They messed all of this up, the Tigers did, by picking a lukewarm year to own baseball’s first overall draft pick.
They should have been lousy in 2009. They then could have snatched Bryce Harper the following June and thus have grabbed the franchise hitter they’ve been trying to land since 1953 when they signed a kid named Al Kaline.
Or they could have gummed up 2011 and the following June have gotten Carlos Correa as their consolation prize. Or, going way back, 1989 could have been trashed and the Tigers would have one of this year’s Hall of Fame honorees, Chipper Jones.