Let's finish off the positional players, shall we?
8) Alex Avila C
The iron man. Alex Avila has quickly become one of "my Tigers" for obvious reasons. He's an absolute horse behind the plate; playing 141 games last year, which is absolutely unheard of for a catcher. He had a breakout year both at and behind the dish. He threw out 32% of baserunners attempting to steal, a stat that could have easily been a few points higher had Jacob Turner or Brad Penny been competant at holding runners. He won the Silver Slugger award as a catcher, and finished in the top-10 MVP voting; along with being a first time all-star. Like Peralta, I expect a bit of regression from Avila, but not very much, and much of it may be due to less playing time (WHICH IS A GOOD THING)
2011 Stats: .295/.389/.506/.895. 33 2B, 4 3B, 19 HR, 82 RBI, 63 R. 131 K, 73 BB, 3 SB.
2012 Predictions: .282/.378/.498/.876. 28 2B, 3 3B, 18 HR, 72 RBI, 58 R. 115 K, 65 BB, 2 SB.
9) Ramon Santiago 2B (also SS, and maybe 3B)
Captain Solidity. Sneaky Power. Little Ramon. Whatever you want to call him, the Tigers would not have been where they were last year without Ramon Santiago. He's easily the best infielder on the team, and is the ultimate "little things" guy. He will bunt, hit and run, move runners, take the extra base, etc, all of the things that SABR experts find to be unnecessary, but IMO are still incredibly valuable to a team. Santiago will play some 2B, some SS, and maybe a little 3B. He SHOULD be starting over our hero, the Sultan of Oops, Brandon Inge, but he won't (at least until May when Inge is released).
2011 Stats: .260/.311/.384/.695. 11 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 29 R. 38 K, 17 BB, 0 SB.
2012 Predictions: .262/.315/.374/.689. 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 26 R. 36 K, 15 BB, 1 SB
Bench
**I will not be doing statistical projections for the bench players (or bullpen guys either). Just a quick summary of what I expect from them/what they bring to the team
Gerald Laird C
Many Tigers fans weren't happy when Laird was signed this offseason from the Cardinals, probably due to the sour taste left in our mouths from Laird's performance offensively his last season here (2010). Personally, I was rather excited about the signing. Avila lacked a capable backup last season following Victor Martinez's injury, so he wore down quickly down the stretch. Laird will provide more than capable defense, and at least average hitting against LHP, which is whom he will play mostly against. Most importantly, with a capable backup like Laird, Avila will be able to play 120 games or so, rather than 141, and ideally be more healthy and fresh come the pennant chase.
Donnie Kelly P/C/1B/2B/SS/3B/LF/CF/RF/DH
Where would Jim Leyland be without Donnie Kelly? The poster boy of versatility managed to play all 9 positions for the Tigers last season, and led the pitching staff with a 0.00 ERA and 0.00 WHIP in 1/3 IP. Kelly provides a valuable asset to any lineup, and is irreplaceable as far as I'm concerned in terms of versatility. My biggest pet peeve with Kelly is not even his own fault; it's when Leyland decides to plug him into the 4 hole or something else ridiculous. Kelly is a left-handed bat, who plays pretty good defense regardless of where you put him (he's a better OF, however). He has some pop in his bat, but you wouldn't call him a power hitter. Either way, Kelly is a valued member of the Tigers (sorry Rogo).
Andy Dirks OF
Dirks is a guy that absolutely confounds scouts. He really has no above average major league tools in his game, but somehow is a pretty good baseball player. He has a decent arm, decent speed, and a decent bat, with solid power and solid defense. Is able to play a capable CF, which helps when Austin Jackson needs a rest, and hits LH with more power than Kelly; should Leyland need a LH bat off the bench in late innings. I believe Dirks should be on the team over Clete Thomas, who I'll get to in a second, but that's why I'm writing this blog and not managing the Tigers (yet).
Clete Thomas OF
Thomas is somewhat the exact opposite of Dirks. Whereas Dirks is simply solid all around, Thomas is the more toolsy, boom-or-bust player. Thomas is the player that makes me miss Casper Wells (we love you Casp-Dawg-Phil). Thomas has a plus arm from the outfield, runs better than Dirks, and has more raw power than Dirks. The main difference is that while Dirks will hit .250-.260 and get on base at a decent clip, Thomas will hit .215-.225, strike out a metric fuckton, but hit for much more power. This is where I believe that Leyland will ultimately take Thomas over Dirks as his 4th OF. If Leyland needed an everyday LF, he would take Dirks, the more solid all around player. But since Leyland looks at a 4th OF as a late-innings defensive replacement who can throw a runner out at home, or as a pinch hitter who can end a game with one swing of the bat, Thomas gets the nod over Dirks.
(sigh) Brandon Inge (sigh)
Don't get me wrong people. I liked Inge when he was in his prime ('06-'07). He played gold-glove caliber defense at 3B, had plus power at the plate, drove in runs, and was an all around likeable guy. Then Inge wasn't Inge anymore. His defense dropped significantly, his power disappeared, and what was left was a whiny, spoiled baseball player adored for some reason by uneducated fans. I mean, hell, even if Inge couldn't hit the broadside of a barn (which he can't), yet still could play GOLD GLOVE (not solid, spectacular) defense, I would want him on this team, because with this lineup, you can afford to have 1 offensive liability. But the fact of the matter is that Inge has run his course as a baseball player IMO. Honest to God, I hope he proves me wrong and hits 40 bombs this year and wins the damned MVP. I would welcome that, because it would mean that the Tigers would be a better team. I just don't see anything even in the same realm of logic as that happening.
Part 4 coming next: Starting Pitchers
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