gehringer_2

Your are correct it is easy to be cavalier with language - but I find all the semi-faux secrecy in the NHL irritating so I'm a little cynical about it. Certainly if a player has a problem, deal with it, but it seems only the NHL gives you these nightly kabukis about player availability.

Is that what is going on? We have no idea - he could on a bender or have a sick Mum or they could be playing games avoiding the injured list for all we know. So the answer to your question ends with the "IF".

It would be too simple to have a good player who is not a head case. I just hope it's not going to turn out that we have two players who have become head cases. But FWIW, Blashill doesn't seem to sound frustrated by whatever is going on with Larkin.

??

I think all these guys get what certain people would call 'drunken sailor' money. We are probably wasting our time talking about them.

Indiana has made him look like it.

McCarthy may have all kinds of athleticism but his pocket sense leaves a little to be desired.

Funny thing, for all the criticism of the offense, M can score and McNamara can throw just fine- it's the D that is what keeps this team out of consideration as any kind of great team, even with the 2 hot DE's.

I"m not sure the staff was even all on the same page on the TO call. Typical M sideline chaos under JH.

quite the last 10 minutes for the Wings. Bertuzzi turning into some kind of two way player.

AAV might be there but hard to believe someone won't offer him more years. Heck the Tigers would probably offer him at least a year or two more.

without checking I think Greiner is out of options so he is likely gone.

Another game, another day in the Dylan Larkin saga

I read the only Tiger FAs from this season were Teheran, Peralta, Urena and Holland. Those 4 are already off the current 40 as per the Tigs MLB site - which was at 39 just now. (and Garneau is still there as well)

Fulmer to the rotation is definitely something I hope they are looking at - esp since you do have some MilB guys who might end up being able to back fill the BP. Cisnero is a question mark on this. His Sept created some doubt about what he's going to be in '22. If he is solid, he and Soto are a good R/L set for max leverage. If Cisnero doesn't recapture his command in ST, it would be harder to move Fulmer to the rotation.

Hutchinson and Krol waived. https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2021/11/05/detroit-tigers-pitchers-drew-hutchison-ian-krol-become-free-agents/6303247001/

11 yrs is a long time to flog an advertising concept.

Boyd will be good for about 1/2 the season IF they sign him and Avila appears to be willing to play a little hardball there so that's open. Not sure there is reason to assume Manning pitches any less than Mize or Skubal in '22 but that's a small nit to pick. I still think it comes down to which position they are able to make the premium play at - SS or SP because I believe there will only be one signing in XS of $20M/yr. If it's a SS, then the two pitchers signed will both be mid to back end. If they score a Robbie Ray+ level SP, we are looking at an additional 5th starter type and SS that doesn't include any of the top FA names. It's the total dollars that are going to drive it. The MO seems to be that Chris Ilitch gives them a number and they mix and match up to that number. The number is going to be bigger this year than it has been in a while, but I still tend to think it's going to be a hard number (now reduced by Barnhardts 7.5M) that is less than would allow 2 $30M signings.

Exactly right. Though it's possible they may look at Wentz as part of that formulation. BTW- is Faedo pitching somewhere this winter? Shouldn't he be ready to be doing something somewhat competitive by now?

We are getting an increase in cases on campus and the vax rate is 97% so those are all breakthrough positives. But OTOH they are not getting sick. At some point - and I'm not advocating it's now - preferably when the vax rate is higher or one of the therapeutics proves out, we are going to have to be OK with low severity spread in the vaccinated population. As a lot of people has already said, this one doesn't look like it's going to away, it's just going to get pushed down to part of the background noise.

Liberty's entire campaign has to be one of the most insipid I've ever seen. Probably sells like crazy....

I think that's OK for now - he has get get buy in from his teammates so a little extra sharing of the ball may be a good investment for him for getting the ball back more often later.

looks like he pretty much stopped throwing his slower breaking ball - he was over 90% FB/Slider in '21, so he's basically got his walks under control as a 2 pitch pitcher. Is that sustainable as a starter? Then again, what's a starter anymore?

no offense taken but I didn't say the question was foolishness, I said some of what is taken as serious evidence is foolishness.

wow. The Red's really went cheap - didn't even offer him the buyout. Surprised no other team was willing negotiate with the Reds to get him before they waived him as in the Barnhardt case. I guess the Cubs' scouting report must have been better than anyone else's.