1984Echoes

If teams are avoiding Valdez... I'd rather sign Valdez to a 3-4 year contract over what else is available. More dominant.

PS: If you add in 4 WAR between Baez/Torres... That's 16-18 WAR from those 6 guys... if we can actually get that... Then I think we're having a good year. Just my 2 cents.

I don't see any improvement from Baez or Torres coming... (EDIT: Actually... I forgot Torres health was subpar the last half of the season so if he stays healthy... maybe he has 1 more additional WAR in him...?) But I think Dingler, Tork, Greene & Keith can definitely put up better numbers (both fielding as well as hitting)... I mean... they could also regress... growth is not always linear... But I think those 4, depending on offseason approach (are they dedicated to improvement?), or recognizing a change in approach is needed (looking at you Greene) and fixing it... or just "young guy still growing/ getting better" (Keith and Dingler) has me optimistic that we could get some growth from these... young guys. Just a WAG: I'm hoping for a bare minimum of 12 WAR from those 4 guys. And REALLY looking for 14 WAR. But maybe that is too far a reach. I don't think those 4 are incapable of providing that performance though...

Mize has no control left as a free agent after this season though... What's the selling point? One year of Mize? It seems like that would be a bit of a hard-sell... even to cash-strapped teams...

Exactly. So I don't think Dan Campbell WANTS to be the playcaller. I think he would be OK with it for just a few games... to make certain "the new guy", or at least, I mean a new guy who is new to actual playcalling... that everyone is on the same/ right page. Just my 2 cents.

Actually... Skubal will NOT be traded... Unless Harris receives an offer that is GREATER than the 1st round comp pick we would receive for losing him as a free agent. Think: Kevin McGonigle. If a team offers less than the equivalent of a 1st round comp pick... then why would Harris even bother with a trade? And sometimes, even if a team is scuffling at the trade deadline... they could go on a bender and make the playoffs anyways (see: 2024). So why would Harris trade Skubal when there's a chance of a season ending win-bender (after the trade deadline) after the trade deadline AND get a 1st round comp pick... when he hasn't received an offer good enough to toss that possibility off to the side? IMO.

I don't think that's the correct theme... I think they are looking for fresh perspective, up and coming ideas or new ideas... etc. Dan may actually call plays if one of those guys were hired by the Lions... But I think it would only be short term... until they (the three of Goff/ new OC/ and DC) were certain they were all on the same page with playcalling, specifically during game situations... Which aren't fully realized (as a new playcaller) until those situations are actually staring him in the face. IMO.

Isn't Queen somewhat similar to Stew...? I might hang onto him too if I were them...

Jake Peetz, Tee Martin and David Blough... Starting to look like a theme.

The problem, as usual, is... Boras.

... to overthrow the Constitution of the United States and our Democracy.

Because the Tigers have now just significantly increased the chances that they lose... IE: If Boras makes the argument that salaries are x % higher than during Price's time, and that Skubal is far superior to Price after winning the last two Cy Youngs... The arbitrator may decide that Skubal is worth a bare minimum of $28 mill or more, and go with Boras's number. If the Tigers had offered $25.5 mill, and Boras $31 mill... the arb may break at +/- midpoint which throws it back to $25.5 instead of the over at $31 mill. I think the Tigers increased their exposure to losing by "low-balling". This is what I fear will happen.

I'm shooting for a 4-team trade: Pistons Brooklyn New Orleans GS Receives Michael Porter, Jr (Nets) - $38.3M '25-26 salary Jonathan Kuminga (GS) - $22.5M '25-26 salary Jaden Ivey (Pistons) - $10.1M '25-26 salary Tobias Harris (Pistons) - $26.6M '25-26 salary Trey Murphy III (NO) - $25.0M '25-26 salary Caris LeVert (Pistons) - $14.1M '25-26 salary Ron Holland II (Pistons) - $8.7M '25-26 salary Brandin Podziemski (GS) - $3.7M '25-26 salary Bobi Klintman (Pistons) - $2.0M '25-26 salary Paul Reed (Pistons) - $5.3M '25-26 salary Draft Picks 2026 Pistons 1st 2026 Pistons 2nd (CHARLOTTE) Received 2027 Brooklyn 2nd (least fav BKN DALL) 2027 Pistons 1st SWAP 2028 Pistons 1st 2027 Pistons 2nd (MILW) 2028 Pistons 2nd (best pick NOT going to Utah) 2029 Pistons 1st SWAP 2030 Pistons 1st Total $ IN: 67,000,000 38,600,000 24,100,000 26,600,000 Total $ OUT: 66,800,000 38,400,000 25,000,000 26,200,000 200,000 200,000 (900,000) 400,000 (100,000) Traded Tobias Harris - $26.6M '25-26 salary Michael Porter, Jr - (38.4)M '25-26 salary Trey Murphy III - $25.0M '25-26 salary Jonathan Kuminga - $22.5M '25-26 salary Caris LeVert - $14.1M '25-26 salary Brandin Podziemski - $3.7M '25-26 salary Jaden Ivey - $10.1M '25-26 salary Ron Holland II - $8.7M '25-26 salary Paul Reed - $5.3M '25-26 salary Bobi Klintman - $2.0M '25-26 salary

Anyone think the Browns could give Schwartz a 2nd shot...?

More of this please. Trade assets to me and nothing more, at this point. Add in Harris and Holland and lots of 1sts... I'd like to think we could add 1 or 2 key guys that make this team better/ more suited to Cade and the other young talent/ 3 & D (or at least top-notch defenders) on this team... with what we should have available to trade...

And only 1 turnover. Great ratio.

He'll be an RFA this summer, same as Duren... But because of the injuries my guess is Ivey will want to sign a short-term (1 or 2 years...) contract to try and rebuild any value that he may or may not have. On that basis, I believe Detroit/ Langdon/ JB will want him resigned to try and grow him to as high a play-level as possible, and then cross that next contract bridge when they get there... Is it more valuable to us to see if Ivey can develop to a much higher level on a cheap 2-year RFA, or to use him as the key player in acquiring TM3? And save all our (late round) 1sts (if we keep him for now) along the way...? I have mixed feelings on that... But I'm leaning towards bringing in another dynamic player or two right now to maximize THIS version of the Pistons...

Also: Is Ivey/ Holland attractive? or at least attractive enough, along with the 1sts... And Harris/ Lavert at least mildly attractive enough as salary filler...?

What if it is two 1sts and one swap each? Is that feasible?

I'm not worried about Danielson at all. Just like MBN and so many other young kids that get sent down to the AHL for more "seasoning"... I'm just going to attribute this to the "learning curve" that he is going to have to go through to get up to top NHL speed. He's not there yet... But... He's also still only 21. So... We'll see. That's all we can do is... wait. And see if he can come back stronger, faster, better. Even if that isn't until the 2026-27 season.

Here is a question: Multiple 1sts (actual picks + swaps) plus multiple players for Giannis = yes. What if it were multiple 1sts (less then ALL of them as in Giannis) that swing both Trey Murphy III and Michael Porter Jr.? A core of Cade-Ausar-Stew-Duren-Duncan R. is protected, but anyone else could be included. How many 1sts does it take to get TM3? How many 1sts for MPJ? Is that a yes if it could be swung? Multiple 1sts, protecting our core as I outlined? Equals = Cade-Ausar-TM3-MPJ-Duren as starting 5... Duncan-Stew + (Daniss? Lanier? Sasser? Green? Reid?) coming off the bench. Thoughts?

It wouldn't bother me if Campbell had "input" the first several games of 2026 until he is certain Goff and Blough (or whomever is the new OC) and himself, are all on the same page with what they feel the offense should be.

I agree with this. And if they hire him as our OC... One additional point would be: Our O-Line will be in transition next year. No matter how they try to fix it... there will be new guys, and already-Lions at new positions... IMO. Which means it may take a few games for our reconstructed O-Line to gel. That also means, to me, that Blough would have a few games to refine his playcalling before this "new offense" got up to full speed. Call it... "working out the kinks". Both for the new guys/ new positions O-Line and for the new OC, Blough or otherwise...

Yeah... It's not lunacy or looney... I'm on board with you... IMO, I think it is just simple impatience.

Caught this at M-Live: Cossa’s career-high saves helps Griffins extend points streak Published: Jan. 03, 2026, 10:54 a.m. By Ansar Khan | akhan1@mlive.com Sebastian Cossa recorded a career-high 47 saves and stopped both shooters in the shootout Friday to lead the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves at Van Andel Arena. The Griffins’ 27-1-1-1 record, good for 56 points, is the best in the AHL history through 30 games. They extended their points streak to 17 games, the third-longest in franchise history. John Leonard and Dominik Shine scored in the shootout. Cossa, the AHL’s goaltender of the month for November and December, improved to 15-1-1. Antti Tuomisto tied the game at 2-2 with 2:14 remaining in regulation with his career-high sixth goal. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard opened the scoring at 14:34 of the first period with his eighth goal of the season and extended his points streak to six games. The Griffins are 20-0 when scoring first. The teams meet again tonight in Chicago (8 p.m.). (Postava won this game too (his first game in two months0 to extend the Griffins streak to 17-0-1… (not 47 saves plus two shootout saves though…)).