2024 - 2025 Detroit Tigers Offseason

[1984Echoes]

17 hours ago, Arlington said:

I could see Tork going in a change-of-scenery change where a like-underachiever is sent here.

I don't think it will happen right away... maybe trade deadline if he isn't doing much and Harris and Hinch don't believe in him... He still is the RH'd power guy that they need. But he has to show it, not dog it.

I don't see what's wrong with making a Tork for Brett Baty - Nolan McLean package... if Tork flops here.

[1984Echoes]

14 hours ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Dodgers DFAd Diego Cartaya...

Go get him Harris!!!

[monkeytargets39]

4 hours ago, Edman85 said:

I don't see him getting to us via waivers, and if we are going to add another couple of players, the 40 man roster is getting tight in terms of players you can lop off and not feel pain.

Well we are probably going to have to do something eventually because we only have 2 catchers on the 40 man.  I imagine they’ll add Alfonzo at some point.

[Tenacious D]

2 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

I don't think it will happen right away... maybe trade deadline if he isn't doing much and Harris and Hinch don't believe in him... He still is the RH'd power guy that they need. But he has to show it, not dog it.

I don't see what's wrong with making a Tork for Brett Baty - Nolan McLean package... if Tork flops here.

I went down the Tork for Baty path a week ago, thinking that the Mets might want a cheap replacement if Alonzo signs elsewhere.  Thought I was on to something until I learned Baty hits LH, just like Jung.  Probably not a fit.

[Edman85]

52 minutes ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Well we are probably going to have to do something eventually because we only have 2 catchers on the 40 man.  I imagine they’ll add Alfonzo at some point.

Serven is probably your third catcher. Doesn't really matter if he is on the 40 or not. I'm not sure Cartaya is an emergency option anyways. He's more a of a stash-and-hope, and I don't think we have the 40 man space to play with to justify that. Yeah, you can lop Englert and Kreidler, but you would need to drop one of them if you sign Bregman or a reliever. They didn't protect Hicks, who is a more viable third catcher option in 2025, imo. The Tigers are 19th in waiver priority, so 18 teams would have to pass anyways. I don't see him getting past the Rockies, Marlins, Blue Jays, Rays, etc.

Either way, looks like the Tigers got the right Dodgers catching prospect for Flaherty.

[Tenacious D]

25 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

Serven is probably your third catcher. Doesn't really matter if he is on the 40 or not. I'm not sure Cartaya is an emergency option anyways. He's more a of a stash-and-hope, and I don't think we have the 40 man space to play with to justify that. Yeah, you can lop Englert and Kreidler, but you would need to drop one of them if you sign Bregman or a reliever. They didn't protect Hicks, who is a more viable third catcher option in 2025, imo. The Tigers are 19th in waiver priority, so 18 teams would have to pass anyways. I don't see him getting past the Rockies, Marlins, Blue Jays, Rays, etc.

Either way, looks like the Tigers got the right Dodgers catching prospect for Flaherty.

If he was DFA’d, don’t the Dodgers have a window to trade him first?

[Edman85]

38 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

If he was DFA’d, don’t the Dodgers have a window to trade him first?

They could, but why give anything up for him?

[casimir]

1 hour ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Well we are probably going to have to do something eventually because we only have 2 catchers on the 40 man.  I imagine they’ll add Alfonzo at some point.

I think the Tigers have gotten lucky with zero catching injury list transactions over the last two seasons, if memory serves me correctly.  Of course, this would be one of the useless things I could remember.  But while any team is likely to need a 3rd catcher, I don’t see the point in adding one to the 40 now given there really isn’t a 3rd catcher that is valuable enough to use that transaction on right now.  If and when they need to make that move, and by chance the 3rd catcher sitting in the minors is already on the injured list, now they’ve got to add a 4th catcher to the 40. Just cross that bridge when they need to via necessity or should they find themselves in a no brainer type spot (via trade or waiver wire luck).

I suppose it’s possible (although maybe doubtful) Cartaya could fall to them.  I’m not feeling all that attached to some of the guys at the end of the 40.  If Cartaya has options remaining, maybe that’s a worthwhile move to make.

[Tenacious D]

11 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

They could, but why give anything up for him?

If you thought another team with higher waiver priority would claim him first.  Of course, that assumes he is covered enough to give up a player for him.  LA would only be interested in someone that isn’t on a 40 man roster.

[Edman85]

3 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

If you thought another team with higher waiver priority would claim him first.  Of course, that assumes he is covered enough to give up a player for him.  LA would only be interested in someone that isn’t on a 40 man roster.

Other teams have more fat on the back of their 40 man they can trim. I don't see the need to jump the line here.

[monkeytargets39]

1 hour ago, casimir said:

I think the Tigers have gotten lucky with zero catching injury list transactions over the last two seasons, if memory serves me correctly.  Of course, this would be one of the useless things I could remember.  But while any team is likely to need a 3rd catcher, I don’t see the point in adding one to the 40 now given there really isn’t a 3rd catcher that is valuable enough to use that transaction on right now.  If and when they need to make that move, and by chance the 3rd catcher sitting in the minors is already on the injured list, now they’ve got to add a 4th catcher to the 40. Just cross that bridge when they need to via necessity or should they find themselves in a no brainer type spot (via trade or waiver wire luck).

I suppose it’s possible (although maybe doubtful) Cartaya could fall to them.  I’m not feeling all that attached to some of the guys at the end of the 40.  If Cartaya has options remaining, maybe that’s a worthwhile move to make.

I don’t think you’d want to go through spring training and set your 26 man and place the others on the 40 man only to have to pass someone through waivers early in the year if one of your catchers has to make a 15 day DL stint or goes on bereavement for something.  

[monkeytargets39]

1 hour ago, Edman85 said:

They could, but why give anything up for him?

Can you not trade cash for a DFAd player?  

[Edman85]

58 minutes ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Can you not trade cash for a DFAd player?  

I mean you can. I still wouldn't do it, because he would be first on the chopping block for the next addition.

[1776]

So the Blue Jays have reportedly made an offer to Santander. If he accepts, I would think the talking heads would immediately conclude that Bregman is Motor City bound. 

[Tenacious D]

23 minutes ago, 1776 said:

So the Blue Jays have reportedly made an offer to Santander. If he accepts, I would think the talking heads would immediately conclude that Bregman is Motor City bound. 

And I believe they’d be wrong.  If they were willing to spend $600-$700M for either Shohei or Soto, they’d likely spend $300M for Bregman and Santander.

[1984Echoes]

5 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

... until I learned Baty hits LH ...Probably not a fit.

Wouldn't he be a perfect fit if we have Vierling?

And Jung could take over 2B in 2026...

I consider Torres to be a one-off just for 2025... unless he...

[Tiger337]

Baty has had a couple of chances and has not shown that he can hit in the majors.  He is also not a plus fielder.  He has shown even less than Torkelson to this point.  

[Tenacious D]

1 hour ago, 1984Echoes said:

Wouldn't he be a perfect fit if we have Vierling?

And Jung could take over 2B in 2026...

I consider Torres to be a one-off just for 2025... unless he...

The uncertainty around Bregman makes this more difficult, but I see Lee playing 2B in 2026, with either the Jung/Vierling platoon or Bregman at 3B. If we sign Bregman, I think Jung will be moved.

[casimir]

3 hours ago, monkeytargets39 said:

I don’t think you’d want to go through spring training and set your 26 man and place the others on the 40 man only to have to pass someone through waivers early in the year if one of your catchers has to make a 15 day DL stint or goes on bereavement for something.  

I would expect them to need a 3rd catcher at some point this season.  I don’t think there’s anyone in the organization that needs to have that 40 spot right now to serve as the 3rd catcher.

At the current time, I’d have no problem dumping Kreidler or Englert if they needed a spot for a 3rd catcher.  They might not be there come opening day anyway.  So, as of now I wouldn’t worry about it.  That might be a slightly different concern then, but as I said before that can be dealt with then.

Additionally, there’s a chance that someone on the 40 man suffers a 60 day injury.  Well, let’s be real about it, someone will end up there at some point this season. Would the timing coincide with the need for a 3rd catcher?  Who knows.

Hopefully the good fortune of healthy catching recently doesn’t take a complete 180 and they’re dealing with 4th and 5th catchers at the major league level this season.  

[casimir]

2 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

I consider Torres to be a one-off just for 2025... unless he...

Unless he’s traded?  And then he’s more like a 2/3 or 1/2 off?

[Tenacious D]

38 minutes ago, casimir said:

Unless he’s traded?  And then he’s more like a 2/3 or 1/2 off?

Let’s hope not—that would be another surrender.

[papalawrence]

1 hour ago, Tenacious D said:

The uncertainty around Bregman makes this more difficult, but I see Lee playing 2B in 2026, with either the Jung/Vierling platoon or Bregman at 3B. If we sign Bregman, I think Jung will be moved.

I think Jung is one of the reasons Harris is not going to up offers to Bregman. Jung came up right in the middle of the intensity of do or die games. We really don't know what he can do yet. Toronto or the Mets or Red Sox will ultimately outbid Detroit, which is why I don't see Bregman coming to Motown. 2025 Third base will be a combo of Jung and Vierling, maybe Ibanez at times.

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

The uncertainty around Bregman makes this more difficult, but I see Lee playing 2B in 2026, with either the Jung/Vierling platoon or Bregman at 3B. If we sign Bregman, I think Jung will be moved.

It would be nice if Jung could get the PA for them to tell what they have, but that kind of thing is going to be less a priority than it used to be.

But even given that, I agree with Casimir that Torres certainly lines up as a likely deadline deal - esp if some combination of Jung/Tork/Meadows/Keith are hitting enough to make his bat expendable and depending where they are in the race.

[Sports_Freak]

5 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Baty has had a couple of chances and has not shown that he can hit in the majors.  He is also not a plus fielder.  He has shown even less than Torkelson to this point.  

He's only had ~600 at bats at the ML level. His MiLB numbers are pretty good. I would add him, even just for depth. Of course, as long as he didn't cost much. 😄

 

[1984Echoes]

6 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

... but I see Lee playing 2B in 2026, with either ...

I don't see Lee as a starter.

I see him as Ibanez 2.0

Jung is a better option as a starter at 2B.

Which makes Baty perfect. He's the LH'ed starting 3B, Vierling/ Lee the RH backup options.

Jung is the LH'ed starting 2B, Lee/Baez (if he's still here in 2026) the RH backup options.

Watch them play Lee all over the field this year, including some corner OF and SS & 3B (he's played both in the minors previously). But I'm just guessing...