Longgone

He's slow, isn't shifty or elusive, his instincts aren't great and he's dinged up. Whatever reps the #2 back gets, I'd like them to be more of a threat.

I'd like to see them do better than this, he's tough, sure, but other than that, there's not much to like. He's not a Montgomery replacement.

He was 30th out of 134 idl according to PFF, but I believe he was better the year prior.

Of course players are competing for spots, that was never the point. The point is small samples of stats in spring training are not a reliable indicator of ability or competitive status, and fans grant them way too much importance.

It has nothing to do with "riding the hot hand", it's the exact same sweet swinging Kevin McGonigle, but facing different pitchers and circumstances and randomness that produces very different results in small samples. Baseball is a frustrating game where you can do everything right and still get negative results over the short term.

Hypothetical for you. You clone Kevin McGonicle. Exact same player in every way, and alternate them through the first ten games of spring training. One goes 1 for twenty and makes several errors in the field, and the other goes 10 for 20 and is flawless at short. Which one goes north and which one to AAA?

You can be the exact same talent and go 1 for 20 or 10 for 20, proves nothing, especially early in the spring. Coaches know who has ability despite the stats, fans have only stats to go by and so assign them way too much importance.

Unless there's something seriously off with his swing or his health, the Tigers would be worse off. But you won't know that from his batting average.

Every year fans go up and down with ST stats, thinking someone is winning or losing a job, and then the season starts and they forget all about it. Spring training stats don't matter, the samples are too small, the talent too variable and the players are making adjustments and ramping up. Mechanical adjustments that correct weaknesses matter, increased velo and improved pitches matter, health after an injury matters, etc. Stats, they just don't matter. They may or may not reflect an underlying issue, but staff will be well aware of it whether the stats reflect it or not.

Brad selects players on which he has conviction. He should continue to do that even though they won't all hit. He also is willing to gamble a few picks on high risk/high reward players, and the nature of those types is that most will fail, but keep doing it anyway.

Manu needs to play to progress, and unfortunately that opportunity was lost this past year due to the injury. Development isn't linear, and his ceiling is still unknown. Whatever the outcome, taking chances on high risk/high reward players is going to have some innate failures built in.

You are a genius if you can determine this after 7 initial spring training games that you likely didn't even attend.

Anzalone is more suited to be a will, and he will be difficult to replace.

Connor McGovern might be the best fit at center. Charlie Kolar and Logan Hall are good fits at the lower end of the market. Jedrick Mills may be a good bounce back candidate, if recovered.

I believe what they were saying was the option of moving Ratledge to center opens up the opportunity to sign a guard if that is an easier position to fill, not necessarily that they were staying in house.

The whole concept of the WBC during spring training, during players ramp up period, has always seemed disrespectful to players health, especially pitchers, putting them in intense competition before they are 100%. I don't blame a player for wanting to stick to his routines.

Any of the three could be backups, any could develop into solid starters, any could end up being cut.

Who's bent? I said I don't see the rationale. If you get all bent out of shape if someone questions your rationale, maybe you should disconnect from the internet.

Aren't you a joy. Meadows is already a .232 hitter in his young mlb career. He hit .215 last year, injured, with a .280 babip. If he's healthy and maintains his swing adjustments, he should be fine, anyway, I don't see the rationale for your pessimism.

So you're mad they didn't add a hitter.

It's only spring training, the hope is that they get in their work and stay healthy, don't try to draw any meaning or significance from the results of the games.

Because you can't judge a player on an injury plagued year, and people heal.

Eventually. Making the jump is harder these days than ever, and it's probably unreasonable to expect instant success and not some bumps.

People are excited he's back because they genuinely like the guy and he represents an era of Tiger baseball that was fun and memorable. No one expects him to be the Verlander of 2011, but if he can be the Verlander of 2025, that'd be great.

You know what is a waste of time? Posting bull**** and then doubling down when called on it.