X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Detroit Tigers Hot Stove: MLB News & Fantasy Baseball Analysis

rotoballer fantasy baseball advice prince fielder

 

2014 Tigers Overview

Consistently fielding one of the best teams on paper, and in terms of fantasy relevance, the 2014 Detroit Tigers team will be no different. After failing to make the World Series last year, the team did make some major changes. At the very top, long-time manager Jim Leyland stepped down after 8 successful seasons with just one losing record and two world series appearances. First time manager Brad Ausmus steps in and its not yet clear what his managing style will be, but if we can be sure of one thing, it's this – Jose Valverde will not relied upon next year. That's progress!

The team retained their biggest contributors. Miguel Cabrera is under contract through 2015 and still in his prime. A third straight MVP award is certainly within the realm of possibility. On the pitching side they will bring back perhaps the best trio of starting pitchers in baseball with Cy Young Award winners Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer penciled in for #1 & #2 with Anibal Sanchez the clear #3.

Outside of these stars the Tigers did make several key moves through trades and free agency. Lets take a look at the gains and losses of the offseason so far:

 

2014 Tigers Preview - Notable Departures

rotoballer fantasy baseball advice prince fielder

The most notable and surprising name that is no longer on the team is Prince Fielder. Just two years into a giant 9-year contract, Prince was not on any lists of “Most likely to be Traded”, but it happened. After making him one of the highest paid players in baseball, the Tigers didn't quite get the production they had hoped. In his five previous years his home run totals had ranged anywhere from 32 up to 50. Unfortunately the Tigers couldn't even get the low-end of that range. His departure left a big hole at first base, but the Tigers managed to turn that into a positive by moving weak-fielding Miguel Cabrera across the diamond. Of course that still leaves a big hole at third base, but at least the team can get some better defense. The Tigers are expected to fill that hole in-house with rookie Nick Castellanos at third.

The second major departure was Doug Fister who also left via trade. This trade was not well received by the baseball world as the Tigers failed to get much of a return for a pitcher who had become one of the more reliable players in the game. Fister is not a strikeout machine, but he had great control, rarely walking hitters and almost never giving up home runs (never more than 15 in a season!) While Doug Fister's consistency will certainly be missed the Tigers appear to be comfortable giving Drew Smyly a chance to fill that hole and if he can bring any of his success from the bullpen there shouldn't be much of a loss if any.

Also gone from the team are middle infielders Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante. It's not often that a team loses both starters in the middle of the diamond in one offseason. Both were free agents who the Tigers did not pursue. Peralta will be the bigger loss offensively. Yes, he did get suspended for PED use. That doesn't change the fact that he was one of the best hitting shortstops in the game. Peralta may have been on pace for his best season in 2013 before the suspension. He finished with 107 games played and a batting average over .300 – a first to go along with 11 home runs. Omar Infante did miss some time as well, and played a few more games with fairly similar numbers. In 118 games, Infante hit .318 with 10 HRs. The Tigers will be replacing them with Ian Kinsler and excellent fielder Jose Iglesias. Iglesias probably won't have the bat of Peralta, but he will be another big increase on defense.

 

2014 Tiger Preview - Pitching Role Changes

The Tigers bullpen has also gone through a fairly large transformation so far in the offseason. Joaquin Benoit ended up as the closer, but he is now in San Diego. Drew Smyly is expected to move to the rotation. Just like that you've removed the two most used pieces of this bullpen. After that, Jose Veras was acquired near the trade deadline and used heavily in the second half. He signed with the Cubs and will not be returning. This leaves a number of holes in the bullpen. Al Alburquerque, Phil Coke, and Bruce Rondon will shore up the middle innings while new addition Joe Nathan becomes the closer.

 

2014 Tigers Preview - Notable Additions

For all the changes, a lot of them were addressed with what was already in the Tigers system. The biggest piece coming to the Tigers is Ian Kinsler from the Prince Fielder trade. Kinsler doesn't do anything particularly great on offense, but he is above average in just about every aspect which makes him a very good second basemen. Kinsler won't have a terrible batting average, he'll hit for some power, he'll steal some bases and he'll get some walks without striking out a ton. In this lineup Kinsler should continue to play well.

The other major addition to this team comes in the bullpen. The Tigers finally have an established closer in Joe Nathan. He will be 39 this year, but he has been dominant over the past two seasons with Texas. The age shouldn't scare you off. Guys like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman have shown us that top-tier closers can pitch into their 40s before showing signs of decline. With this team's offensive firepower, Nathan should be a lock for 40+ saves. The Tigers also added Joba Chamberlain although it remains to be seen whether he can be a positive contributor to this team.

That wraps up the major changes to the Detroit Tigers. A lot of new players to look forward to! Over the coming weeks I'll be taking in-depth looks at the team's offense & pitching as well as the best prospects. Be sure to stay tuned for that!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Duncan Robinson52 mins ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds55 mins ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler1 hour ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu2 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray2 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano3 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole3 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz3 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon3 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco3 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad4 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov4 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto4 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin4 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard4 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins4 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist4 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear4 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop5 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels5 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado5 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer5 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman5 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent5 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford16 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White16 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl18 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon18 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter18 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic18 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio18 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday18 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton18 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid18 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray19 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert19 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
Eduardo Rodriguez19 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell19 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green20 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson20 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman20 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres21 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard21 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson21 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer22 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia22 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen22 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers22 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers22 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers23 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar23 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark24 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB1 day ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB1 day ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith1 day ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti1 day ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga1 day ago

Throws Wednesday
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF