2024 - 2025 Detroit Tigers Offseason

[Tigermojo]

56 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Bregman may very well fail, but I don't think Baez is a good comparison. In fact, they are opposites in terms of skillsets.  Baez has always had perhaps the worst plate discipline in baseball even when he was good.  Bregman has close to the best BB/K ratio in the baseball throughout his career.  

I'm just being over dramatic plus I like the old lady striking out Javy meme.

[RatkoVarda]

Tigers sign Ryan Miller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Toddwert]

5 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Tigers sign Ryan Miller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the goalie ?

[chasfh]

5 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I am not playing that game.  Anything anybody suggests will be shot down, but every year there are some contract surprises in both directions.  The following players have been linked to the Tigers and I think they are interesting:

Bregman

Walker

Kim

Flaherty

Buehler

Sasaki

Heaney

Yates 

 

I wanted to understand what kind of deal you thought would be reasonable. I wasn't doing any kind of gotcha here—although that does go on here a lot, so I can see why you demur.

[Tiger337]

32 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Tigers sign Ryan Miller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bold move.  

[ewsieg]

3 hours ago, CMU97 said:

Jordan Zimmerman was also 29 when we signed him. (turned 30 early in 2016).

True, but just in general, a SP with a contract ending at 34 isn’t always bad, in fact I’d say preferable. 

[Tiger337]

41 minutes ago, ewsieg said:

True, but just in general, a SP with a contract ending at 34 isn’t always bad, in fact I’d say preferable. 

I don't know if it's preferable, but pitchers are unpredictable.  Pitchers decline physically just as fast as position players, but I think certain pitchers can compensate for loss of physical tools with wisdom and experience better than a hitter.    

[oblong]

 

[casimir]

7 hours ago, monkeytargets39 said:

I’m hoping for Kim, Flaherty and Buehler.

I like it.

[Edman85]

50 minutes ago, oblong said:

 

Harris's first move was cleaning house there.

[IdahoBert]

I wonder what Torkelson’s off-season “training” interventions are like. Is it more mental than mechanical? If they can turn him from being like David Webb into Jason Bourne, I would be pretty much OK with that. 

[papalawrence]

9 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

I wonder what Torkelson’s off-season “training” interventions are like. Is it more mental than mechanical? If they can turn him from being like David Webb into Jason Bourne, I would be pretty much OK with that. 

Into John Wick would put more keesters in the seats

[monkeytargets39]

Arenado reportedly blocked a trade to Houston.  I wonder if that gets Houston pushed more in the direction of re-signing Bregman.  I don’t know if they’d want to give up what it’d take to get Bohm.

Whatever helps keep Bregman away from Detroit is a positive in my book.  

[chasfh]

9 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

I wonder what Torkelson’s off-season “training” interventions are like. Is it more mental than mechanical? If they can turn him from being like David Webb into Jason Bourne, I would be pretty much OK with that. 

Don’t much know either way, but it did strike me when Harris was quoted at the Winter Meetings as basically laying down the gauntlet when he said, basically, the performance has to get better and it’s not just offensive performance, it’s defensive performance, too.

That reads to me as though they checked in with Tork before the winter meetings and were not satisfied by what they saw. I think if he were hitting all their check boxes along the way, they would have said something more like, Tork is making some improvements, there’s a long way to go, but we like what we see. Something more like that. Unless he did say that and I missed it, but I don’t believe so. But what was reported comes off as a public calling out.

To me, this is the most interesting storyline of the winter. I’l be interested to see whether any more is said and, just as importantly, how it’s said.

[Shelton]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Don’t much know either way, but it did strike me when Harris was quoted at the Winter Meetings as basically laying down the gauntlet when he said, basically, the performance has to get better and it’s not just offensive performance, it’s defensive performance, too.

That reads to me as though they checked in with Tork before the winter meetings and were not satisfied by what they saw. I think if he were hitting all their check boxes along the way, they would have said something more like, Tork is making some improvements, there’s a long way to go, but we like what we see. Something more like that. Unless he did say that and I missed it, but I don’t believe so. But what was reported comes off as a public calling out.

To me, this is the most interesting storyline of the winter. I’l be interested to see whether any more is said and, just as importantly, how it’s said.

I agree with this. And not just about Tork. Scott’s comments going back even before the winter meetings strike me as being nothing more than stating the bare minimum but making it sound there is substance behind it. Tork and Javy are both talked about as being part of the club and even the near future of the club, while at the same time saying that their recent track record and current state isn’t good enough. And there is really no reason to say anything differently. I don’t think it’s intended as a public calling out. I think he’s just answering a question honestly while being as polite as possible to a couple of the terrible baseball players that he inherited. 
 

I think it’s pretty simple.  Until the time comes where their roster spot is needed, they will both be “working hard” and “need to get better” and “need to get back to [insert time from the past where they were not dumpster fires].”

 

When will that time be? For Tork it could be the end of spring training when he is sent to Toledo. For Javy it’s probably a couple months into the season his IL stint is over. But it will also mean that their replacements need to be performing and healthy.

 

I don’t think Scott is operating under any hope/thought that Tork and Javy are going to play a meaningful role on the 2025 tigers.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Don’t much know either way, but it did strike me when Harris was quoted at the Winter Meetings as basically laying down the gauntlet when he said, basically, the performance has to get better and it’s not just offensive performance, it’s defensive performance, too.

That reads to me as though they checked in with Tork before the winter meetings and were not satisfied by what they saw. I think if he were hitting all their check boxes along the way, they would have said something more like, Tork is making some improvements, there’s a long way to go, but we like what we see. Something more like that. Unless he did say that and I missed it, but I don’t believe so. But what was reported comes off as a public calling out.

To me, this is the most interesting storyline of the winter. I’l be interested to see whether any more is said and, just as importantly, how it’s said.

IDK, I'd read a little less. I take it as he was repeating the company line from the end of the season and until there is some actual performance to look at (eg ST) there's nothing more to add. To say he was making improvements when there is no game result to validate it would be getting out over his skis (and setting a fan expectation) more than I think Harris is wont to do.  

Edited December 19, 2024 by gehringer_2

[gehringer_2]

Hinch made an appearance on MLB the other night and his comments on Javy were very pointedly in two separate parts: 'Have to get him healthy' and 'Have to get him in the strike zone', not "Have to get him healthy so he will be back in the strike zone'.

I would read that say that Hinch is not really expecting that the hip repair is the fix to Javy's problems with the bat.

[Tigermojo]

Javy has never been in the strike zone. He used to have the ability to punish pitches out of the zone but he can't anymore. Getting him in the zone is creating a whole new player. Is he up for that challenge?

[chasfh]

43 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

IDK, I'd read a little less. I take it as he was repeating the company line from the end of the season and until there is some actual performance to look at (eg ST) there's nothing more to add. To say he was making improvements when there is no game result to validate it would be getting out over his skis (and setting a fan expectation) more than I think Harris is wont to do.  

I acknowledge people tend to take words at 100% face value and believe that nothing more could be underneath them, but speaking only from my perspective, I do believe if Tork were hitting his benchmarks, Harris would have struck a note that was more positive, if for no other reason than to encourage Tork to keeping at it (and/or to frame his trade value more advantageously).

[RatkoVarda]

whether he believes is Tork or not, Harris needs to acquire a decent alternative to protect against Tork flopping again.

right now there is no back up 1b in detroit or toledo.

if that player is Yandy Diaz or Goldschmidt, i think that tells us what Harris thinks of Tork

[Tiger337]

I have virtually no hope that Baez will make any positive contributions at all. I am planning on them giving Sweeney a long look and hopefully finding a backup who can play defense.  I haven't totally given up on Torkelson, but I suspect he just isn't ever going to be good and they need to have a replacement ready before spring training.   

[Tenacious D]

47 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

whether he believes is Tork or not, Harris needs to acquire a decent alternative to protect against Tork flopping again.

right now there is no back up 1b in detroit or toledo.

I do think they’ll bring in veteran insurance, but are also hedging by having Keith and Malloy get reps there.

[RatkoVarda]

53 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I have virtually no hope that Baez will make any positive contributions at all. I am planning on them giving Sweeney a long look and hopefully finding a backup who can play defense.

Could fake it with McKinstry for a while? but Kreidler is not a ML hitter; and Baez will get a look, but as you say, almost certainly fail/flail; maybe by then Kim would be healthy?

after NYY are done shuffling infield, one guy to look at is Oswald Peraza. was a top prospect with Volpe and Sweeney, but injuries derailed good start; he is just 24, a good IF defender, a RH bat, but out of options so maybe they are moving on

[Tiger337]

35 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Could fake it with McKinstry for a while? but Kreidler is not a ML hitter; and Baez will get a look, but as you say, almost certainly fail/flail; maybe by then Kim would be healthy?

 

Kim is risky but potentially a great fit - either at short or third.  If they want to stick to shorter term deals they may be able to do that with Kim.   

[mtutiger]

3 hours ago, RatkoVarda said:

whether he believes is Tork or not, Harris needs to acquire a decent alternative to protect against Tork flopping again.

right now there is no back up 1b in detroit or toledo.

if that player is Yandy Diaz or Goldschmidt, i think that tells us what Harris thinks of Tork

I don't even know how much of a hot take it is at this point, but I think the chances they upgrade (via free agency or trade) at 1B are way higher than 3B at this point.

Edited December 19, 2024 by mtutiger