1984Echoes

Some thoughts that I think I'm thinking: I would offer this: In 2025 Spring Training: I don't think they should sign any additional position free agents even after those we have this year walk... Pitching's a different matter, sign whatever's needed to fill out a staff and backups in AAA as necessary. But... IMO: I think 2025 spring training should be a wide open tryout for positions. Lose, and either get sent to AAA (Tork/ Meadows, just as examples), or bought out (Baez) and jettisoned. Catcher: Rogers and Dingler don't have any competition so this is sort of cheating. There's room for both. Any other guys they have are too young (Josue Briseno-19, Enrique Jimenez-18, or Org guys like Crouch, Alphonzo, etc... but those guys can always cover AA and AAA and we can sign a vet AAAA guy like lefty Bemboom just to have extra... So the 1st position I listed is not so much an open competition... sorry. The 2nd position I'll list is... 2B. I'll get to 1B in a minute... but 2B is where there may be a real competition and it's possible a loser here could be sent over to 1B so... this is the next ST position which: should be just as open to Ibanez, as Keith, Jung, and maybe even Hao-Yu Lee. Raking at AA, I think he'll get the invite, even if it's just for a look-see. I don't want to close any doors. What if Keith's shoulder is getting stronger by next year and the team could actually be open to putting him back at 3rd? What if Lee actually steals a roster spot and the team decides he can take a shot at MLB at 2B? Could Jung play 1B? I think both he and Keith should be given 1B gloves and get some practice time to see what sticks. Jung can play in the AFL I believe... can Keith also? Just wondering. 2B to me though, is where the most interesting competition could play out. 1B: Tork either gets it. Or doesn't. If he doesn't, put him back in AAA and let Jung or Keith play 1B. Do we have any other options? I believe Vilade has played some 1B. He's also played all 3 OF spots and 2B and 3B. I'm adamant that he (Vilade) gets a chance at these competitions as well. If all he turns into is a utility guy or a AAAA guy, so be it... but I am in no mood to turn down a guy from entering a competition for a spot. Especially with where we are at 1B... right now. 3B: Whatever the fallout is from Ibanez-Jung-Keith-Vilade-Vierling... will work itself out. SS: I don't give a crap: Give Navigato a chance. Kreidler one more shot. McGonigle and Franyerber are too young at 19 and at Low A or even lower... But Trei Cruz is at AA and playing just well enough... I don't care, give him a shot. We don't have good options here... but unless we get a better one in a trade... I still think Baez has to go. Eat the money, let him go. But I wish we had better competition for his spot. OF: Greene & Carpenter are safe. But aside from those two... the team should call an open competition for remaining spots, both starter and bench. Perez looks good enough to at least be a 4th starter. Maybe with more MLB experience he'll figure out how to make some improvements at the plate... pitchers have figured him out but he's still keeping his head above water.... Meadows looks like he deserves another shot at CF. But there's still Malloy and Vierling and maybe even Baddoo (looks like toast), maybe Bigbie deserves at least a shot. Vilade deserves a shot (IMO). Campos is not ready yet but maybe he gets a ST invite, just for the atmosphere (he should be put on the 40 this offseason...). This year has been mostly... lost. But between this year and next, especially next year... I wanna see which of these guys, if any, look to be a part of a foundation. Whoever doesn't cut it by the end of next year... position-by-position... has to be considered as a hole on the team to be fixed. I wouldn't say that this year because their are too many rookies (Keith/ Malloy/ Perez/ Meadows 1st attempt at a full season and only 37 MLB games last year/ etc...) and guys still at AAA or AA (Jung/ Dingler/Cruz) to get a good read. And with Tork & Meadows flopped so far this year... we don't know how they will come back from being sent back down to AAA. I am hoping we get a much better read/ and better success next year as well of course, to see what a foundation might actually look like. And I'd like that to start next year in Spring Training with a wide open (as much as possible) competition at most positions.

Yes. There can be only so many DH's on 1 team...

So... We shouldn't give up on his bat... Just YET?

So a 4th line grind-liner... Let's see what he can do.

I'd be fine with him as the RHD pair with Edvinsson.

Orioles: Skubal, maybe another spare part if they want one, reliever or OF'er...? Tigers: Coby Mayo, Sam Basallo and 3 pitchers: 23 yo Cam Weston (in AA), 22 yo Nestor German (in low-A), 19 yo Jesus Palacios (in FCL): Who says no?

So do I. I especially like the flexibility... the main thing I was pointing out. As for Cossa, really, it's all up to him. Well... and Stevie's call as well of course...

Tanev? No, that's ridiculous. Same with Stamkos. Maybe Hanifan. I was always more interested in him than Tanev. A guy 27 I'll go 6 to take him to 33 or 34. But 6 at 34 to take him to 40...? YEEESH!!! I prefer Yzerman's Kane 1-year and Talbot 2-years if we're going with aging vets to provide leadership on the team... No question.

I think Stevie will let the season play out before he makes a move Training camp injuries and all... But at the start of the season... do they push out one of Lyon or Husso? Or do they wait for the deadline when one of them (or both) might be a bit more movable and any injury issues would hopefully be resolved by then...? The other "fly in the ointment" factor is if Cossa PUSHES his way into Detroit playing time. Maybe that doesn't happen until around the trade deadline... who gets moved? who takes over in Grand Rapids? But what if he's doing that in training camp? What if the team is willing to be so bold as to break camp with him? I don't think he's there yet - from a Red Wings conservative management perspective - I'm just sayin'... what if?

I'm voting for him... ⏫

Best advise/ practice.

Yeah, I'll check back in a few years to see if he's actually doing anything... or not.

TRADE HUSSO!!! (or however Stevie can get that to work... maybe buying him out is our only choice?)

Erik Gustafsson for 2 years. Yzerman is loading up on Lefty D's... For some reason...

Has the looks of another 2-way to me... Meaning: GR.

Also: I'm fine with Cam Talbot as our 3rd goalie. I think he'll start more than Husso, and be a better mentor to ease in Cossa...

It's GOTTA be a 2-way and they're stashing him in GR... Just a WAG... Another lefty D, and he's scored almost 0 points in the NHL in 100 games (OK, 11 points.)

6th rounder Forslund actually sounds interesting though... 6'3" power forward scoring dude... Probably all depends on how his skating is though. Too slow & he won't get anywhere & will be a huge defensive liability...

What that means is he was getting zero interest for a multi-year term...

Give Malloy a 1B glove to see if he can field that position?

That's why I say: "Give 'em Petry!" It won't happen... but I'm holding out for a shocker like that... If it were to happen: Petry has 1 year left and Holl 2 so Rangers would go with the shorter term. Holl as 3rd pair is perfectly fine with me. I don't know what the 2023-24 problem was with him; but I don't care.

PS: As an aside... We're currently tied with the Rangers for #6. I'll revisit this in September... with 2025's Draft thread...

I would love to send either Holl or Petry to the Rangers as part of a Trouba trade... But that ain't happenin'... They can keep their money... Take Petry instead and... I'll do a cartwheel...

No. Not Copp. It'll be on defense, one way or the other.

7th round: Austin Baker, LW Fisher Scott, D