Sports Illustrated Predicts The Tigers Won't Make The Playoffs
By: Mike Sullivan
@mikesullivan
The Tigers begin the second half of their season tonight against the Orioles.
They're currently 3.5 games out of the wild card and 9 games back in the AL Central. Detroit is attempting to get into the postseason for the 5th straight year.
There have been a lot of questions around this team: Will they buy or sell? Is their starting pitching good enough? Will the bullpen hold up? Can they win without Miguel Cabrera for another 4 weeks?
Getting into the postseason won't be easy, and some believe 2015 is the end of a Tigers baseball era.
Sports Illustrated points out that, since Detroit's 11-2 start, they have the worst record in the MLB at 33-42.
They also don't think Detroit will make the postseason and that this will be Dave Dombrowski's last season with the organization.
Here's what they have to say:
"The Tigers have won four straight AL Central titles and gotten at least as far as the ALCS three times in that span, but since starting the year 11–2, they have the league's worst record (33–42) and second-worst run differential (-49). Miguel Cabrera could be out for another month due to a Grade 3 left calf strain; the rotation has been an utter disaster aside from David Price, with the unit's 4.48 ERA better than only the Red Sox; and the perennial tire fire that is the team's bullpen remains a perennial tire fire, because that's what tire fires do."
SI also talked about owner Mike Ilitch's "win now" mode and the Tigers bad farm system:
"Owner Mike Ilitch's longstanding commitment to building a winner is admirable, but with the Tigers sporting a team-record $172.8 million payroll, their aging stars (including Justin Verlander, who's been limited to five starts) showing their wear and their farm system among the majors' worst, it may be that team president/GM Dave Dombrowski—who does not yet have a contract for next year—would rather face a new challenge than dig Detroit out of its current one. He won't lack for work if that's his desire; bet on the team to miss the playoffs and for Dombrowski to move on this winter."
Do you think the Tigers will make the postseason? Is this the end of an era here in Detroit?
