Talented youngsters tabbed to lead Tigers in ’23
This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
A month previous baseball’s Winter Meetings, one factor that Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris mentioned there nonetheless stands out. More than a quote, it’s a philosophy.
“We have a lot of holes on our roster, and we’re trying to stay as open-minded as possible to any way to get better,” Harris mentioned in San Diego. “But one factor we received’t waver on is we’re going to spend money on our younger gamers. We are going to earmark at-bats and innings for our younger gamers. One of our most precious sources on this group is alternative on the Major League degree. It’s vital for us to redistribute the at-bats that we created over the past month with a few of our choices in the direction of a few of our younger gamers which have an opportunity to be right here for a very long time.
“This doesn’t just apply to 2023. In this organization, we have to get to a place where we are both competing and developing young players at the same time. We have to. If we’re sincere about building a sustainable winner here, we have to create environments in the big leagues that are going to allow us to bring players up and compete at the same time. You’re going to see that in 2023. It’s going to be a priority for us.”
As we head into the house stretch of what has been a comparatively quiet offseason for the Tigers since these Winter Meetings — save for the Michael Lorenzen signing to spherical out the rotation — it looms bigger now. The Tigers nonetheless have openings for an infielder (ideally a left-handed hitter, however it’s a skinny market) and outfielder (seemingly a right-handed hitter). They had curiosity in former Phillies center infielder Jean Segura, a right-handed hitter, earlier than he signed a two-year, $17 million take care of the Marlins. They’ve been linked to former Marlins third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson.
But regardless of the Tigers do over the subsequent five-plus weeks earlier than pitchers and catchers report back to Lakeland, Fla., the staff’s destiny — quick and long run — goes to hinge on how a lot its younger expertise can develop and enhance, constructing upon the groundwork laid down the stretch final season with Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and indicators of progress from Akil Baddoo and Spencer Torkelson.
Though Greene is the one one assured of an on a regular basis function going into 2023, all of them will get lengthy seems. So is infielder Ryan Kreidler, who confirmed flashes of promise with the glove and bat in his September callup. Joey Wentz may not crack Detroit’s beginning rotation out of camp, however he ought to nonetheless get an prolonged look as soon as accidents or struggles open a spot. Alex Faedo, Beau Brieske and Garrett Hill are seemingly within the combine, too. Reese Olson and Wilmer Flores ought to make their Major League debuts in Detroit in 2023. Positional prospects like Parker Meadows, Andre Lipcius and Wenceel Perez are prone to do the identical. Dillon Dingler ought to get a glance behind the plate if he can work out a constant method on the plate.
It isn’t a flashy entrance for Harris, particularly for Tigers followers who anticipated an enormous splash this offseason. But it’s an method that would arrange the Tigers higher for the long run.
Like Dave Dombrowski when he took over as Tigers common supervisor in 2002, Harris hasn’t seen lots of Detroit’s prospects in particular person. He hasn’t seen a lot of Detroit’s staff on the sphere normally, having spent most of September evaluating the organizational construction. This group of younger gamers is extra proficient than the muse Dombrowski inherited 20 years in the past, particularly with Greene and Torkelson having been former high prospects. But the extra Harris can find out about them this yr, the higher he can set a course for 2024 and past.
