Edman85

It's clear Jim Downey's character is up to no good!

He's coming off a shoulder injury and could get expensive in arbitration.

47 now, Minimum 6 (Kahnle, Torres, Paddack, Montero, Finnegan, Cobb), maximum 9 (Flaherty, Sewald, Urquidy have options) leaving via free agency. Tanner Rainey seems like an auto-cut. This was my back-of-the-napkin 40 man math: 22 5 11 3 6 1 8 Lock Likely Stay Bubble Likely DFA/NT Free Agent Must Add Maybe Add Javier Baez Beau Brieske Jason Foley Sean Guenther Alex Cobb Hao Yu Lee Garrett Burhenn Kerry Carpenter Jack Flaherty Brenan Hanifee Tanner Rainey Kyle Finnegan Trei Cruz Dillon Dingler Jake Rogers Bailey Horn Paul Sewald Tommy Kahnle Thayron Liranzo Sawyer Gipson-Long Dylan Smith Andy Ibanez Rafael Montero Jake Miller Riley Greene Matt Vierling Jahmai Jones Chris Paddack Izaac Pacheco Tyler Holton Alex Lange Gleyber Torres RJ Petit Brant Hurter Chase Lee Gabriel Reyes Jackson Jobe Ty Madden Eduardo Valencia Jace Jung Tyler Mattison Colt Keith Drew Sommers Justyn-Henry Malloy Jose Urquidy Zach McKinstry Parker Meadows Troy Melton Casey Mize Keider Montero Reese Olson Wenceel Perez Tarik Skubal Trey Sweeney Spencer Torkelson Will Vest

The following can all be true. Tarik Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball 2024-2025. That does not mean Tarik Skubal will be the best pitcher in baseball, or even a good pitcher 2027-2037. The Tigers cannot unilaterally make Tarik Skubal accept a contract after 2026; therefore him not signing an extension or re-signing as a free agent doesn't fully fall on them. The Tigers should not pay a premium to keep Tarik Skubal. That involves the loss aversion fallacy. Tarik Skubal should not take a discount to stay with the Tigers.

Yes. They are off the 40 the moment they file for free agency.

I don't list free agents as Rule 5 eligible because they hit free agency before then. Valencia would have to be protected in the five days after the World Series ends. I even have a note in the header column "Plus any minor league free agents signed." Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jRnDAcv86yGYl1Tq6fdXD1VoGr2Ls5PiRBNEFBXHL3Y/edit?usp=drivesdk Off-season eligible tab.

RIght... Harris was being pretty vague and coy, but eventually slipped it was a pitcher he was talking about when he said the player they would have given up for a bat got some big outs in the postseason. Unless it was Keider...

If the Tigers traded Melton for Suarez and acquired Helsley instead of Finnegan, they would have missed the playoffs.

I like this from Woodbery https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2025/10/critics-say-scott-harris-didnt-do-enough-at-the-deadline-what-if-he-did-too-much.html

The payroll is likely to go up just by virtue of something like 14 guys being arb eligible. Not all will get tendered, but that is a natural raise.

There's no sign-and-trades in MLB. The team with the player has exclusive negotiating rights until five days after the World Series of the final year of their contract ends. There might be the occasional trade where there is a window the receiving team can work out a deal. I feel like that happened with Mookie Betts; it may have with Giancarlo Stanton.

You have to hang onto him because you just made the playoffs and are in position to contend next year. Trading Skubal right now would be lunacy. If he gets hurt, you can sign him at a discount.

I don't either, but he is a smart POBO.

Don't trade Skubal unless the season starts looking bleak. Then shop him at the deadline and see if you can beat the comp pick. It is possible the Tigers move back to revenue sharing payer status, which would mean a pick after the second round instead of after the first.

There is venting, and there is arguing with bad faith trolls. All that does is raise your stress levels, waste your time, and sometimes bring you to their level. Best to ignore it. The last few weeks of trying that has been pretty liberating.

Corbin Burnes to the Orioles Kyle Tucker to the Cubs Are two recent examples off the top of my head.

All good. I'm trying to stay out of here anyways. Just really more giving more advice than anything else that feeding trolls only empowers them and drains you. Ignoring them drains them.

Hey, if you quote people, those of us who ignore their drivel see their posts in here. Just saying...

Right, or somebody gets hurt, or Keith is completely lost at the beginning of the year, or any number of things.

One worry, but not enough to not want to offer. Like I said, it would work itself out. And that 20 year old AA player is the best Tigers hitting prospect of my lifetime. Look around at teams who busted out in recent years and see how many of them are because a prospect or two broke onto the scene.

I only worry about blocking McGonigle, but that seems like something that would work itself out. The pick they would get would be a pretty good one, assuming the Tigers are still getting Rev Share money and get a Compensation 1 Round pick, which would nominally be 32nd to 34th depending on if the Dbacks offer Zac Gallen or Drake Baldwin wins the Rookie of the Year. The Phillies, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Dodgers are all in the CBT Penalty box and their pick moves back 10 spots, so they will all move behind the theoretical compensation pick the Tigers get. If the Mets don't win a lottery pick, then they are in the bonus too and their (likely 17th, very slight possibility 18th) pick moves back 10 spots too.

Minor roster minutia, but Akil Baddoo, Tomas Nido, and Randy Dobnak are eligible for free agency right away. Dobnak is unlikely to take it because he would waive his buyout by not waiting until his option is declined after the season.

Well that explains that: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2025/10/11/if-tigers-gleyber-torres-looked-off-in-the-second-half-heres-the-reason-why/86619052007/ Makes the QO decision a bit more complicated. I would still offer.

I'm offended as a former umpire.

Nice little Ernie homage there...