Sports_Freak

I'm not a baseball GM. I have no idea which players were available or what other teams were asking. A RH hitting 3rd baseman or a quality SP would have made a huge difference. We finished one game out of winning our division and one single run in extra innings from going to the ALCS. Even if a hlitter or pitcher failed to help us, at least it would have been a valid attempt to improve our team. Instead, with the 2 pitchers Harris brought in, it weakened our team. And I'll repeat, it was totally predictable.

True...very true. And we'll never know what may have happened, only what did happen. And I know it's hindsight but career baseball executives should have known the possible downside of bringing in the 2 pitchers they did. I dont need to repeat the negatives about those pitchers, the results speak for themselves.

Its usually the manager who gets fired by a new GM, sometimes. I like to think if Avila would have been fired sooner, a new GM woulda told Brad to take a hike. 😆😆

If New Orleans wins, Tampa wins the division and is the #4 seed. If Atlanta wins, Carolina wins the division and is the #4 seed. And yes, both teams are 8-9. There are 2 things I want the NFL to change...allowing these weak teams into the playoffs and a new way to enforce the play clock. Teams taking extra time to snap the ball shouldn't be allowed. Maybe this system was OK in the 50's but there are many ways they could upgrade this system. A buzzer in the refs ear would be a simple fix. I have no idea how they can stop these weak teams from making the playoffs.

Well, from what I gathered, the players you mentioned weren't as highly rated as several of our prospects. Sweeney and Malloy weren't even Tigers draft picks. Jung may have been, I don't care enough to look it up. But the Tigers have a few of the top prospects in all of baseball. Those other guys were only near the top in their former organization. Young, team controlled talent is the way to build a successful organization these days. Older, established players are just too expensive. And trading away top prospects for rentals is wrong. In hindsight, Harris woulda been better off not picking up Paddack and Morton. Using bullpen days probably would have had better results. And it really should have been something he should have seen or known. One guy was washed up a few years ago and the other was a reject from a bottom feeding team.

How can Tampa fans think they have any chance with Mayfield under center? He's proven, over and over, he's not capable of beating quality teams the necessary 3 or 4 games. It's like "We've seen that movie before." Yeah, several times.

They weren't Harris draft picks. 😁 It's not unusual for a new team GM (or POBO) to come in and clean house of all players and coaches from the previous regime. Harris should be given some credit for recognizing the talent already here and allowing AJ to use those players and get the most out of them.

Well said. And fast forward a year and that same pitching chaos didn't seem to work as well so he brought in Morton and Paddack. Yeah, we still made the playoffs, and even defeated Cleveland, but we also blew a huge lead for the division. By one stinkin' game...

Teams that have players that are going to walk at the end of the season. Most rental players don't fetch top overall prospects.

But in a defense of Harris, what teams or players did he try to acquire? And which of our prospects were other teams seeking? I heard somebody say teams wanted Melton. No way would i have been happy trading him, we need all the pitching we can get. And his future looks bright. There's also 3 or 4 untouchable prospects who <may> turn into solid major leaguers who i would say are untouchables. If he just could have traded some of our lesser prospects for real pitching or hitting help, it may have gotten us to the ALCS or even the World Series. I guess we'll never know what really transpired.

I remember hearing about that meeting. It was where they decided to use a pitching chaos method because we were out of starting pitchers. And like Lee said, we'll never see a situation like that work out again. I think I even saw the word "luck?" And I wouldn't argue with that...

Well, I meant the original signing, last season. It took me by surprise, maybe some other fans too, IDK. But like I said, the reason I was so surprised was I didnt really think 2nd base was an area of need. I dont even remember hearing any rumors about him. Which is kinda unusual, we get all kinds of rumors on most quality players who are on the market.

Anderson was a hard ass. I remember the phrase..."My way or the highway" from him.

Not if he's healthy. He's playing for a longer term contract in 2027. He wont have that QO having on him so he may get the offers he seeks. Thinking about the possibilities of the Tigers roster...we have 5 guys who can play 2nd base. Many of our players can play multiple positions, and play them well. It really gives Hinch so many different options.

The Tigers have a few 2nd base options on their ML roster and a couple players at that position in the minors. It really wasn't a position of need, it's why the signing of Torres took many fans by surprise. It was a very good signing, IMO, but it wasn't a glaring need.

Some posters will make a very valid argument that the terrible trade deadline moves he made in 2025 cost us the division. They would say the additions of Morton and Paddack lost us enough games to finish 1 game out of the division.

Harris has only signed one player longer than 2 years. Colt Keith. So signing Torres to 2, one year contracts, doesn't prove anything.

I like the Ole Mississippi story. Their coach leaves to take a job at LSU before their bowl game and they go ahead and win anyway. Ha-Ha.

This is a great question but an even better answer;

Yeah, I wonder if it stunted some of that generation players development? I remember hearing it really affected the drafts around that time since scouts couldn't see the players in action. If Trey was shut down in 2020, wherever he was playing, and still got drafted the following June? Maybe he wasn't really a 1st round talent? IDK...

Agreed. But if there's any hope for this country, we desperately need to elect democrats to start to undo some of the damage Trump has done to the people of this country, the rest of the world, the environment, human rights and our world standing (reputation). After just one year of him, it could take 20 years for some of the things that are fixable. The damage he doing to the environment (for 3 more years) seems pretty irreversible.

It was, by far, the best player Harris has signed though. Bregman was a perfect fit for Detroit. History with Hinch, a position of need and a much needed RH bat. For whatever reason, Harris couldn't get the job done. Makes some fans wonder how far the Tigers could have gone...

I wonder if shutting down minor league baseball during the pandemic played a part in some of these young players development? Edit; no, Trey wasn't drafted until 2021 and it was the 2020 season that was shut down. But how about other players?

Kinda like how he signed Torres when we already had a 2nd baseman along with 3 utility guys who could fill in at 2nd? Torres fell into the Tigers lap...

I said the other day that I thought there were too many bad teams playing in Bowl games just so they could have more Bowl games. I turn on ESPN and the Mayo Bowl is on. Mississippi State is playing and they're 5-7. Seriously?