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Anxious to see what the terms are for Alex Cobb’s deal with the Giants.

The Tigers have just completed a four year tank job. They have been awarded some of the top talent through the draft for the past several years now. They have been dirt cheap in spending on players. This was the year they said they were ready to spend some money to bring in pieces to compliment their draft picks in an effort to get back in the game after a four year hiatus. I believe the organization is indeed anxious about spending real money and making commitments that today’s market requires to be competitive. If signing a starting pitcher at a fair price and trading for a “plug the hole” catcher is Illitch’s idea of spending to be competitive is, it’s going to be a “dark winter.” I have believed, unlike most others, that the Tigers should fully expect to compete for the division top spot this season. AA says he has “the best manager in baseball.” That being the case, spend a few bucks. One or two pieces would be huge. I still don’t have any confidence in Illitch or Avila to move this team forward beyond simply drafting high after tanking year after year. That won’t get the job done without spending some money. This situation is exactly what I expected from this organization. Your move Al.

I’m seriously beginning to wonder if Illitch has told Avila that his top line on spending is X and Al is toeing the company line by continuing to play the game publicly as if the checkbook is still in play. This whole charade may be beyond Al’s pay grade at this point.

He felt loyalty to the Astros. So, is this to say he’ll wear an Astros hat in the HOF? I wonder if Avila even picked up the phone on this one.

Most anything is better than the name Guardians. The real question to be asked is, how much $$$ did the local roller derby team get to play nice.

…and the National Guard in between.

Finally, I can breath a huge sigh of relief with this news: If there was any concern that Cleveland would not be able to take the next steps with its historic name change, all of that worry can now be put to rest. The team announced Tuesday morning that the lawsuit filed by the local Guardians roller derby team over use of the name “Guardians” had been resolved, with both organizations permitted to continue using the name. 🥵 close call…

He’s flailing now.

Trevor Story turns 29 Monday. At that age I’d be OK with a six year deal if the money is right. Brandon Crawford just had an outstanding year at 34 years of age. Al is probably having some sleepless nights these days. The ball is now in his court. There is zero reason for this team not to compete for the division title in 2022…barring a shutdown.

I think Andrew Miller is washed up. Wouldn’t even consider him. Rodon did not record an out beyond the sixth inning from July 15 to the end of the season. In fact, I believe there are questions regarding his physical condition. Wouldn’t consider him either. Scherzer is the best SP out there. Al should have a conversation to find out what it would take for a deal. Max is the real thing. I know he’s a pipe dream of sorts but at least inquire. He and the Big 3 would be a very formidable rotation (possibly dominant) and maybe Wentz rounds it out. I’d be very cautious on signing Correa. He’ll want the keys to the bank for a lengthy deal. Al says they’re taking a “comprehensive” approach here. BS or not, I do agree with the language.

I won’t believe Avila has signed anyone of significance until after the ink dries. I see DeSclafani as a possible Jordan Zimmerman 2.0. He had a great year for SF and was huge in their success. I don’t believe he can come close to replicating 2021. That’s just my opinion. Jon Gray is a much more interesting conversation.

AA loves him some Mexicans.

Regarding Verlander, I guess everyone saw that 15-20 teams watched him throw the other day. For better or worse, I don’t think he’ll be wearing a Tiger uniform next year.

I saw him play this past summer in Charlotte, NC for the White Sox AAA team. He hit a home run and clustered a defensive play in left.

I’m hearing numbers that are totally ridiculous for Correa. I wouldn’t touch the guy for the years or numbers being thrown around.

As a simple response to your question, don’t you believe it would be wise to at least identify a cause and reason for the sake of preventing a recurrence? Your initial paragraph is spot on. To this end, there is ample reason to want to understand in full what occurred and do whatever is possible to prevent a repeat of this. Even minor occupational accident that injures a person or even damages property requires a thorough investigation and report defining how it happened and what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence. This virus is the reason for millions of lost lives across many countries. Wouldn’t it be responsible, at a minimum, to pursue the reasons contributing to how this happened?

You are correct.

In other words, you don’t have any idea why.

Regarding the home D on the jersey, I wish they would downsize it a bit. The change of the D didn’t really bother me a couple years ago but the current one appears to be larger than the one prior to the change.

Avila is thinking ‘MLB Executive of the Year’ after that trade.

So, why does China continue to stonewall and outright deny access to specific sites of interest related to the origins of the virus? What is the cause or motive for this?

A week or so back, the WSJ did a piece on the readiness and the state of the Taiwanese military. Summary: The words ‘Military’ and ‘Taiwan’ should not be used in the same sentence.

Trust me on this, the bubbas will never love Chinese Communism. I agree with your suggestion that Biden take a public stand and speak affirmatively about China’s responsibility regarding the devastation and death this virus has caused. Unfortunately, I don’t expect him to stand up to China. Trump rolled over for Xi and Putin. I would like to see Biden be as direct as you suggest but I’ll not hold my breath.

This week in 1968: Denny McLain was the unanimous winner of the A.L. Cy Young Award AND the league's MVP. He finished 31-6 with 280 strikeouts, a 1.96 ERA and 28 complete games.

On the topic of catchers, it appears that Buster Posey will announce his retirement tomorrow.