Brandon Inge
Five Numbers That Sum Up The Season
AVG |
OPS+ |
ISO |
WAR |
UZR/150 |
.197 |
51 |
.086 |
-0.6 |
3.3 |
What It All Means
You don’t really need to do much digging to determine that Inge had a poor 2011 campaign, but when you do, it becomes even clearer how bad the year really was. Not only was Inge not able to raise his average over the Mendoza Line (despite a blistering hot September in which he hit .324), but the rest of the numbers show how extreme it was. His OPS+ wasn’t just below average, it was very poor, his slugging fell off with an ISO under 0.1, and even the defense that he was once vaunted for is no longer a huge plus for him. All this put together resulted in a player that was basically below a replacement level player with a negative WAR – not ideal for a starting third baseman on a team that hopes to contend for division crowns.
What Does the Future Hold
The Tigers were ready to move on from Inge over the summer, but rather than accept a release, Inge stated he’d accept an assignment to Toledo and try and work his way back. He did that, but that also doesn’t change the fact that the Tigers aren’t very confident in his ability to produce in 2012. That being said, being under contract already, and a lack of alternative options, Inge may find himself in a platoon situation at the hot corner, at least to start the year.
Contract Status
Inge will enter the second year of a two-year deal that pays him a total of $11 million, with a salary of $5.5 million in 2012. There’s a club option for 2013 that the Tigers almost certainly will not pick up, but the Tigers are still on the hook to pay Inge good money this upcoming season, whether he plays or not.
All statistics are provided by Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com, with all contract information thanks to Cot’s Contracts.