Moments after arriving in Lakeland, Florida for Spring Training yesterday, Tigers manager Jim Leyland shook things up. He announced that Brandon Inge will be given a shot to win the starting 2B job. At first, this might just sound crazy and numbingly stupid, but let me explain why that cagey old man might know what he’s doing.
First, a little on Inge. Inge has primarily been a 3B for the last decade. For several years, he was a plus defender at the hot corner. The last few years, however, his mobility and range have been zapped due to nagging injuries to both knees. This was painfully obvious last year when Inge’s offensive numbers, which were never good, dropped to horrendous levels. He was so bad, that he was sent down to AAA Toledo for a few months to straighten things out. Inge was never a stud with the bat, but his plus defense used to cover for that. But those previously mentioned knee injuries have all but killed his only positive skill.
This season, his last under contract, Inge lost the 3B job (which he was never guaranteed to begin with) when Prince Fielder signed with Detroit. The Tigers quickly announced that Miguel Cabrera would move back to his original position, 3B. Originally, it seemed that the 2B job would be split between Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago. At this point, both are better than Inge defensively and offensively.
Here’s why I think Leyland might be on to something though. This will give Inge the Spring to focus on 2B, which I think sets him up nicely to be a utility guy off the bench. That’s the only positive that could arise from this move. Inge is not good enough to be a regular anymore. He probably hasn’t been since 2006. His WAR hasn’t cracked 2.0 the last five years. He should not be on the field more than twice a week. His body probably wouldn’t hold up to much more than that, and his production won’t justify it. So, Inge as a utility guy? I guess it could work. But don’t Raburn and Santiago both already serve that roll? This announcement is just another head scratcher in an offseason filled with odd moves by Detroit.
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