AL Central: 1st Half In Review
By Brett Pnazek
Jun 30, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) breaks his bat grounding out in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
44-44(9 GB and 3.5 games out of the W.C.)
What went right?
- J.D. Martinez. Discarded by the Astros like a piece of garbage Martinez is just mashing.
- All-Star Jose Iglesias has not only impressed with the glove but the bat has been an added bonus.
- Free agent to be David Price has been stellar if not downright filthy in the majority of his starts. He’s bound to get a huge pay day.
What’s gone wrong?
- An atrocious bullpen has been the Achilles heel of this team all season long.
- No dependable #2 behind Price. Justin Verlander was great for 3 years at best folks, his time is up. Blame Kate Upton.
- Injuries. Miguel Cabrera has landed on the DL for the first time in his career. Victor Martinez didn’t start the season healthy and it cost him some time as well.
- Former top prospect Nick Castellanos has been a disappointment. People saw him as a future batting champ and now he’s fighting just to stay on the field.
What should we expect in the 2nd half?
The Tigers could easily be the most disappointed team this season so far in terms of what was expected. This is a team in flux. They could be a buyer as well as a seller. Their opportunity to win may have passed them by and it may be time to blow it all up and get some prospects in the farm system that lacks top end talent. However, Dave Dombrowski has been known to pull off some interesting moves before but his assets are limited. I would not be shocked if this team makes a managerial move if they keep falling in the standings. Ron Gardenhire anyone?