Answering who will be the Detroit Tigers DH in 2012 is not an easy thing to do. The Tigers have many candidates, but will need to find the one that is the most effective. Since the team signed Prince Fielder to a huge contract and plan to use him at first base the Tigers seemed ready to make Miguel Cabrera their full time DH. Of course Cabrera and Manger Jim Leyland have come out and stated that he will get a chance to prove that he can be the everyday third baseman.
The reason for that Cabrera's all time batting average as a DH is just .230. Tom Gage of the Detroit News points out that as a first and third baseman his average is right around .325. It seems that Cabrera does far better at the plate when he spends the other half inning out in the field.
Since Victor Martinez is injured, and Magglio Ordonez is not returning the Tigers have lost the two players with the most starts at DH in 2011. Brennan Boesch was third with nine DH starts, and he may get a chance to pull lot of DH duty with other outfielders able to start at his position. Don Kelly will not be saying a lot of time at third and could be the OF that gives Boesch DH time.
Gage mentions an interesting choice for DH and that is Clete Thomas. The plus side there is Thomas's speed and that he is another left handed bat. The feeling around the Tigers clubhouse seems to be that at 26 years old Delmon Young is too young to become a full time DH. Young witnessed what happened to Adam Dunn last year when he became a fulltime DH and has no plan to do the same in a contract year.
For now it seems that the Tigers will have a DH by committee approach. Boesch, Young, Thomas, as well as Andy Dirks and Ryan Rayburn could all see significant starts as this team's DH.
Comments