monkeytargets39

Seems like the only pitching roster spot up for debate on opening day is who will be the second lefty after Holton. Chafin or Hurter?

Welp, Manning is probably done already

It’s a big spring for him. Hope he figured something out this offseason

Do we have a list of who is scheduled to pitch today yet?

I don’t either—but that’s why one of Jung or Sweeney won’t make the team

Probably just to avoid DFAing McKinstry

Or at least trade him for something coming off some good years. He was still on the right side of 30 at that point.

Yes

For anyone who might remember…. What was the reasoning behind non-tendering Bob Hamelin after 97? Not that he went on to do anything great after that, but he had a very solid year offensively.

No on Arenado. Too many years left of declining production.

Basically since we moved to Comerica Park, we’ve had 3 horrible team building strategies: 1.) Draft low ceiling pitchers and then try to fill the roster with “5 tool players” who were athletic but not actually good at anything useful in particular (Macias, Kingsale, McMillon, Cedeno, Sanchez, Lombard, Magee, Bocachica, Torres) because the park is big so we need guys who might be able to hit triples! Only trade with Houston and San Diego for some reason. 2.) Go over slot on every first round draft pick and convince them to sign, only to then trade them a couple years later as our top prospects for big name players. Go under slot the rest of the draft and eventually have nothing in the pipeline. Since we have very little talent in the minors aside from a few mega prospects (Maybin, Miller, Turner, etc.) then there’s no need to have a great coaching staff, invest in analytics, or have an organizational identity on how we want to play. 3.) Sell off all of the good players accumulated in the previous regime for pennies on the dollar. Build through the draft, but do nothing to develop any of the talent in the minor leagues-just let them get by on their own natural skill sets. Take a swing on one big free agent who has red flags every couple of years because fans will support a fledgling team with one disappointing superstar. Trade anything of value whenever you can, but only for low minors prospects. This Harris regime is the first time this century where we have a group that is actually trying to put a competitive team on the field in Detroit while also nurturing the farm system, staying current with analytics, and making sound financial decisions for the teams continued growth.

They will once he inflates his numbers in Fenway and gets another overpriced deal in three years….

I’d say between the 4 it’d mainly be Tork vs Malloy for RH 1B/DH. Jung and Perez wouldn’t get much if any PT if McKinstry and Ibanez are on the team and Vierling plays OF. Would just be better to have Jung and Perez playing every day at Toledo and working on their defense. Conversely, I could see them keeping Tork and putting JHM in Toledo as the every day 1B to see if that experiment has any promise. I like Perez a lot and am rooting for him to make the team, but I’m not sure there’s a path without them DFAing or trading one of the utility guys.

I still can’t believe they put Bonderman in the big league rotation after one minor league season. Like we needed to rush him to the big leagues because that 2003 team was gonna contend…..

Does this include the stretch where Buxton gets injured for 2/3 of the year?

I mostly meant that I prefer Malloy as a platoon DH vs LHP than I do Torkelson at this point. If one was to be an every day player, I’d take Torkelson

Torkelson has had 1500 plate appearances of being a below 100 ops+ first baseman and it’s not like he makes up for it with defense. I’m not saying we should dump Tork, but what’s his role at this point on the ML club after moving Keith and signing Torres? Are we gonna use a roster spot on a guy to be a backup first baseman or a platoon DH? I don’t see it when McKinstry can play anywhere, Ibanez mashes lefties and Wenceel switch hits and can play all three OF spots. I also trust Malloy more as a DH platoon at this point. Tork has to be a plus hitter to make this team right now and for the future. Jung just needs a chance to play before we fully determine what we’ve got with him. It’ll be moot anyway once McGonigle comes up and also possibly Lee. So I’m not sky high on Jung—but he does play positions that we don’t have long term answers for right now, so there’s a reason to give him a look.

Then Tork needs to absolutely mash at Toledo and play improved defense to make it back up. Jung gets an extended time to play either 2B or 3B with a healthy wrist to see what he’s fully capable of- and if we are out of contention come August/September, then we sell off Gleyber to the highest bidder and bring up Jung. Whichever of Wenceel and Malloy doesn’t make the team is the one on the fast track to Detroit in the event of an injury since we could move Vierling to 3B if it’s an infield injury. And if Hao Yu Lee surpasses Jung at Toledo, then so be it.

I’d rather be able to sign pitchers and have to develop hitters than the other way around.

I can see a world where Jung doesn’t make the team out of ST, and we platoon McKinstry and Ibanez at 3B. C- Rogers, Dingler IF- Keith, Torres, Sweeney, Baez, McKinstry, Ibanez OF- Greene, Meadows, Vierling, Carpenter, and Perez/Malloy. This way they option down Tork, Jung and the other or Perez/Malloy and don’t have to DFA McKinstry since he’s out of options and Hinch has his Swiss Army knife defensively for pinch hitting situations.

Good

Especially because he’s probably going to be the 6th or 7th guy in the pen.

Tigers sign Reliever John Brebbia

Brewers signed Todd The Painter

Congratulations Mason on splitting the 2025 Cy Young with Alex Faedo