5 things the Detroit Tigers want for Christmas

Though the Detroit Tigers likely won’t be receiving a big free agent gift under the Christmas tree this year, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a wish list.

Here are five things the Tigers want for Christmas this year:

1. A healthy Miguel Cabrera

Cabrera is the great equalizer, the best right-handed hitter of this generation, and if he is playing at full health in 2018, the Tigers could find their way to respectability. After being plagued by back injuries last season, Cabrera is having a productive off-season, general manager Al Avila said last month. He is one injured season removed from hitting .316 with 38 home runs and 108 RBIs in 2016. Not only would a healthy Cabrera help the team’s win-loss record, it could also improve his trade stock going forward.

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2. The emergence of Daniel Norris

The Tigers are very excited for incoming pitching coach Chris Bosio to work with Daniel Norris, the uber-talented but often inconsistent left-hander. They hope Bosio can unlock some of the potential Norris has yet to realize. No player on the team moves the needle as much as Norris in terms of speeding up their rebuilding. Norris has front-line stuff but has yet to stay healthy or show it for an extended period of time. If he’s able to put it all together, the Tigers would have a top-two pitcher on their hands to pair with Michael Fulmer for the next few seasons.

3. Jordan Zimmermann to pitch better

Ideally, Jordan Zimmermann comes out next season and shows himself to be the pitcher he once was. In that scenario, the Tigers could try to shop him around to contending teams who are always interested in starting pitching. There’s a long way to go from Point A — posting the highest ERA of a qualified starter last season — to Point B — being an attractive trade chip — though. Zimmermann first must figure out how to deal with the recurring pain in his neck, which sidelined him for a portion of last season. He then must figure out how to pitch with declined stuff. By struggling mightily the past two seasons, the Tigers already lost the Zimmermann deal. Now, they can only hope health and his track record provides an amicable ending.

4. Joe Jimenez establishes himself in the bullpen

After a shell-shocked rookie season in which he was beat up big time, Jimenez impressed Tigers’ brass by losing a bunch of weight early this off-season. That’s something the team’s last big potential right-handed reliever — Bruce Rondon — was unable to ever do. Experiencing such failure will probably help Jimenez in the long run. After so much minor league success, getting punched in the mouth in the majors will force Jimenez to become more of a pitcher instead of relying on his good stuff. Whether it all pans out remains to be seen, but the Tigers would love to see him step into a reliable role in the back-end of the bullpen.

5. The future is as bright as it looks

During a time in which the Tigers profile as one of the worst teams in the American League, they will be keeping close tabs on their young players and prospects, hoping they develop. Jeimer Candelario looks like a regular at third base. Franklin Perez is considered a future front-line pitcher and if he can take the next step this season — perhaps advancing to Triple-A Toledo in late summer — the Tigers could show their fans there is substance to the process, which took root last season.

Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.