Kuzul

Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris continues to set himself apart from the crowd.

In his fourth start since arriving in Detroit by way of the same trade that sent David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays in July, Norris hit a home run in his first major league at-bat.

The two-run shot to deep center extended the Tigers’ lead over the Chicago Cubs to 3-0.

The last pitcher to do that? Tommy Milone (for the Washington Nationals) in 2011, per ESPN’s Jonah Keri:

Daniel Norris HR in 1st MLB plate appearance. Last pitcher to do that: Tommy Milone in 2011.

— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) August 20, 2015

The power apparently isn’t news.

According to Michigan Live’s James Schmehl, the lefty temporarily put out two panels on the video board at Wrigley Field while slugging home runs during batting practice ahead of Tuesday’s 10-8 win.

[MLB, Twitter]

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Dave Dombrowski and I were not always on the best of terms.

Early on in his time with the Detroit Tigers, one of his close aides basically stopped talking to me, telling me, “I don’t think you’ve been fair to Dave.” Later, another aide told me that Dombrowski had made it a fireable offense to be found talking to me.

As time went on, I think Dombrowski gained a little more respect for my work. I know I gained more respect for his.

When the Tigers announced Tuesday that Dombrowski is done as their president and general manager, my friend and colleague Scott Miller tweeted his kudos to an era worthy of praise and admiration—even without capturing a championship ring.

I couldn’t agree more.

The last chapter I wrote in Numbers Don’t Lie was the one on the Tigers’ four consecutive division titles. In researching that chapter, I found that the Cardinals, Dodgers and Red Sox have never finished in first place in four straight seasons.

The Tigers never had, either, until Dombrowski’s teams did so in the last four years.

They won’t finish first this year, and Dombrowski leaves without ever delivering the long-sought World Series title that owner Mike Ilitch will now chase with longtime Dombrowski aide Al Avila in charge.

There’s no doubt that Dombrowski leaves the Tigers in better shape than they were in when he took over. They have a solid core of position players, and the organization has much more pitching depth after Dombrowski’s trades last week.

Dombrowski and his aides agonized over that buy-sell decision. They hated the idea of selling and went back and forth right to the end, eventually deciding that this team, as constructed, had only a small chance of winning this year and by dealing then the Tigers would significantly improve their chances of winning in 2016 and 2017.

How many GMs without a contract for 2016 would have made the same decision?

Dombrowski has his flaws. He spent the last four years trying to build a bullpen without ever succeeding. His record of hiring managers hasn’t been great (although he did hire Jim Leyland twice).

But just like Pat Gillick, the most recent general manager to go to the Hall of Fame, Dombrowski has a knack for taking over teams and turning them into winners. He’s organized, he’s persistent and—just as importantly—he’s willing to be bold when needed.

It’s easy to say now that trading for Miguel Cabrera was an obvious move, but it wasn’t at the time, not when the price was Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, whom some considered untouchable prospects. Dombrowski didn’t mind trading away talent if he was happy with the return.

Not every deal worked, but he never got gun-shy after making a deal that failed.

Ultimately, he won. Dombrowski’s first Tigers team lost 106 games, but his fifth Tigers team went to the World Series (and should have won it). That 2006 team won 95 regular-season games, ending a string of 12 consecutive losing seasons. Dombrowski ran the Tigers for eight more years, and in only one of the eight did the Tigers lose more games than they won (2008).

He brought good people into the organization (sometimes bringing them back after they had left), and he demanded a lot from them. Behind closed doors, he would yell when things went wrong.

He can be tough to work for. He can be tough to cover.

But he also took time 10 days ago to go to Cooperstown to help honor longtime Tigers beat writer Tom Gage when Gage received the Hall of Fame’s Spink Award. The Tigers were in the midst of preparing for the trade deadline, and Dombrowski undoubtedly had other things on his mind. But he believed that honoring Gage was the right thing to do, so he did it.

I respect that, and I respect him.

Scott’s right. The Dombrowski era was one of the best in Tigers history.

I think that’s fair.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball. 

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The Detroit Tigers shook up their front office Tuesday, announcing Al Avila as the club’s new general manager and executive vice president of baseball operations.

Jason Beck of MLB.com reported the news of Avila’s promotion to supplant Dave Dombrowski, who was released from his contract. Beck also passed along a quote from Tigers owner Mike Ilitch.

“I’ve decided to release Dave from his contract in order to afford him the time to pursue other career opportunities,” Ilitch said.    

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark alluded to Dombrowski’s strong record overseeing Detroit’s personnel decisions:

Chris Iott of MLive.com reported Avila’s contract is for five years beyond this season. He also provided comments from Avila.

“I do have a contract,” Avila said. “I signed the contract today, but I don’t want to really expound on the contract at this point. It’s a number of years that is long enough that will give you the security that you need to continue to build on a winning tradition.”

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports and Stark both linked Dombrowski to a potential future job with the Toronto Blue Jays. Avila had been the Tigers assistant general manager and a vice president before Tuesday.

Detroit has enjoyed immense success in recent years, but this season has been a massive disappointment. The team is 51-54 and dealt All-Star pitcher David Price to Toronto just ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.

Avila had a hand in constructing the current Detroit roster and had someone to learn from in Dombrowski. That’s a better situation than many other first-time GMs are thrown into.

This season may be a wash for Detroit, but the club is in position to pursue big-name targets in the winter and get closer to contention in 2016. It’s up to Avila to execute and land marquee talent to get the Tigers back to their perch atop the American League Central.

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This is unfamiliar terrain for the Detroit Tigers.

The club has enjoyed a smooth ride for nearly a decade. From 2006-14, the Tigers averaged nearly 88 wins per season, captured four Central Division championships and made two World Series appearances.

It’s been a different narrative in 2015.

After jumping out to a scorching 12-3 record to start the season, the seemingly effortless ride has been derailed by pothole after pothole. Calling the Tigers’ season a struggle is an understatement. It’s been a disastrous journey for a team with World Series expectations.

Prior to the trade deadline, the road ahead was foggy. The club was bogged down by expensive contracts, aging veterans, a poor farm system and more questions than answers. After necessary maneuvering, the organization seems poised to travel less bumpy roads in 2016 and beyond.

General manager Dave Dombrowski was at a crossroads. The long-time executive was in a difficult position. On one hand, his club sat just 3.5 games behind the second wild-card spot and hardly out of the playoff race. On the other hand, the Tigers hadn’t put together a three-game win streak since early June and continued to struggle against the American League’s bottom feeders.

Dombrowski continued to wait.

Just four days before the deadline, his club sat four games under .500, trailed the Kansas City Royals by double digits in the standings and just got blown out by the Tampa Bay Rays in a game started by David Price.

A decision was needed. Buy or sell?

With owner Mike Ilitch desperate to bring a World Series title to Detroit and Dombrowski operating on an expiring contract, it would’ve been easy to try to salvage a fading season by further depleting an already-vacant farm system and attempt to win as many games as possible.

Multiple news outlets reported the organization was leaning toward making a push for the 2015 postseason.

Three days before the deadline, Jayson Stark of ESPN tweeted out that other teams were told the Tigers weren’t selling.

Still, Dombrowski realized his club was riding on a flat tire with no spare in the trunk. Acknowledging the Tigers’ season was over before the calendar flipped to August was a tough sell. Waving the white flag wasn’t easy for an organization with a heavy payroll.

Yet it became evident things weren’t turning around. The team is plagued by inconsistent offense and mediocre pitching. The Tigers fearsome lineup has a knack for hitting into double plays and stranding baserunners. According to MLB.com, the bullpen and starting rotation rank among the worst in baseball with a 4.30 ERA and 4.45 ERA, respectively.

Unlike some teams currently in the wild-card chase, simply qualifying for the playoffs isn’t the Tigers’ goal. The organization’s sole focus is winning a World Series championship.

Dombrowski told Chris McCosky of The Detroit News that his decision to sell stemmed from his belief the Tigers weren’t equipped to challenge for a World Series title this year.

We’ve won the division four years in a row but, however you would like to say it, unless you are in a position to win a world championship—that’s where we are at this time. In my heart, I didn’t think we were there with the club.

The Tigers’ trade chest was stacked with tremendous pieces to sell: David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria. The three represented arguably the best starter, hitter and reliever available on the trade market.

With Price, there was no indication a contract extension was imminent and most analysts expected him to join a different organization in the winter. With playoff hopes dim, the Tigers couldn’t afford letting a premier pitcher walk away for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick.

The fear of losing Price to free agency was confirmed by Dombrowski when he told Chris Iott of MLive Media Group that negotiations were far apart.

We like David. We said we wouldn’t discuss it publicly as far as dollars. But we did approach him at that point. It just was not really where we wanted to go from a financial perspective.

Less than 24 hours after informing other teams that Price was on the market, Dombrowski agreed to a deal that sent the left-hander to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt.

The trio represents a major haul for Dombrowski, especially Norris, who ranked as the Blue Jays’ top prospect by Baseball America.

Next, the front office flipped Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates for shortstop JaCoby Jones. Then, minutes before the deadline, Dombrowski sent Cespedes to the New York Mets in exchange for Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa.

All six prospects immediately filled the Tigers’ top 15 list by MLB Pipeline.

The Tigers received favorable reviews from most media outlets with Jim Bowden of ESPN leading the praise for Dombrowski.

Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer are can’t-miss rotation starters, while Matt Boyd, Jairo Labourt and Luis Cessa all have good arms. Taking advantage of the Pirates’ minor league depth at shortstop to grab JaCoby Jones was also a shrewd move.

With $110 million invested in just five players for 2016, adding young, inexpensive talent was necessary. Norris, Fulmer and Boyd are expected to compete for rotation spots next season, while Labourt and Cessa project as bullpen arms.

Dombrowski told Iott the trades put the organization in a better position moving forward.

We have traded so many guys in the past. Ideally, you don’t want to be in this position, but based on where we were, we think this gives us an influx of guys who can help us going into next year. It puts us in a good spot going into next year.

The departure of its soon-to-be free agents gives the Tigers an estimated $46 million in payroll flexibility heading into the offseason.

Adding a veteran starter and bullpen arms are the top items on Dombrowski’s to-do list. He confirmed to Iott the organization is still committed to winning in 2016.

Our starting pitching will need to be addressed in the wintertime. But I assure you that our goal going into next year will be to try to win a world championship.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted the club is expected to pursue Cespedes on the free-agent market and the interest is mutual.

A few potential impact free-agent signings—mixed with the recent youth infusion to go along with an already-promising core—indicates the future is bright in Detroit.

For the Tigers, the road ahead is clearer today than it was last week. Dombrowski is working to ensure the Tigers experience a smoother ride in 2016.

Follow Chris Hauler on Twitter

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This is what you call a snowball. Or at this point it might seem more like Murphy’s Law trying to take effect on the Detroit Tigers, because anything that can seemingly go wrong is creeping around the team right now.

The Tigers have now won two in a row after Saturday’s 8-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays. But that is coming off being swept at home by the Pittsburgh Pirates and, even worse, Saturday’s news that the best hitter in the game has a severe calf strain.

Miguel Cabrera, who leads the American League in several offensive categories, was pulled from Friday’s game in the fourth inning. After being evaluated, the Tigers announced a Grade 3 left calf strain for the MVP candidate, putting him on the disabled list for the first time in his magnificent career and on the shelf for six weeks.

“When you lose the best hitter on the planet it’s a huge blow,” manager Brad Ausmus told reporters. “We’re going to have to find a way to get it down [sic] without him, at least for the next month and a half or so. We still have a very good offense.” USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale noted losing Cabrera was a “huge blow” for the Tigers:

The #Tigers are dealt huge blow to their AL Central title hopes with Miguel Cabrera out 6 weeks with Grade 3 calf strain. 1st DL stint.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 4, 2015

It is true that the Tigers still have a good lineup. It has scored 15 runs since Cabrera left Friday’s game while running the bases and entered Saturday ranked second in the league in wRC+ (109), wOBA (.328) and third in FanGraphs WAR (13.4). However, the offense has been somewhat inconsistent, showing heavy firepower one day and futility the next far too often. 

Cabrera leads the league in average (.350), OBP (.456), OPS (1.034), wRC+ (184) and wOBA (.436). He has 15 home runs and entered Saturday leading the Tigers with 54 RBI.

He has obviously contributed mightily to steadying the offensive output. Cabrera is as consistent a hitter as you’ll find in the history of the game. Losing him for a significant portion could be devastating for the Tigers, and in a division where they are currently third and a disappointing two games over .500, they cannot afford to be wounded.

“We have to find a way to win without Miggy,” Ausmus told reporters. “Injuries are part of the game, and unfortunately it happened to one of the better players in baseball. It affects us tremendously, but we’re not the first team to have a star player go down.”

But because of who the injury occurred to and where the Tigers stand as an offense and team, Cabrera might be a top-three player whose team can least afford to be without.

So much so that upon news of Cabrera’s DL stint, the Internet flooded with stories of the Tigers’ four-year run as AL Central champs being finished and them going from contender to seller because Cabrera won’t be in the lineup. And, honestly, both storylines have some substance.

The Tigers’ playoff mettle is to be tested in the next few weeks. They travel to Seattle to face that much-improved rotation and then to Minnesota to face a Twins club that sits ahead of them in the Central. They then host the Baltimore Orioles and the Mariners.

At that point, the July 31 trade deadline will be a week away. Decisions will have to be made with conviction.

If the Tigers pass the next three weeks, it makes sense for them to attack the trade market for an arm like Jeff Samardzija or Scott Kazmir. If they fail, it will be brand-new territory for this bunch. Over the previous nine trade deadlines, the Tigers have been above .500, and for the previous six they have bought to improve their postseason chances. If they fail, pieces could be sold.

Six players—David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, Alfredo Simon, Alex Avila, Joakim Soria and Rajai Davis—are pending free agents, and time has likely come and gone to extend any of them beyond this season. That is where the Tigers could start if they decide to sell, which could begin to replenish a farm system that has been virtually nonexistent in recent years.

After it lost Willy Adames and Jake Thompson in the Price and Soria deals last year, respectively, Baseball America rated it the worst in all of baseball entering this season.

That is the unlikely scenario, though.

If the Tigers remain around the .500 mark and within a David Price gem or two of a wild-card berth, they have to keep prying at the window. Cabrera’s eight-year, $248 million extension doesn’t kick in until next year. Justin Verlander is owed $112 million over the next four years. They signed Victor Martinez to a four-year, $68 million deal after last season, and Anibal Sanchez has $37 million remaining over the next two seasons.

Doing a complete teardown with those names and numbers on the books could turn the fanbase against the club and would not sit well with those veterans. And anyway, aside from Price, no one else who would be on the trading block would fetch a nice enough return for the Tigers to execute such a plan.

This is how this will play out: While Cabrera is out, the Tigers will be all in. That might mean making a blockbuster kind of trade sooner than expected, and it definitely means the next three weeks without their best player will define their season.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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The Detroit Tigers find themselves mired in mediocrity as the MLB season nears its midway point. At 36-34, Detroit holds the 16th-best record out of 30 teams in the majors.

This is a big underachievement for a perennially contending team.

Not that it is entirely unexpected. Fate has conspired against Detroit in many ways since the end of the 2014 season. Injuries have beset key contributors Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez for extended periods. Also, one of the game’s best pitchers, Max Scherzer, decided to flee the scene last offseason.

Even with these setbacks, the Tigers are still punching well below their weight. Lagging behind eight teams in the American League is unacceptable for a team with the third-highest payroll in the game.

Here’s why they find themselves in their current position…

The offense has not delivered consistently

After finishing second in the AL in runs the past two seasons, Detroit has slid well down the pole in 2015. They currently rank eighth in the league with 4.2 runs per game.

The Tigers are somewhat of an offensive enigma. Despite crossing the plate less frequently, they have still swung the bat well this year. Their batting average (.273) and OPS (.746) are second and third in the league, respectively.

However, Detroit just isn’t getting it done in the clutch.

Matthew B. Mowery of the Oakland Press recently documented the team’s struggles in key spots:

By the stat of WPA Clutch (wins probability added, adjusted for the leverage of the situation), key offensive cogs Yoenis Cespedes, Rajai Davis, Ian Kinsler, Jose Iglesias, Nick Castellanos, James McCann and J.D. Martinez all rank in the negative. Utility man Andrew Romine is clutchest at 0.5. Last year, this was the spot that J.D. Martinez was so stellar, hitting .271 with five homers and 12 RBI in late and close situations. This year, he’s hitting .154, with one RBI, no home runs and nine strikeouts.

The return of Victor Martinez from injury could trigger a turnaround. After the switch-hitter’s recall on June 19, Detroit has scored 25 runs in four games. This includes a season-high 12 runs against the Yankees on Father’s Day with Martinez contributing four RBI.

But can Detroit do it when counts?

The starting pitching is not what it once was

Detroit’s rotation has also slipped this year after being prolific in recent seasons.  In 2014, they ranked first in the AL with a 3.38 Field-Independent Pitching (FIP) mark. This year they languish at 10th with a 4.10 FIP.

Behind David Price (6-2, 2.50 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (7-4, 3.29 ERA), the team is searching for answers.

Justin Verlander was being counted on to provide a lift upon his return from the disabled list earlier this month. So far he has not. In two starts, the righty is 0-1, 6.17 ERA, 4 K, 3 BB.

The Tigers urgently need Verlander to step up and for Anibal Sanchez to continue his recent upward trend—3-2, 2.18 ERA, 37.2 IP in his last five starts. Otherwise, continued mediocrity—as well as every un-hittable outing by Scherzer—will feel like a punch in the gut to Tigers fans.

The bullpen is still flawed

Not so long ago, this looked like a bright spot for Detroit. Apparently, old habits die hard.

With Joakim Soria sitting pretty at 13-for-13 in saves on May 20, the Tigers’ bullpen was at least looking sturdy. Times have changed…

As the closer’s standards have faded, so have the unit’s as a whole. The Detroit relief corps now ranks third-bottom in the majors in FIP (4.24).

We saw the Kansas City Royals ride the success of their bullpen all the way to the Fall Classic last year. Detroit simply must get better in this area to be contenders. The trade market seems like the only solution to their problem.

The defense is genuinely good

There is cause for optimism amid the gloom. After years of being average at best, Detroit can now go get it in the field.

We all know what Jose Iglesias can do, but center fielder Anthony Gose has made some gems, too.

Their presence, along with newcomer Cespedes and the ever-consistent Kinsler, makes the Tigers’ defense one of the best in baseball. According to FanGraphs, they have the fourth-highest total of Defensive Runs Saved (26) in the majors.

All is certainly not lost for Detroit. Even with all their issues, they still maintain a winning record and are only two games back of the playoff places. After dropping back to .500 on June 20, they seemed to draw a line in the sand.

Their journey has only just begun.

All stats in this article are courtesy of FanGraphs

Hit me up n Twitter: @jdunc1979

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As a kid, few things can rival the thrill of a catching a baseball at a live game.

That held true for this young fella in the first row as the Oakland Athletics visited the Detroit Tigers Tuesday night…well, at first.

This kid is a Tigers fan, perhaps the most passionate this world has ever seen. So as his pal hugged him, the poor lad’s euphoric joy plummeted to pure devastation when he realized that Ben Zobrist’s grand slam in the seventh inning gave the A’s a lead they would never relinquish.

Looks like there is, in fact, crying in baseball.

[Twitter]

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In case you hadn’t noticed, the Detroit Tigers offense has had its struggles this season.

Nobody anticipated this. Even with Victor Martinez on the shelf, a team boasting Miguel Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedes, J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler should be a run-scoring powerhouse. Right now they are languishing at 10th in the American League in runs per game (4.2).

Things have been particularly bad in recent outings. During the first four days of their current West Coast road trip, the runs have been as dry as a teetotaller’s picnic—six in four games. Some quality pitching has enabled them to eke out a pair of victories in these outings. However, their offensive malaise cannot continue if they hope to keep pace in the crackerjack Central Division.

There is hope on the horizon for the beleaguered Tigers lineup. Uncharacteristically for this franchise, the player in mind is not a veteran on the trading block, but a prospect waiting in the wings.

Steven Moya is the man I refer to. The 6’7″ slugger has been tabbed as a player of the future by the Tigers for some time now. Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski expressed his views on the 23-year-old last October to James Schmehl of MLive: “We love Steven Moya. … He’s a 35-home run, 100-plus hitting-type guy, and he plays solid defense and runs well for a big guy, too.”

Yep, Detroit’s No.1 prospect is the full package.

Dombrowski did not just pluck those numbers out of thin air. Last year with the Double-A Erie Seawolves, Moya set franchise records by uncorking 35 HR, 105 RBI and 286 total bases.

A September call-up for the first time last year, Moya had a chance of cracking the Tiger’s 25-man roster out of camp. But a poor spring (.125/.125/.250) had him heading back to the minors. Then, to rub salt into his wounds, he began the season late after sustaining a foot injury in early April.

Flip the calendar forward nearly two months, and things have changed significantly. After taking several weeks to find his groove, Moya is now raking at Triple-A Toledo.

Since May 12, he has hit .317 (19-for-60) and been on base in each of his 14 starts. During this time, Moya has plundered nine extra-base hits, including four home runs. One of these deep flies was also a game-winner against Buffalo on May 16.

Moya turning the corner may have come at just the right time for the Tigers. His hot bat could be the perfect fizz for Detroit’s un-carbonated offense.

Also beneficial is the fact that Moya bats from the left side. This would provide a nice complement to Detroit’s lineup, which is even more righty-dominant than normal with the absences of Martinez and Alex Avila. Center fielder Anthony Gose is currently the only everyday left-handed hitter on the Detroit team.

If promoted, Moya could slot in at No. 6 between J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos. This would not place too much burden on the youngster as he wets his feet in the big leagues.

Despite the documented upsides, Moya will come up with his warts. Last year he struck out 161 times at Double-A (31 percent) and has fanned another 50 times (31 percent) already in 2015.

The pitching will only get tougher in the majors, and Moya has shown no sign of lowering his strike out numbers. If given the chance now, his air-swing habits are unlikely to change in the short-to-medium term.

However, his immense talent and power may offset this issue. Many players are still productive and capable of helping their team win despite striking out a lot. Evan Gattis and George Springer of the Houston Astros are two cases in point.

Speaking last year to Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus recognised Moya’s flaws but also saw a silver lining:

It’s not uncommon for power hitters to swing and miss. But with experience, you hope his pitch-recognition goes up. I don’t think he’ll ever be Victor Martinez when putting the bat on the ball, but no one is. If he can make contact at the big-league level he’s going to hit some homers.

And the Tigers could certainly do with a few of those at the moment. What have they got to lose?

It could hardly get much worse on the offensive side than it is right now. If Moya fails, he can be sent back down for more seasoning and Detroit would go back to square one.

Whether it’s now or later, it’s just a matter of time before he does the business in Motown. Dombrowski seems ultra-confident of that: “If Moya‘s not a premium prospect, I don’t know who is. … I don’t know what damage he’ll end up doing this year, but I mean, this guy has unbelievable power,” he said to Anthony Fenech of Detroit Free Press.

We could be about to find out how much damage he can do. With the phone only an arm length away, Dombrowski’s hand may be just about to twitch.

Stats in this article are courtesy of milb.com

Hit me up on Twitter: @jdunc1979

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Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with inflammation in his left knee.  

Continue for updates.

Martinez Heads to DL with Knee Inflammation

Tuesday, May 19

The Tigers’ official PR Twitter feed reported that Martinez was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his left knee.

Currently there is no timeline for Martinez to return, per James Schmehl of MLive.com. Manager Brad Ausmus further discussed the injury, per Jason Beck of MLB.com:”Victor Martinez had a cortisone shot Thursday. Felt good running Monday, but hitting obviously wasn’t any better.”

Ausmus added that Martinez did not want to go on the DL, and the decision wasn’t up to him, per Matthew B. Mowery. 

Martinez is one of the best pure hitters in baseball, and the Tigers can ill afford to lose him for an extended period of time. He hit .335 during the 2014 season with 32 home runs, 103 RBI and a .409 on-base percentage.

Martinez finished second in the American League MVP voting and won the Silver Slugger award for American League designated hitters.

Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post noted why a slugger like Martinez is even more valuable in today’s game with dominant pitching:

But there’s a more wide-angle reason the Tigers are making that commitment to a player headed into his late 30s who just set career highs in homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (by more than 50 points). Look at offense throughout baseball, at how it’s dwindling away, and consider where a player of Martinez’s abilities and accomplishments fits now. Heck, consider where he might fit four years from now, even if his abilities diminish some with age.

Martinez is a source of production in the middle of the lineup that is nearly impossible to replace, from his ability to get on base to the power and the run-scoring opportunities he generates. What’s more, he provides protection for Miguel Cabrera by hitting behind him in the lineup, which forces opposing pitchers to pick their poison.

Detroit has title aspirations this season, but the one-two punch of Cabrera and Martinez is a major reason why. If Martinez is not in the lineup, players such as Yoenis Cespedes or J.D. Martinez will have to increase their production to provide that protection for Cabrera and cash in on RBI opportunities that would have otherwise gone to the 36-year-old.

Detroit’s strong pitching staff will be under more pressure as well if the offense struggles without Martinez as an anchor.

Martinez is one of the most important players on the Tigers roster, and any championship hopes they have may depend on his ability to return to full health.

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It doesn’t take much time to run out of superlatives when describing Miguel Cabrera’s ability to make square contact with a baseball.

He is, after all, one of the two best hitters of his generation. The best since Barry Bonds, probably better than Alex Rodriguez, right there with Albert Pujols, and it might take somebody like Mike Trout continuing his greatness for another 12 to 15 years for anyone in the next generation to match Cabrera’s offensive aptitude.

Cabrera reached another milestone Saturday afternoon, further establishing himself as one of the best hitters Major League Baseball has ever employed. On a totally misplaced Tyler Lyons first-inning cookie, the Detroit Tigers slugger smoked his 400th career home run over the center field wall of St. Louis’ Busch Stadium.

The home run made Cabrera the most prolific home run-hitting Venezuelan in MLB history, surpassing Andres Galarraga as well as former Tigers great and Hall of Famer Al Kaline. Cabrera is the 53rd player to amass 400 home runs.

While the glowing adjectives inserted before Cabrera’s name are running low, his latest feat reminds us that he is destined to gain another before the end of his career: immortal.

Cabrera is 32 years old, and after this season, he is under contract for eight more years and an unforgettable $248 million. As long as his body does not completely betray him, Cabrera is a lock for 600 career home runs and 3,000 career hits.

That would put him in the company of only Henry Aaron and Willie Mays as of now, but by the time Cabrera reaches those marks, Rodriguez and Pujols will both likely be in the club as well. That would make Cabrera only the fifth player to ever get to 600-3,000.

So yeah, “immortal” is a fine superlative.

Miguel Cabrera just hit his 400th homer at age 32. Most homers through age 32: 553 – ARod 500 – Foxx 475 – Pujols 468 – Griffey 454 – Mantle

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) May 16, 2015

We might have believed Cabrera’s health was already starting to betray him in the past year. He posted a 147 OPS-plus, hit 25 home runs and drove in 109 in 2014. For many players, that is a career year. But for Cabrera, those were his lowest OPS-plus and RBI marks since 2009, and it was his lowest home run total since his rookie year, when he played in just 87 games. Cabrera followed that with offseason ankle/foot surgery to remove bone spurs and repair a stress fracture.

To wonder about his health and production going into 2015 was reasonable, but Cabrera already buried those concerns before Saturday’s 400th homer. He entered the game with a .338/.442/.592 slash line, a 1.035 OPS, nine home runs and 28 RBI. His OPS-plus was 183.

His 154 career OPS-plus, which is an adjusted OPS calculated at Baseball-Reference.com used to compare players of different eras, is currently the 25th highest in baseball history. Seventeen of the 24 players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. Bonds, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pujols are also in that group of 24.

Of those ahead of Cabrera, only Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx have 400 career homers, a Triple Crown and multiple MVP awards.

Cabrera, who still might be in his hitting prime, is already in truly elite company.

“What makes him so great and special is that you never, ever, ever catch Miguel off-guard,” teammate Victor Martinez told Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan in early May. “Once he steps up in the box, he’s ready to hit. I don’t know how he does it. … He’s always ready to hit. You throw a pitch on the plate, he’ll do damage.”

Another thing to keep in mind: Cabrera’s 6’4″, 240-pound body does not seem to be betraying him. Despite the surgery and the “down” 2014, Cabrera has missed a total of 33 games since the start of the 2009 season. He has played in at least 148 games in all of his seasons except his rookie one, and he has averaged 191 hits and 34 home runs in each of those.

If Cabrera averages 180 hits and 25 home runs a season starting this year, he will reach 3,000 hits and 600 home runs in 2019. His contract extension, which doesn’t even kick in until next year, goes through 2023 with club options for the following two.

Miguel Cabrera will go down as one of the greatest Detroit athletes of all time. Maybe the greatest. Enjoy every at bat.

— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) May 16, 2015

The Tigers were absolutely crushed by many for giving Cabrera that contract extension in March 2014, both by the baseball media and by major league executives. And rightfully so, since the deal takes Cabrera through his age-40 season, and players rarely produce at elite levels at the ages for which the Tigers extended Cabrera.

Even Pujols, the previous best hitter in baseball, is in major decline with the Los Angeles Angels. That makes the team’s $240 million investment in him look foolish, as it did at the time he signed. The decline, not coincidentally, started in Pujols’ age-33 season, the same age Cabrera will start his extension. And like Cabrera, Pujols was quite durable before he played in only 99 games that year.

That mistake is on the Tigers, though. It should not, and likely will not, tarnish Cabrera’s greatness. He is a truly amazing hitter who has produced through two eras, one that greatly favored hitting and the current one that greatly favors pitching. He is also unlikely to eek out milestones by hanging around as an average hitter, piling up the counting stats.

No, Cabrera is an all-time great. And sometime within the next five or so years, he will cement himself among the best the sport has ever seen when he undoubtedly reaches 600 and 3,000.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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