The trade deadline is approaching, and the Tigers are ready to make a move.
They may pounce on Houston's ace Roy Oswalt. They may pick up a bat, such as that of the Nationals' Adam Dunn.
Forget about whether or not the Tigers have the prospects available to land one of the monsters, or even one of the lesser valued players such as the multi-position veteran Mike Lowell. Let's just say, for argument's sake, they do.
Well, even if that's true, the fact remains that these guys are in a heap of trouble right now. The Tigers are 3-8 since returning from the All-Star break, despite the fact that the schedule since then including a four-game series in Cleveland. Cleveland! The Tigers had a golden opportunity to seize the division lead. Minnesota had opened the door by beating down the Chicago White Sox. Did they pounce by defeating that last-place team? Nope. The Tigers not only failed to win the series, they not only failed to split the series, they failed to win even ONE GAME of that series.
Ouch.
And speaking of ouch, did we mention the injuries? Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge are both out for 4-6 weeks now, and Carlos Guillen is hurting as well. Let's remember that the Tigers are only 7 games into their 32-game tour of American League teams above .500.
How can they expect to beat those guys when they have a lineup composed primarily of bench players and Toledo Mud Hens? What do Miguel Cabrera, Gerald Laird, and Ramon Santiago, all have in common? Answer: Among the starters for Sunday's afternoon game, they were the only ones with at least a year of major league experience. Other than that, not much. Santiago is a utility-man who usually plays about 80 games a year. Laird is hitting below .200.
Three veterans in the lineup, and only one of them is an above-average hitter (Granted, Cabrera is much better than just above-average).
In a rookie-heavy lineup, it certainly doesn't help when your most productive rookie of the season (Brennan Boesch) is in the midst of what looks to be a serious slump. Aside from Boesch, only Austin Jackson has been successful this year. I mean, take a look at the lineup card for that Sunday afternoon game: Scott Sizemore batting sixth? A couple weeks ago he wasn't even on the roster. A lineup with Sizemore batting sixth makes me feel pretty queasy, and that's not how anyone should feel about their team when in the midst of a pennant race.
If there's anyone the Tigers can take advice from at this point, it's probably the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings know what it's like to be in a deep, dark hole, with no easy way out. They fought off injuries, lack of rest, and the loss of some key guys in the offseason. Somehow, they found their way into the playoffs.
I'm still not sure how they did it, but the Tigers better find out.
