Thanks to the split-season format and a solid second half, they were in contention until the season’s penultimate game. Overall, the team’s .550 winning percentage was the franchise’s best since 1972, when the Tigers won the AL East. For a team that was developing a talented young core, it was a step in the right direction.
There was still room for improvement, though. Right-handed hitting was one need that General Manager Jim Campbell was looking to fill in the offseason. On November 27, he found what he was looking for, but shocked the fanbase in the process.