila C
Betemit 3B
Worth 2B

Lest we forget, Inge is STILL gonna be under contract, and on the payroll for the '12 season, and IF he continues to hit in Toledo, and IF he has a half-way decent Sept. and ST, don't be surprised if he once again is on the 25 man roster next season, as the Tigers' brass won't get much if anything, maybe at best, a very small portion of his salary dumped in return for trading Inge, that is IF they can even find a team who wants him, and IF they are willing to eat most of his salary. It is very doubtful that they would have a "utility" player warming the bench @ his salary, or playing out the entirety of his final season as a Mudhen. Will they resign Betemit? I suppose that it is quite likely, considering what little may be available for that position in MLB

Tigers obviously have recently demonstrated that they are willing to eat salary, with the ilk of Jaque Jones, Sheffield, and Robertson, but IF they do so, it will likely still affect the amount of money that the team might be willing to spend in acquiring FAs, They will still need a LH SP, and with the RH Penny likely gone, and of course, a 2B with Guillen gone.

I just dunno whether the Tigers' brass is gonna invest most if not all the money saved back into the team when both Guillen and Ordonez are off the books, some in perhaps a FA 2B who hopefully also could bat leadoff, or through a trade, but if not, then its very possible, if not probable that they will remain patient with AJax and he will yet again be our leadoff hitter going into next season..

Ilitch and DD often mystify me in the off-season...they act like tightwads in some certain situations, like putting Coke into the starting roto, instead of acquiring a proven LH SP vet, then go and spend big money on a reliever like Benoit...go figure.