1984Echoes

I think it's time for this thread also to get started... General Detroit Lions topics outside of the game threads... First topic: After they set the 53... I'm going to guess subsequent practice squad: Starting with Hendon Hooker. I'm going to guess here that they try to keep him, on the practice squad... although DC might just be ready to move on (from his comments...). So this is maybe even less than 50/50. More like 25/75. But guys I think they will DEFINITELY try to keep by putting them on the PS: Deon Jackson, RB Jackson Meeks, WR Tom Kennedy, WR Kingsley Eguakun (I think he doesn't make the 53 but they want to keep him in the Org...) Mitchell Agude, Edge Nate Lynn, Edge Anthony Pittman, LB Nick Whiteside, CB Erick Hallett, DB Ian Kennelly, S Morice Norris, S I think the team actually LIKES a lot of these guys that they are releasing... they're releasing them early to try and slip them through the cracks... IMO. But... We'll see.

I'm going to take a wild guess that there is actually some ability in there. And if this year is a practice squad year (Lions or otherwise...) I think the UFL is a great suggestion. I think he needs a vast amount of work IN-game, on-the field, so he can actually develop some timing/ reading (defenses)/ etc... and the UFL is the place for him to get it. So... we'll see.

Not really. They're thinking of Decker's past history of injuries. First priority is a competent starting or starter-replacement tackle. That's not Skipper. He's the gimmick guy. Or the 3rd tackle for a "Heavy (3 OT's)" line... They'll get him back on the roster. After they put guys on IR...

Bert + Anti-Bert = nothing. They cancel each other out. So... New ballgame in the bottom of the 5th...

Who STILL has to negotiate per his client's wishes/ demands. If Max tells Boras "I want one of those 8 year deals with little-to-no MLB experience"... Boras will get him the best 8-year deal he can on that basis... If Skubal tells Boras "It's Detroit or nothing."... Same thing. On Skubal... I think he desires finding out his market value on the open market; which Boras would agree with. On Max and McGonigle and Clark... I like those 8 year deals for kids that you REALLY believe in... I like the Keith deal, for example...

12-5. 13-4 if they avoid injuries and Goff has good protection. If they struggle with a few (hopefully very minor) injuries and O-Line learning curve issues, then 12-5.

Lions Practice Squad. IMO.

Like a horse race... "Tork back in front leading Wenceel by a nose .815 to .812..."

I think his ears must have been burning...

Good Jack is worthy of the #2 spot in our rotation. Bad Jack creates problems in the rotation for us... especially come playoff time... IMO.

Wenceel bypassed Tork in OPS (.816 to .813) with that HR...

I think Sweeney just read my posts on his smartphone and decided to take some positive action... 😉 Nice triple BTW...

But they trust Sweeney's...? Or Sweeney's bat?

I could live with this. Especially if Holmes could finagle a 6th/ conditional (stays on roster all year) 5th...

I want to bring up Trei Cruz and send down Sweeney. See what happens with that...

The argument for cutting Hooker I think would go something like this: 1) Cut him. As the last cut. 2) No team is going to add him after the last cuts (this obviously is a guess/ the biggest risk) 3) We can put him on the Practice Squad and try to "coach him up"/ develop him there. 4) If we do NOT cut him then we have to cut: ________ ___________ . Personally, if the decision were to cut either Hendon Hooker or Jackson Meeks (just as an example of the last cut choice...), I'd rather keep Meeks. If we can get Hooker over to the Practice Squad where the coaches can work on him/ with him... That's what I want to do. It's a risk... should we attempt it...? Just my 2 cents.

Keep that GOING!!!

There is a flipside to this. Come Spring Training 2026, all bets are off. It doesn't matter if they are on the 40 or not. It doesn't matter who IS on the 40 come ST 2026. If Clark and McGonigle (one, or both) kick everyone's ass in 2026 ST, and the Org BELIEVES they are ready for MLB... Then room will be made on the 40. They'll break ST with the Tigers. And... it does NOT have to be at SS and CF. Gleyber is a FA after 2025, is he not? Who is playing 2B next year? Why not McGonigle? We can still throw out baez at SS until we get a better option... If Clark is able to make the 26 AND Parker is able to keep CF, Clark can easily shift to Left or Right. What is our best defensive OF in 2026? Who provides the most Offense? What if Calrk actually DOES steal CF in ST 2026? I'll let Hinch work that out. But I have ZERO expectations for next Spring Training so whatever happens, happens. I would just be ready for a mild shocker. With the 40 being ZERO impediment in ST 2026. Which may not be a shock at all to some...

They are. Bratwurst or Italian sausage subs are FAR superior!!!

Conversely... The Org could call up Trei Cruz as a band aid for 2025. just to cover Sweeney/SS after they demote him... And open up the SS position in Spring Training 2026 to all competition. Just a guess.

I think last year, Skubal didn't have enough history to command that package. He missed a lot of 2023 with injury and pitched well at the end of the season. In 2024... he hadn't won a Cy Young or anything at the trade deadline... And pitched a partial season the year before. I think aside from the Orioles normal "reticence", and even with 1.3 years left at last year's deadline... teams may have been leery of Skubal's recent health history or just weren't 100% certain about him... But in the 2025 season: Skubal pitched well at the end of 2023. He won the CY YOUNG in 2024!!! (I'm saying this from a marketing perspective... not trying to all-CAP's everybody... the CY, or pitching at that level, is a huge selling point for a pitcher, obviously...). He pitched 192 dominant regular season innings last year and ALSO pitched just as dominant in the postseason, with 19 innings at 0.79 WHIP and 2.37 ERA. What is he doing this year? Leading the Cy Young AGAIN. IMO.. I think the track record, right now, says he's the most dominant pitcher in MLB... right now. To your point, there are teams, probably a lot of them or most of them, who are looking at the 1 year of control and won't offer a package because he doesn't have 2 years or more of control. The Rays and Marlins can automatically be ruled out, of course, amongst others. But I think you are ignoring the fact that certain other organizations operate on a different basis. The Dodgers and Phillies, and sometimes Yankees and Mets, and maybe even a few others, are hell-bent on World Series Championships. you know Dombrowski is. You know that Dombrowski has no reticence whatsoever offering a package of players for a MLB player that he wants. It doesn't matter if it's Miggy, Scherzer, Fister, or anyone... If he wants Skubal, because he thinks he can win WS Championships with him, he will go balls out with everything it takes to get him. You know he will. You know he has no problems whatsoever working with Boras. The Dodgers? Money is no object. And what is the greatest threat to them winning WS Championships? Right now: It's the Phillies. And Brewers. And their problematic starting pitching after Yamamoto. They also will go all out to get a player they believe gives them a huge advantage towards winning championships. Including having to work with Boras. Including making a massive extension offer that satisfies Boras and Skubal and prevents him from getting to free agency (same with Dombrowski, who has a track record of doing exactly THAT!) And including giving up the prospects necessary (IMO) to block other teams from doing that and to put themselves in a position to work with Boras on an extension and getting it done. So... I could be completely full of it and my little "Godfather package theory"... But we'll see what happens this offseason. I won't be surprised if...

I did NOT say set us up better for 2026. I specifically stated that we would have just as good a chance in 2026... It's a small difference, but it's there... Which is predicated on "it's a crapshoot in the playoffs so just get there". As in, anyone can get hot. As in... it wasn't Denny McLain of 31 wins in 1968 that won us the championship... it was Mickey Lolich. I know you know that. It might not be Skubal who wins us a championship. That's just how baseball works. And I won't disagree with you on WANTING Skubal in 2026 because I love having dominant players and Skubal is a majot one. But I also know that "getting hot at the right time" counts for more than just one dominant player. And I'd rather have multiple dominant or near-dominant players that set us up for both 2026 and the next 5 years rather than one dominant player and betting ALL the money on that one player/card winning everything for us. Especially when that ONE player is a pitcher. I prefer a huge package for Skubal... sorry. IF there's one actually out there... I mean, I'm just guessing there will be.

I don't agree with this. I've waffled quite a bit between hanging on to Skubal for 2026 and settling for a draft pick after he leaves... And hoping he takes us all the way next year. Or trading him in the offseason. I believe we will get major offers this offseason. Offers that are too hard to pass up. This isn't all on you Shelton so others can pipe up or respond... just quotin you as the lead-in... I think it's convenient for someone to say "but they're only trading for ONE YEAR of Skubal!", except... that's not how certain Organizations think. We in fact, traded Maybin & Miller and other spare parts for Miggy and then proceeded to IMMEDIATELY extend a huge contract for him. After arbitration, they signed an 8-year $152 mill extension... before his free agent season even started. No one in here thinks that can't happen again? Dodgers? Phillies? Yankees? Etc. No one thinks they won't do the same? It doesn't even matter that it's Boras. Any one of them could easily sit down with Boras and hammer out a contract. In Spring Training 2026. And with that... After Skubal wins his second Cy Young this year... Big offers will come in. Here are two I guessed at on Page 3 (or 4) in here: Dodgers Offer: Emmett Sheehan, 25 yo RH SP; Emil Morales, 18 yo RH 3B; Josue De Paula, 20 yo LH OF; Jack Dreyer, 26 yo LH RP; Alex Freeland, 24 yo SS/3B. Phillies Offer: Andrew Painter, 22 yo RH SP; Justin Crawford, 21 yo LH CF; Orion Kerkering, 24 yo RH RP, Aidan Miller, 21 yo RH SS/3B, Mavis Graves, 21 yo LH SP (NEEDS to be converted to RP though...). Those are GOOD packages. And they will set us up not only for the future (better than a 2026 comp pick), but ALSO for 2026. We have just as good a chance to win it all in 2026 with either of these returns, as we do with just Skubal. IMO. And Dombrowski has NO reticence to trade big name prospects... None at all. Neither do the Dodgers, who are ALL-IN chasing championships. I think it's wrong to just dismiss offers that we will receive this offseason out of hand. Not saying you're doing that Shelton... but I think others are...

More than that. Trump and the ICE wanted IRS records to track down legal/illegals that they didn't like so they could deport them and... the IRS head refused. So he got canned. And Bessent will, obviously, hand over the records to the ICE.

They need some help though... I'd like to see Kasper up there with those two. Probably Edvinsson too... except I like it that they have them separated so there is one dominant D on the ice most of the time. That would make it hard for both Seider AND Simon to be up there... And... they need to find the right partner for each of them.