Tigers claw back in ’16, fall short of playoffs

DETROIT — For the Tigers, 2016 was a season of rebound and renewal, starting with their offseason dealings for proven talent and ending with the success of young prospects. In the end, however, it was a season just shy of a return to the postseason. And a franchise that has made a World Series title its urgent goal for more than a decade was left to debate how far away that goal sits from the club and how best to chase it, starting with general manager Al Avila.

“I’m very happy and proud of the way that our team competed,” Avila said at season’s end. “They worked hard and they battled all year long, all through adversity as far as the injuries and the situations that we incurred. I’m very proud how they all handled it. There was a 12-game improvement. We were there till the very end, and it was really in our hands at the end.”

2016 Year in Review Final 2016 MLB stats Final 2016 MLB standings Hot Stove Tracker Select a team ¬–AL East ¬BaltimoreBostonNew YorkTampa BayToronto–AL Central ¬ChicagoClevelandDetroitKansas CityMinnesota–AL West ¬HoustonLos AngelesOaklandSeattleTexas–NL East ¬AtlantaMiamiNew YorkPhiladelphiaWashington–NL Central ¬ChicagoCincinnatiMilwaukeePittsburghSt. Louis–NL West ¬ArizonaColoradoLos AngelesSan DiegoSan FranciscoFull coverage ¬–PostseasonAll-Star GameDraftStatcastOpening DayHall of Fame inductionsJackie Robinson DayRoberto Clemente DayFort Bragg GameTrade DeadlineWinter MeetingsAwardsFeats, tributes ¬–Ichiro reaches 3,000 hitsArrieta’s second career no-hitterScherzer strikes out 20Scully retires after legendary careerBig Papi calls it a careerJose Fernandez: 1992-2016Monte Irvin: 1919-2016Ralph Branca: 1926-2016

Considering Detroit ended 2015 with a last-place finish, an ace trying to rebound, a former MVP trying to get healthy and a team seemingly in transition, the situation looks better a year later. Not only did Justin Verlander rebound, but Michael Fulmer emerged to join him as a formidable front-line duo in the rotation, the latter heralding the emergence of a badly-needed youth movement.

Here’s a handful of the biggest storylines from 2016:

5. Ending the offseason with a splash

Avila headed into the holidays in 2015 suggesting the Tigers’ major moves were all done, highlighted by the Jordan Zimmermann signing. Then came a conversation with owner Mike Ilitch, who suggested his team could use one more big bat in left field. The resulting deal for Justin Upton in late January brought back memories of …

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