The Tigers could have kept going, doing it the way they were doing it. After all, they have been tantalizingly close to winning the World Series that obsesses their aging owner, Mike Ilitch, and an entire organization.
In the past three seasons, Detroit has sandwiched a World Series loss in 2012 with being eliminated in six games in the ALCS in 2011 and ’13. Their style — essentially power arms and power bats at the expense of defense and speed — has taken them to the doorstep of championships. But only the doorstep.
Their shift into a new realm began at the trade deadline last July when — recognizing they were about to lose shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a Biogenesis suspension in the short term and likely to free agency in the offseason — the Tigers obtained Jose Iglesias, a defensive wizard.
Detroit then made a seismic shift. Officials from other clubs say they had grown leery and weary of Prince Fielder as a person and for declining performance. But the Tigers say they traded the first baseman to the Rangers for Ian Kinsler for financial and tactical reasons. They saved $78 million in the exchange, money that could be allocated to try to retain Max Scherzer, a free agent after this year, and Miguel Cabrera, a free agent after the 2015 campaign.
Also, general manager Dave Dombrowski saw a problem approaching that was anticipated from the moment Detroit had signed Fielder following the 2011 season and shifted Cabrera to third.
“I don’t think it had to happen this year, but we felt eventually Miggy would have to go from third to first, and neither Miggy nor Prince like to DH,” Dombrowski said. “That was going to be a dilemma for us.”
The Fielder deal set off this chain reaction: Cabrera moving from third to first; Nick Castellanos — a third baseman in the minors who had to shift to left to accommodate the Cabrera-Fielder tandem — returning to third; and Victor Martinez being asked to catch a bit more again. Without Fielder, Detroit needs Martinez’s bat protecting Cabrera as often as possible, and that will be mainly as the DH. But when the Tigers are in DH-less NL cities — their first road trip in April is against the Dodgers and Padres — new manager Brad Ausmus wants the option of Martinez behind the plate, where he has started just 29 games in the past three seasons.
Also, the trade of Doug Fister to the Nationals opened a rotation spot for Drew Smyly, who served as Detroit’s primary lefty set-up man in 2013.
The end result of all the shifting, which includes Kinsler at second and Rajai Davis part-time in left, is to upgrade defensively (Cabrera, for example, clearly is better at first than third) and have more team speed (Davis alone had 45 steals last year, whereas the whole Tigers team had an MLB-low 35). That makes Motown the kings of alteration going into 2014. But the Tigers are not alone. Here is a team of players shifting positions for this season:
Catcher
Evan Gattis, Braves. He caught, played left field and first base in the minors, and again as a rookie last year when he hit 21 homers. With Brian McCann gone, he will be asked to be mainly a catcher.
First Base
Joe Mauer, Twins. When Minnesota signed Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million pact before the 2011 campaign, it recognized he probably would have to shift positions at some point. But this was sooner than anticipated. He missed the last six weeks of 2013 because of a concussion, and to protect him and their investment (there are still five years and $115 million remaining), the Twins have relocated Mauer to first.
Washington also is planning to use Ryan Zimmerman at first some, perhaps anticipating Adam LaRoche leaving as a free agent after this season and the potential to put Anthony Rendon, now playing second, at his natural third. Jesus Montero is not catching at all this spring, just playing first, in Seattle’s last-gasp hopes to get something from the Michael Pineda deal. But Montero is behind Justin Smoak, Logan Morrison and Corey Hart as a first base option.
Second Base
Alexander Guerrero, Dodgers. He was a shortstop in Cuba, but the Dodgers gave him a four-year, $28 million pact in hopes he could play second, especially since other choices such as Chone Figgins and Dee Gordon are hardly attractive.
Rafael Furcal missed all of last year (Tommy John surgery) and hasn’t started a game at second since 2002, but the Marlins signed him to do just that. Jurickson Profar, a shortstop by trade, will become the full-time replacement for Kinsler in Texas.
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox. He was a minor league shortstop who shifted to third last year, but with Stephen Drew likely gone, Bogaerts will be asked to be the full-time shortstop.
Third Base
Carlos Santana, Indians. Primarily a catcher, Santana played winter ball at third after not having done so regularly since A-ball in 2006. Cleveland’s hope is to get all its best bats into the lineup, and Yan Gomes was a revelation behind the plate last year.
Matt Carpenter, a third baseman naturally, will shift back there from second (where he finished fourth for the NL MVP last year) since the Cardinals traded David Freese and want to try Kolten Wong at second.
Left Field
Mark Trumbo, Diamondbacks. He has played first, third and the corner outfield, not particularly well, as an Angel. Now to get his power bat in the lineup, Arizona is committing to him in left.
With Jacoby Ellsbury signed, Brett Gardner is flipping back to left from center. Seattle’s Dustin Ackley continues his transition from second to left field — a move he already had made before the Mariners signed a guy named Cano.
Center Field
Mike Trout, Angels. The game’s best player had manned mainly center, but there always were questions with the defensively elite Peter Bourjos around, but he was dealt to St. Louis, so Trout is the complete center of attention now. Colorado considered moving Carlos Gonzalez from left to center, but scrapped it early in spring.
Right Field
Ryan Braun, Brewers. Let’s be frank: The eyeballs on Braun will not be to see how he handles the change from left to right but rather what his game looks like post-Biogenesis suspension. Curtis Granderson has started just nine games in right but will be asked to be the regular for the Mets.
Starting Pitcher
Alex Wood, Braves. After splitting time between relieving and starting last year, Wood joins what looks as if it will be a homegrown rotation, all under 28, with Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen, Mike Minor and Julio Teheran. Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers, who were the main lefty and righty set-up men for Texas last year, are vying for rotation spots at a time when the Rangers have several key physical issues among starters.
Closer
David Robertson, Yankees. That Rivera fella retired, just in case you were under sedation and missed it. But the Yanks are not the only AL East team trying to break in a new closer. The Orioles, after trading Jim Johnson, are auditioning Tommy Hunter. If Hunter can do the job, it means the Orioles’ trade of Koji Uehara would have netted Baltimore’s most-feared hitter (Chris Davis) and closer (Hunter). But watch how Hunter fares against lefties — who had an .857 OPS vs. him last year, .843 for his career.