1984Echoes

Or turn into Andrew Miller, vintage 2014-2017.

7 GOOD starts with a 1.95 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, from April through June. His 8 BAD starts however... horrendous. They've gotta be working on what's going wrong for him. Here's a KEY POINT however (and you listed multiple other, not very good options to replace Maeda's starts...): IMO: This waits until Spring Training next year. Maeda stays at least until then. And perhaps beyond that: Skubal, Olson, and...? Even if 3 starters other than Maeda grab spots (Mize, Montero maybe?, do we re-sign Flaherty in the offseason? would Jobe be ready in spring training to grab a spot)... they could still hold onto him as an emergency starter in the bullpen, giving him 3-4 inning outings wherever they can... Plus 6th starts, when needed, etc... And if there is NOT 3 guys who can take away his rotation spot next year, then I think we are stuck with him for one more year. I think we are, regardless. I'm not really so worried about him. He's still a good pitcher (50/50) on his good days. Hopefully they figure out what the problem is. But he's gone anyways after next season and all the hopeful-kids in the Org can work their way into Detroit's rotation whenever they are ready to do so. So no rush, no pressure, we have to just deal with it while he is still here...

Or stick a broom handle up his back.

Along those lines... I'm voting Dem NO MATTER WHAT come November... So... If Biden were to die a couple weeks beforehand, and they decided it would be best to just stick a broom handle up his back even though everyone could EASILY see that they were attempting a Weekend With Biden move... I'd be perfectly fine with that. I'll vote for Biden's Corpse... I have no issue with that whatsoever. After Biden's Corpse has won the election and been sworn in... They'll admit it and say: "I guess we get to see what a Kamala Harris is going to look like for the next 4 years. We could have continued with Biden's Corpse for a little longer, but... the smell was starting to get to everyone...". Whatever happens after Biden is elected... I don't care. At all. I... do NOT... care. As long as Trump's FASCIST MF'ING Scumbag Dictatorship is eliminated from contention... I'm good. With Biden's Corpse... or otherwise...

Just as an aside... I did some splits analysis of Maeda prior to last night's game. But not as posted anywhere on ESPN stats or Baseball Reference or anything like that... Call it Maeda the BAD and Maeda the GOOD splits: Before last night, he had 7 "good" and 7 "bad" starts, which surprised me, I thought he had been worse than that. This indicates that he has been more "Up and Down" versus consistently crappy... I didn't realize he had been equally (start wise) good, as well as bad. (BEFORE last night that is). I defined "Good" as a regular "quality start", but I shifted one extra game onto the good side because it was 3 ER's in 5 2/3 Inn's and I thought: "Damn! Close enough". It does make his "good" starts a little bit less good but, again, close enough. Maeda the GOOD has 7 starts (4/6, 4/13, 4/23, 5/1, 5/24, 6/11, 6/28) spread across 3 months and, I actually was also surprised that they went all the way back to April, and as recent as June 28th... In his GOOD 7 starts, he has pitched: 37 Inn's, 25 hits, 8 ER's, 9 BB's, 28 K's... that's a 1.95 ERA (!!!), a 0.92 WHIP (!!!), and a 3-1 K-BB ratio. So.. Maeda the BAD must be REALLY BAD!!! ... Yep: 7 starts (3/30, 4/18, 5/7, 5/31, 6/16, 6/22, 7/4) spread across 3+ months... In his BAD 7 starts, he has pitched: 26 Inn's, 49 hits, 39 ER's, 13 BB's, 20 K's... that's a 13.50 ERA (!!!), a 2.38 WHIP (!!!), and a 1.5-1 K-BB ratio. So he's either really, really good, or he's getting his ASS KICKED!!! These numbers don't include last night's game... So, a question: Since last night was a BAD start, his next start has to be... A GOOD start, right? He's gotta keep that ratio stable... right?

Eddie Murphy was a spectacular Donkey. He was also a spectacular Mushu. Just like Robin Williams was a spectacular Genie in the bottle...

Just like when Nancy was protecting Ronald in 1984 when signs of his Alzheimer's were already starkly visible... Yes.

Yes, I think there is... Add a space in between: C: That's cheating... so you are still technically correct... just sayin'... C : Ah, yes, was testing something.. so as you can see, I DO have a C : not turn into a smiley face. With OUT the space in between. But here's where it gets weird: You have to start with the space in-between. And then go back and delete the space. I did that using Edit... I'm not certain if you can do it before Saving and Editing... but go ahead and test. C space : and then delete the space. Before saving. And after saving and editing.

That... And they have the best players... Greg, you know we have Gunnar-Adley-Westburg-Mountcastle-Holliday-Coby-Basallo envy... right?

By BABIP.

2 for the Tigers would be fine right now. At least to start with...

We have till the deadline. Greg, can you add keeping our Coke machine filled? 😉

I think that was his weight when they signed him. However many years ago that was... And they've never updated it... Funny.

Which makes Mayo expendable... right?

We already have Dylan Beavers on our team, his name is Parker Meadows. Skubal is a Cy Young candidate this year, the most dominant pitcher in the Majors the past year, and you'd have him for 2 1/2 more years. We're just not going to (our GM won't) let him go for a light package, and he'll look at what you're offering and say "not enough". If our ask is too much, and your GM says no, then we just won't get a deal done. We're not two FA's away... we're a bunch of kids who are learning curves and graduation struggles from AAA to MLB away. We don't know where we actually are. But.. if they catch on quick enough, yes, we're a competitive team, soon. It's just too gray area (too many kids) for anything to be predictable. We've been discussing, on this site, whether Harris would offer extensions to Flaherty and Kelly and NOT make any major trades at the deadline. And we feel that is just as likely, if not moreso than trading Skubal. He won't be easily pried away I'm saying. Flaherty might be available at the deadline, if we don't get any extension done... but at this point, I find it highly doubtful Skubal is available. Unless we're blown away with an offer. I believe that's where our Team/ and GM are, at this point.

That was my starting point a week ago on a trade I proposed. I assume Holliday is off-limits though. Unless you say otherwise Greg... that the Orioles are perfectly willing to include Holliday in a package for Skubal. But on the basis that he is off-limits: Mayo, Basallo, and 3 lower level pitchers for Skubal. We'll add spare parts (relievers like Faedo or Foley if you wanted one? Need a catcher? Carson Kelly would be available to round out a package. And/or an OF'er or IF'er...?) Negotiate.

Do you know this from the Org perspective? What they think? Or is this just your best guess? Just asking...

I'm hoping Jobe is here sometime during 2025... if not on the opening day roster (which I don't think he will be... just sayin'... I don't want to rule anything out on him... I have no idea where the Org thinks he is developmentally or what else/ how much else he needs to work on...). But I'd like to see him on a "significant" basis in 2025... not just as a September call up.

Hmmm.... For Gleyber Torres. I think I've heard of him...

To add further context to that... Does anyone think that Harris has reviewed what he has, enough to make some decisions? IE: If he's looking at Tork, Malloy, and/or Jung... is he willing to make an offseason decision on one or two of them? What about Mize, Manning, Madden, etc...? Anyone else Harris should think about trading? I'm not going to speculate on return. Just on whether Harris would/should be ready to makes some moves...

I don't think they'd be trading for what will mostly be available at the deadline: pending FA's. I think if Harris decides to do some kind of strategic trade it'll be over the offseason. And add someone with a few years of control remaining at least...

Didn't the Yankees trade Andrew Miller and/or Aroldis Chapman and then re-signed one of them as a FA over that winter...?

I think the top 4 should be Keith (LH), Perez (SH), Greene (LH), Canha (RH). After that, Hinch will just have to mix and match as best he can... Just a WAG...

I would view Flaherty and Kelly on the same basis: My first preference would be an extension prior to the trade deadline. Flaherty 2-3 years... if he's agreeable and the two sides can come to an agreement. Same with Kelly. I wasn't thinking about him so much because we have Rogers and Dingler-on-the-cusp.... But to G2's point: He's definitely better than Rogers. So... if we did sign him to, say a 2-year extension, then I would let Spring Training decide things. Meaning... an injury decides things for the team (who makes the opening roster). No injury, and let's say Dingler proves, at least in spring training, that he's ready for MLB... then maybe the team makes a spring training trade of Rogers, or even if Dingler starts in AAA again but shows that he's ready for the jump, an early-season trade of Rogers... to open the door up for Dingler. I think Rogers will have trade value. But my straight-up preference for 2025 catchers would be Kelly and Dingler. So if that happens next year... then whatever Harris gets for Rogers next year is fine by me. And if Rogers is able to hold off Dingler all of next year, sobeit. But it will take all of the above to actually happen (not the Flaherty part...). Nothing has to be decided, today. Let that hash out next year. EXCEPT... Whoever has NOT signed an extension by the trade deadline, is an exposure to being lost at the end of the season for nothing. And is probably - actually, most definitely - worth much more at the trade deadline. So those two are going to be traded at the deadline, IMO... UNLESS they are signed to an extension prior to. I would not be opposed to extending either one, or both of them.

They're looking at his stint at Western Kentucky in 2023, with: 12.2K's/ 9, 2.3BB's/ 9, and 5.2H's/ 9 for a 0.84 WHIP, and trying to figure out if they can squeeze that kind of performance out of him through the A-ball and higher levels... Wingenter was worthless so if Weins just craps out then nothing was lost anyways... I would call it a calculated risk. A good one to take.