1984Echoes

Catcher - Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler 1B - Tork, or someone else: Ibanez, Keith, Malloy, Jung, Bigbie, Vilade. (somethin's gotta stick). 2B - Jung, Keith, Ibanez, Lee has a chance IMO, others as utility backups: Vilade, Cruz, etc. SS - You got me here. Cruz on a wild outside shot (I don't think he's ready for MLB in 2025 opening day... just sayin', as a "tryout" to see where he is or how far away...). 3B - Jung, Ibanez, Vierling, Vilade (utility guy has played everywhere except SS and C at Toledo.) Keith if his shoulder is strong enough. LF - Greene, Malloy, Vierling, Vilade, Perez, Bigbie? CF - Meadows, Greene, Vierling, Perez, Cruz (as a utility guy if he were to make it this far, if not, AAA). RF - Carpenter, Greene, Vierling, Perez, Vilade, Bigbie? DH - anyone. Did I miss anyone? Add him in... "whatchu talkin bout willis?"

This is an unknown IMO. And it needs to be found out. By Harris. I think that's a critical evaluation for Harris... We have a crapload of young guys from AAA to 2nd year in MLB. Are they good enough? Or not? Can our development team help them succeed, or not? To your point: do we have the right hitting coaches to help these guys succeed? Sort of a critical component of our developmental team/ and to our future success, if we are to have any. The opportunity/ the time/ to figure all that out, really, is right now. 2024-25. IMO.

Lots and lots and lots of... Dr. Pepper.

This part I don't agree with though. I think this Org has NOT been through any sink or swim evaluation. I think it's been band-aided for the past 7 years because we were going through a rebuild. Slowly accumulate young talent. Sign cheap FA's and trade them at the deadline. That is NOT "sink or swim evaluation". That is simply struggling through a rebuild. Avila failed at a previous evaluation of the team (2022 when we "thought" we were on the upswing and he made moves accordingly... the wrong ones); Harris needs to get this evaluation of his young players correct. Now is the time.

I think that's part of the point... or maybe the key point. Everyone in here is looking at the team from a fans perspective. I mean... obviously. But as a GM: I want to know which of these kids (in MLB, rookie or otherwise; in AAA, or in AAA after struggling in MLB; pitching in AAA and where they might end up in MLB (starter, middle, or late-reliever...); or even in AA (Jobe, Lee, etc...)) I should start counting on, on the "foundation" side of the ledger. And all of these guys are high enough up in the ORG that it's time to see what we have with them. One way or the other. I ALSO, as a GM, want to put my developmental guys, especially at the AAA and MLB level, through a stress test. And THIS is the time to do that. Right now. In 2024-25. From a GM's perspective: I KNOW that this would be a MAJOR pisser for fans.... but IMO, I think it just needs to be done. I would be open with the fans too: "2025 is make or break for these kids. Even if they don't hit their eventual high-points, we need to know if they have enough future to be a part of the solution, or not. Whatever holes we feel we have after 2025, we will look for the best possible MLB solution to drop onto our roster. It takes two to tango of course, but whether it's a top of the rotation starter, a closer, a position player, a SS, WHOMEVER, I will implore Chris Ilitch to put best available resources (biggest money FA, trade for a big contract, whatever) into building around whomever we feel should be a part of this team going forward." That's just my 2 cents. And my locked-in position as well.

They're not all but guaranteed anything. Not lose 110, not win 110. But you already know that.

So you're calling Greene and Keith and Jung and everyone else little leaguers? You should tell them that. Personally.

Maybe just as a utility guy. It doesn't change the narrative.

Based on rookie years for Malloy, Keith, Perez... And Tork & Meadows currently in AAA... and probably getting at least one more chance... (and even Vilade and Navigato... what if these guys are nothing but utility guys... but are BETTER than Kreidler and McKinstry... doesn't that count...?) Eddys Leonard & Bigbie too... And Jung and Dingler not yet exposed to MLB (still in AAA at this point)... And a couple AA guys who have an outside chance of contributing in MLB in 2025 (Lee & Cruz), IMO... And a crapload of pitchers in AA or AAA trying to figure out whether they can push for a rotation spot sometime in 2025 (Jobe, Manning) or are simply middle relievers in MLB (Montero, Madden, Flores, Hurter, Lockhart, etc...) or will completely flop out (is Englert good? or NOT good???) or maybe even should be tried as a closer (Manning?)... And a few 2nd or 3rd-ish year guys trying to prove themselves and their position/ upside/ role in MLB (Olson, Brieske, Faedo, even Greene is a guy I feel should be better than he is right now and I expect improvements this year and next year, and Mize too really...), I'm calling Wentz a most-likely-flop-out... I think this is a 2-year tryout. That may not be popular. But that's how I see it.

Or enough kids could click that we win 100.

Give Max Anderson a 1B'man's glove and let's see what happens there...

Well Spring Training is just to make the opening day roster. I would consider the entire year of 2025 for Harris's (and Hinch's) developmental staff to either get the job done... or not. It may even require a few more AAA-MLB swaps to iron everything out. But either: this Organization is a draft & developmental Org, and successful at it... Or not. I want to see it. And I am perfectly fine with "I'll believe it when I see it"... I agree with that. So, Detroit Tigers/ Harris/ Hinch: show me what you've got.

So IMO... It's time to put their development team to the test. 2025: Tryout camp for all the kids from AA up to MLB. Sink... or swim. Whoever can swim, is on the team.

If the trade offers aren't good enough for Flaherty just QO him and attempt to re-sign/extend him 2-3 more years if he's amenable.

Nope. Ixne. Lots of tears flowing in here I see...

Or make a trade for Bo Bichette since he's available. Not a Harris type of bat though...

If his value drops too low... I would still rather try to sign him to a 2 or 3-year extension if he is amenable. A good vet to have sitting in a top 3 of the rotation. IMO.

Can he be sent to AFL? Give him a 1B glove... just to see what happens. If it's a disaster... give him back his DH gloves...

Some thoughts that I think I'm thinking: I would offer this: In 2025 Spring Training: I don't think they should sign any additional position free agents even after those we have this year walk... Pitching's a different matter, sign whatever's needed to fill out a staff and backups in AAA as necessary. But... IMO: I think 2025 spring training should be a wide open tryout for positions. Lose, and either get sent to AAA (Tork/ Meadows, just as examples), or bought out (Baez) and jettisoned. Catcher: Rogers and Dingler don't have any competition so this is sort of cheating. There's room for both. Any other guys they have are too young (Josue Briseno-19, Enrique Jimenez-18, or Org guys like Crouch, Alphonzo, etc... but those guys can always cover AA and AAA and we can sign a vet AAAA guy like lefty Bemboom just to have extra... So the 1st position I listed is not so much an open competition... sorry. The 2nd position I'll list is... 2B. I'll get to 1B in a minute... but 2B is where there may be a real competition and it's possible a loser here could be sent over to 1B so... this is the next ST position which: should be just as open to Ibanez, as Keith, Jung, and maybe even Hao-Yu Lee. Raking at AA, I think he'll get the invite, even if it's just for a look-see. I don't want to close any doors. What if Keith's shoulder is getting stronger by next year and the team could actually be open to putting him back at 3rd? What if Lee actually steals a roster spot and the team decides he can take a shot at MLB at 2B? Could Jung play 1B? I think both he and Keith should be given 1B gloves and get some practice time to see what sticks. Jung can play in the AFL I believe... can Keith also? Just wondering. 2B to me though, is where the most interesting competition could play out. 1B: Tork either gets it. Or doesn't. If he doesn't, put him back in AAA and let Jung or Keith play 1B. Do we have any other options? I believe Vilade has played some 1B. He's also played all 3 OF spots and 2B and 3B. I'm adamant that he (Vilade) gets a chance at these competitions as well. If all he turns into is a utility guy or a AAAA guy, so be it... but I am in no mood to turn down a guy from entering a competition for a spot. Especially with where we are at 1B... right now. 3B: Whatever the fallout is from Ibanez-Jung-Keith-Vilade-Vierling... will work itself out. SS: I don't give a crap: Give Navigato a chance. Kreidler one more shot. McGonigle and Franyerber are too young at 19 and at Low A or even lower... But Trei Cruz is at AA and playing just well enough... I don't care, give him a shot. We don't have good options here... but unless we get a better one in a trade... I still think Baez has to go. Eat the money, let him go. But I wish we had better competition for his spot. OF: Greene & Carpenter are safe. But aside from those two... the team should call an open competition for remaining spots, both starter and bench. Perez looks good enough to at least be a 4th starter. Maybe with more MLB experience he'll figure out how to make some improvements at the plate... pitchers have figured him out but he's still keeping his head above water.... Meadows looks like he deserves another shot at CF. But there's still Malloy and Vierling and maybe even Baddoo (looks like toast), maybe Bigbie deserves at least a shot. Vilade deserves a shot (IMO). Campos is not ready yet but maybe he gets a ST invite, just for the atmosphere (he should be put on the 40 this offseason...). This year has been mostly... lost. But between this year and next, especially next year... I wanna see which of these guys, if any, look to be a part of a foundation. Whoever doesn't cut it by the end of next year... position-by-position... has to be considered as a hole on the team to be fixed. I wouldn't say that this year because their are too many rookies (Keith/ Malloy/ Perez/ Meadows 1st attempt at a full season and only 37 MLB games last year/ etc...) and guys still at AAA or AA (Jung/ Dingler/Cruz) to get a good read. And with Tork & Meadows flopped so far this year... we don't know how they will come back from being sent back down to AAA. I am hoping we get a much better read/ and better success next year as well of course, to see what a foundation might actually look like. And I'd like that to start next year in Spring Training with a wide open (as much as possible) competition at most positions.

Yes. There can be only so many DH's on 1 team...

So... We shouldn't give up on his bat... Just YET?

So a 4th line grind-liner... Let's see what he can do.

I'd be fine with him as the RHD pair with Edvinsson.

Orioles: Skubal, maybe another spare part if they want one, reliever or OF'er...? Tigers: Coby Mayo, Sam Basallo and 3 pitchers: 23 yo Cam Weston (in AA), 22 yo Nestor German (in low-A), 19 yo Jesus Palacios (in FCL): Who says no?

So do I. I especially like the flexibility... the main thing I was pointing out. As for Cossa, really, it's all up to him. Well... and Stevie's call as well of course...