casimir

The way things have gone with development, the Tigers should be happy to worry about top dollar arbitration cases with their own home grown talent.

Until the next two game losing streak.

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Still don't. Which brings to mind, what is it that precludes Malloy from being a 3B? Is it something that precludes him from playing 1B, even as a backup to Torkelson?

I think Torkelson was clearly a notch or two below Greene. But Greene as also had the fortune of BABIP so far in his early career. It was .354 last season and he struck out at a higher rate than league average. If that BABIP normalizes, that 98 OPS+ drops. The results were what they were, but perhaps the 98 was inflated a bit.

Getting primed for the midseason tournament.

Yes. And we can go all the way back to last season when Torkelson and Greene didn't look all that ready at the plate.

Exactly. The offense stinks, but the Tigers already have a DH playing OF (but not against LHPs). Defense is an important component of the game, too. They don't have to be fully developed defensive players to be promotable, but they need to have a certain level of adequacy. Malloy has never registered a fielding percentage above .887 in any of his 3 minor league seasons at 3B. Fielding percentage isn't the end all be all, but that first number needs to be a 9. It just has to. The Tigers gave a it a try this first half of the season. It just doesn't look like its going to work out. The bat still looks useful. So let him get defensive reps in the OF before he makes his MLB debut. He's going to have to field somewhere to hit anyway with Carpenter and Cabrera on the MLB roster this season.

Oh geez.....

I think the 9 game losing streak was the low point of the season so far. These past 2 games have stunk, and they've been against one of the 2 worst teams in the league. But every team loses 2 in a row, and the combination of 1-0 and a blowout isn't uncommon.

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I’m not going to assume another 3 to 6 years of losing. I’m going to wait and see how Harris operates. I don’t think last season is necessarily indicative of what to expect. Maybe it turns out to be so, but I want to wait and see how things go.

Been a few Ls, eh?

I’m all for ready to stay as a ball player. If that means defensive work needs to be done in the minors, so be it.

Can’t hit Carpenter leadoff vs the RHP?

I’ll be honest, seeing Torkelson flail in a couple of key plate appearances really, really discouraged me. I’ve been pretty patient with him, I don’t think he’s deserving of all of the guff that he receives given his lack of minor league time. I suspect now he was rushed up too quickly. But, geez, he looked overmatched last night late in the game. Striking out on that inside pitch was just awful.

I'm old enough to remember Kreidler was spoken of as the SS of the future. Why did you morans break him?

In general the positional versatility doesn't bother me. But it might not be for everybody on the field. That might be as much of a mental/intangibles thing as it is a physical/tools thing. So we are probably left to guess and project at times. I'm all for trying guys up on the defensive spectrum. They give it a go with Malloy this season, but it seems they've pulled the plug. OK, fine, he's probably not a 3B, let's move along with him in the OF. As for Keith, I don't know. It might be wise to figure out positions between he and Jung if they are reasonably assumed as MLB players. Maybe they both get 2B for a bit with their respective minor league assignments, see if its a go there for either. But both can't play at 2B in Detroit, so someone has to move to 3B (or elsewhere) or becomes trade bait. Heck, maybe the Tigers have come to the realization that both project as 3B and they need to move one or the other and are just waiting to make it happen at the optimal time.

It takes time to develop players. It also takes time to implement a development system. Let's be honest, the organization was at best bad at getting talent or developing it. It may be that they were guilty of both. They are still less than a year into the Harris regime. My guess is turning that around and into the direction it needs to go is like turning a freighter on the water. It ain't turning on a dime.

McKinstry can return to 2B soon, but we may have seen his best work. I wouldn’t rule Maton out yet, but he’s certainly got work to do. Cabrera and Schoop leave. Nevin should be go as well. I could see one or both of Ibanez & Short leaving, but I don’t think both return. Torkelson & Baez return. I think Malloy is probably no longer an IF option. What do they do with Lipcius? Lots of room for improvement on the IF.

I don't know. I agree with Monroe, how often has he bunted? Is he capable?

Yup. That's kind of what I was getting at. Can Marisnick catch? That might be his only chance once Greene and Baddoo return.

I'm not sure on McKinstry & Ibanez. They may or may not be the best everyday options at 2B & 3B right now. Short might figure into that as well. Maybe a job share of the 3 for those 2 spots? I don't know. As far as the C situation, I think its as simple as Rogers is the primary and Haase gets the day game after night game and Rogers needs a rest games. He can start a game in LF if needed, but that need isn't necessarily sit Carpenter automatically because a LHP is starting. Play him, let him sink or swim with the bat vs LHPs. The only caveat I can think of there is that they might be willing to move him this offseason, and they need to not overexpose a hole vs LHPs considering the glaring hole in his mitt.

Malloy didn't force it earlier this season when he was tearing it up. I don't think it'll happen with either at this point. Next season might be a different story.

Ha! I was wondering about that. Then again, if I were to look in the mirror....