Arlington

I was messing around with ChatGPT trying to compile an acquisition breakdown for each of the 12 2025 playoff teams and I noticed the supporting links Chat provided all point to this https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/how-all-12-mlb-playoff-team-rosters-were-built-for-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com . A lot of interesting stuff in there. For example, the Brewers had only 4 draftees and 2 international signings on the team. 14 players were obtained via trade. The Mariners, also built through trades, has a similar but somewhat less extreme composition. Cleveland was by far the best at homegrown talent. Cleveland has 18 players who originally signed with them still on their roster—no other team has more than 13. In addition, 27 players from all playoff teams had started with the Guardians. The Tigers and the Reds were recognized as draft built teams with 9 drafted players each. Both the Tigers and the Reds have had a lot of high draft picks from 2017 - 2022. As the Tigers make the playoffs, they will no longer have high picks. The question would be whether they will be like the Guardians or Milwaukee. The Guardians have been making the playoffs more often than not since at least 2017. They have managed to bring in a lot of players despite low picks in the draft. They are exceptionally skilled at drafting and garnering international players. Since 2018 Milwaukee has been a playoff team 7 times. Not many early round picks. They have replenished their team through trades.

My god, back in 2016, 2017 and 2018 Avila was working pretty hard at making the Tigers suck. By 2023 the only contribution by the players or their successors from that era was by Jake and Reese. You can't win if you can't maintain and develop assets that produce over time and Avila was terrible at that. After 5 years, you'll have a set of high draft picks and maybe start winning some, but once you draft higher and no longer have the obvious talent to grab in the draft you will quickly fall apart and that was Avila's path. Harris' success has been striking. He floundered in the second half of 2025 into the playoff by the skin of his teeth but he did not rob the future an iota. He's done well in garnering prospects through trade and draft that has given us winning minor league teams while putting together a winning team at the major league level. I hope we see trades going into 2026 but I wouldn't cry if they were established players. I do think everyone should be on the table and I never want to see the Tigers make win it all now moves.

Didn't Wockenfuss bring in a future MVP. Can't help your team much more than that.

Going into third the runner should be reading the third baseman if its close. Their actions will tell the runner where to slide. I think the coach is more important with respect to hold up or go, and standup or slide.

It was bought by Mickey Mahler.

I thought I already posted this thought and maybe I did in another thread, or I wrote it and then was distracted and closed the window. Anyway, Peaches was greatly under appreciated. From 79-86 he had a 115 ERA+. HOFer Morris had a 114 ERA+ the same years. Although Morris was continuously labeled the ace of the staff, Petry was the de facto ace of the 1984 team. And I harangue on this a bit, but on the list of all-time OPS+ players, Greenberg was second at 161. Miggy too had a 161 OPS going but then he had the long period where his OPS+ was sub 100, bringing his overall OPS+ to 140ish. When I think seven or so years with a DH who couldn't even hit league average. How outrageous is that.

Probably the most short-lived and now useless electronic device is the the digital converter used to change the digital broadcast signals over to analog signals for old analog TVs. Big in 2007 or thereabouts when all the broadcast signals were digitalized overnight. You know you are really dealing with a hoarder when they hang on to one of those because "someone might need it" (e.g. my parents.)

But Jim Bowden is an ex-GM /src>

Although health is an issue with Parker, performance is too. Hopefully in 5 years Clark will be well established.

Here's something to be proud of https://info.baseball-reference.com/25-br-mlb-season-review Tigers have the most page-views on Baseball Reference of any team in their division. Take that Guardians

Year Pick Player Position 2015 22 Beau Burrows RHP 2015 34 (Comp) Christin Stewart OF 2016 9 Matt Manning RHP 2017 18 Alex Faedo RHP 2018 1 Casey Mize RHP 2019 5 Riley Greene OF 2020 1 Spencer Torkelson 1B/3B 2021 3 Jackson Jobe RHP 2022 12 Jace Jung 2B/3B

Jim Bowden wrote one of has fantasy trade articles for The Athletic. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6815157/2025/11/20/tarik-skubal-trade-scenarios-tigers-dodgers-yankees-mets-mariners-red-sox/ He talks about comparable trades which there are few. Bowden used to play a real GM in real life so I hope these are somewhat on the mark. Picking up a starter who could soften the loss and adding pitching depth and a good prospect or two is very enticing, especially if their impact could be had through 2030. Los Angeles Dodgers Team Player Pos. Stage of Career Control (Est.) Dodgers Emmet Sheehan RHP MLB-ready starter, already pitched postseason ~5 yrs Dodgers Justin Wrobleski LHP MLB-ready starter, limited MLB time ~6 yrs Dodgers Jackson Ferris LHP Upper minors (AAA in 2026) ~6 yrs after debut Dodgers Zyhir Hope OF High-ceiling prospect, reached AA, 2+ yrs away Full 6 yrs if not debuted Dodgers (alt.) Tyler Glasnow RHP Established MLB ace 3 yrs (contract control) Boston Red Sox Team Player Pos. Stage of Career Control (Est.) Red Sox Connelly Early LHP MLB-ready starter; debuted 2025 ~6 yrs Red Sox Kristian Campbell UT (likely 2B) MLB, rookie contract (struggled yr 1) 7+ yrs (just signed extension) Red Sox Jhostynxon García OF Top OF prospect, AA/AAA blocked 6 yrs if not debuted Red Sox Christian Foutch RHP 2024 draft pick, reliever prospect Full control after debut New York Mets Team Player Pos. Stage of Career Control (Est.) Mets Jonah Tong RHP Top pitching prospect, brief MLB time ~6 yrs Mets Brandon Sproat RHP Upper minors/MLB debut 2025 ~6 yrs Mets Jett Williams INF/OF Top 2022 pick, versatile up-the-middle prospect Full 6 yrs after debut Mets Ronny Mauricio INF/DH Has MLB time, needs plate discipline reboot ~5 yrs Seattle Mariners Team Player Pos. Stage of Career Control (Est.) Mariners Bryce Miller RHP Established MLB starter, elbow issues ~4–5 yrs Mariners Ryan Sloan RHP 2024 draft pick, high-upside arm (A/High-A) Full 6 yrs after debut Mariners Harry Ford C Top prospect, recently debuted ~6 yrs Mariners Teddy McGraw RHP Prospect Full 6 yrs after debut Mariners Michael Morales RHP Prospect Full 6 yrs after debut

I looked at Edgar Martinez' stats and, unless I am reading things wrong, and I probably am, he appears to have been a better defending DH than the replacement DH. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martied01.shtml

Maybe they've already ordered an outfielder's glove for Colt. He could be the next Shane Halter. Hinch Heaven He could sub for any player at any time. Anderson RH : 2b 3b Lee RH : 2b 3b Baez RH 2b SS 3b CF McKinstry LH SS 3b RF Keith LH 2b 3b 1b McGonigle LH 2b SS 3b Possible if you carried 4 outfielders and 2 catchers.

I think you need to add the number of chances into the equation as well. Shortstop defense is valued more that second defense, in part, because more balls are hit there. That would seem to be a function of human evolution. The baseball diamond is symmetrical but our brains are not. Right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball more to the left side of the infield and there are more right-handed hitters. Center fielders probably get more chances than the corner outfielders.

This just popped up on my Facebook reels. Imagine we used to root for these guys and hope they would win... The Tigers rallying and scoring 13 runs in the top of the 9th against Texas. 8/2001 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CaYCqMbcz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

So much of the game strategy seemed focused around Carpenter last season. It was particularly more noticeable in the playoffs especially in the Guardian series. He forces decisions on the opposing manager and often those decisions put Tork and other RH bats in better match-ups. (I love the 3-batter rule) He may push a RH starter out earlier. In a series, he helps overwork the other team's LH relievers. There definitely is an advantage to being so uneven, especially when you have pinch-hitters who can take advantage of the situation like the Tigers have the last two seasons..

Clase pulled Ortiz into it. Wonder if there are some other Guardian pitchers sleeping uneasily these days. If I was a GM I would be a little wary of signing a Guardian pitcher without being certain they were not involved.

My understanding is that the bet was essentially whether the pitcher would throw a strike or a ball. That seems just ripe for grift. The amounts of money involved was not tremendous at least on the indictment. There must have been other transactions that were not reported and the government is not pursuing them.

I am all for getting our socks knocked off by a great offer for Skube. Despite the success of the Tigers, you can't build a team for the WS, just the playoffs. Statistically, a 537 pct team (Tigers) playing a 574 pct team (Dodgers) isn't going win 50% of the time but its going to be darn, no not darn, damn, damn close to that. What is more important than star power is player control and depth. I want quality players who will contribute for a number of years in specific roles and help ensure a playoff spot in 2026 and beyond. With the quality of players we have projected for the next 5 years, it would be foolish to diminish years 2-5 because of a perceived better chance for year 1 due to one player. I don't believe for a second that the players will feel betrayed if they trade Skubal for quality players. They didn't in 2024. Spring training 2025 held an optimism that we hadn't felt in years. 2026 is going to be filled with eye opening prospects who are already used to winning. I would be very happy to add two or three more prospects to the mix for Skubal. w

With respect to position players - I pray that the Tigers do not sign a long-term FA. This team came within a base hit of beating Seattle. Nearly every player seems to be on the upwards path of their career trajectory. Do not throw into the mix a long-term contract with a player on their downside path. It seems to me that most long-term signings eventually become regrettable. We are lucky that Javy was flexible and contributed in a number of ways this year. Even then, every long-term signing going back to Miggy has been regrettable, some ludicrously bad. With so much talent coming through the pipeline, I'd like to see every position made available to the home grown talent. Maybe make a few commitments ala Colt Keith to some of the sure thing standouts.

I just liked your post. It's probably called something else by the rest of the world

I feel that time seems to speed away from deaths. It's hard to believe that it's been over 8 years since my parents passed, for example. Time also speeds away from projects too. Like it was how many years ago I started the kitchen cabinets. Good thing I didn't finish right away cause they would probably need to be redone again by now.

Actually, he fell off of a lot if not all the top 100 lists I know. But he is still a prospect at a valuable position and a heck of a pick-up as a side for a trade that probably got the team into the playoffs.