Should Jhonny Perlata make the Detroit Tigers post season roster?

Do we want to win a World Series ring, or take some kind of moral stand? In an ideal world we would be free to pursue both. Winning a World Series title and doing it the right way, but we live in a very complex world and winning the right way is not always within a fan bases means. To be far Jhonny Peralta stepped outside of the rules, he paid the price for that in terms of a 50 game suspension, and now is free to rejoin the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers will activate him and he will play in the final series of the year in Miami but that is likely more about due diligence to see if Peralta can handle left field at the MLB level should that need arise in the post season.

That leaves us with the question should Peralta make the post season roster for this club?

This kind of situation happened last year with the San Francisco Giants. Melky Cabrera served a 50 game suspension for PED use and was eligible to return to the team for the NLCS. The Giants took the high moral road and kept him off the roster for the remaining playoff run. He did not play verse the tigers in the World Series but he did receive a World Series ring for his contributions on the field to the Giants 2012 success.

A lot of hardcore baseball fans, and old schoolers would like to see the Tigers leave Peralta on the sidelines and rally around his loss to win a title. A lot of us do not subscribe to the win at all costs mentality. Given the situation the team is in I think there are some who do and 2013 might be time to take the biggest swing at it. The Tigers are certainly all in to win a title sooner rather than later and if Peralta can help get the team to that ultimate goal, and since he has served his sentence, it is hard to argue against using him in the post season.

As for the final three games of the 2013 season the Tigers have to see what Peralta looks like in left field. He has already lost his spot as the starting short stop to Jose Iglesias and having him in Miami could give Jim Leyland the opportunity to sit Miguel Cabera cause these games mean nothing. The have the division in hand and they are playing the Miami Marlins who are a pitiful excuse for a double a team.

If need be Peralta could play short and Ramon Santiago could play third. Or Iglesias could get some works at short and we can see what Peralta can do in left or at third if they sit Miggy. However with three right handers scheduled to go for the marlins it seems unlikely Peralta will get the start over Andy Dirks in left. It seems like we will only see Peralta as a late inning replacement.

How well he does out there will go a long way towards determining if he plays in the opening round of the playoffs.

With all of that in mind Tigers fans I ask you...Should Peralta have a spot on the post season roster?

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