mtutiger

4 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

Hiura also has a 6/1 upward mobility clause. Worth keeping in the ol' noggin as the month progresses.

It's a really good point... 

2 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

I don't think Ibanez has played 1st this year. Not saying he can't, just I don't think he has. Urshela has...I think. But a correction needs to be made, Tork is good for only one thing, hitting home runs. And that dog don't hunt.

It's fair...

I so think that if Tork goes down, Malloy ought to be the one coming up. Huira is the popular choice because he's a primary first baseman, but we need to see what Malloy has and, ****ty of a situation as it is, it presents an opportunity for him IMO

Malloy deserves a shot, let Canha and Ibanez handle first.

There is real and meaningful baseball to be played here, and I dont know if they can wait out or work out whatever Tork is going through with him in the big leagues right now.

Jason Benetti doing a Droopy Dog impression.... fan-f'ing'-tastic

First or second seems ideal to me.... if the lineup were a little longer, it'd be nice to put someone with speed or OBP skills in the 9 hole to help with the issue being discussed, but that's not a luxury the Tigers have at the moment

8 minutes ago, kdog said:

He was on 97.1 3 days ago saying he wasn't getting sent down...backed him pretty strongly. I'm not sure if something changed.

He's still supportive despite these recent comments (imo), but it's definitely more of a window into the frustration. Gives the sense that they are really trying to work with him and the player may not be reciprocating on their effort.

2 minutes ago, kdog said:

I think they've tried everything..this is probably just frustration. Nothing they do in the cage or on video is translating to the field. 

Totally, it is from a place of frustration or even desperation... it's uncharacteristic of them in the Hinch era to air this stuff out in public and even sort of goes against his philosophy (which he sort of got into with Benetti and Dickerson on their pod).

Fans will love this comment, but I really think this is a mistake to air this out to the media.

48 minutes ago, casimir said:

You’re right about Meadows needing reps.  He’s probably the one on thin ice once Urshela is ready to come back, unless Perez suddenly bottoms out.

I’m not sure Keith is going anywhere soon.  His defense seems to be better than advertised.  He also has shown in his past that he has a bit of a slower performance upon promotion, but eventually catches on.  And, politically, there’s the contract, which shouldn’t matter.

Keith also looks the closest to getting out of this stretch... approach is good, hits the ball hard, etc.

1 minute ago, casimir said:

I don’t know if benching the “core” players is the solution.  I think they need to play. If that’s in Toledo while another option is tried in Detroit, even if only temporarily or to spark something, it is what it is.

Specifically in regards to Torkelson, his asset is his bat.  It’s not defense.  It’s not versatility.  It’s not base running.  I’m not sure he has any value as a bench option.

Contrast that with Meadows.  He can be a late game pinch runner and/or defensive substitution at a prime defensive position.

Its odd because we normally don’t look at it in these terms.  But while Torkelson is arguably the better overall prospect and has shown a better MLB resume, Meadows is the better bench/depth option.  And if they can both get back to what we think they can be, that starter/bench value relationship will still exist (even if Meadows can carve out a starting role in CF).

Defense is a big reason for my tone shift on Torkelson.... I'd be more willing to be patient if he could field decently, but that two week stretch where he was booting balls left and right raises a ton of questions about his overall ceiling. 

Having said all of that, despite the difference in usefulness / tools, Meadows is tricky for the exact same reason you state up top.... he needs reps. Sure, he can be a little more useful while being overall a drag on the team because of speed and defense, but it's not good for his development if he's in a purely bench role or late pinch runner role, he has to be playing. Same with Colt Keith as well.

42 minutes ago, casimir said:

My only retort here is that Harris may have some influence on keeping Torkelson in Detroit.

I've been waffling on sending him down, but its gotten more one sided lately.  And the Tigers are probably getting to that point, too.  They could move Canha to 1B and recall Baddoo.  Or they could time it with Urshela's return, with Canha to 1B and Vierling playing more OF.

I kind of wonder if they might be looking at this road trip as a bit of a marker in the sand.  These are some high stakes games in order to keep up in the playoff chase.  Its a tough ask to get through the Yankee lineup unscathed.  Its obvious that the offense needs something right now.

Yeah, I think he's going to have to do something fairly quickly or risk being out of the starting lineup (in pinch hitting mode as kdog has suggested) or sent down. We're not there yet, AJ and Scott probably aren't there yet, but it's getting closer IMO.

In general though, at least on the SM, it seems to have reignited the debate about whether they should have brought Chapman in or whoever (who, btw, only has a 0.642 OPS at the moment), but the fact remains that the long term success of this team rests on these younger players. Even beyond Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith and Parker Meadows.... all of them did what they needed to do in Toledo, sending them down may help for a reset but, in terms of gaining experience, there's nothing to be gained by that. And at some point, you have to give players runway to sink or swim. You have to be able to find out who these guys are and whether they fit into the long term plans.

In the larger context of this being a much improved team over previous seasons, it's not ideal. But its the reality.... and it would have been the reality regardless of whether they signed a Matt Chapman or JD Martinez or whoever.

Two of the best ABs of the season right there, back 2 back

JK Simmons could probably hit better than these guys lol

Amazing.

2 minutes ago, pfife said:

Good call, yeah same reasoning I had earlier re: stock vs donating but for rich dudes instead of MAGA.   

On another note, it's amazing how Trump didn't so much drain the swamp more than he restocked it with new alligators lol

5 minutes ago, pfife said:

I'm not smart enough to know what that would do to the stock, maybe someone else does, but he'd also have to have buyers and if most people think he's going to raid the company why would they buy what he's selling unless they're just hard core maga (or don't think he's going to raid the company?)

 

Yeah, this is the part that's a mystery to me.... could always be some sort of uberwealthy donor (think like Larry Ellison or Peter Thiel or someone like that) rather than Ma and Pa MAGA

3 minutes ago, pfife said:

Got it, thanks.   I wasn't sure if you meant you didn't believe there was a process or that there was a process and that he'd leverage it.

If I had to wager a guess I'd guess he'll raid the **** out of that company day 1 after that lock in period.   

That would be my guess as well.... although it'll be interesting to see what the share price is at that point lol

2 minutes ago, pfife said:

Are you saying that you'll believe that he sells within 5 month window when you see it?

Correct. 

As a theoretical exercise, it's clear that there's a path to doing it. In actuality, as even the AP article from March states, it's not without complication or without possible legal issues arising from such a move.

I read the article at the time, but the excerpt again kinda paints the picture of a process that is complicated and not without legal pitfalls.

So I'll believe it when I see it.

4 minutes ago, pfife said:

The NPR story said he could sooner if he got approval from the board, which would be basically a rubber stamp b/c it's his family and other trump loyalists.  

I'll believe it when I see it.

Just now, pfife said:

True.  Another thing I was wondering, although this would be mainly reflected in very recent fundraising numbers but.... NPR had a lil ditty this morning about the Trump stock, and they said that some of his supporters are buying that stock in effort to support Trump.

Now far be it for me to infer reasoning on Trumpers, but if I was a Trumper and felt compulsion to get my money into his pockets, and my choices are donating or buying stock, I'd buy the stock.   

Maybe, although he still can't liquidate any of the shares for five more months, I believe.

1 hour ago, pfife said:

I wonder if they're just tapped out for donating to him.   Dude's been asking for money straight since 2015.  I know most of them do it relentlessly but he's taken it to another level.  

That may be part of it.... I also think the polls being more favorable to Trump this time around may be leading to some complacency as well (ie. he's already leading and got it in the bag, why do I need to donate?)

10 minutes ago, oblong said:

I think he’s the favorite to carry his mantle forward.  And Rubio… ?  What a disaster. I can’t believe I wanted him to win in 2016. 

As much as people speculate about Biden and "one heartbeat away" and all of that, boy, that should matter with Trump too. 

Rubio is a disappointment, but there's a little bit of brain matter still going on there as disappointing as the guy is. Vance, on the other hand, seems more like a modern day Manchurian Candidate to me.... just something really really off there.

7 minutes ago, oblong said:

I think that’s far less likely than trump winning the EC. Two reasons. They will now be better prepared. If Biden wins then they will have ramped up security big time.  Trump has no infrastructure or apparatus behind like he did in 2020. Back then he had the defense and military and fbi and all that.  Now it’s just him and some bad lawyers. Nobody has to take his phone calls.  Defeated candidates are nobodies. I remember seeing a picture of Mitt Romney a day after the election in 2012 waiting in the taxi line at an airport. No staff.  No secret service.  He’s just a guy. The minute the campaign is over all the RNC cards are cutoff. You are just a regular schmo.  Sure with Donald it is a little different as a former potus but he’s still not in any position of power to do anything.  

Also, the lackluster fundraising from small donors relative to 2020 during this campaign tells me that there isn't that sort of enthusiasm for Trump this time around.

Doesn't mean he can't win at the ballot box, obviously....

JD Vance would be such a disaster.... as such, I suspect he's the favorite.