Stormin

Are you saying the Tigers have been a bad team the last couple years? The Rockies lost 119 games last year and had better attendance numbers than the Tigers. Chris Ilitch is not going to operate the team at a loss but he has spent more money as revenue has increased. From 2024 to 2026 the Tigers completive balance tax payroll has increased from $100M to $200M. If fans want the Tigers to spend more, the more realistic answer is support the team more not less.

I understand placing blame on owners when fans want the team to succeed, but some fan expectations seem unrealistic. Baseball teams are businesses and their main purpose is to make money. The A's were failing from a financial perspective which is why they are moving to Las Vegas. In a few years the As may be bringing in more revenue than the Tigers. The Ilitch family has a net worth of over $6B but that worth is not sitting in a bank account. $2.5B is the Red Wings, $1.5B is the Tigers, then there is Little Ceasars, Olympia Group, Casinos, ... To spend $1B on Tigers players, the Ilitch family would have to sell one of their businesses which I suppose could happen, but highly unlikely. The players are also not innocent in the desire for more than a person needs. The current CBA, the MLBPA agreed to, is set up so about 10 players on each team get about half the revenue generated by all MLB teams. The players union refuses to include minor league players in the union and the union deserves part of the blame for relatively underpaid younger players and relatively overpaid older players. If I hear one more free agent say he has to feed his family, I may gag. I would think you can provide for 10 wives and 50 children with $20M a year. On second thought, $20M may not be enough for 10 wives, but you could definitely feed 50 kids.

Jose Ramirez is a great athlete even though he may not look the part. He is the toolsiest 5 tool player in baseball. Plays great defense, Strong Arm, hits for average, and last year - at age 32 - hit 30 hrs and stole 44 bases. Of course he is a switch hitter whose LHP/RHP career OPS splits are .856/.857 and career slugging percentage splits are .507/.502. I am sure he could also play softball because he does everything well.

Looks can be deceiving

FANGRAPHS ZiPS Projections for Tigers 2026: 83 Wins, 49.3% Playoff 2025 81 Wins, 30.7% Playoff (Actual, 87 Wins, Playoffs) 2024: 78 Wins, 24.8% Playoff (Actual 86 Wins, Playoffs) 2023: 70 Wins, 6.0% Playoff (Actual 78 Wins) 2022: 73 Wins, 3.5% Playoffs (Actual 66 Wins)

Detroit Caesars Softball, which was owned by Mike Ilitch. Norm Cash (front row, second from right) and Jim Northrup (third row, far left) were members of the team.

Rob Deer might have fit that profile. Molitor and Yount were obviously good athletes. The guy I did noy enjoy watching was Ben Oglivie. The Tigers traded Oglivie to the Brewers for pitcher Jim Slayton. Slayton returned to the Brewers one year later as a free agent and Oglivie went on to have several good seasons in Milwaukee.

The day the Tigers attacked the White Sox for wearing the ugliest uniforms in the history of baseball.

On Forbes, the highest value WNBA team is around $400M with annual revenue of around $25M. Forbes doesn't list income for WNBA teams. I not sure any are profitable. NHL franchises are valued between $1B and $4B, all were profitable in 2025 with income exceeding $100M in somes cases, payrolls are generally around $100M. RedWings are valued higher and bring in more income than the Tigers May not be high profile in some areas, but the NHL is doing alright financially.

Boras has Petzold on speed dial.

I am not rooting for a side in Skubal arbitration, but curious about the outcome. I doubt the Tigers are dumb enough to say that Skubal is not currently one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball. I also think the Tigers would also be foolish to bring up David Price. The Tigers would be best served by focusing on service time and what pitchers are being paid in 2026. Wheeler's 2026 salary is $42M, but has 12 years of service and 40.2 career WAR. Sale's 2026 salary is $18M, Sale has been as good as Skubal the last 2 seasons, Sale won a Cy Young his last complete season, Sale has 15 years of service, Sale has 57.3 Career War. Ray's 2026 salary is $25M, Ray has won a Cy Young, Ray has 11 years of service and 20.3 Career WAR. Crochet (5 years) and Webb (6 years) have similar service time to Skubal (5 years) and both have a salary under $25M in 2026. If service time is taken into account, the $22.5M estimate for Skubal on Spotrac.com seems reasonable. The challenge for Skubal/Boras may be convincing an arbitration panel that current market value (if Skubal were a free agent) trumps service time even though the arbitration system is largely built around service time.

The Tigers record has improved each of the last three seasons and the Tigers have made the post season, and won a series, each of the last two seasons. If this trend is the result of having the luckiest SOB GM in MLB, my hope is that the GM continues to be a lucky SOB and gets the Tigers to the World Series.

Apparently Jose Rameriez is worth $25M AAV, Bo Bichette is worth $42M AAV, and Kyle Tucker is worth $60M AAV. hmmm ... I would think the Rameriez contract would be a desirable comparison for the Tigers front office in Skubal's arbitration case.

Aaron Judge was a comp pick.

Random thought: How many posts have appeared on the Padres message board over the years regarding the selection of Matt Bush #1 in the 2004 draft when Justin Verlander was selected #2 by the Tigers?

Rangers traded 5 prospects for Mackenzie Gore. None were top 100: 50 FV, 45 FV, 45 FV, 45 FV, 40 FV. Jordan Yost and four lower ranked prospects would be a similar Tiger prospect package. Gore seems like a lefthanded version of Casey Mize with one more year of club control. Highly touted prospect that has not reached projected ceiling but had a strong first half in 2025.

There are only six former Tiger players, who had their best seasons in Detroit, who have entered the HOF by way of the BBWAA ballot (All others elected by veterans' committees) Ty Cobb Mickey Cochrane Charlie Gehringer Harry Heilmann Hank Greenberg Al Kaline JV and Miggy will join the list (assuming Scherzer goes in as a National). Skubal has the potential to be on the list in the future. Independent of all other concerns, there is real value in having Skubal try and win a third straight Cy Young as a Tiger (Greg Maddox and Randy Johnson are the only pitchers who have won more than 2 consecutive Cy Young awards).

Tenacious D stated that the Mets were the best potential trade partner for Skubal and I agree. The Tigers may have been able to get 3 top 100 prospects, but I don't think the Tigers could get a top 20. Personally, if the Tigers do not get a top 20, 60 FV, All Star potential, prospect as a headliner in return - I would rather see Skubal pitch for the Tigers and see what the Tigers can obtain with the comp pick. To be honest, I may prefer the Tigers keep Skubal in any case because Skubal is just fun to watch. I don't see the Dodgers trading away their top prospects for one year of Skubal. The Dodgers don't need Skubal to win this year. The Dodger roster is aging. The CBA may not allow the Dodgers to buy as many players in the future - the Dodgers will need their young prospects. The CBA may allow the Dodgers to continue to buy players - the Dodgers can sign Skubal next year.

The Tigers have several pitchers with a top half of the rotation ceiling (Flaherty was a good #2 in 2024, Olson if he can stay healthy, Mize's fastball is actually up a tick since TJ - but he faded in 2025, Melton has good stuff, Jobe has good stuff). I agree that health will be a big factor. Their performance will probably oscillate year to year. It will be fun to watch them and see how their performances align. Dan Petry was only a strong #2 for a couple years, but one of those years was 1984 (4.2fWAR). Milt Wilcox had his best year in 1984 (3.6 fWAR). I don't think it is being overly optimistic to say that Mize, Olson, Jobe, and Melton likely have not played their best season.

The Tigers need to win a World Series for you. It's wonderful!

He was drafted as a running back by the Chicago Bears, so I don't know if Norm was that slow. The left handed throws from second base would have been a challenge.

" You can get into the HOF if you hit 377 HRs, .862 OPS, 139 OPS+ and are a slow base runner and a poor fielder? Why didn't the Tigers let me play second base? -- Signed Norm Cash" 🙂

In the 18 games the Tigers won when Mize pitched, Mize averaged 1.77 earned runs per game. In the 21 games the Tigers won when Skubal pitched, Skubal averaged 1.33 earned runs per game.

The media likes to point point out that the Tigers were 21-10 in games that Skubal pitched and a .500 team without Skubal. The Tigers were 18-10 in games that Mize pitched.

What is the problem people have with Casey Mize? He pitched 149 innings, had a 14-6 record, a 3.87 ERA, and only costs the team $6M.