1984Echoes

I had more more belief in the reliability of Boyd however (aside from Khalif Raymond that is... who I really like as the 4th WR...), than the DPJ/ Antoine Green/ everyone else contingent...

I think this will end up being a Spring Training decision next year. Where is Sweeney at (part-time starter?) Baez (if Sweeney is starter at SS Baez makes some sense as a backup/ part-time from the Right-Side SS/ utility player)? Is Jung ready to take over 3B or not quite yet (and ends up back at Toledo for more seasoning...)? That (and any ST injury) will determine how much to use Vierling on the IF and whether the IF has room for Ibanez. Also, the OF gets a bit crowded if Vierling is used mostly there. I know Malloy would best be served as a LOT of DH and not much OF... I'm just sayin'... Ibanez is here IMO, at least through next year's spring training.

Ibanez had a 1.9 WAR last year and is at 1.2 WAR this year... So he's good at what they need him to do... (Both hit from the right side and be a positive on the IF...).

Skubal was just on (ESPN? MLB? I forget which channel I had it on... I think MLB...) talking about pronation and supination...

I like Tater's point though... Boyd would have been the "dependable guy", regardless whether he was the #2 or #3 guy... Jameson would have been the "explosive guy", again, regardless whether he was the #2 or #3 guy... I think both could be true independent of each other...

Maybe... I don't remember... Just that I sooooo wanted to grab him...

Should of signed the guy I wanted... Tyler Boyd. IMO. He went dirt cheap too, on a 1-year.

Still haven't heard what the corresponding moves are yet... My guess is Baddoo and McKinstry... Urshela can wait a bit longer...

Just to be serious for a sec... This is because I'm getting off the "please be patient, please be patient" messaging I've been running on the past few years? I think this is the answer but... just checking. Beep, beep. (Says the Road Runner).

Plus: If we're angling for the playoffs in 2025, which I think we should be... A shut-down closer would be hugely beneficial in that regards...

Which monster closers are available this offseason, by FA or trade? That's #1 on my priority list: a shut-down dominant 9th inning guy. That pushes everyone else down a notch... which I think would be hugely beneficial for the Lange/ Foley/ Vest/ Holton's on this team... IMO.

I've forgotten about SGL as an "out of sight, out of mind".... But yes, he's definitely in the mix somewhere as well... All will be determined next year, 2025 spring training...

Good point. Pittsburgh's probably thinking... "Crap. Wish we would've known..."

I really wasn't thinking along these (bolded) lines... but it's definitely appropriate. I was mostly thinking along the lines of "if he's ready for MLB then he'll be in MLB, not AAA..." But it looks like everything you've stated and that I've stated is in alignment. +1.

Raises hand... Did both, actually. But McDonald's came first, in high school. Army after high school.

Gotcha. Yeah, it looked like a suggestion of 3 FA's. I would love to get back Flaherty on a 2-year contract but that's probably not feasible. The 2nd guy I think is a "two-way" player who could either make the Tigers rotation or sit in AAA. I think we're talking about the same guy but using different terminology. And... despite the reticence to put too much onto Jobe's shoulders, specifically innings... I think he breaks camp in the Tigers rotation. I'd almost put money on it (if I were a bettin' man...). I'm 99% certain Jobe is on the Opening Day roster.

Here:

I really don't see Harris going out and signing 3 MLB rotation starters, in addition to what we already have now. You seriously believe he would do that?

It's also "too little, too late". And I don't mean that from a bad perspective. I actually mean that from a good perspective in that... Retailers are currently slashing prices in a slightly deflationary move... But in order to "hold onto market share"... that's what they're doing. So it's already too late to be talking about "reigning in corporate price gouging" since consumers should start to see some of these price breaks... I'm talking Wal-Mart, Target, etc...

Plus another reclamation project as Tigermojo pointed out, plus a AAA reclamation project, plus other wannabe's/ hopefuls in Madden, Hurter, Melton, Flores... They should be able to squeeze by with the depth... Hopefully not running into the same health/ injury issues we've had this year...

We would have an entire lefty starting infield (as of now: Madris 1B, Keith 2B, Jung 3B, Sweeney (if he can start) SS). That would make Ibanez and Baez very useful as RH'ed options, defensive replacements, and they can cover (back up) all the IF positions between them.

If Skubal, Olson, and Jobe grab the top 3 spots next year (even if they have to manage Jobe's innings...); then the bottom two can be fought out between Maeda, Mize, Montero, Manning... whoever wins.

Defensive replacement and lefty-facing SS whilst Sweeney is mostly the starter, facing Righties. Baez can also play 2B (has started there before...), and I think 3rd too. And some OF. He'll be the 2025 RH'ed version of McKinstry, with less playing time.

Promoted to AAA? To make up for the Sweeney & Jung moves...?

Between Jung, Keith, and Hao Yu Lee... I think we can get some 2B coverage there. The questions are then: 3B: Can Jung be a positive there? Or if 2B is taken over (by Lee or Jung...), can Keith slide back over to 3B? Can his shoulder hold up there? Is the team better off with Keith at 3B and someone else at 2B? And... Who covers 1B? Can Tork fix his issues well enough that he's our starting 1B'man for at least the next few years? Does he continue to struggle and gets stuck at AAA? Can Keith or Jung slide over to 1B? Can Keith and/or Jung show enough bat to warrant either one of them residing there? Does that fix the problem?