2023-24 Detroit Tigers Offseason Thread

[KL2]

43 minutes ago, MIguy said:

They never have, what makes you think they're gonna start now? 

Verlander was 28.

What makes you think they arent?

[MIguy]

1 minute ago, KL2 said:

Verlander was 28.

What makes you think they arent?

Because Mike Illitch isn't around anymore.  He was willing to spend money in a way his kids never will.  Also, notice how they got rid of Verlander right after Mike died?  

[oblong]

I’ve ripped on Chris Ilitch plenty. The org always seems to play it safe. But then again I think signing Hinch and Harris and even the new announcer shows a willingness to improve things or at least try to improve. Hinch had baggage but did win.  It would have been easy to just promote Lloyd of some other Gardenhire type guy. I’m not saying they will spend $30M on a guy. But I don’t know it’s impossible.  If Chris wanted to just float along and pull in the cash these moves don’t reflect that. 

[SoCalTiger]

Yamamoto won't get 30 mil per year. Quite possibly 20/year but it will be 200 million + posting fees so 250 million all in. Maybe too rich but he is 25 and Jobe is coming and Skubal is here. Why not ? Our payroll is what $80 million or so after Maeda. If Jung , Meadows and Keith stick thats six starters ( Greene- Carpenter- Tork) making low dollars for years. Now is exactly the time to add one large contract and a 25 year old free agent stud pitcher comes along once every blue moon. It is exactly the definition of "calculated risk" Harris has talked about. 

 

I think we are in the hunt for Yamamoto is a MAJOR way..... my opinion.

[casimir]

9 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

Future trade bait.

Could be, if the Tigers suddenly find themselves flush with SP.  But they have to get to that point, first.

[casimir]

7 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

Yamamoto won't get 30 mil per year. Quite possibly 20/year but it will be 200 million + posting fees so 250 million all in. Maybe too rich but he is 25 and Jobe is coming and Skubal is here. Why not ? Our payroll is what $80 million or so after Maeda. If Jung , Meadows and Keith stick thats six starters ( Greene- Carpenter- Tork) making low dollars for years. Now is exactly the time to add one large contract and a 25 year old free agent stud pitcher comes along once every blue moon. It is exactly the definition of "calculated risk" Harris has talked about. 

 

I think we are in the hunt for Yamamoto is a MAJOR way..... my opinion.

Or possibly Imanaga.  Either would be a welcome addition to the rotation and allow a bit more leverage for a trade move out an arm for a bat.

But your core and payroll suggestion is spot on.  I think I read somewhere that 2024 player salary with Maeda is $83M or $84M next season, so about what you thought with $80M.  I've seen suggestions of 9/$225M for Yamamoto and 5/$85M for Imanaga, both of those not including posting fees.  I don't really know what those amount to, if they are paid upfront or during the life of the contract (my guess would be the former).  So one of those two keeps them below $125M for next season.  They were at $120M last season.

[RandyMarsh]

Don't know if there is any actual truth to it but the old cliche has always been the quickest way to contention is through great starting pitching and I think we could potentially have a really good staff by adding Yamamoto.

Skubal was almost literally the best pitcher in baseball from the time he returned in early July to the end of the year. Pairing another potential ace with him would give us a 1-2 we haven't had since JV and Max.

I think a rotation of them 2 along with Olson, Mize, Manning, Maeda and maybe Jobe later in the season could be one of the better ones in baseball. Especially when you factor in Fetter who seems to get the most out of guys. 

[1776]

I’m optimistic that Gipson-Long can bring back what he had the last part of last season. He was a nice surprise.

[chasfh]

11 hours ago, casimir said:

Indeed.  2 for $24M?  Really?  Did Harris lock in a Black Friday deal?

I think one of the things that might have tamped down Meada’s market, other than age, is his recent injury history. He missed all of 22 with TJ, but, also, two months of 23 with triceps strain. And all this following some time off for a groin injury in 21. He is also seen to be an unlucky stretch away from being consistently crushed by high BABIP on his hard-hit stuff. Nevertheless, this is more than just a plugging-up of an opening at the top of the rotation. He’s a veteran presence with playoff experience who can guide the young staff through challenging for the playoffs, which seems like a pretty good possibility for this team starting this season. And if he can keep the fly balls from leaving the massive home ballpark, he’s a decent bet to replicate is mid-90s FIP- for at least one more and possibly two more years.

From Maeda’s perspective, this is the culmination of his life’s work from a comp standpoint, having just come off an 8/26 he signed with the Dodgers. That’s not life-changing money in MLB terms but, coupled with his wife’s TV reporter earnings, they weren’t hurting even in expensive LA. If he can stay healthy and produce, he could probably scare up another one-year/eight-figure deal after this one, maybe even two.

[chasfh]

11 hours ago, MIguy said:

Tigers ain't spending 30 million a year on a pitcher.  Please stop with the silly Yamamoto talk.  🥱

I think the stopper on Yamamoto for this front office might be less than AAV and more the years. Even for a 25-year-old with little injury history, it seems unlikely this front office would commit nine years to one pitcher, especially since we haven’t even established ourselves as a contender for the playoffs yet, let alone a ring. I’d love to see him on the Tigers, but from a practical standpoint a nine-year/nine-figure contract like his would be a better fit on a team that’s established and contends all the time, such as Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, even Cardinals. I would guess he’ll end up on the west coast, which would probably intensify his fame in Japan.

[HeyAbbott]

Like the SP signing.  It makes sense given the state of Tiger pitching. We need one more SP though.

Edited November 27, 2023 by HeyAbbott

[RandyMarsh]

I wonder if we could tempt Yamamoto with a short term opt out that way he isn't committed here long term if he doesn't like it. 

[MIguy]

9 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

Yamamoto won't get 30 mil per year.

Every projection I've seen from people with a degree of credibility have predicted it to be around 30 million per season.  You are nuts if you think he's only getting 20 million a year. 

[Tiger337]

I don't think it's impossible that the Tigers get Yamamoto or another expensive player now or in the future.  There seems to be a negativity about IIitch not really based on anything.  His father wasn't a big spender initially either.  He didn't start spending until they had the right management team in place and were getting close to contention.  The son could be the same way.  Detroit is not like Los Angeles or New York and never will be but that doesn't mean they won't make an occasional big signing.  

[1984Echoes]

1 hour ago, casimir said:

...  So one of those two keeps them below $125M for next season.  They were at $120M last season.

Isn't it add BOTH of them and the payroll is STILL below $125M?

I say... Add them both.

[RandyMarsh]

Yamamoto is the type of player I could see making a major impact on attendance during his starts.

Unfortunately being a pitcher that would likely only mean about 15 or so games but I could easily see an extra 5 or even 10K depending on the day/time/weather etc.

If that were to happen you're talking an extra 100 to 150k fans. Even at the conservative estimate of 50 bucks a head thats an extra 5 to 7 million he would bring in independent of the the upgrade he'd make on the field which would lead to more revenue. And that's not even factoring in jersey and other merchandise sales. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by RandyMarsh

[1984Echoes]

10 hours ago, MIguy said:

Because Mike Illitch isn't around anymore....

Do you mean like how Chris Ilitch spent $25M (per year) on Baez, and $15M on Eduardo Rodriguez, and $15M on Jonathon Schoop, and $10M on Robbie Grossman... ALL in the SAME YEAR?

But somehow... that means that Ilitch WON'T spend:

$12M on Maeda, $15M on Imanaga, and $25M on Yamamoto...?

Because... reasons...?

MIguy... you're reasoning is FAULTY.

[MIguy]

Tigers would benefit more from adding two 15 million dollar a year hitters than they would a 30 million dollar pitcher.  

[KL2]

10 hours ago, MIguy said:

Because Mike Illitch isn't around anymore.  He was willing to spend money in a way his kids never will.  Also, notice how they got rid of Verlander right after Mike died?  

Well they were rebuilding and Chris spent what $400million a couple offseasons ago? 

[MIguy]

1 minute ago, 1984Echoes said:

Do you mean like how Chris Ilitch spent $25M (per year) on Baez, and $15M on Eduardo Rodriguez, and $15M on Jonathon Schoop, and $10M on Robbie Grossman... ALL in the SAME YEAR?

But somehow... that means that Ilitch WON'T spend:

$12M on Maeda, $15M on Imanaga, and $25M on Yamamoto...?

Because... reasons...?

MIguy... you're reasoning is FAULTY.

25 million on a guy you expect to play every day is not even close to being the same as 30 million a year on a guy that plays once every five games.  Also, adding up salaries to meet or exceed that of the 30 million a season Yamamoto is going to get has nothing to do with the point of spending that much on ONE PLAYER.  

[1984Echoes]

4 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

... independent of the the upgrade he'd make on the field which would lead to more revenue. And that's not even factoring in jersey and other merchandise sales. 

But also...

A winning/ playoff-potential team will...

Bring in LOTS more fans, all season long. So... not necessarily independent between winning and more fans (which you pointed out, so I'm agreeing with you... but I didn't want to undersell the impact of on attendance of simply being a winning team... especially in Detroit with their rabid fans...).

[1984Echoes]

2 minutes ago, MIguy said:

Tigers would benefit more from adding two 15 million dollar a year hitters than they would a 30 million dollar pitcher.  

The hitters are **** this year.

There are no good $15M hitting options.

So...

Pitching.

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, MIguy said:

25 million on a guy you expect to play every day is not even close to being the same as 30 million a year on a guy that plays once every five games.  Also, adding up salaries to meet or exceed that of the 30 million a season Yamamoto is going to get has nothing to do with the point of spending that much on ONE PLAYER.  

But YOUR argument is that Ilitch would NOT even spend that money.

Now, you're changing your argument?

PS: One player? Like Javier Baez?

[MIguy]

2 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

But YOUR argument is that Ilitch would NOT even spend that money.

Now, you're changing your argument?

PS: One player? Like Javier Baez?

My argument is that the Tigers are not signing Yamamoto.  I will say though, I am getting a kick out of you guys who keep trying to undervalue the contract he's going to receive to make it sound more likely that the Tigers can sign him.  

[Tigermojo]

I wonder what kind of impact Ohtani has on merchandising. All of a sudden, the Angels had a whole new country of fans. How much would that add up to?