mtutiger

I get it, just thinking more about how this conversation got started within the context of blame/credit that AJ Hinch gets when things are going well or poorly with this team. To me, it's one of these situations where Al, clearly, has done a bad job running this organization *and* AJ Hinch, while a successful manager that the organization is lucky to have, is also human and makes mistakes within the context of his job. Both of these things can be concurrently true and are not necessarily contradictory. In terms of this organization, just purely looking at it, I don't know that its the worst farm system in MLB and is probably closer to middle of pack than the worst. The problem is that, aside from the high draft picks, the talent that they have in the upper levels tends to be pitching. And yeah, I believe that's real.... there's a question of how successful some of these guys will ultimately be, but Manning, Brieske, Faedo, Olson, Garrett Hill, etc., all these guys are capable of being major leaguers imo. And some of the individual drafts returns have been Godawful, 2017 being one of the better examples where the grand sum of major league talent produced outside of Round 1 is Will Vest (iirc). Maybe that's gotten better over time (we'll see, they did produce Skubal and Brieske and Colt Keith looks like he could be something), but after five years of a rebuild, it's seems unthinkable to have a farm system that is so lacking from a position player perspective.. when you look on the infield and outfield, there's just not much depth. Fans have every right to be angry about that. Where they go from here, IDK.... I did mention in the other thread that I was skeptical that they would do the kind of reorg that they did if they were parting company with Avila, but nonetheless I have no choice but to see if some of the folks that they have hired and systems they have implemented can at least help turn things around or even help some players that are currently in the system. As much as I would love to, this is the team I grew up rooting for and I'm gonna continue to do so.... as much as I sometimes wish I grew up a Dodger fan lol.

Is there anyone here who actually believes or who is arguing that Avila has done a good job as GM? The conversation overall about the failures of player development for the Tigers is an interesting one, but it also feels like we're taking baseball bats to Strawmen here.

Matches my experience as well. And even in well established practices, every project is different, there are differing variables that have to be taken into account. And you aren't gonna be able to spreadsheet your way into an answer in every instance.... engineering judgment is involved. No different with baseball, one can imagine. But at the end of the day, quantitative data is great, especially when you have easy access to it (as MLB managers / front offices have, and even fans for that matter with Baseball Savant). But it's far more useful when synthesized with qualitative analysis as well... the eye test still matters.

He shouldn't get credit for it.

Not to mention that Mitch probably won't be majority leader beyond 2026. Even if he were to stay consistent on the filibuster, there's no reason to believe his successor would share his views

Yep.... 100%. They've been hit with the injury bug (with Kreidler / Reyes), but even so, they aren't even in the position that led to Willi getting playing time in left in 2021 (ie. Hill and Baddoo colliding with one another in Baltimore and losing games, Niko Goodrum being lost to a hamstring in the same series). I get why they are keeping Willi around, and that may be as much of an Al thing as an AJ thing, but the experiment of putting him out in left should have been left behind in 2021. It's not like this is a new criticism.

I'd start here.

Picked up Blackburn in Fantasy BB... would love to be proven wrong, but doubt it. L

An idea which isn't inconsistent with thinking Al isn't a good GM and should go. Or even that AJ, on the whole, is a good manager. Both things can be true at the same time. Some just seem to get really touchy when you question AJ on game decisions and the possible impact on the outcome.

The current dynamic reminds a little of the Millen/Mariucci era for the Detroit Lions where people's (accurate) views on Millen really clouded or impeded a lot of justified criticism of the coaching staff, particularly a coach coming from a winning culture/franchise into a less successful one. I suspect that it will work out more successfully in this case, but from my recollection, similar dynamics at play.

Not sure who you are referring to, probably me, but I honestly don't care if Avila goes or not. My only point is the new hires in minor league development are a tell that its not going to happen. The team wouldn't be doing a big reorg if Al's departure was imminent. Regarding your comment about the press, Cody Stavenhagen at The Athletic, who is pretty independent on his reporting and not above criticising the front office, has reported extensively on this. And no, it hasn't been reported as being a novel concept. AJ is great, hope he manages here for a long time. But he isn't above criticism, especially for in game decisions. Nor is everything that positive that happens on him or negative on Avila. This team, whatever it's talent level, is populated by professional athletes with track records. And, to G2s earlier point, at some level, the guys need some scrutiny too when they don't match up with track record.

Gord's Gold... that's the good stuff there!

Warren Morris and Ramon Santiago? Well, they could pick it anyway... lol

And he can't play defense, of course. If you are coming off the bench, and you're hitting skills are a mirage, that's a must. I know nothing will supplant the Eric Haase play in Minneapolis as far as being the most embarrassing defensive play of the season (decade? century?), but the misjudged fly ball on Friday has gotta be the next worst play... it's a crime that he couldn't earn an error for it.

I honestly don't know what Willi brings that either Kody Clemens or Zach Short dont, other than being a switch hitter and Clemens not being a shortstop. I'd rather they really try something new and bring up Clemens for that role. He may not work out, but we know what we have in Willi and it isn't very good. The roster clearly needs a shakeup, and Clemens has earned a look based on his play in Toledo

Even factoring out advanced stats, just from a purely qualitative standpoint, Willi has played somewhere around 10 games or so in left field (mostly at the end of last year) and people recognized then that he was awful out there and took terrible routes. And yes, I know that quantitative analysis is preferable, but coming from an engineering background, qualitative analysis can greatly supplement quantitative analysis. So, we have a guy on the bench who, for all intents and purposes, is an infielder who has barely played the outfield and hasn't been good while doing it. And we have another guy who, while not the best defensive outfielder in the world, has always played the position and is passable in route running in left field. Neither one is very good with the bat at the moment. The fact that we are playing the infielder with a. 600 OPS in that situation over the outfielder and people are here defending that decision (even after the misplay that cost them Friday's game!) is crazy to me. I dont get it... and I'm skeptical that if Gardy or Ausmus or any other former manager were making that kinda decision that people would defend it.

Put Baddoo in left and Hill in Center? If you are gonna carry a backup outfielder on your team and, when a starter goes down with an illness, you turn to the emergency outfielder instead of the backup outfielder, what are we doing here exactly? At that point, why not just option Baddoo and try someone else out? Bring up Kody Clemens?

It's not about you, Chas. It's about being honest when AJ makes a mistake. If Gardy did that, we'd all call a spade a spade.

Didn't follow today's game closely past the grand slam... that's crazy

They have Oakland and Baltimore these next eight games. It'll tell a lot about whether they can at least get the SS Tiger at least moving in the correct direction

There was a better choice here... don't put Willi Castro in the outfield. Especially given that he's really no better with the bat than Hill or Baddoo at this juncture

Or even at replacement level on defense! Seriously, the the Astros broadcasters spent the better part of Friday and Saturday lampooning the fact that AJ sent him out there. And I can't blame them... he just can't play the position

Pretty much. If AJ makes a decision that literally everyone knows is dumb, like playing Willi Castro in left, he can't be blamed because he's "trying something new". I'm sorry, Friday wasn't Willi's first rodeo with misjudged fly balls. He did it quite a bit in 2021 when they initially experimented with it. He's not above criticism for going to the well again when there are actual outfielders on the team who can at least be above replacement level out there.

Not to mention that Willi isn't exactly Babe Ruth