Detroit Tigers 2016 Mock Draft

After serving 14 years as Dave Dombrowski's right-hand man in the Tiger front office, Al Avila ascends to the top spot and will preside over his first draft as GM. Detroit slots in at 9th overall in the first round, the highest pick they've had since 2009 (Jacob Turner, 1.09). Given the current state of the farm system, it's paramount for the Tigers to nail their first selection for a number of reasons:

• They don't pick again until round 4, losing their 2 & 3 for signing Zimmermann and Upton

• An expensive, veteran team should continue to contend and keep draft picks in the 20's

• A taste for the highest-tier of free agents often hamstrings their draft pool

• The teams' international spending continues to be sparse, dollar-wise

• The farm system needs an impact player in the worst way

On that last item, other than catcher there isn't a specific need in the Tigers' minor league system that jumps out. Save for infielder JaCoby Jones and outfielder Christin Stewart, it's hard to feel good about any of their young bats as first-division starters down the line. An infusion of offensive talent of any sort will surely be in play at #9, especially with the way the board currently lines up.

The pitching side of the equation isn't much rosier for Detroit farmhands. 19-year-old Beau Burrows has shown well with West Michigan in his first taste of A-ball, but the team possesses little else in the way of elite arms. Though the pitching need is somewhat mitigated by acquisitions of 'graduated' hurlers Daniel Norris, Michael Fulmer, and Matt Boyd in the last calendar year, it will nevertheless be tempting to pop a potential workhorse starter if the opportunity arises at 9. However, with only one pick inside the top 100, I'd have to be positively smitten with one of the young arms to place a bet on one with a top 10 pick.

Prepping for the Draft

With only minimal knowledge of this years' incoming class, I'll lead the Tigers' mock draft efforts by cramming as much as possible before draft day, in hopes of landing that cornerstone player and his six seasons of team control.

Initial draft prep has already begun in the war room, as we've cast a wide net over the top ~30 talents and will use the next couple weeks to evaluate their skills. The idea would then be to pare that list down to a 'master list' of 10-12 that will serve as the de facto draft board, to ensure we're prepared when the team is up at the 9 spot.

A neat twist of MinorLeagueBall's annual mock draft is that with all GM's electronic correspondences out in the open, it's been a big help to be able to spy on others' draft plans a bit. Or, as we call it on the North Side of Chicago, 'the Cardinal Way'.

Upcoming Tigers MODs will likely include a more thorough examination of what's expected to be available at 9, and whether those players project as impact regulars at the highest level.

In the meantime, comments and musings from the community are welcomed and encouraged as always.