MLB Betting Online: Hope springs eternal in Major League Baseball. Your favorite team made a key offseason move, the prized prospect is ready for his breakout season or the injuries from last year have all healed. Whatever the circumstance, everyone is tied for first at this point.
The Detroit Tigers snapped a six-season streak of .500 or better baseball and four straight AL Central titles with their 74-87 showing last year, their fewest wins since 2008. Owner Mike Ilitch opened the pocketbook this offseason, prying open the window of opportunity that slammed shut last season. Some big-name acquisitions hope to keep the Tigers relevant in the division.
DETROIT TIGERS
+2516 to win 2016 World Series
+1228 to win AL Pennant
A horrid first-to-worst season that saw core veterans Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Justin Verlander all miss significant time due to injuries, and that also saw the departure of GM Dave Dombrowski to Boston at midseason, has the Tigers in the middle of the pack among favorites to capture the AL pennant.
New GM Al Avila moved swiftly, signing Jordan Zimmermann early in the free agent period, and stayed busy adding veteran pieces to his roster. Meantime, the trades of David Price and Yoenis Cespedes last July netted the Tigers a handful of talented young players ready to help immediately.
Nonetheless, the Tigers’ fortunes for 2016 will rest, as they did during the sustained run of division titles, largely with the health and performance of their highly-talented, highly-compensated veteran core.
The signing of Zimmermann essentially slots the former Washington stalwart into the spot vacated by Price. Zimmermann has been one of the most dependable arms in the game the last half-dozen years, but a dropoff in 2015 is at least a little concerning.
Barring anything unforeseen, veteran ace Verlander appears set to make his eighth Opening Day start in nine years, following a second-half resurgence in 2015 that had onlookers recalling vintage Verlander.
After years of ineffectiveness, the Tigers rebuilt their bullpen, and for good reason: The 2015 version ranked 27th in ERA. Francisco Rodriguez, acquired in a November trade, becomes the team’s seventh closer since the start of 2013. The eighth inning also got an overhaul, with Mark Lowe and Justin Wilson imported to handle set-up duties.
There is no reason to expect anything but the same from second baseman Ian Kinsler this season, despite the fact that he will turn 34 in June. Shortstop Jose Iglesias would be in the same category – if the Tigers could keep him on the field. After missing all of 2014 with shin injuries, he was an All-Star in 2015 – only to miss the final month of the season with a hand injury. At 26, this would be an opportune time for Iglesias to take another step toward stardom.
The Tigers turned a potential problem area into a position of strength with the signing of Justin Upton, who averaged 27.3 home runs over the last three years. Right fielder J.D. Martinez built on his breakthrough 2014 season with a 38-homer, 102-RBI campaign that also saw him earn his first All-Star berth and win a Silver Slugger Award.
The Tigers strengthened their starting staff with the addition of Zimmerman, and bolstered their lineup and bullpen. But as Avila noted, those additions will mean nothing if injuries strike once again.
Key Additions: SP Jordan Zimmerman, RP Francisco Rodriguez, OF Justin Upton
Key Losses: OF Rajai Davis, C Alex Avila
The rest of the division has caught up with the Tigers, and in some instances passed them. Hello Kansas City. The core of veteran talent, combined with Ilitch’s willingness to spend, means the Tigers will always have a shot at contention. But as the veteran core ages, contention is no longer a given. The Tigers need a lot to break right to return to the playoffs in 2016, and it’s probably asking too much for all of it to happen.
Prediction: 83-79
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The 2016 MLB season begins on Sunday, April 3.
