MLB Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers Should Take A Look At Nick Markakis If Victor Martinez Becomes Too Expensive

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By @Brad_Faber

 

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Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Last Thursday, I wrote an article in which I named the top five landing spots for Nick Markakis, who appears to be headed towards free agency as the Baltimore Orioles are said to be declining his $17.5 million club option and paying him the $2 million buyout. I did not include the Detroit Tigers on the list because adding a corner outfielder does not appear to be very high on Detroit’s list of priorities.

That said, it was reported over the weekend that the Tigers may need to offer designated hitter Victor Martinez a four-year deal in order to retain his services. For as terrific as Martinez is, giving a four-year contract to a player who will be 36 years old at the start of next season seems like risky business. Some might argue that Detroit should consider using its money in a more cautious manner.

If the Tigers are unable to lock up Martinez or simply determine that re-signing him would not be a good long-term investment, they may indeed be wise to target the younger, likely less expensive Markakis.

Granted, some might scoff at the idea of allowing Martinez to walk and bringing in Markakis. It would be easy to understand their questions and concerns as well. Surely, there is no way that Markakis could be expected to post a .335/.409/.565 line with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs as Martinez did in 2014. From 2007-09, Markakis was a threat to hit .300, belt 20 homers and drive in 100 runs, but he has been a slightly different type of hitter since 2010.

But even though Markakis may not hit with the type of power that some fans would like to see, he still has a productive bat as evidenced by his lifetime .290 batting average and stellar .358 career OBP. He would also give the Tigers a much-needed left-handed stick.

In recent years, Orioles manager Buck Showalter has used Markakis quite frequently at the top of the order, and he has proven that he can be effective in that role. Therefore, one could see Markakis and Ian Kinsler creating a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the Tigers’ lineup. It should further be noted that in 1,206 career at-bats in the two-hole, Markakis actually has a .313 BA and an .875 OPS.

While it would still likely take a hefty multi-year offer to land the soon-to-be 31-year-old Markakis, there is a chance that the Tigers may be able to sign him and give Torii Hunter a one-year deal for less than what it would cost to re-sign Martinez.

That being said, however, there are likely many fans who would still take Martinez over both Markakis and Hunter, and understandably so. One of the biggest drawbacks of losing Martinez to free agency would be the fact that the Tigers would no longer have his professional bat to stick behind a healthy Miguel Cabrera.

Admittedly, Markakis would be unlikely to completely fill the void that losing Martinez would create, but he could at least help cushion the blow to a certain extent. He would also give the Tigers a certain element of ruggedness and dependability. In nine seasons in the big leagues, Markakis has played in 155 or more games in seven of them. In many ways, he has been an underrated model of consistency.

Sure, the Tigers certainly have a number of corner outfielders who could be in the mix for a spot, but Markakis might be able to provide more stability than some of their internal options. Tyler Collins and Steven Moya may still need more seasoning in the minors, and it remains anyone’s guess what will become of the Andy Dirks situation. Signing Markakis would still leave Detroit’s center field problem unresolved, however.

The Tigers should at least consider taking a look at signing Markakis if bringing Martinez back to the Motor City doesn’t turn out to be in the cards.

Brad Faber is a Detroit Tigers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Faber, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google. 

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