Looking Ahead to 2009: Part 2 – Infield

Back-to-back wins over the Indians were nice, but with the White Sox on a tear after Ozzie Guillen’s latest rant, bleak is the word I’ll still use to describe the Tiger’s chances. So onward with looking ahead to next year.

First Base – Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Marcus Thames, Jeff Larish, Gary Sheffield

Oh boy. First base has a storied history for the Tigers. Hank Greenberg, Norm Cash, Cecil Fielder are some of the big names to have played the position for the Tigers in the past. Currently, Miguel Cabrera, acquired months ago as a third baseman is playing the position. Unless he can use the offseason to get in better shape, he’ll be a first for the long term. And even if he was to lose some of his pudginess, first seems to be where he’ll be playing down the road. He certainly has the bat for the position. He’ll hit for power and average. The only thing stopping him, potentially, from being the first baseman is Carlos Guillen, the man without a position. Guillen doesn’t have the legs, nor the arm to play the left side of the infield. But Carlos can hit. So the question becomes how does Jim Leyland fit all of these bats into the same lineup, while not compromising the defense, which has been the case this year. Miguel Cabrera seems to be the better defensive first baseman, which I’m shocked to say, considering Guillen, a shortstop last year would seem to have plenty of range to play the position well. He just, in my opinion doesn’t look comfortable there, and doesn’t seem to position himself well when receiving throws. At third, his oft errant arm becomes a liability, and the wear on his knees is greater there than at first. If the Tigers had only these two players to play first and third, cases could be made for both sides as to which one should play either position, but the wild card is that the Tigers have one of the best defensive third basemen in the game in Brandon Inge. As I see it the ideal situation is playing Cabrera at first, Inge at third and Guillen at DH, unless Carlos could be traded for pieces to help this team win next year. Not prospects, but major league ready talent, preferably a pitcher, or catcher. As always in Dave we trust. He’ll right the ship for next season.

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