SoCalTiger

I don't subscribe to this well known theory. I think talent sprinkled with good health and a bit of luck wins. Last year we traded our number 2 starting pitcher and went on a great run. Players are professionals playing hard for their future as well as the team. I don't think they sulk and despair to the point of not trying.

Good answer but don't you believe in Magic ?

Indeed but doubtful. Maybe best they win so they don't bid on Skubal ?

That's what we have to hope for. That he can trade as well as draft. We are yet to see that. Maybe this off season we will.

Do you objectively think our team as constituted with Skubal and even adding a reliever and RHH can win a ring ?

Or if Skubal pushes a good starter out of their rotation and they send him to us. Perhaps their number four that would be our two or three after the trade or someone very close to major league ready. But your point is well taken and most likely the case.

Dodgers are rolling four maybe five games max.

I agree. He almost let the Tigers advance pitching to Carpenter as well.

So true. Many many options available. And I do think we can get one MLB piece, one close and one high end minor leaguer for Skubal and then sign some solid free agents. Adding Cease lessens the blow as you suggest. maybe we get Miller or Woo from Seattle along with Emerson. That keeps us competitive as well. Add Cease and Bryce Miller to our staff and it's still solid. Add some SOLID bullpen pieces. We can get to 87 wins with that....

Feel bad for Seattle. Their manager left their closer in the bullpen during the key moment of the game. At least we know Hinch wouldn't do that. Gotta be a crusher for their fans. Now it's on to the team that got Ohtani and the team that got close. Shohei v Vladdy. Japan v Canada.

I will add that if the offers come in like Mr. Kline is saying then Skubal will be traded but I don't think the offers will be that good nor do I think Skubal's payday will be as high as projected. Stearns/Mets don't like paying Big Dollars for pitching, the Dodgers don't need Skubal, the Phillies payroll is maxed and they will add Schwarber and Realumto back for big $, the Yankees payroll is up there also plus the HUGE SHADE of the 2027 Labor negotiations and potential payroll cap will temper the free agency after 2026 greatly. So keeping Skubal and "playing it out" remains the most obvious outcome to me.

Seattle offer looks promising also. They are the best offers I have seen. Solving shortstop and or third base and adding a starter makes any deal plausible. I see McGonigle at second and Keith as liability on the field apart from first base which is covered. Rainer is many years away, Sweeny a bust and Baez is aging so landing Colt Emerson and starting pitching with one being already in the majors sounds very tempting.

Is players moving from position to position a good thing for offense and defense ?

I have one nagging thought and that is why didn't Skubal pitch the seventh inning ? He was throwing 101 so how could he have been "gassed " . Did he not want to pitch the 7th ? Did he try to go back out ? Did Hinch take him out to "protect' him ? Is Skubal only worth 6 innings even in an elimination game ? Did he place Free Agency above the team ? I do not know the answer to any of these questions but it makes me wonder about his real value if your paying him for the post season and we have been eliminated two years running with him on the mound in elimination games and his pitch count is pre determined.

Thanks so much for the list. I think Liranzo is a must add and Vierling a lock. I wouldn't protect anyone on the Bubble including Jones because Vierling replaces him. Does it say something about the real strength of our team in that we only have 22 "locks" or is that about average for playoff contenders? Seems low to me especially when some are so-so like Sweeney, Malloy, Jung, Gibson-Long in waiting for results and Hurter. Some fragile-injury prone and others short term control. Not too many solid stars if evaluating objectively and not as fan. Less than 10 or so. Maybe 6 proven stars ? Skubal ,Greene, Tork, Dingler (our best non pitcher IMO), Carpenter and Vest. Melton very promising. Do you think Harris evaluates the team on this manner ? His comments about players coming up and improving the hitting approach indicates this to me. And if Harris believes both to be true doesn't it lead to a Skubal trade ?

The one advantage Detroit has right now over the field is the ability to pay Skubull ( I hope I spelled that right 🙃 ) a large contract in 2026. I assume Boras and Skubal want to "set the market" which right now I believe is Yamamoto $325 million 12 year deal starting with his age 27 season which is big difference than starting at 31 for Tarik in 2027 BUT we could start it at 30 so perhaps offer 10 years $400 million with $100 million ( or what the amount should be) deferred so the Value is more than $325 AND he can say 400 out loud. That would be real hard to pass on for a once TJ recovering starter even with two consecutive Cy Youngs. It might be fiscal malpractice but with so many young stars we can handle 35 million per year (actual cost) and Skubul can set the market while remaining in Detroit. If he walks from that then well open the bidding with no regret.

If Harris does not believe in windows you have to trade Skubul if you get an excellent return and the players are near major league ready. That's why I like Painter-Miller and Johan Duran. We get a closer and potentially a shortstop and pitcher for multiple years. Then use Skubul $$ to plug multiple holes .

Just my initial thoughts for 2026 without much research or thinking I come to the following : 1. Trade Skubul. We won't sign him, we have fallen short twice with him at his best and starting pitching is fragile. Best option is the Phillies- the owner is motivated and DD will deal - I offer them Skubull- Jaden Hamm- Jake Rogers and Jace Jung for Andrew Painter- Eden Miller - Johan Duarn and Nick Costellanos ( a salary dump for DD to help sign Schwarber back). I would be willing to exchange Max Anderson for Jace Jung if required. I'm adding good minor league talent to help offset the Phillies loss of two top 100 prospects. But they have the same core for three yers now and will want one more push which Skubs provides. 2. Sign Bregman. Third base needs to be fixed and with Skubs gone we can overpay. 3. Offer Gleyber Torres the one year qualifying offer. Try to keep him for one more year if possible. 4. Keep Mize and take the 4 million option on Urquidy for depth. 5. Sign or trade for Zac Gallen or similar level solid # 3 starter for 3 to 4 years around 15-17 per year 6. Sign or trade for a solid lefty for the bullpen. Keep Finigan to pair with Vest and Duran at the end. 7. move on from mediocre- Jung-Ibanez - JHM- Sweeny -etc

We're gonna BERT them all next year.

shoot...

playing with fire now

yikes...

why take Jack out ?

2-3-4 zero for 18 might do it ?

Last plane for Toronto leaving soon let's finish this