89-73, Tigers finish 2nd in the division but win a wild card spot

Tigers end up with a weak 1st half (at or below .500) but make a run near the end, winning a wild card spot in the last series

Pitching remains top 5, but not quite as good as last season
Scherzer's numbers drop a little bit, falling somewhere in between 2012 and 2013's numbers
Verlander returns to Cy Young form

Offense falls from top 5 to middle of the pack
A healthy Cabrera has a very strong year, carrying the offense as much as he can, but it's simply not enough, prepare for many close/ugly games

It is all a crap shoot. I doubt they win 100 games and I doubt they lose 100 games. So somewhere in the middle, or 81-81, +/- 10 wins

If Bruce Rondon is your second best reliever, you were in trouble long before he got hurt.

I don't really want to make a prediction, because I want the Tigers to win. If I made a prediction based on my gut feeling I would feel like I was blaspheming against my team.

So I'll just say this: Last year we squeaked out the central division championship by 1 game over a team we thoroughly dominated in head-to-head games. We did that with a strong rotation, which has since been downgraded by any definition. We won with a bullpen that while people bitched about, had some very effective arms. We let 2 of them go who could have been resigned relatively cheap, and moved one of our best to the rotation, and replaced them with other teams throwaways, and an aging closer; if last years bullpen was a source of bitching, this years will give people brain tumors. We also won with a powerful offense, though it was very night and day at times. This year we surrendered power and OBP for speed and stolen bases. Some people love this idea, I think it's going to backfire.

No numbers prediction but I'll say this, we have a very real reason to worry about Cleveland and KC, and it's not because of how good they are; but because of how much we have regressed due to bad trades, and injuries.

Thumb said:

If Bruce Rondon is your second best reliever, you were in trouble long before he got hurt.

I don't really want to make a prediction, because I want the Tigers to win. If I made a prediction based on my gut feeling I would feel like I was blaspheming against my team.

So I'll just say this: Last year we squeaked out the central division championship by 1 game over a team we thoroughly dominated in head-to-head games. We did that with a strong rotation, which has since been downgraded by any definition. We won with a bullpen that while people bitched about, had some very effective arms. We let 2 of them go who could have been resigned relatively cheap, and moved one of our best to the rotation, and replaced them with other teams throwaways, and an aging closer; if last years bullpen was a source of bitching, this years will give people brain tumors. We also won with a powerful offense, though it was very night and day at times. This year we surrendered power and OBP for speed and stolen bases. Some people love this idea, I think it's going to backfire.

No numbers prediction but I'll say this, we have a very real reason to worry about Cleveland and KC, and it's not because of how good they are; but because of how much we have regressed due to bad trades, and injuries.

Click to expand...

And non signings, whether our own or FAs.

Thumb and Reb, i swear you two are psychic sometimes. Now i dont have to post what i was gonna cuz you already said it haha.

well, if things go bad enough maybe the Tigers will be able to get something of value for Max at the trade deadline. Of course if DD continues his recent trend of trades he will trade him for 2 shitty ML shortstops and a lefty reliever!

I was correct in last year's prediction thread. Here's hoping I'm wrong this year and we can get into the 90+ win category. 84 wins.

88-74

They still have a great 1-2-3 punch at SP.

Verlander the way he is pitching looks like he won't need very many runs. Cabrera and Castellanos are strong at the corners offensively.

Kinsler, Jackson and Hunter and lets not forget about Martinez at 1B during N.L. games are all good Defense/Offensive players.

I am going to say 97 wins easily. Also a 2014 World Series Championship Tigers knock the Dodgers out in 5 games.

I want what he's drinking.

stonecold2136 said:

They still have a great 1-2-3 punch at SP.

Verlander the way he is pitching looks like he won't need very many runs. Cabrera and Castellanos are strong at the corners offensively.

Kinsler, Jackson and Hunter and lets not forget about Martinez at 1B during N.L. games are all good Defense/Offensive players.

I am going to say 97 wins easily. Also a 2014 World Series Championship Tigers knock the Dodgers out in 5 games.

Click to expand...

Martinez will catch in NL parks unless Castellanos proves unable to handle 3rd. We're counting on Nick to actually be a significant contributor to our offense. It's unfortunate. I just hope he can handle it. I see 85 wins for this team.

84-78 3rd place no playoffs

Thundercats said:

Martinez will catch in NL parks unless Castellanos proves unable to handle 3rd. We're counting on Nick to actually be a significant contributor to our offense. It's unfortunate. I just hope he can handle it. I see 85 wins for this team.

Click to expand...

Do you have a link to this information or are you speculating?

If we want to speculate, it would make more sense for games in NL parks to move Nick to LF, Cabrera to 3B and Vmart to 1B and keep Avila in the game. But I don;t offer this as fact, just my opinion.

Thumb said:

Do you have a link to this information or are you speculating?

If we want to speculate, it would make more sense for games in NL parks to move Nick to LF, Cabrera to 3B and Vmart to 1B and keep Avila in the game. But I don;t offer this as fact, just my opinion.

Click to expand...

Given our shitty LF situation, this does seem more likely, and its probably also why Miggy was working at 3rd some this spring.

I predict both Coke and Gonzalez will be DFA'd by the 40 game mark.

I think Castellanos, Smyly, and Putkoenen will all exceed expectations.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk

Thumb said:

Do you have a link to this information or are you speculating?

If we want to speculate, it would make more sense for games in NL parks to move Nick to LF, Cabrera to 3B and Vmart to 1B and keep Avila in the game. But I don;t offer this as fact, just my opinion.

Click to expand...

http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/2/...-in-nl-parks-miguel-cabrera-third-tigers-news

Thundercats said:

http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/2/...-in-nl-parks-miguel-cabrera-third-tigers-news

Click to expand...

Kinda. I don't see anything in there about Nick, and it also says Vmart to play 1st.

So mostly I would say it's all assumption until we know better.

Thumb said:

Kinda. I don't see anything in there about Nick, and it also says Vmart to play 1st.

So mostly I would say it's all assumption until we know better.

Click to expand...

As is the case with absolutely everything. Just going off what Brad Ausmus said. He said he will catch and maybe play first too. Him at 1st base will most likely depend on how Nick C does at the plate.