Tiger337 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 49 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said: No, but Harris says he is (even if he doesn't use plural verbs right), which is what matters: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2025/03/25/detroit-tigers-parker-meadows-matt-vierling-wenceel-perez-injured/82644366007/ I've heard that a lot about minor league players and then they don't show it in the majors. Harris is certainly smarter than Avila, but that doesn't mean he'll always tell the truth. We know he is a strong defender at short but I am not convinced he is an elite center fielder. Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Tiger337 said: I've heard that a lot about minor league players and then they don't show it in the majors. Harris is certainly smarter than Avila, but that doesn't mean he'll always tell the truth. We know he is a strong defender at short but I am not convinced he is an elite center fielder. It's hard to tell from watching televised games because you almost never see a first step in real time and that is such a big piece. Just casual observation I think Kreidler has looked at least as good or better than Perez in CF which is what matters I guess, though I don't think that is a very high bar. I think Perez is one of those guys who makes some catches look a lot harder than they need to look. I'm not sure I get the fixation about Riley in LF being all that much healthier for him than CF. There are more plays at the wall in LF, and LF only averages one half less play per game than center. I suppose in terms of just the running, the CF has to back up to both sides, but the LF also should be backing up 3rd if the ball goes to the RF corner. It just doesn't seem a big enough difference for any trained athlete, less then running once hard around the bases, and we still expect him to be doing a lot of that! Edited March 25 by gehringer_2 Quote
RatkoVarda Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Kreidler required 3 CFs going down for him to get time. He's a LA kid, so I assume he is hitting 3 HRs on opening day, a la Dmitri Young. Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Just now, RatkoVarda said: Kreidler required 3 CFs going down for him to get time. well sure - he still can't hit, but they are getting to where that's a luxury they may have to do without. Quote
romad1 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Ryan Kreidler rhymes with Don Kelly. Super sub, will hit a key sac fly in a playoff game. He's probably great with kids, pets and the elderly. Quote
RandyMarsh Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Mickey Moniak just released by the Angels, could be worth a look. Can handle center and is a better bat than somebody like Kriedler. 1 Quote
SoCalTiger Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Centerfield remains very fluid. But if Ryan Kreidler is on the team because he plays centerfield who does he replace on the roster? Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 53 minutes ago, SoCalTiger said: Centerfield remains very fluid. But if Ryan Kreidler is on the team because he plays centerfield who does he replace on the roster? LOL - that's were Torkelson has thrown a monkey wrench into their plans. NOBOBY thought he would come to ST and out OPS both Keith and Malloy by 300 pts. The did the right thing in planning for his failure so it should be the kind of dilemma you want to have, it's just not very convenient right now. There are four off days before Arp24, I suppose they could go with 12 pitchers and carry the extra position player - they'd like to have both Malloy and Tork against the Dodgers. 1 Quote
chasfh Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said: No, but Harris says he is (even if he doesn't use plural verbs right), which is what matters: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2025/03/25/detroit-tigers-parker-meadows-matt-vierling-wenceel-perez-injured/82644366007/ Fire Harris, too. 😜 Quote
chasfh Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 1 hour ago, Tiger337 said: I've heard that a lot about minor league players and then they don't show it in the majors. Harris is certainly smarter than Avila, but that doesn't mean he'll always tell the truth. We know he is a strong defender at short but I am not convinced he is an elite center fielder. I didn't see where Harris said that Kreidler is an elite center fielder. Quote
Motor City Sonics Posted March 25 Posted March 25 I feel like they're better off just trading Malloy for someone who can play Center. Malloy just looks like a guy who will never be a good fielder anywhere, but not as good as Nick Castellanos at hitting. They have 3 DH guys already in Torres, Tork and Keith. Its so weird. All this time we have been looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder and now we don't have a legit left-handing hitting centerfielder. I mean Kreider? McKinstry? Ick. Quote
Motor City Sonics Posted March 25 Posted March 25 I should ease up on Tork. He actually did improve his defense last year. Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 (edited) 31 minutes ago, chasfh said: I didn't see where Harris said that Kreidler is an elite center fielder. the quote was 'elite defender' 'when he was on the field' and he didn't qualify the 'on the field' part. Also the context was in regard to the center field issues. Still certainly possible Petzold put Harris' statement into a more explicit context than he meant it. But it's not like there is anything out of the ordinary about a SS with decent speed being a good CF. A lot of guys make that transition successfully. The question for Kreidler is always around his bat. Is the circumstance of needing the glove enough to carry the bat? Edited March 25 by gehringer_2 Quote
1984Echoes Posted March 25 Posted March 25 2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said: ... I'm not sure I get the fixation about Riley in LF being all that much healthier for him than CF. There are more plays at the wall in LF, and LF only averages one half less play per game than center. I suppose... I think CF offers more "diving" opportunities than both LF and RF combined. But that's just a WAG. I think it's the "diving" plays that the team wants Greene to avoid most of all, more than "the Wall". Again... just a WAG. Quote
monkeytargets39 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Just play Riley in CF until Vierling is back. Use McKinstry as the defensive replacement and move Riley to the corner if we pinch hit for Malloy/Carp/Margot. Just go Sweeney/Ibanez platoon at 3B, give Javy an honest look every day at SS, Torres at 2B and Keith and Tork at 1B and DH respectively. Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 5 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said: I think CF offers more "diving" opportunities than both LF and RF combined. that's an interesting question. I would probably take the argument that there isn't anything intrinsically different about balls hit to center vs left in terms of a certain percentage dropping tantalizingly close in front of you, but I would accept the argument that that under most game conditions the CF is going dive less often because the dive with 412 behind you may be a lot riskier than with 370 behind you. The overall difference in chances is real, but it works out to about one additional chance per two games. As I've thought about it, I think it has mostly to do with the backup running. It's the running they want him avoid. I'm not totally sold that isn't a fools errand in the end for a baseball player, but they clearly have their reasons. Quote
chasfh Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 49 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said: the quote was 'elite defender' 'when he was on the field' and he didn't qualify the 'on the field' part. Also the context was in regard to the center field issues. Still certainly possible Petzold put Harris' statement into a more explicit context than he meant it. But it's not like there is anything out of the ordinary about a SS with decent speed being a good CF. A lot of guys make that transition successfully. The question for Kreidler is always around his bat. Is the circumstance of needing the glove enough to carry the bat? Right—with the quote made without center field explicit within, or in direct response to a question about center field, it is at least 50/50 that Petzold broadened the context of a statement Harris made when he might have been thinking about his infield work, versus Harris making the statement in an unqualified way. All that said, even though Kreidler played two innings of CF in 2022 and one inning there last year, there's probably a good reason he hasn't played any more innings there, so I would be surprised to see someone Harris regards as an "elite center fielder" have his time so limited there. I'd bet it's the same situation as Baez getting reps in center: we need a third or fourth option to play there if we see many more better options go down to injury. I think the idea of kicking the tires on Moniak is interesting, although he is essentially a left-handed hitter, which we are lousy with, and there's probably a reason a team much worse than we cut bait on him. Quote
IdahoBert Posted March 25 Posted March 25 So did Margot really look as lost out in right field as he seemed to last night or was he dealing with unfamiliar wind currents or what not? Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 8 minutes ago, chasfh said: I think the idea of kicking the tires on Moniak is interesting, although he is essentially a left-handed hitter, which we are lousy with, and there's probably a reason a team much worse than we cut bait on him. I wasn't all that impressed with Margot last night either. Maybe he was trying to do too much to impress the first time out, but he made a pretty meh throw to third that wasn't close to getting a runner, and flubbed a chance in the corner he probably should have just played on the carom. Pretty clear he has 'grown' out of being a CF, and by 'grown' I mean horizontally. Quote
Tiger337 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 1 hour ago, chasfh said: I didn't see where Harris said that Kreidler is an elite center fielder. The article was not all that clear, but he called him an elite defender. He appeared to say it in response to the question about outfield injuries. I don't believe that he considers him to be an elite center fielder. Quote
IdahoBert Posted March 25 Posted March 25 The use of the term “defender” as opposed to something more specific is impressive in its generality and astutely corporate. 1 Quote
chasfh Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 (edited) Our future center fielder is at least two years away from everyday starting, so if Parker is done done—no, I'm not assuming, just saying "if"—then I guess it's the Wenceels/Margots of the world this season, and a one-year stopgap along the lines of Bader or Michael A. Taylor next year. Edited March 25 by chasfh Quote
gehringer_2 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 16 minutes ago, chasfh said: Our future center fielder is at least two years away from everyday starting, so if Parker is done done—no, I'm not assuming, just saying "if"—then I guess it's the Wenceels/Margots of the world this season, and a one-year stopgap along the lines of Bader or Michael A. Taylor next year. I was disappointed to read today that they expect Perez (one month minimum) to be back before Vierling. I thought the report the other day was that Vierling was closer than that. I guess not. Quote
chasfh Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 3 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said: I was disappointed to read today that they expect Perez (one month minimum) to be back before Vierling. I thought the report the other day was that Vierling was closer than that. I guess not. At this rate, it might be tough for the Tigers to repeat as winners of the PBATS MLB Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award. 1 1 Quote
casimir Posted March 25 Posted March 25 2 hours ago, IdahoBert said: So did Margot really look as lost out in right field as he seemed to last night or was he dealing with unfamiliar wind currents or what not? Maybe he’s not used to MLB lights. Quote
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