2021-22 Tigers Hot Stove League

[Sports_Freak]

I'm starting to think the Tigers won't go for an established star at SS. Not for a long term contract. I think they'll sign someone on a one year contract to see if Kreidler is the future.

[Stanley70]

Great glove and a non zero at the plate. I like it too.

Plus his number one comp is Les Moss, so his is a future manager too.

[RatkoVarda]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

I'm starting to think the Tigers won't go for an established star at SS. Not for a long term contract. I think they'll sign someone on a one year contract to see if Kreidler is the future.

maybe, maybe not; but they need to have a plan B if the big market teams grab all the big FAs

Taylor Walls or Joey Wendle of Tampa might be obtainable

[Jim Cowan]

Bravo, Al Avila.  Quintana was never going to make it to Erie, and was thrown in there to make it look like a trade. Barnhart is good defensively with a .700 OPS, LHB, from the 9th spot in the order.  This is a perfect outcome to solve the hole at catcher, could not conceivably be better.

We should acknowledge that the OPS is in the home park where Suarez hits 40 home runs.  But still, this is a brilliant personnel move.

[RandyMarsh]

I brought up the name before but I wonder if the Mariners would be interested in trading JP Crawford and if so what would it take to get him?

They have a couple advanced SS prospects on the horizon so they may feel he is expendable. He's around league average with the bat, considering what we got from SS last year that might as well be Tatis Jr. and he plays solid defense. Still young enough at 26 where there may be some growth there. 

I suspect for all those reasons he won't be cheap but who knows if he could be had for a combo of guys outside of our top tier he may be worth a look if we decide to go in the non superstar FA direction.

[chasfh]

If the Tigers were targeting Barnhart one way or another, this was the best way. I'm guessing the Reds would probably not have exercised the option, making Barnhart a free agent, meaning we would have had to compete for him with a few other teams. That would have driven his price up to eight figures and multiple years, and we may still not have gotten him.

This way, we get him for one year, which is the important part, and at a price we can certainly afford. He may hit adequately or he may hit horribly, but either way, he can handle pitchers and frame pitches, and for a year during which we're not due to seriously contend, that should be enough.

[romad1]

Al with a clever move.  The thread in the other board (a board which is now a gambler's anonymous honeytrap) about firing Al by Memorial Day seems like a distant memory.

[chasfh]

I know I wasn't a fan of signing Barnhart, mainly because of his bat, and the Tigers definitely need to improve their hitting, but he's on our team now and so I have faith in him. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, it will be a home run. And so that’ll make it a 4-0 ballgame.

Edited November 3, 2021 by chasfh

[Motor City Sonics]

You know what this means, right?   

[buddha]

meh.  gave up nothing for a decent backup defensive catcher on a one year deal.

its fine.  nothing major either way.

[Tiger337]

I don't think he'll be a back-up.  He'll platoon with Haase.  He's not great, but he is a significant upgrade over what they had and I doubt there was going to be anything much better available.  

[1776]

On the topic of catchers, it appears that Buster Posey will announce his retirement tomorrow.

[RandyMarsh]

Buster Posey walked away from 22 million dollars, if only we would get that lucky and Cabrera would do something similar next offseason. Of course unlike Cabrera, Posey is still valuable so Im sure the Giants aren't exactly thrilled about this. 

[gehringer_2]

31 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I don't think he'll be a back-up.  He'll platoon with Haase.  He's not great, but he is a significant upgrade over what they had and I doubt there was going to be anything much better available.  

at this point all I want from the catcher spot is a decent OBP. Just don't make an out every time up. Barnhardt is 324 OBP for his career. That's 40 pts better than Wilson Ramos or Greyson Greiner last yr. That's an improvement I can live with. Haase's OBP is poor also so he has to keep hitting the long ball to be useful.

[Archie]

I think Barnhart will be the starting or main catcher at least to start the season.  He is a better defensive player and has won a gold glove.  Haase will get some time at catcher and probably some in the outfield.  I think Hinch likes Haase so he will get an opportunity.  Who knows what will happen as the season goes on.

[gehringer_2]

6 hours ago, RatkoVarda said:

like the deal a lot, and Barnhart has 2 Gold Gloves, but the Reds team ERA with Stephenson catching in 2021 was way better. Fluke? or underlying issue?

That one could cut either way. It could be they always had Barnhardt catch their the bad starters so they'd have more support.  One assumes the Tigers' new generation of back office nerds were all over those numbers though......🤓

Edited November 4, 2021 by gehringer_2

[buddha]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I don't think he'll be a back-up.  He'll platoon with Haase.  He's not great, but he is a significant upgrade over what they had and I doubt there was going to be anything much better available.  

yeah, i meant a co-starter.

it's fine for what it is.  i dont think it moves the needle for them, but there's nothing objectionable about it.  but he cant hit.  

[gehringer_2]

Hasse has a 250 pt platoon split (OPS) and hit HRs at twice the rate against LHP. His non-counting stats will benefit quite a bit by having his PAs against RHP limited. 

Edited November 4, 2021 by gehringer_2

[Jim Cowan]

He's not a co-starter, his lefthanded bat means he'll get 450 PA's.  And he hits just fine from the number 9 spot.  It is a terrific deal, for those who never want to see Greiner or Garneau again.

[gehringer_2]

28 minutes ago, Jim Cowan said:

He's not a co-starter, his lefthanded bat means he'll get 450 PA's.  And he hits just fine from the number 9 spot.  It is a terrific deal, for those who never want to see Greiner or Garneau again.

Surprising that as thin as the catching market is, we didn't seem to be bidding against much to get him. Obviously most teams thought the Reds would just decline his option and they'd approach Barnhardt as a FA if they were interested, but it turned out it required very little to motivate the Reds to give the Tigers the right to exercise his option. I give Al some credit here for seeing an easily exploited angle that the competition apparently ignored. Considering what the Mets paid McCann a team waiting for Barnhardt to go to free agency to save a million or two was probably miscalculating anyway.

[Tiger337]

59 minutes ago, buddha said:

yeah, i meant a co-starter.

it's fine for what it is.  i dont think it moves the needle for them, but there's nothing objectionable about it.  but he cant hit.  

Most catchers can't hit.  Catchers hit .228/.304/.391 last year.  Barnhart hit .247/.317/.368.  So, he's not far from average.  

[gehringer_2]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

Most catchers can't hit.  Catchers hit .228/.304/.391 last year.  Barnhart hit .247/.317/.368.  So, he's not far from average.  

Protected from same side pitching Haase and Barnhardt are potentially both slightly above average hitters at their position. This move is exactly the kind of unspectacular mid-level roster depth building move that the Tigers seldom made under the previous FO's feast (and famine) trading style. 

[buddha]

10 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Most catchers can't hit.  Catchers hit .228/.304/.391 last year.  Barnhart hit .247/.317/.368.  So, he's not far from average.  

right.  most catchers cant hit.  so they gave up something to pay him to not hit.

but since i dont really think they gave up anything of value, im fine with it.

which might say a bit about our draft strategy for a second rounder...

[IdahoBert]

6 hours ago, romad1 said:

Al with a clever move.  The thread in the other board (a board which is now a gambler's anonymous honeytrap) about firing Al by Memorial Day seems like a distant memory.

Those people were morons. We have higher standards around here. 

[Jim Cowan]

If a guy is better than most of the other catchers defensively, and hits the same as the rest of them...he's a good player, right?