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I wouldn't either, but they weren't at the expense of trading anyone who had great expectation of being a key cog in the future for a rental. I do the Alexander/Smoltz trade 100 times out of 100 also. We got more than we could have expected out of Alexander.

I wouldn't trade the 1984 Tiger Championship for any player we dealt to build that team. The final pieces of Willie and Bergman were acquired at the end of spring training. Without those 2, we prolly dont win it all. Its what I mean by building from within and using the trade market for what may be the final pieces. We were really, really close last season...I hope we get to that position again.

I don't accept that they are the best combo for the franchise. I am not unhappy with them, but I don't know if whether they are the best combo. However, if there is a better combo, they might not be able to get it. If they get fired, they might hire someone that made me unhappy. I am actually pretty convinced that Hinch is a very good manager. I am less sure about Harris, but there are enough things I like about him where I don't want him to be fired.

I said that for its comic value. I know there is no groundswell support here for them to be fired. By the same token, if we accept that Harris and Hinch are the best combo for this franchise—which, if you don’t want them replaced, you’d have to agree with—then we also have to have some basic acceptance of their plan and its timetable, and allow it a fair opportunity to play out. I’m not saying we can’t complain about things they do or don’t do—that’s our prerogative as fans. By the same token, I don’t think it’s exactly reasonable to criticize them for not completely abandoning their plan in order to try to maintain the overachieving of the past couple years, doubling down on flawed players we will be leaving behind soon and reinforcing them with more flawed players from outside in a go for broke fashion. To expect Harris to do that and then rake him for not doing that is to essentially criticize Harris for not being someone else. Anyone who wants him to be someone else wants him to be fired and replaced with someone else. I’m pretty sure this is not going to change anyone’s thinking about Harris or Hinch, and there will continue to be criticism for Harris essentially not being somebody else in the job. But the important thing is that Chris Ilitch is not expecting Harris to be someone else, and that he gives him all the room to spool out the plan that Harris sold him on when he came here in 2022.

100% and it would be more sustainable to compete for years to come. If you had to ask, would it be more fun to have 1 guaranteed championship and 9 middling/non competitive seasons, or 10 competitive seasons with a realistic chance (5-10%) to win a championship or more, but 90% odds that you wouldn't win any, I take the 10 competitive seasons. Sure the one championship is great, and if the opportunity is there for the right player, make any trade to get it, but I didn't see the right offensive player at all last season (or this offseason).

If it was guaranteed, but as Lee said, there are no guaranteed championships and there was no one at last years deadline that would have accomplished that IMO. The Dodgers are too stacked to give up the farm for any rental for the hope of getting over the top. Someone who can help for multiple years, I'm definitely in. I've already said Ryan and Duran, but I also wanted Bednar and Griffin Jax and would have been willing to give up top prospects (not McGonigle/Clark/Rainer) for them. The way we were, we were as close to the ALCS as you could be (and Seattle struggled with their hitting as much as we did).

If you could guarantee a championship, I guess you have to do it, but it would be more fun seeing them win a championship with McGonigle, Clark, etc, than with Suarez.

the bet is ausar continues to grow and turns into more of what his brother is. ausar as ball handler and offense initiator. it just bugs me that they're willing to go so high on duren and are apparently not even thinking about moving him. in the end, it means they move stewart, which should be enticing to lots of teams.

form is fleeting, talent is not. davies and david are really good, especially davies. but when your best player is a right back? youre probably not winning a world cup.

I'd like if but am out of reactions.

Driveway weather update;

I would trade any one of those prospects in return for a 100% guaranteed championship. Sure. That’s an easy one.

You can't guarantee championships.

Hey you remembered! Thanks!

I dont think there's a player on the Tigers I wouldn't trade for a championship. Seriously.

Losing Skubal for a draft pick would break my heart. Getting a decent haul for him would make it easier but it would still hurt. Losing Mize would bum me out a bit but I like him more than some fans do. But when it comes to trading Skubal or Mize? Sorry, but I don't have much faith in Harris. I really hope he surprises me if either (or both) of those guys have to be dealt.

Not for any rental. As I said, With Minnesota I would have included any but McGonigle for Joe Ryan and any but McGonigle and Clark (ideally not Rainer) for Duran.

This time of year I may see a graphic on the TV or hear a radio broadcast where they talk about the standings, but I generally don't make a habit of look at the standings too much until probably at least July these days. Just the general comments I hear floating around as I live life, kind of give me the sense of what I need to know where the Tigers stand in the standings. Today was the first time I actually went to a site this entire season just to look at the standings to finally figure out "Okay, how good or bad is the situation?" Basically what I've heard is what I saw about the Tigers status. But while I've heard the AL isn't that good this season, it wasn't until I saw today's standings I realized just how bad the AL is. Five teams with winning records and the two with .600 win percentages are in the East? I didn't click on the AL Wild Card standings, but even the Angels (didn't know they had the worst record in the AL) aren't dead. They win five straight or eight of 10 I'm sure they'd be no worse than five games out of a playoff spot. I've heard the AL is pretty weak this season. But until I looked at those standings, I didn't realize how weak the AL really was. Hey, it benefits the Tigers. I'll take it. I'm still mad of all those seasons about being in the AL East finishing fifth when in the West the Tigers would've been right in the middle of the division race. 🙂

real wages were down again. They are likely to keep falling as long as inflation stays above 3.5% or so.

Would you trade any of those players for a championship?

Two world class players is being generous. Davies is injured and likely will miss the Bosnia game. David has slumped. Bombito is injured and likely will miss the tournament.

I hope 2025 is not peak peak Tigers, but if they fail this year and then lose Skubal and Mize, there is a very good chance it will take a couple more years to get back to that level.

to defend Hinch (after just zinging him) he's banking on Perez regressing to his projection, and he has popped a couple long balls recently - but again mostly RH (4 of 6). When to make the decision to pull the plug on a guy playing below his norm is never better than a guess in baseball. Hinch always tends to play long. That's just his thing and he's always fair game to question on that score, but you can just as easily be wrong playing short. Flaherty being the counter example. He stuck with him and he is pitching better.

Yes Buddha, The USMNT hasn't inspired me into thinking the squad is poised for great things. This isn't their best team by any stretch and I think not having to compete to get a spot probably hasn't helped that process (probably hasn't helped Mexico or Canada either). It's better than that cycle that didn't qualify. And if people look back around here, I said that the US would have serious issues qualifying that cycle. 🙂 My lifetime goal for the US is to get out of the group stage and win in the round of 16 regardless of the team. Being home has to mean something. If it can help them get to the top of the group, then making it to the round of 16 should be reasonably easy. None of what look to be the potential round of 32 teams strike fear in me. Finishing second or getting one of those third-place but advancing spots will be considerably tougher. And for the US nothing is a lock in the elimination rounds. This team absolutely should make it to the round of 32. If they don't, I may have to take the next WC cycle off. 🙂