Kuzul

Apparently the Detroit Tigers think it is a good idea to send down an impressive part-time player in his rookie season and call up a career .234 hitter to replace him. I awoke this morning and to my horror found out the Tigers had sent Andy Dirks to the Toledo Mud-Hens only to call up Brandon Inge.

Before Inge was sent down earlier this year, he was hitting .177 in 70 games played. Meanwhile in 61 games played Andy Dirks has hit .257.  The Tigers management must not be able to do simple baseball mathematics. .257 is eighty points higher than .177 for all you stat geeks out there.

Wilson Betemit was traded to the Tigers to replace Inge. Since then Betemit has hit an even .300. In fact Betemit has two home runs in 19 games; in fifty-seven games with the Royals he hit three home runs. He has also come through in clutch situations, providing a much-needed bat in the lineup.

Meanwhile Inge would have struck out in these situations. I’m not bashing Inge by any means, I’m just stating the obvious. It should also be noted that Wilson Betemit makes an even $1 million and Brandon Inge is making $5.5 million for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Don Kelly has been the Tigers’ secret weapon over the past couple years. He has played every position (even pitcher) for the Tigers. He has been splitting time with Betemit at third since Inge’s departure.  When Kelly hasn’t been manning third base, he’s found himself being used as a defensive replacement or playing in the outfield. Overall Kelly has carved an excellent niche for himself and has done what has been expected of him.

The Tigers are doomed if Inge is going to be playing every day again. Wilson Betemit and Andy Dirks provided consistent bats for the Tigers this year. Unfortunately Dirks will now be toiling around in the minors until September and Betemit will be used as a pinch-hitter. Instead of seeing Betemit coming through with clutch hits, Tigers fans will be forced to watch Brandon Inge strikeout with two on and two out.       

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Brandon Inge has been in the big leagues for 10 years, so isn’t it time that someone taught him how to hit?

I’m not being facetious—not going for laughs here.

Inge, the Tigers third baseman, enters his 11th MLB season with a lifetime batting average of .237 and with a strikeout frequency of about one in every four at-bats.

I find it odd that no batting coach in a decade has been able to break Inge’s swing down and find something about it that needs correcting.

If it can’t be done, then why have batting coaches at all?

I’m just a bottom-feeding blogger, but even I can tell you that Inge’s swing gets too long at times and he gets too tempted by the home run. They both add up to mighty swings at the air.

The trouble with Inge is that he has just enough pop in his bat and has homered just enough, to make everyone think that he’s a legitimate longball threat. Even Inge himself believes that, which is also part of his problem.

It didn’t help matters when Inge was propped up as a contestant in the All-Star Game’s Home Run Derby in 2009. He was shutout and that was fitting.

The Tigers need better than .237 from Inge if they truly want to boast of a lineup that can sting you, one-thru-nine.

Inge has really only had two seasons where home runs were central to his arsenal—2006, when he slugged 27 and 2009, when he also hit 27.

Other than that, it’s been a lot of totals in the lower-to-mid teens.

Inge batted at a .287 clip in 2004 and hasn’t come close to that rate since.

How many times have we seen him spin himself halfway into the ground like a corkscrew, flailing at strike three?

What about those hitting principles that other guys have managed to integrate into their game, like shortening the swing and going to the opposite field and up the middle?

The simple fact is that Brandon Inge, from the moment he made his big league debut on April 3, 2001, has not improved one iota with the bat. In fact, he may have regressed slightly.

He broke into the majors hitting for a low average and striking out a lot and 10 years later, he’s hitting for a low average and striking out a lot.

Were it not for a glove that can be as good as any third sacker’s in the sport, Inge may not even be in the big leagues and certainly not as a starter.

This isn’t to dump on the guy. In fact, it was me who trumpeted Inge for a statue in Comerica Park bearing his likeness. This was when I thought he might be synonymous with the franchise and when I thought the Tigers would have won something by now.

This is more of a tough love piece. I’m an Inge guy. I marvel at what he can do with the glove. I respect his dedication to the metro Detroit area. I love his willingness to play through pain. I believe he’s a wonderful teammate. He is, in many ways, the face of the franchise because of the aforementioned things.

I just am dumbfounded that no one within the Tigers organization has been able to do a thing with Inge’s swing and add 20-30 points to his BA.

I’d take an Inge with a .270 BA and 15 homers over a version with a .230 BA and 25 homers—but that’s just me.

Brandon Inge has been, for many years now, one of the most polarizing athletes I’ve ever seen in Detroit, especially for someone who’s not even really considered a big star.

The vitriol directed his way by fans has been disturbing at times. But then there are those who simply adore him. Many of the female fans want to hug and squeeze him.

It’s funny, in a way, because Inge has never been shoved out there by the Tigers organization as one of the team’s big stars. The Tigers have never purported him to be anything other than what he is, which is a good field, mostly no-hit third baseman.

Yet Inge gets it from the fans as if he’s been asked to carry the team on his back and has failed miserably.

All I ask for is to see, in year 11, some degree of hitting improvement. It would sure help the Tigers’ cause, because too many times in recent years rallies have gone to Inge’s bat to die.

Can’t somebody work with him and get his batting average north of .250 with fewer strikeouts?

Inge would make a terrific case study, if someone were inclined to take him on.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Late last week the Tigers re-signed third baseman Brandon Inge to a two-year, $11.5 million contract (with an option for 2013).  He showed significant power in 2009, but the numbers just weren’t there last season:

• 580 At Bats
• .247 Batting Average (127 Hits)
• 13 Home Runs
• 70 RBI
• 47 Runs
• Four Stolen Bases
• .321 On Base Percentage
• .397 Slugging Percentage
• .305 Batting Average on Balls in Play

He’s never been one to hit for a good average, with a career .237 mark.  The strikeout rate is the big reason why, posting a 26.1 percent mark last season.  He’s actually been consistently worse then that over the prior three seasons:

• 2007 – 29.5 percent
• 2008 – 27.1 percent
• 2009 – 30.2 percent

Amazingly, the only reason he hit for as high an average as he did in 2010 was because he posted a .288 average at home (based on a .365 BABIP).  Over the prior few years his home average has been .247, .238 and .229.

It’s scary, but when you couple the likelihood that he strikes out more and struggles at home, there’s a good chance that his average regresses in 2011.

We all know that you don’t select Inge for his average, but you hope to get power out of it.  He hit 27 HR in 2009 based on a 15.4 percent HR/FB.  However, he regressed to 7.4 percent in ‘10 and has only posted a double-digit rate in one other season during his career (14.3 percent in 2006, when he also hit 27 home runs).

Outside of those two seasons, he has never hit more then 16 HR.  Is that really the type of power you want to see from a 3B that is not likely to hit above .250?

I know the position is shallow, but it’s not that shallow.

While he’s shown power in the past, he’s just not a lock to do so again.  Even in deeper formats, he’s a fringe corner infielder, at best.  While there’s upside, there is significantly more risk then fantasy owners should want to take.  Inge is a player that should be avoided on draft day in all formats (outside of AL-only leagues).

If he gets hot, use him while you can off the waiver wire and then move on.  That’s all he’s good for.

What are your thoughts?  Am I being too harsh?  Would you consider using Inge under any circumstance?

Make sure to check out our review of other players who struggled in 2010 and their prospects for a rebound:

• Beckett, Josh
• Greinke, Zack
• Hill, Aaron
• Lind, Adam

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Cross another would-be free agent off the list.

The other day, we saw free agent LHP Ted Lilly re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and on Thursday we saw a third baseman re-sign with his current club and not test the free agent waters.

Brandon Inge, a free agent to be, decided to re-sign with the Detroit Tigers. Inge signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with a $6 million club option for 2013 according to MLB.com’s John Beck.

Inge, 33, hit .237/.307/.394 with 13 HRs in 144 games with the Tigers. Inge’s .718 OPS ranked 15th amongst Major League third basemen in 2010.

I like Inge; I really do. I think despite his numbers not landing him in the positive column for sabermetricians, he is a very good guy to have on a team and in a clubhouse.

Every team needs a glue guy on their roster. Inge is the Tigers’ glue guy.

That being said (cue Larry David), I don’t think I would have given Inge a two-year deal. It’s a very simple question. Would Inge have gotten a two-year deal on the open market?

The answer is no.

I think $5.5 million for Inge is a fair deal. He’s been around that value during the course of his career. However, in this day and age of veterans being phased out of baseball, Inge would have only gotten a one-year this offseason.

This year’s crop of third base free agents is weak, so perhaps the Tigers didn’t want to spend $10-15 million a year on Adrian Beltre and will spend their budget—all $60 million of it—on someone else like Adam Dunn or Cliff Lee.

If that’s their plan, then that’s their prerogative. I just wouldn’t have guaranteed Inge a second year.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the 2010 regular season coming to a close and the playoff picture starting to become a little clearer every day, there are some teams that will focus on free agency and which players they are going to bring back or which players they could possibly land this offseason.

One of those players that will hit the free agent market is third baseman Adrian Beltre, who seemed to reinvent himself this season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Beltre has hit .325 with 28 home runs and 102 runs batted in, his best combined numbers since his 2004 season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Beltre isn’t the only third baseman that will be on the market. Here are 10 of the top third basemen that will be looked at in free agency.

Begin Slideshow

Are you hurting in the RBI category? Here are some reasonably available players that can help you out.

Brandon Inge, 3B, Detroit Tigers

 Inge has 10 RBIs over the past 15 days while hitting .218 with four runs, two HRs, and a SB. On the year he’s hitting .254 with 37 runs, 10 HRs, 61 RBIs, and three SBs. Brandon is owned in 20 percent of CBS and five percent of ESPN leagues. 

Danny Espinosa, SS, Washington Nationals

Espinosa has 10 RBIs in 22 ABs while hitting .409 with four runs and three HRs. He’s owned in 18 percent of CBS and seven percent of ESPN leagues. 

Ivan Rodriguez, C, Washington Nationals

Rodriguez has nine RBIs in the past 15 days while hitting .285 with five runs and a HR. On the year he’s hitting .270 with 29 runs, three HRs, 44 RBIs, and two SBs. Pudge is owned in 31 percent of CBS and 13 percent of ESPN leagues. 

Marcus Thames, OF, New York Yankees

Thames has nine RBIs over the past 15 days while hitting .257 with six runs and five HRs. On the year he’s hitting .306 with 20 runs, 11 HRs, and 30 RBIs in 173 ABs. Marcus is owned in 16 percent of ESPN and 14 percent of CBS leagues. 

Jonny Gomes, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Gomes has nine RBIs over the past 15 days while hitting .250 with four runs and two HRs. On the year he’s hitting .261 with 64 runs, 16 HRs, 77 RBIs, and three SBs. Jonny is owned in about 40 percent of all CBS and ESPN leagues. 

J.J. Hardy, SS, Minnesota Twins

Hardy has nine RBIs in the past 15 days while hitting .314 with seven runs and a HR. On the year he’s hitting .266 with 39 runs, six HRs, 35 RBIs, and one SB in 293 ABs. J.J. is owned in 34 percent of CBS and 27 percent of ESPN leagues.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the Detroit Tigers far removed from playoff contention this September, speculation has already begun about the futures of some of the team’s free agents-to-be. Among these players, the most desirable by far is third baseman Brandon Inge.

Inge, 33, signed a four-year, $24-million contract in December of 2006. It will expire at the end of the year, however, and Detroit may already have Inge’s replacement in-house: the team traded for versatile infielder Jhonny Peralta in July, and have an option to keep him for 2011. Peralta has cranked seven home runs in 35 games since coming over from Cleveland.

Inge’s 2010 season has been a difficult one, as he has battled injuries and managed an unimpressive .251/.325/.399 line. In fact, for his career, Inge has been narrowly better than replacement-level at the plate. His value lies not in his batting prowess, but in his defensive mastery of third base.

Broadly considered the best athlete on the Tigers squad throughout his career, Inge has played catcher, third base and all three outfield positions during his tenure in Detroit. At the hot corner, however, he seems most at home.

Inge last posted a season with negative defensive contributions against average in 2004, when he played all five of his positions and started 34 times behind the plate. At third base, he rates statistically as one of the league’s eight best third baseman of the last decade. He has saved, in the estimation of UZR, at least four runs per 150 games played at third in each of the past six seasons.

In Chicago, meanwhile, the Cubs head into the season’s final four weeks with even less hope than the Tigers. Their 2010 has been a disastrous story of slumping sluggers, and shoddy defense. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, whose second-half revival at the plate proves he is not yet a total liability to the club, is nonetheless no longer defensively viable at the hot corner. A move across the diamond to first base, where Chicago has stop-gaps Xavier Nady and Micah Hoffpauir sharing time, seems likely during the offseason.

That opens up third base for Inge. Chicago needs the defensive upgrade, and the departures of recently-traded Ryan Theriot, Ted Lilly and Derrek Lee remove some $27.5 million from their books.

Chicago will need to use some of that money on arbitration-eligible players who have earned big raises in 2010. Notably catcher Geovany Soto, pitchers Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall. Another chunk will be spent on a starting pitcher like Rockies left-hander Jorge de la Rosa. Still, there should be enough left over to sign Inge.

Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre, coming off a similarly disappointing season in 2009, signed with Boston last winter on an incentive-laden deal with a player option for 2011. Inge doesn’t have Beltre’s upside, his track record or his youth (Beltre is two years Inge’s junior), and so Chicago could likely reel in Inge with a one-year contract worth about $7 million, plus a club option for 2012.

In the worst case, the team could well afford to guarantee the second year, since another $45 million or so will be available to them after next season.

What return could Inge offer on that investment? Beyond his aforesaid defensive aptitude, Inge has power potential that Wrigley Field may yet unlock. A fly-ball hitter, Inge has occasionally fallen victim to the generous expanse of Comerica Park’s outfield. This season, for instance, Inge has struck 134 outfield flies. Comerica Park prevents seven percent more hits on outfield flies than Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

If Inge has hit half of his outfield flies at home (not likely, but a fair provision for demonstrative purposes), that means he has likely lost four hits to his current home park. Adding eleven total bases to his statistics (the breakdown of lost hits, based on this analysis of batted-ball park effects, would be: two home runs, one double and one single) would give Inge a much more tolerable .425 slugging average for this season.

It must also be remembered that Inge has played his entire career in the generally more difficult American League. In 142 career inter-league games, Inge owns an .806 OPS. That is some 28 percent better than his career mark of .702, and it may mean that Inge could hit in more favorable environs.

All of that is conjecture. It’s very possible, especially because Inge is already 33 years old, that his bat will never again be more than average. Still, given his well-rounded and well-respected defensive play at a position of need for the team, the Cubs should keep a close eye on Inge this winter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Last Week: 2-5
This Week: TB (8/9-11); at CWS (8/13-15)

So What Happened?

The Tigers’ freefall down the chute of the AL Central continued in earnest last week.

Last Monday, MMM said that if the Tigers were still in this race, there was no time like the present to make their case for such consideration.

Four games against the first-place Chicago White Sox, at home, provided the Tigers with a sort of mulligan, to partially retrieve some of their first half bluster.

But, the Tigers took that mulligan and sliced it into the woods.

They lost three of four to the Chisox, then two of three to the previously-struggling LA Angels.

Good night, nurse.

The Tigers are now the spoilers in what should be a whale of a race between the White Sox and Minnesota Twins. The only drama around these parts is whether the Tigers can finish at or above .500.

At the All-Star Break, the Tigers were in second place, a half-game out of first. They were some 15 games in front of the fourth-place Cleveland Indians.

This morning, they are nine games back, in third place, and just seven games ahead of Cleveland, to whom they’ve lost eight games of their lead in about three weeks.

Hero of the Week

Or, as it’s been known lately—He Who’s Screwed Up the Least. 

But in keeping with the spirit of this designation, here’s one for you—3B Brandon Inge.

Inge returned last week, about two weeks after suffering a broken bone in his hand after being hit by a pitch. This was an injury that was supposed to knock him out for four to six weeks.

Typical Inge, who tends to heal quicker than most players.

Not only did he return, he had some hits and didn’t look all that rusty. It was a feel-good story for a team and its fan base that desperately needed one.

Goat of the Week

GM Dave Dombrowski.

Watching the Tigers anymore these days is a painful exercise. Runs are scarce, success with RISP is even scarcer. One by one, they traipse to the plate—minor leaguers who weren’t supposed to be Tigers this season, if ever (*cough* Jeff Frazier *cough*). And one by one, they head back to the dugout, having struck out or popped up.

It’s hard not to think of Dombrowski when you watch the Detroit Mud Hens on the field.

How could Dombrowski have so badly mismanaged things that a couple of injuries could blow such a gaping hole into the Tigers’ roster depth?

This has been a storm brewing for a while, but MMM indicts Dombrowski this week because the Tigers have not only dropped out of the divisional race, they aren’t even competitive, and may be headed for 90 losses—something that was unthinkable three weeks ago.

All because they were stunningly thin in terms of big league depth on their 40-man roster.

Just because a guy gets hurt doesn’t mean he should be automatically replaced with a AAAA player. That’s not the case with other big league teams.

Upcoming—Rays and White Sox

The Rays are scuffling. The last time they were in good shape was when they swept the Tigers in a four game set two weeks ago. 

Think they’ll get well in Detroit this week?

The Rays have lost five in a row and are struggling to tread water in the AL East— they’re 2-1/2 games behind the first-place Yankees.

Yesterday, the Rays came within one out of being no-hit yet again, which would have been the third no-no they’ve suffered in 2010. No big league team has been no-hit three times in one season.

The 1973 Tigers were no-hit twice—by Nolan Ryan and Steve Busby. They were the last team to suffer that fate until the 2010 Rays.

The Tigers then travel to Chicago for the weekend to attempt to gum up the Central race as best they can.

Seems like every time you break down the Tigers against a Central opponent, the Detroiters come up short. There doesn’t appear to be a team the Tigers match up well against—even the Indians beat them up, with a four-game sweep after the All-Star break.

The White Sox have given the Tigers fits for years, a la the Twins.

Some good news though, as the Tigers get 2B Carlos Guillen back from the disabled list. Will Rhymes was sent back to Toledo to make room.

That’s all for MMM this week. See you next Monday!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

See that guy in the picture? That’s outfielder Magglio Ordonez. Do you know why he is sticking his tongue out at you? Because he is not on the field driving in runs. Because the Tigers look more deserving of a berth in a trash heap than in a pennant race.

Anyone out there have any faith that the Tigers are still in a pennant race?

I certainly hope not. If so, I’m sorry to burst your soap bubble, but allow me to disillusion you. The pipe dream you were in has expired, welcome back to reality.

The Tigers are in the midst of yet another late season tumble. Need proof? Look at the standings.

52-53, eight games back of the first place Chicago White Sox. 

Perhaps someone noticed that the Tigers totally took one on the chin from the Sox in the first game of today’s double header.

The Tigers had a very slim chance to regain some ground, and credibility, with a strong showing against the White Sox this week.

That particular pipe dream evaporated after a 12-2 beat down in game one. Game two hardly looks any more promising. The Tigers will send Jeremy Bonderman to the hill, he of the 5.05 earned run average. 

You may remember I wrote back on July 28th to say that essentially the Tigers were dead in the water.

They have done little to impress since then.

They lost the final two games to the Rays since then, followed by dropping two of three in Boston to the Red Sox. 

The Tigers have now compiled a record of 4-14 since the All-Star break. That in no way smells of contention for a division crown.

The Tigers are their own worst enemy. Ordonez, Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen could not have gotten hurt at a worse time. 

Although, Inge has eaten plenty of Tums and is almost back from a broken finger already, it still reeks of too little, too late.

In addition to the injuries, the misdirection of manager Jim Leyland has been a stain on this ballclub, contributing to the two losses in Boston.

It started with the 61-pitch meltdown of closer Jose Valverde in the 6-5 victory on Friday that lead to his unavailability for the remainder of the weekend.

The repercussions from that? Leyland intentionally put the winning run on base in the ninth inning Saturday!

Was anyone surprised when the winning run scored from first on that David Ortiz double?

Finally, Valverde’s burnout meant Robbie Weinhardt was given free reign to literally throw the game away on Sunday.

I’ll slip a footnote in right here. Don Kelly put on a clinic in the outfield on Sunday, gunning down an unsuspecting Adrian Beltre at second, and making a great snow cone catch against the Green Monster late in the game. 

Kelly’s reward for his great play? On the bench for the start of both games of the double header, in favor of Ryan Raburn. 

Please someone step up again and waste your credibility defending Raburn. He still looks like a train wreck in the field, and is only hitting .210 after going hitless in the first game of the double header.

Granted, Kelly is only hitting .197 but his superior defense erases that deficit. 

Raburn’s WAR (win above replacement level player) value is -0.1, where Kelly’s is 0.1. 

So, you might disagree with much of what I say. Oh Dave, this is just the rantings and ravings of an outraged fan. 

You would be right that I am outraged. You should be too. After all, who could be happy with this club right now?

Inge might need the Tums for the calcium to help heal his hand. I need the Tums because watching this team gives me heartburn.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Is the baseball season really a marathon? Or, can injuries, poor play, and bad luck end your season in just a couple of weeks? The Detroit Tigers will be able to answer that question rather quickly.

After a mediocre first two months of the season, the Detroit Tigers scratched and clawed their way to the division lead on June 28. As the Minnesota Twins spun their wheels in first place, objects in their mirror were closer than they appeared. 

The Detroit Tigers were sparked by an 8-1 stretch during interleague play against Pittsburgh, Washington, and Arizona. The Twins were swept by the last-place Milwaukee Brewers and had given back what was a five-game cushion in the AL Central. With Justin Morneau going down with a concussion just before the All-Star break, the Minnesota Twins looked like they could be the odd team out in a division that was thought to be there for the taking.

An awful start by Tigers pitcher Andrew Oliver allowed Minnesota to avoid a sweep at home to the Tigers in their final game before the break, so instead of being five games behind the Tigers, the Twins were only three-and-a-half games behind the streaking Chicago White Sox. Not only did the Tigers let the Twins inch closer, but the White Sox, behind a 25-5 record in June, took over the division lead by a half-game.

Out of the break the Tigers couldn’t have played any worse. They were swept by the last-place Cleveland Indians in a four-game set at Progressive Field. They followed that up by losing the first two to the Texas Rangers by a combined score of 16-6. The Tigers offense scored only 12 runs in the first six games out of the break, and the pitching staff allowed seven or more runs, four times.

Then the a freight train of injuries stormed through the Tigers clubhouse, pretty much ending any chance they had of contending this season. First, Joel Zumaya went down before the break with a fractured olecranon in his throwing arm. After the break, a series of injuries began on July 22 when Brandon Inge was hit by a pitch and broke his hand. He went to the DL and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Following that up, on July 24 Magglio Ordonez broke his ankle sliding into home plate and was immediately placed on the DL and will miss six to eight weeks as well.

With the Twins and Sox playing well over the past week or so, the Tigers have fallen five-and-a-half games behind the White Sox and four-and-a-half behind the Twins. The White Sox are reportedly favored to acquire perennial power hitter Adam Dunn.

The Twins are in search of pitching help and with the continued absence of Justin Morneau, they could be in search of a right-handed bat to balance out their left-handed dominant lineup.

The Tigers acquisition of Jhonny Peralta from the Indians can’t hurt the team, but it’s likely too little too late. Losing three top-tier athletes in less than a month looks to be too much to overcome for manager Jim Leyland. The Tigers might be better off selling off assets this season to build towards next year. By the time Ordonez and Inge put on their cleats again, the division should be all but sewn up.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com