gehringer_2

yeah - unless Turnbull is one of the unlucky ones with a less than successful TJ he is a lock to be back in the rotation. But I think the possibility of Boyd being back are shrinking.

A shortstop not named Corea or Seager.

A second line like McCarty, Maltby and Drapes would be to die for for the current Wings. They are not a particularly gifted forechecking team once you get past Bertuzzi. An area where the loss of Glendenning hasn't been made up.

I'm really curious about whether Livers can make in the NBA. He always struck me as one of those players that had more impact than his numbers in College, and I suppose that usually doesn't translate well.

I do. I think they have picked a number and when they get to it they are done. But we won't know what it was until they spend it.

I guess he wouldn't be 1st big time scorer at lower levels to find out his skillset doesn't get the puck in the net in the NHL. If he's not going to find his scoring touch though. I'd still hope he could at least turn himself into a Draper type player. One of the early games this season I remember the Wings were on a PP and they put Zadina slot right and must have fed him a dozen passes and I'm not sure if between fanning on the puck and missing the net he managed one shot on goal. Pretty frustrating sequence for a guy who was billed as a shooter and scorer.

IDK - not so much. He's a left hand hitting catcher. Even if all goes perfectly well with Jake (or Dingler) having a L/R catching combo is an ideal situation. Nobody gets overworked and since Jake and/or Dingler aren't too expensive it may not bother them to spend a little on Barnhardt's side of the platoon.

Honestly, I don't think they want to know, because once they know, they will have to do something, and it will be something they don't want or don't know how to do. ( e.g prevent guys from throwing so many breaking balls)

this is the thing for me as well. At UM, these kids have already had their tickets out punched. All the energy and resource spent making them feel comfy may be nice but is doing nothing for all the kids down at W. Chicago and Meyers whose role models are the local bangers.

Ha!. But you know they can make $50M/yr easily just with attendance increases if they put a playoff contenting team on the field. A good Tiger team should draw 1,500,000 more fans in '22 than in '21. If you figure the take per fan is in the $50 dollar range that's actually $75Million.

that's fair - I guess the counter argue is that it's somewhat impossible to know if you've signed the wrong player because what does in most players on long deals is injury and those are unpredictable. We probably would have had no complaints even about Cabrera's contract if he had had Nelson Cruz's health and he had been chasing his 600th HR this year instead. So maybe it's just safe to assume a certain percentage of your long term deals will go South no matter who you sign, and that becomes an argument for at least limiting your exposure with them. Or try offering a premium for taking fewer years - but I don't know how many players that would temp.

Rodriguez is a lefty. Skubal is a lefty. Alexander is a lefty. Boyd could definitely be moving on.

More likely scenario for him is that he might be ready to help in the BP in the second half.

I'd argue Candy was a little better than his numbers on the basis that admittedly, he did have stretch early in the season when he was not sharp, and with defensive stats it's really hard to work off the impact of any miscues once they are tallied. But I thought he settled down and was solid the rest of the year. Not the greatest 3B going to his right, but I think he's good enough his D is not a concern.

Issue with Zimm was that even at the time the handwriting was on the wall about his FB. Haven't taken a look yet at any of Rodriguez's trends!

I think TenD has it right. This is the splash, a 2nd pitcher will be a reclamation project or Peralta 'innings eater' type. So they have upped payroll by ~$23M/yr so far. I wonder whats left in the kitty? Another $25M/yr I'd guess.

yup - BoSox are a bad defensive team - IF and OF

TBF, there has been a lot of pushback, but not enough to right the ship IMO https://slippedisc.com/2021/10/leftwing-students-call-for-michigan-to-reinstate-bright-sheng/

yeah - I'd go with the 2nd. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/arts/music/othello-blackface-bright-sheng.html

not exactly comparable but we remember Scott Mitchell had a season that made us all think we had QB locked down for a decade. He then spent the next two seasons turning into a pumpkin (not to mention one his own linemen came to hate!). So we've seen QBs regress. Who knows why?

If they are going to move Zadina I'd do it yesterday. I think his stock is dropping. You put him out there with better players and all it does is highlight his lack of finishing skill.

and honestly, if you do think he has the talent then sending him out there hurt when he can't perform just makes everyone else doubt him and your assessment of him.

I get that logic, but it shouldn't apply to the case of injury. A player at any position is sat down when they are too hurt to be effective. That shouldn't be a source of controversy or jeopardize his locker-room standing.

that assumes they really care if they win. Play a QB so banged up you only throw for 11 yds in a half in today's NFL and persuade me you really care if you win or lose the game as much as some other set of longer term agendas not in public view. FB coaches are some of the greatest pitchmen going. They'll swear away any kind of reality to get to where they are really going.

it a one in thousand shot - it doesn't matter if you throw it all the way the end zone - but the further the better.