1984Echoes

Get him on the phone. "We fix pitchers..." Sign him for the remainder of 2024 (AAA, for our pitching doctors to fix him up...), all of 2025 (MLB money, with tons of bonuses for MLB appearances, innings, etc...), with a team option for 2026 (same).

... A certain segment of America that has their hearts filled with hatred.

Yes. I want better in 2025.

Or maybe he DID do a "tweak" or "adjustment" in which he's getting his bat into the zone quicker... Whether that's shortening his time to load or his batting stroke to get into the zone faster... That IS a positive... In a couple of different ways... Need to see MORE.

On Trump and Vance: "Two DEUCHEBAGS sitting in a tree, ..."

No that would be Al Avila: too slow and too late. Their competence is at a much higher rate though: akin to Harris. Now... if they could only match up well with Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, etal... We'd (the economy) would be cookin'...!

Basically, this.

Unwillingness to make adjustments to what MLB pitchers are trying to do to him. I already called this a form of laziness. But also this (not half-assed, but maybe a physical inability due to lack of quick-twitchedness...?): Maybe this... I don't know.

The only reason I'm calling it BOTH a competitive year and evaluation year is that: I believe that they WILL be competitive, but still evaluating these guys for positional purposes. IE: I think at 1B, if Tork doesn't make it back, that we will STILL be good at 1B because Harris will end up flipping Keith, or Jung there. We won't struggle as much as we have in 2024 at 1B because there will be several good options to put there (IMO), if one doesn't work out. IE: If Keith gets moved off of 2B (either to cover 1B or his shoulder is good enough to take over playing 3B) then Jung should be both ready (and competent) to replace him at 2B. I also think Lee in 2025 will be able to do the same thing. It's situations like these where I believe, even if there is some "flux" in 2025; we will be better off in 2025 than we have been in 2024 because our options (players) will be better. The "flux" or evaluation portion of next year does NOT scare me.... even with these (flux/ evaluations), I believe we will still be competitive and make a serious playoff push. IMO, this is the natural upswing arc or young players/ learning curves: the transition from "young/ struggles/ not-yet-competitive" to "young/ settled (or checking position fits but NOT struggling)/ playoff competitive". IMO, I think we are on that upswing. Even if everything is not yet 100% settled.

😁

PS: I was going to say these were odd statements... only in the sense that they are not mutually exclusive. They can do both in 2025, and I think they will be... Competitive. Even whilst they try to figure out who fits best at 1B (Tork?, Keith?, other?), 2B (Keith?, Lee?, Jung? ...), SS (Baez?, use a bandaid like Navigato or Cruz or Workman or some one else until McGonigle and/ or Rainer have a chance of breaking through?), 3B (Jung?, Vierling?, does Keith's shoulder improve to the point he can try 3B again?), etc... I think the talent level is there... to be playoff competitive... but positions are in flux or "under evaluation" to figure out who fits where/ Also... CF. Because however that works out affects who plays the corners and DH. It's funny though... right after you made these two as separate statements: You said basically the same thing right here (where I bolded...): That they are NOT mutually exclusive. If they flop next year... I wouldn't call it an "evaluation season". It IS an evaluation season, period (IMO). But if they flop and trade at the deadline instead of pushing for the playoffs... I wouldn't call it an "evaluation season" (it IS regardless...), I would call it a "Lost Season". Lost to injuries or a major flop by a key player or two or whatever throws us off... SO: Short Story: Not only do I expect further evaluation of all these young kids (and where they fit into, or do not fit into, the future, but, ALSO: I EXPECT next year's team to make the playoffs. Even with ALL these kids going through growing pains... Yep, I still expect them to make the playoffs.

His current play is in Toledo, so I haven't seen him. What I saw in Detroit... just appeared to be... Lackadaisical? When I was watching him... it just didn't look like full effort. On the fielding side especially. But on offense, a refusal to make any adjustments to what MLB pitchers are trying to do to him, seems not only hard-headed, but... lazy. I don't believe in Tork anymore. I don't believe he's committed to being the best MLB player that he can be. I believe an off season to make a mental attitude adjustment is required. Maybe I'm 100% wrong in this "assessment". But I don't believe in him any more. Unless I see something different. If someone posts a Toledo video and says: "Look at what he's doing now" that says otherwise... Awesome, bring him back up. But I've already seen him hitting a HR. So that video... isn't it.

I don't want to see Tork until spring training next year. I don't wanna see half-assed efforts at improving. I do want to see if he is 100% fully committed to being a better MLB player next year, in spring training... including fielding his position more seriously, as well as understanding what he needs to do with the bat to be successful against MLB pitchers. Adjustments included, or not. But definitely a better approach. I don't think he can get to that place this year. A stay in Toledo for a short while where he can essentially be the exact same as he was previously, 99%, and make a 1% minor tweak that earns him a "reprieve" is not enough, IMO. I want 100% commitment. I don't think we get to see that until 2025 spring training. He's either committed next year, and on the Opening Day roster... Or he's not any different or he's giving up or just not taking this MLB-thing seriously enough... and then I'd rather see Keith at 1B and Jung or Lee at 2B. Tork can stay in Toledo as a AAAA... if that's what he prefers. Until Harris can figure out some trade for him to send him off. Just my 2 cents.

I think you're a bit forum-confused at the moment... Drink a cup of coffee Lee...!

Actually... DD said that OUT LOUD. "Wow, the Red Sox would be a really great job!" And it didn't stop there. MI was beyond pissed... and the public flirtation with the Red Sox job was a direct reason DD got ****-canned.

"Trans-Orange Trump". My new nickname for him.

So Trump is Trans? Chemically induced Trans-Orange? That sounds about right...

So did DD.

I'm not interested in your odds. And neither is Harris.

I look at 2025 as another transition/ evaluation year. But one with a "serious" chance of making a playoff push. Again... that "seriousness" is 99% dependent on the kids, again. Meaning Olson, Jobe, Montero/ Mize, Jung, Meadows (if he can both get back to MLB standards as well as stay healthy), Greene & Carpenter (health), Keith/ Malloy/ Dingler/ Perez avoiding "sophomore slumps". Plus any others I haven't already mentioned. A lot of talent. But still going through a lot of growing pains and there's little certainty there. Especially positionally. Harris is NOT going to block any position, until all the positions with these kids are settled to the point of "revealing" a weakness that actually needs to be filled with an expensive FA. Nothing is settled right now, except maybe Catcher and DH. We're not spending big this winter. Not because Harris/ Ilitch are unwilling to spend money... but rather, just too much uncertainty yet to take the big plunge. The only big $$$ I'd like to see spent is on the most premium Closer we can get our hands on. We don't have a premium closer. Adding one pushes Foley and & Lange down a notch, as well as everyone else. Meaning, one step down the ladder to easier jobs for all/most. And.. then we'd have a shutdown guy that doesn't give us late inning losses. Other than closer, I expect a couple of Flaherty/ Urshela signings. IE: We're not going to sign a 5-year SS to replace Baez. Why would we? Harris is not going to block McGonigle (A+, estimated ETA 2026-27), or the 1st rounder that we just drafted (Rainer, rough ETA 2027-28) with a 5-year FA. Sorry.

Speaking of which: Max Clark: 2-5, single-double Max Anderson: 2-4, 2 singles-BB McGonigle: 1-3, double-BB Campos: 2-4, single-double Gold: 2-4, double-triple Now add Liranzo and Briceno (when he's ready). Yeah... could be some fun there the rest of the season...

+1

Lockhart is probably who I was thinking of... His July starts: 20 1/3 inn's, 9 hits, 3 runs, 1 HBP, 7 BB's, 28 K's. Bring him up. Give him his MLB shot....

I thought Madden had been a bit better recently... but.... I was mistaken. He had two good starts in June: 11 inn's, 6 hits, 1 run 1 BB 12 K's. Outside of those two, he has a well over 2.00 WHIP at Toledo so yes, he's been atrocious. At some point, they'll end up pushing him to middle relief like Faedo & Brieske to see if he does any better there... it looks like.

Campos there too... Still not giving up on him yet.... AND... I don't know when Briceno gets back... But I'd like to see him challenged at WM this year too...