1984Echoes

One further note on Flaherty: If he dominates Cleveland... knocks them down flat... The trade offers are going to spike way, way up. In quantity and quality. Playoff teams love someone who can dominate other high level playoff teams. This would go highly on his resume. Just sayin'...

Thank you very much. May I have another.

Ah, gotcha. Yes, on this, of course. Agree 100%. Quality side = Skubal won't be traded unless Harris is happy with the top guys. Whether that's Holliday, or Basallo & Mayo, or whomever fits within the "must have quality" part of the deal... It will need to be that high a level of quality or Harris just says no. On the quantity side, it will need to be both quality and quantity. Basallo, Mayo, Kjerstad, Povitch, AND Cam Weston just might be too much of an ask for Skubal... But I don't believe that's too far off. And even if Holliday isn't in there (Baltimore most likely will flat out refuse to trade their #1 guy... and the #1 in baseball (according to some)); would you (meaning anyone in here) pass up that trade package for Skubal? Which has both quality AND quantity (I think BOTH will be an absolute requirement).

12 starts at 5 innings each gets him to 100+. Between August & September, and the AFL, and barring any injuries, that would appear to me to be easily attainable.

I would rather not do any early rationing, unless they're skipping an opportunistic early season start (rainouts and such...). And I'm pretty certain he will easily force his way onto the Opening Day roster. But I'm just guessin'...

This I think... Everyone would be 100% in agreement with. Everything else, IMO, is simply managing around this fact. And the Org will do whatever it needs to do, to manage around it.

The U.S. has a not insignificant Indian diaspora. At least 3 mill+ if not more. Heavy concentration here in Jersey and New York, I would guess California as well... Lots of business relationships, call centers, software, pharmaceuticals, etc...

The DELEGATES elect their candidate, NOT the primary voters. Here is one Democratic Party example, there are LOTS of others: What was the outcome of the Democratic convention in 1912? Democratic nominee House Majority Leader Oscar Underwood had strong support from the Deep South but little appeal outside the region. At the convention, Wilson eventually secured the nomination over Clark after forty back-and-forth ballots.

So a rough target this year, I'm guessing, would be about 100+ or so innings. Next year, 125-130 would be the target. Those innings can be managed. Even in MLB. It's been done before.

But I'm both. A Motown Forums poster AND... The other thing.

A lot of teams do that stamina thing, in MLB, by: Having him start out the season as a starter, and in August, as the innings count is getting high, switch him over to bullpen for the remainder of the season. They've also skipped starts where they can. It's been done before, and the Tigers themselves have done this a few times. So yeah, a 6th starter would most likely be needed. But that's usually the case anyways, and that doesn't change anything on the evaluation of whether a pitcher is ready for MLB or not. That's the 1st evaluation: MLB, yes or no? Innings can be managed, in multiple ways, and should NOT override an MLB-readiness decision. IMO.

Yeah... I think the opposite. Urshela moves, even for a cheap lottery ticket. He's a FA. No value in 2025. And even though Ibanez is not any kind or core player... he's still useful. Even in 2025. And I don't think we get anything better for Ibanez than we would for Urshela. A different lottery ticket maybe; but a lottery ticket nonetheless. IMO: Urshela gets traded; Ibanez not.

Sorry but... This is close enough. Saying he's not ready to pitch in MLB because he hasn't pitched enough innings in one minor league season is not any different than saying he's not allowed to pitch in MLB until he has a 110+ minor league season... Because... Why? I'll state the same thing in question form: Is he NOT ALLOWED to pitch in MLB until he has a 100+ minor league inning season? Again... Why?

My guesses for who WILL be moved at the deadline would be Flaherty, Kelly, Urshela, Canha, and Foley. Maybe's: Skubal. Maybe an OF'er if it augments a better return. And maybe another middle reliever, same. I think Urshela and Canha will not get much. But a low-A lottery ticket for each of them also means one other thing: an open roster spot. I think Jung will get a chance in MLB after these moves, and maybe Vilade is back up in Detroit as well. They're pending FA's, so it almost doesn't matter what we get back. Sure, a couple lottery tickets. But I think the roster space is just as important. Same with Kelly. Pending FA. A lottery ticket or two. And Dingler up in MLB. Not to mention, these trades open up three 40-man spots. I think there will be a pretty decent demand for Foley as a setup guy. And Harris can get a pretty decent return for him. IMO. Worth it to make the flip.

Did you mean Urshela? Urshela's a FA at the end of this year. Ibanez... not. I don't see them trading Ibanez.

So he's NOT ALLOWED to pitch those innings in MLB? Your point doesn't make sense. If they want him to reach 110 innings or so this year, and he's at 42 right now... He actually IS ALLOWED to pitch the additional 70-ish innings in MLB. If they so choose.

And the youth vote. Which appears to be WILDLY, SPECTACULARLY MOTIVATED...!!! For some reason... 😉

Yes... But also... "Lions win the Super Bowl." I think that's apropos for this year. And one more "also" concerning the NFL: "Cowboys, go **** yourselves." That's ALWAYS appropriate.

That's NOT how I read that article. The very first sentence, in the second paragraph, explicitly states: "the Orioles might ALSO... be sellers." So the two are separate. A big trade (for Skubal, for example) with top prospects, but ALSO trade Mullins and Mountcastle because they have so many damn high upside prospects that they need to make room for any of those that are not traded. That's exactly how I read what they've written and I don't see any other way to take that. That's great... But they are STILL short a few prospects on the Tigers side, even if Holliday is a superior get. They are NOT trading Skubal and Foley 1-for-1, basically, a prospect each. I mean, seriously? Do you actually believe that? I'm sorry but... not even close. Not happening.

So I said earlier that the Tigers shouldn't "FORCE" a pitching prospect into a trade package just because they have a "need" to add an arm... And I'm sticking with that. But... If Cade Povich is part of a trade package for Skubal, just for example, and he's there because the Tigers wanted him, and they wanted him because they think he can be a dominant MLB starter... Then of course I would be on board with that. As long as they are trading for a guy that they believe in his ability... that's all that matters. So between Flaherty, Skubal (who might NOT be traded), and Kelly... Maybe Harris spots a AAA starter that he really wants and gets in return. The key, to me, is to not force it though. Even if we get zero pitchers back... there are other ways to obtain pitchers. Offseason trades, FA signings, Jobe is ready for MLB (if that's true). "Reaching" for a guy in a trade because of a perceived need might end up with us obtaining another Joey Wentz. I would rather Harris find another Reese Olson, or better, IF he's out there and available in one of these trades. IMO.

Has anyone ever gotten over the yips? I have an earnest yearning to see the dude play at 2B. As you say, valuable guy that can not only pop 15-ish dingers and steal 20-25 bases, but also, as a switch-hitter, doesn't get bounced out of the lineup when there's a pitching change. That's also valuable at times. (PS: I didn't look at his splits so if he's good one one side and bad on the other... nevermind.) But if he could get over the yips, and play not only all 3 OF spots but also 2B... extra value. And I think he's also able to play CF... not as good as the other true CF'ers on the team... but in a pinch, he can manage. IMO.

PS: After Dingler went 3-3 with the 2 HR's and a single... They decided to just start walking him... So 3-3 plus 3 BB's... Sitting right now at .299 and an .899 OPS... Trade Kelly. Give Dingler his shot...

Vilade SF to CF for the win...

Bases loaded with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th... tied 10-10... Vilade at the bat...

Clase: Now THIS is what a closer should look like. Absolute dominance. And he's not a big K guy either... but you can't get a hit off him, he doesn't walk anybody... And this year he is especially ON FIRE...!!!