2024 - 2025 Detroit Tigers Offseason

[Shinzaki]

Whit Merrifield sounds like a guy who hangs out at cotillions trying to get with Muffy Gildenstein or somesuch

[Tiger337]

What need does Whit Merrifield fill?  He can't hit.  He can't field.  Maybe he can be a baserunning coach.  

[Longgone]

3 hours ago, 1776 said:

I remember those days. I’d be good with Merryfield in Detroit.
I’ve seen Justin Turner’s name dropped as a possible Tiger signing. Please, no! 

Both are beyond their sell by dates

[Motor City Sonics]

10 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

What need does Whit Merrifield fill?  He can't hit.  He can't field.  Maybe he can be a baserunning coach.  

He could continue being a Tiger-killer, only now AS a Tiger. 

 

What scares me is if the Angels decide to finally just get rid of Anthony Rendon, that the Tigers will try to scoop him up cheap.  Don't want that guy.  Can he even play third anymore anyway?    Don't want a guy who doesn't like or want to play baseball.   It would be the wrong tone to set for all these young players.   I don't even think Rendon was all that injured the last few years, he just doesn't want to play anymore.  He'll keep collecting the money, however. 

[gehringer_2]

On 2/7/2025 at 6:04 PM, Shelton said:

If the cost of getting gleybor means that they have to move Colt off 2B a year earlier than planned, so be it. I don’t really hold it against him for advocating for himself. It’s up to the teams to call him on it. My guess is he can still play 2B just fine.

Honestly not sure why tigers fans dislike this guy so much, but will argue over Englert vs kreidler, or losing Faedo. . 

Torres had a great second half and finished last season really strong with the bat. If that's who he is this season, everyone will love him well enough. Torres isn't quite in a class with Candelario in this regard, but there is a little bit of the same "Was it a streak or is it real" or "Which guy do you get" with him as we had with Jeimer.

Edited February 10 by gehringer_2

[SoCalTiger]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

Torres had a great second half and finished last season really strong with the bat. If that's who he is this season, everyone will love him well enough. Torres isn't quite in a class with Candelario in this regard, but there is a little bit of the same "Was it a streak or is it real" or "Which guy do you get" with him as we had with Jeimer.

Speaking of Jeimer....Maeda (10 mil) for Jeimer (30 mil) + 5 mil for 2025 and 2026 for a total additional investment of 15 million for a switch hitting "third baseman" for two years......possible or just stupid ?

[gehringer_2]

15 minutes ago, SoCalTiger said:

Speaking of Jeimer....Maeda (10 mil) for Jeimer (30 mil) + 5 mil for 2025 and 2026 for a total additional investment of 15 million for a switch hitting "third baseman" for two years......possible or just stupid ?

Odds say Jeimer is probably due for another good year after a poor one. His career average OPS+ is sitting at exactly 100, with a low of 70 and high of 137 in his full seasons. So a net cost of $15M to be rid of Maeda, have a base level of insurance or 3rd, and 1st. I'd think pretty hard about it. You aren't getting much, if any, better for the money, but some depth that's likely to be useful.

[Sports_Freak]

From Twitter so IDK how honest?

 

[gehringer_2]

6 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

From Twitter so IDK how honest?

 

well that would be quite the course shift for the org.

[4hzglory]

5 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

well that would be quite the course shift for the org.

It’s the only way it makes sense that they have been considered a real possibility and made him their priority as has been reported from the beginning.  And IMO it’s a higher offer than 6/156 or he would have taken Houston’s offer.  There had to be a better offer on the table at the time, and I believe it was ours.

Edited February 11 by 4hzglory

[Motor City Sonics]

The 2022 Chicago White Sox are a warning. 

Coming off their division winning 2021 season they had a young core that was still developing and there was a very bright future.    Then it all collapsed.       

Granted, we don't have a 76 year old manager who does not connect with younger players and did not really embrace Sabermetrics, and often did not put his players in the best position possible.   

But keep that in mind.   A few missteps, a couple of injuries and all this promise built up last year can evaporate very quickly.     

Do I expect that to happen?   No.   But, I don't believe momentum carries over offseasons.    

Just can't be under way .500 again on the first day of Summer, like they have for every season since 2017.   They got away with it once, they probably don't again.     Last year's turnaround was a once in a generation thing and that included the Twins once in a generation collapse.     

 

[SoCalTiger]

25 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

From Twitter so IDK how honest?

 

If true I would pull it. I'm done with Breggie/Boras..throw them both in the Houston trash cans. That's my old man rant for 2025 first quarter.

[Motor City Sonics]

14 minutes ago, 4hzglory said:

It’s the only way it makes sense that they have been considered a real possibility and made him their priority as has been reported from the beginning.  And IMO it’s a higher offer than 6/156 or he would have taken Houston’s offer.  There had to be a better offer on the table at the time, and I believe it was ours.

Okay, 6/162.   That's 27 a year.   

Can they structure like this, so we pay more when we still have a lower payroll?  

2025  33 mil

2026  32 mil  player opt-out

2027  28 mil player opt-out

2028 25 mil

2029 23 mil

2030  22 mil

 

That way he gets to equal his buddy Carlos for a year (for his ego) and by the time we want to re-sign some of our own guys, it won't be as painful for us and he still gets his money. 

 

I still think he's going to Boston on a short deal, with the belief he's gonna hit 30 HR at Fenway.  

[IdahoBert]

This is starting to feel like the Tigers are an average looking girl competing with college bound cheerleaders for some jock. Of course I’ll forget all about this unenviable comparison if he joins the club and does what we hope he can do. 

[Sports_Freak]

10 minutes ago, SoCalTiger said:

If true I would pull it. I'm done with Breggie/Boras..throw them both in the Houston trash cans. That's my old man rant for 2025 first quarter.

Upon further review...it appears to be nonsense. A typical Twitter falsehood.

[Motor City Sonics]

10 minutes ago, SoCalTiger said:

If true I would pull it. I'm done with Breggie/Boras..throw them both in the Houston trash cans. That's my old man rant for 2025 first quarter.

I don't know, if we did offer something better than Houston and he's been stringing us along, then screw that guy.   No matter what, he's not going to be worth the 6 year deal by the end of it.      He doesn't want to come here.   I understand a guy that wants to hit home runs wouldn't want our ball park and he still thinks Detroit is what it was in the Beverly Hills Cop movie.  He probably thinks it's like Robocop.     Like Houston is some charming oasis with no crime.   Bet we smell better than Houston. 

[1776]

25 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Upon further review...it appears to be nonsense. A typical Twitter falsehood.

Thank you! I couldn’t deal with that death knell of a contract. Scary. 

[1776]

This from MLB.com an hour ago. I hate that Detroit is still mentioned as a possibility.

Spring Training camps are opening, and Alex Bregman is still wondering where he will play this season. However, he is expected to make a decision soon, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, who adds that the third baseman is "likely" to sign with either the Cubs, Red Sox or Tigers.

[RandyMarsh]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I don't know, if we did offer something better than Houston and he's been stringing us along, then screw that guy.   No matter what, he's not going to be worth the 6 year deal by the end of it.      He doesn't want to come here.   I understand a guy that wants to hit home runs wouldn't want our ball park and he still thinks Detroit is what it was in the Beverly Hills Cop movie.  He probably thinks it's like Robocop.     Like Houston is some charming oasis with no crime.   Bet we smell better than Houston. 

Granted players don't usually go around site seeing when they are on the road unless maybe they have a day off there but he's been coming to Detroit once or twice a year for the past 10 years, it's not like he has never been here before. 

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

The 2022 Chicago White Sox are a warning. 

Coming off their division winning 2021 season they had a young core that was still developing and there was a very bright future.    Then it all collapsed.       

Granted, we don't have a 76 year old manager who does not connect with younger players and did not really embrace Sabermetrics, and often did not put his players in the best position possible.   

But keep that in mind.   A few missteps, a couple of injuries and all this promise built up last year can evaporate very quickly.     

Do I expect that to happen?   No.   But, I don't believe momentum carries over offseasons.    

Just can't be under way .500 again on the first day of Summer, like they have for every season since 2017.   They got away with it once, they probably don't again.     Last year's turnaround was a once in a generation thing and that included the Twins once in a generation collapse.     

 

What did they finish? 31-11? That's playing over .700 baseball and I really don't think anyone expects or predicts that. But yeah, they can't have another horrible start. Hinch and Fetter seem like they know how to handle a pitching staff and the cold hitters last spring, into the summer, shouldn't be tolerated. It was our weak hitting that cost us many games early in the season.

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, 1776 said:

Thank you! I couldn’t deal with that death knell of a contract. Scary. 

It's to the point I don't believe anything from Twitter without confirming it. I'm kicking myself for even linking it here, it feels like spreading misinformation.  Ugh...

[Motor City Sonics]

13 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

What did they finish? 31-11? That's playing over .700 baseball and I really don't think anyone expects or predicts that. But yeah, they can't have another horrible start. Hinch and Fetter seem like they know how to handle a pitching staff and the cold hitters last spring, into the summer, shouldn't be tolerated. It was our weak hitting that cost us many games early in the season.

I think it comes down to Meadows and Keith.      If Meadows could give us a full season of how he played after August last year, then he's an All-Star.   He made a huge difference and they don't get to the postseason without him.   

[Sports_Freak]

2 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I think it comes down to Meadows and Keith.      If Meadows could give us a full season of how he played after August last year, then he's an All-Star.   He made a huge difference and they don't get to the postseason without him.   

Agreed. And Meadows was really struggling at the beginning of the season. So were Tork and Javy. Keith was just feeling his way and got much better until going cold at the end of the season. My opinion is he wasn't used to playing high completive ball for so many games. It's a long season. 

[papalawrence]

On Tigers territory podcast they said fangraphs projects Bregman's age 33 season to be .241 with 17 home runs and 2.1 war. Basically Vierling. Of course that's projection and who knows. Fangraphs also projects he would increase Detroit's playoff probability in 2025 by 12%. To me 6 years seems crazy. Let's see what Jung can do

Edited February 11 by papalawrence

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

If true I would pull it. I'm done with Breggie/Boras..throw them both in the Houston trash cans. That's my old man rant for 2025 first quarter.

Six years was what I expected at the beginning of the off-season. I didn't think there was any way they could him for less. I still feel that way.  I think it's in line with what other players have gotten.  He's most comparable to Chapman.