2024 - 2025 Detroit Tigers Offseason

[Dan Gilmore]

But to Lee’s point are Hays or Carlson anything to get excited about?

[Tiger337]

16 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I still have close to zero confidence that Malloy can stick. July->August->Sept he was worse each month which often as not says a guy is not adjusting as pitchers work his weaknesses. He did flash a little in the playoffs though.

I have more confidence in Malloy as a hitter than Carlson.  Hays is more interesting, but he'd probably want to sign as a full-time player.  

[gehringer_2]

53 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Hays is more interesting, but he'd probably want to sign as a full-time player.  

bingo

[chasfh]

19 hours ago, RatkoVarda said:

until Baez comes back, McKinstry is the back up SS at least; we shall see if he survives all season; AJ loves moving people around and needs McKinstry and Vierling to do that

Is A.J. unique in this regard?

[chasfh]

18 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

yup - I'm sure that's also the biggest reason they don't want to park Vierling at 3rd. He's not a great defender there but I believe he'd still be an overall plus player there but they want those IF/OF swing guys.

I think a bigger reason is that they have Jace Jung they want to play at third.

[chasfh]

17 hours ago, Longgone said:

He’s fine if he’s the 25th or 26th man.

The only way McKinstry is starting on the regular is if a couple of guys get hurt for a decent stretch of time, and if that happens, we ain’t winning anything anyway.

[chasfh]

15 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

In what world does McKinstry get paid more than Ibanez?

 

In a world where McKinstry has more leverage than Ibanez.

[Tiger337]

24 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Is A.J. unique in this regard?

It has gotten pretty common again, but it's not a totally new thing.  When we grew up, teams had crowded benches.  Some bench players didn't play that much, but there was a lot of pinch hitting, defensive replacements and some platooning.   What is different between then and now is that there are fewer bench players available now so they need players that can play multiple roles.  

[Sports_Freak]

43 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

It has gotten pretty common again, but it's not a totally new thing.  When we grew up, teams had crowded benches.  Some bench players didn't play that much, but there was a lot of pinch hitting, defensive replacements and some platooning.   What is different between then and now is that there are fewer bench players available now so they need players that can play multiple roles.  

That's one of the bigger changes in MLB from years ago but, by far, the biggest change is in relief pitching. Willie Hernandez had many 2 inning saves in 1984. And before that, in the '60's, many pitchers threw 300 innings per season, with multiple complete games. Conditioning and nutrition made players bigger and stronger but it cost pitchers some endurance.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, Sports_Freak said:

That's one of the bigger changes in MLB from years ago but, by far, the biggest change is in relief pitching. Willie Hernandez had many 2 inning saves in 1984. And before that, in the '60's, many pitchers threw 300 innings per season, with multiple complete games. Conditioning and nutrition made players bigger and stronger but it cost pitchers some endurance.

Yes, pitching has completely changed.  You can't even compare then and now anymore.  

[Motor City Sonics]

19 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Yes, pitching has completely changed.  You can't even compare then and now anymore.  

But Mickey Lolich threw 376 innings one year with 29 complete games

[Sports_Freak]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Yes, pitching has completely changed.  You can't even compare then and now anymore.  

Do you think modern day starters are being conditioned wrong? 100 pitches, if that, and they're finished. I know the cost of starting pitchers is outrageous and they try to avoid injuries but getting 6 innings out of a SP is now a good job? This leaves SO many games decided by the BP. And the 3 hitter rule for a relief pitcher? I hate that rule.

[Motor City Sonics]

When do things start to pop with MLB Free Agency?      Winter Meetings  (Dec 8-11)?   Is everyone holding their breath and waiting until Juan Soto signs with the Mets and *seemingly* sets the market?    (I am guessing 14 years, 600 million)

[IdahoBert]

The Tigers reached deals with McKinstry, Ibáñez? Thank God! I can sleep soundly tonight. Now I know what Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk felt when he looked in the phonebook and realized his name was in print. We’re going places! 

[Arlington]

Today's players are so much better than the past.  Stronger, faster and most importantly, more finely tuned.   In the past, pitchers could ease up with off speed stuff, keeping hitters off balance and giving themselves a break.  Today the off speed stuff has a focus on optimizing spin and that too is taxing on the arm. No break.  

 

[Tenacious D]

Major leaguers used to look like guys in your Account Receivables department.

 

[Arlington]

Carpenter may be our best hitter, but he is being platooned.  And his splits show that it has been justified, at least based on the small sample size of 38 PAs against LH pitchers this year. Are we getting the best production we can by continuing to platoon him? Would we benefit if we gave him more of more of a chance to establish himself against LHers.

[monkeytargets39]

18 minutes ago, Arlington said:

Carpenter may be our best hitter, but he is being platooned.  And his splits show that it has been justified, at least based on the small sample size of 38 PAs against LH pitchers this year. Are we getting the best production we can by continuing to platoon him? Would we benefit if we gave him more of more of a chance to establish himself against LHers.

JHM OPSd .900+ vs LHP, so….. no

[gehringer_2]

22 minutes ago, monkeytargets39 said:

JHM OPSd .900+ vs LHP, so….. no

He did most of that early though, by later in the season he was pretty much scuffling across the board, though as noted earlier, he did have a good playoff.

[Arlington]

Granted JHM in 61 PAs blows Carpenter's results in 32 PAs out of the water.  In those 93 PA we did much better with HMH.  But JMH had a -.4 WAR.  He had value only as a hitter in 61 PAs against LH pitching. Is it worth carrying a -.4 WAR player to upgrade a few Carpenter ABs.  I understand JMH is in development.  But we might be leaving something behind by not developing Carpenter's capabilities against LH pitching.

[gehringer_2]

27 minutes ago, Arlington said:

Granted JHM in 61 PAs blows Carpenter's results in 32 PAs out of the water.  In those 93 PA we did much better with HMH.  But JMH had a -.4 WAR.  He had value only as a hitter in 61 PAs against LH pitching. Is it worth carrying a -.4 WAR player to upgrade a few Carpenter ABs.  I understand JMH is in development.  But we might be leaving something behind by not developing Carpenter's capabilities against LH pitching.

They let Keith and Meadows work against LHP at least in part, so there is some criterion that a player can meet to get that shot, and apparently whatever it is, Carpenter hasn't met it yet.

[monkeytargets39]

3 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

He did most of that early though, by later in the season he was pretty much scuffling across the board, though as noted earlier, he did have a good playoff.

Point is- it’s not hard to find a bat that can significantly outperform Carpenter vs LHPs.  Even with JHMs struggle period he ended up clearing Carps OPS vs LHP by like .500 points

[Sports_Freak]

10 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

They let Keith and Meadows work against LHP at least in part, so there is some criterion that a player can meet to get that shot, and apparently whatever it is, Carpenter hasn't met it yet.

Meadows was usually hitting much lower in the lineup against LH pitchers. And Hinch mostly wanted him for his CF glove. Even though Parker seemed to be able to hit those LH pitches.

[Edman85]

I had to skip Cody's podcast this morning about 15 minutes in after getting tired of the smoke Hasty was blowing up people's asses. 

His little aside about the vb team he is going to call games for summed him up to a tee. He called it the top league in the world

. It's... not. All the US Olympic team is playing in the other American league. The Euro Leagues are still stronger. The league he is calling is roughly AA equivalent.

[Tiger337]

12 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

They let Keith and Meadows work against LHP at least in part, so there is some criterion that a player can meet to get that shot, and apparently whatever it is, Carpenter hasn't met it yet.

The criterion could be the ability to play a position other than corner outfield.