2025 MLB Thread

[Tenacious D]

42 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

I guess Pete Alonso to the Orioles is not a big deal. 

We were just leaving it to you.

[IdahoBert]

8 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

We were just leaving it to you.

FIRE EVERYBODY!

[papalawrence]

Reportedly Lindor is not pleased with the Mets offseason and they may be shopping him. He has a 15-team no trade clause and after 2026 he has 5 and 10. He is still a solid 6 WAR guy but turns 32 and still has 6 years @ 34 mil on his contract. 

[Tigermojo]

Baddoo to the Brewers.

[papalawrence]

9 minutes ago, Tigermojo said:

Baddoo to the Brewers.

And it's a major league deal. Surprises me, good for him

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, papalawrence said:

Reportedly Lindor is not pleased with the Mets offseason and they may be shopping him. He has a 15-team no trade clause and after 2026 he has 5 and 10. He is still a solid 6 WAR guy but turns 32 and still has 6 years @ 34 mil on his contract. 

Let's pretend this isn't an AI slop rumor after all ...

I don't know that we could get him without punting at least one of our top two prospects.

[SoCalTiger]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

Let's pretend this isn't an AI slop rumor after all ...

I don't know that we could get him without punting at least one of our top two prospects.

Baez and Skubal ? 

[chasfh]

12 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

Baez and Skubal ? 

You’re serious about Skubal, but I don’t know whether that would do it. They’d be trading one six-win player for another, and then that another would be gone in a year. I guess it’s possible they make a deal like that, but it would be fairly directionless. Anyone trading for Skubal would do so to put them over the top in November, and the Mets don’t seem to be there.

[casimir]

17 minutes ago, chasfh said:

You’re serious about Skubal, but I don’t know whether that would do it. They’d be trading one six-win player for another, and then that another would be gone in a year. I guess it’s possible they make a deal like that, but it would be fairly directionless. Anyone trading for Skubal would do so to put them over the top in November, and the Mets don’t seem to be there.

Mets kind'of rhymes with directionless.

[SoCalTiger]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

You’re serious about Skubal, but I don’t know whether that would do it. They’d be trading one six-win player for another, and then that another would be gone in a year. I guess it’s possible they make a deal like that, but it would be fairly directionless. Anyone trading for Skubal would do so to put them over the top in November, and the Mets don’t seem to be there.

I included Baez to off set Lindor's salary as an "off the hip" thought. Maybe it can be massaged to work but as you say directionless unless Stearns is indeed totally reshaping the Mets. 

But it's more in my long standing hope to fix the left side of the infield which is the one complaint I have with Scot Harris who I still support though a bit more impatiently to be fair. We need a shortstop and Third baseman so very badly. 

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

I included Baez to off set Lindor's salary as an "off the hip" thought. Maybe it can be massaged to work but as you say directionless unless Stearns is indeed totally reshaping the Mets. 

But it's more in my long standing hope to fix the left side of the infield which is the one complaint I have with Scot Harris who I still support though a bit more impatiently to be fair. We need a shortstop and Third baseman so very badly. 

We have Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, Bryce Rainer, Trei Cruz, and Hao-Yu Lee in the system, all of whom can play on the dirt, with three and perhaps four of them banging on the door right now. They are definitely going to get their chance in camp to stand on the line in San Diego on March 26.

Or did you mean we need an above-average major-league-veteran shortstop and third baseman today?

[gehringer_2]

45 minutes ago, chasfh said:

We have Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, Bryce Rainer, Trei Cruz, and Hao-Yu Lee in the system, all of whom can play on the dirt, with three and perhaps four of them banging on the door right now. They are definitely going to get their chance in camp to stand on the line in San Diego on March 26.

Or did you mean we need an above-average major-league-veteran shortstop and third baseman today?

only one of those guys projects to be average or above with the glove at SS and he is the furthest away, so I wouldn't call the situation ideal - unless McGonigle can get a lot better or already is better than he is being given credit for.

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

only one of those guys projects to be average or above with the glove at SS and he is the furthest away, so I wouldn't call the situation ideal - unless McGonigle can get a lot better or already is better than he is being given credit for.

I'll jump on the Fire Scott Harris bandwagon when we start losing because of his dicking around and ****ing up the prospect pool. Until that happens, I'm in wait and see mode.

[papalawrence]

Blue Jays brought in 2 sunmariners today, Lee from Detroit, and they also signed Tyler Rodgers. The AL East is going to be a beast

[papalawrence]

4 hours ago, chasfh said:

I'll jump on the Fire Scott Harris bandwagon when we start losing because of his dicking around and ****ing up the prospect pool. Until that happens, I'm in wait and see mode.

Does anyone actually want Harris fired? I still sing his praises. But I also echo Stavenhagen's emerging disappointment. Harris said from early on in his tenure that the Tigers would spend when the team is ready. I guess he meant 1 or 2 year contracts?

He did make an effort to sign Bregman last year. Per Morosi Boras countered the 6/171 with 6/186 or 7/210 and Harris stood pat. Perhaps 6/180 would have got it done. Very close. We'll never know. That's likely what Rosenthal means by Harris being "rigid." 

Go get King. Overpay if he has too. Yes there is injury risk. Show some capacity to take a risk. After 2026 the SP could take a huge hit. 

Harris doesn't look through any "windows," not even regarding Skubal. He said that recently. They have Skubal. Take some risk!

 

[gehringer_2]

5 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

Harris doesn't look through any "windows,"

yeah - I get the company line, but OTOH, but he's the quantitative guy and by the numbers his team in 500 without Skubal in sub 500 without  Skubal and Mize, He can dance past it in an interview like you might expect him too but it doesn't change it. If Skubal  is walking at the end of '26 they are going to need a lot more than Reese Olson to remain competitive in the div.

[SoCalTiger]

9 hours ago, chasfh said:

We have Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, Bryce Rainer, Trei Cruz, and Hao-Yu Lee in the system, all of whom can play on the dirt, with three and perhaps four of them banging on the door right now. They are definitely going to get their chance in camp to stand on the line in San Diego on March 26.

Or did you mean we need an above-average major-league-veteran shortstop and third baseman today?

Yes and none of those you listed is a shortstop except Rainer who is 3 years away. Heck none really play third. They are all second baseman except Cruz who is still a long shot poor man's McStinky. 

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, papalawrence said:

Does anyone actually want Harris fired? I still sing his praises. But I also echo Stavenhagen's emerging disappointment. Harris said from early on in his tenure that the Tigers would spend when the team is ready. I guess he meant 1 or 2 year contracts?

He did make an effort to sign Bregman last year. Per Morosi Boras countered the 6/171 with 6/186 or 7/210 and Harris stood pat. Perhaps 6/180 would have got it done. Very close. We'll never know. That's likely what Rosenthal means by Harris being "rigid." 

Go get King. Overpay if he has too. Yes there is injury risk. Show some capacity to take a risk. After 2026 the SP could take a huge hit. 

Harris doesn't look through any "windows," not even regarding Skubal. He said that recently. They have Skubal. Take some risk!

 

Definitely don't want Harris fired...but

[chasfh]

10 hours ago, papalawrence said:

Does anyone actually want Harris fired? I still sing his praises. But I also echo Stavenhagen's emerging disappointment. Harris said from early on in his tenure that the Tigers would spend when the team is ready. I guess he meant 1 or 2 year contracts?

He did make an effort to sign Bregman last year. Per Morosi Boras countered the 6/171 with 6/186 or 7/210 and Harris stood pat. Perhaps 6/180 would have got it done. Very close. We'll never know. That's likely what Rosenthal means by Harris being "rigid." 

Go get King. Overpay if he has too. Yes there is injury risk. Show some capacity to take a risk. After 2026 the SP could take a huge hit. 

Harris doesn't look through any "windows," not even regarding Skubal. He said that recently. They have Skubal. Take some risk!

 

I agree with trying to sign a starting pitcher long term, and I think we have a puncher's chance of doing that this winter if we find the right candidate. Is King the guy? I don’t know, his card showed a lot of blue this year. Ranger Suarez might be a better bet, although prying him away from the Phillies or some Big Six team might be a challenge. Everyone else, including Framber, looks a bit soft and/or old. The pickings for long-term guys are a bit slim. I wouldn’t want us to throw a bunch of cash and years at a guy just to scratch an itch.

As for position players, we have a lot of guys in the system who might be able to step in and produce starting this year. I think I’d be surprised to see us go 5+ years on anyone (and equally surprised to see a position guy go 5+ years on us). Ha-Seong Kim has been mentioned here, and I like him for three years tops, preferably two plus a team option. He’s got a good eye, good contact skills, a good glove, and enough pop to play in this park. In this market I don’t know whether that will get it done, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s as far as we’ll go on any position guy.

Edited 16 hours ago by chasfh

[chasfh]

9 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

Yes and none of those you listed is a shortstop except Rainer who is 3 years away. Heck none really play third. They are all second baseman except Cruz who is still a long shot poor man's McStinky. 

They’re working McGonigle at shortstop right now. We still have Baez, too. It’s true they aren’t long-term solutions, guys we can plug in there for the next eight years, but then, Walmart isn’t exactly overflowing with long-term solutions at shortstop.

I’d be surprised—shocked, actually—to see Bichette come here.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

I agree with trying to sign a starting pitcher long term, and I think we have a puncher's chance of doing that this winter if we find the right candidate. Is King the guy? I don’t know, his card showed a lot of blue this year. Ranger Suarez might be a better bet, although prying him away from the Phillies or some Big Six team might be a challenge. Everyone else, including Framber, looks a bit soft and/or old. The pickings for long-term guys are a bit slim. I wouldn’t want us to throw a bunch of cash and years at a guy just to scratch an itch.

As for position players, we have a lot of guys in the system who might be able to step in and produce starting this year. I think I’d be surprised to see us go 5+ years on anyone (and equally surprised to see a position guy go 5+ years on us). Ha-Seong Kim has been mentioned here, and I like him for three years tops, preferably two plus a team option. He’s got a good eye, good contact skills, a good glove, and enough pop to play in this park. In this market I don’t know whether that will get it done, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s as far as we’ll go on any position guy.

King is very talented, but had a rough year due to an injury which is why is probably why his statcast card looks bad.  The uncertainty is the reason the Tigers might have a chance at him.  The other issue is that they would have to give up a draft pick.  Edman said it would probably be a third rounder.  I wouldn't care about that, but others might disagree.    

[gehringer_2]

2 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

King is very talented, but had a rough year due to an injury which is why is probably why his statcast card looks bad.  The uncertainty is the reason the Tigers might have a chance at him.  The other issue is that they would have to give up a draft pick.  Edman said it would probably be a third rounder.  I wouldn't care about that, but others might disagree.    

they'd only be giving zero WAR, on average anyway....😉

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

They’re working McGonigle at shortstop right now. We still have Baez, too. It’s true they aren’t long-term solutions, guys we can plug in there for the next eight years, but then, Walmart isn’t exactly overflowing with long-term solutions at shortstop.

I’d be surprised—shocked, actually—to see Bichette come here.

I think it may be more likely that McGonigle will end up playing SS for some period than that we want him playing SS over that period. How many wins will that cost? None if you couldn't get anyone else! But it may not help their chance of winning a WS either.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

They’re working McGonigle at shortstop right now. We still have Baez, too. It’s true they aren’t long-term solutions, guys we can plug in there for the next eight years, but then, Walmart isn’t exactly overflowing with long-term solutions at shortstop.

I’d be surprised—shocked, actually—to see Bichette come here.

At this point, I'd be surprised if there was any serious mutual interest in any of the big free agents.  I think the only way they might get one is if one of them is still out there in Februray and decides to sign a creative shorter term deal with opt outs.  

[Tiger337]

9 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

they'd only be giving zero WAR, on average anyway....😉

Chance of making the majors 25%

Chance of having a 2 WAR season 5%