Tiger Cubs (notes on the minors)

[LongLiveMaroth]

 

[RatkoVarda]

Jose De la Cruz, Luke Gold and a bunch of arms got released

[gehringer_2]

9 minutes ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

 

LOL - those two are not company an aspiring ball player should be happy about joining.

Sports can be pretty evil in a way. A kid like De La Cruz spends 7 of the best years of his life getting.....essentially no where. 

[RandyMarsh]

Damn 100+ up in the zone, no problem for McGonigle. 

 

[LongLiveMaroth]

16 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

Damn 100+ up in the zone, no problem for McGonigle. 

 

 

 

[LongLiveMaroth]

 

 

[TigerNation]

https://archive.ph/cTFiF

 

Some statcast data for Clark and McGonigle. They're both really good.

[Sports_Freak]

I see a lot of hitting highlights from this guy but how is his defense? MLB caliber?

 

[gehringer_2]

13 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

I see a lot of hitting highlights from this guy but how is his defense? MLB caliber?

 

Initial reporting about McGonigle was 'he'll be a 2B at MLB at best". More recently people say he might be able to stick at SS. But the Tigers have a long history of telling us we have great defenders in the minors who turn out to be not-so-much when they get here (Kriedler, Jung etc). They're playing him exclusively at SS so far this season, so they are trying, but we probably won't find out for real if he can cut it as an MLB SS until he gets here.

Edited Wednesday at 02:57 PM by gehringer_2

[Tenacious D]

35 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

Initial reporting about McGonigle was 'he'll be a 2B at MLB at best". More recently people say he might be able to stick at SS. But the Tigers have a long history of telling us we have great defenders in the minors who turn out to be not-so-much when they get here (Kriedler, Jung etc). They're playing him exclusively at SS so far this season, so they are trying, but we probably won't find out for real if he can cut it as an MLB SS until he gets here.

If he can stick at SS, he will be a generational player.

And if he can’t, he’ll still be.

We’re going to see him next season 

[Shinzaki]

Keith is looking more comfortable at third...his arm does not appear to be a major issue.  What happens to Jung?

[Nate7474]

11 minutes ago, Shinzaki said:

Keith is looking more comfortable at third...his arm does not appear to be a major issue.  What happens to Jung?

Jung is trade bait or a bench bat if he can figure it out at the MLB level. He’ll also need to make himself more valuable defensively by playing multiple positions. If he can play 2nd, 3rd and 1B then that’s an ok bench piece if he hits. 
 

If I had to guess I really don’t see his long term fit with the tigers. I like Lee better from the right side than Jung currently for that role from the left as we already have Keith, McKinstry and McGonigle hitting lefty. 

[LongLiveMaroth]

Toledo W 12-4
Lee 3/5 RBI BB 2B
Malloy 3/5 2RBI BB K HR
Jung 2/6 3K
Anderson 1/4 RBI BB
Cruz 3/5 2RBI K 2B HR
SGL 3.2IP 6H 3ER 2BB 4K
Cobb 3IP BB 4K

 

 

Erie W 4-3
Clark 0/0 BB (Left with injury) SB
Liranzo 1/4 RBI 3K
McGonigle 2/4 RBI K HR 2B
Briceno 1/3 BB 2K

WM W 6-1
Strong 1/5 RBI K HR
Graham 1/4 K SB
Pacheco 0/2 BB
Ellisalt 5IP 2H 2K

 

Lakeland L 6-2
Dumesnil 2/4 2B
Goodman 1/3 BB
Rucker 1/4 K
Warwick 1/4 K SB

 

DSL
De Los Santos 0/3
 

[Cruzer1]

1 hour ago, Tenacious D said:

If he can stick at SS, he will be a generational player.

And if he can’t, he’ll still be.

We’re going to see him next season 

Reports I've read is that he has good enough feet and actions for SS, but not enough arm.  Longenhagen thinks he will be an excellent 2b. Rainer looks like he has all the goods to be an excellent SS. Rainer really has a hose.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Nate7474 said:

If I had to guess I really don’t see his long term fit with the tigers. I like Lee better from the right side than Jung currently for that role from the left as we already have Keith, McKinstry and McGonigle hitting lefty. 

I love what McKinstry has done this season but I wouldn't pencil him in to be able to repeat it very long, maybe not even next season. His bio says "short career arc" to me.

[Cruzer1]

1 hour ago, Shinzaki said:

Keith is looking more comfortable at third...his arm does not appear to be a major issue.  What happens to Jung?

Keith was 50/50 as a position player or pitcher when he was drafted.  He wanted to play a position. 

[Dan Gilmore]

5 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I love what McKinstry has done this season but I wouldn't pencil him in to be able to repeat it very long, maybe not even next season. His bio says "short career arc" to me.

Agree, he’s not that young. I assume the team is factoring in all sorts of possibilities for the future and not getting too attached to players. Same with Rogers.

[gehringer_2]

5 minutes ago, Cruzer1 said:

Reports I've read is that he has good enough feet and actions for SS, but not enough arm.  Longenhagen thinks he will be an excellent 2b. Rainer looks like he has all the goods to be an excellent SS. Rainer really has a hose.

you can get away with less brute throwing velo if you can get your throws off quickly. There aren't that many plays you need to be Andrelton Simmons to make (though that kind of arm/range to the right is pretty nice!)

[Cruzer1]

The Tigers have some interesting decisions to make, and before the rule 5 draft in December. A few might not get tendered. 

[Nate7474]

26 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I love what McKinstry has done this season but I wouldn't pencil him in to be able to repeat it very long, maybe not even next season. His bio says "short career arc" to me.

Oh I agree but even if he falls back to last year that’s still a productive player that plays pretty decent defense and that still outperforms Jung from what we’ve seen so far. I’m just. It seeing a spot for Jung in this team right now. 

[Tenacious D]

22 minutes ago, Nate7474 said:

Oh I agree but even if he falls back to last year that’s still a productive player that plays pretty decent defense and that still outperforms Jung from what we’ve seen so far. I’m just. It seeing a spot for Jung in this team right now. 

I think Lee and Jung are in the mix at 2B next season.

[papalawrence]

14 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

I think Lee and Jung are in the mix at 2B next season.

Or potential trade bait should Harris sign Torres again. 

[Nate7474]

8 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

Or potential trade bait should Harris sign Torres again. 

It would be nice to bring Torres back but he’s earned a long term sizable contract with his play this year. I don’t think the Tigers will meet that price. I see 2nd next year as Lee/Jung/McKinstry/Ibanez. Then potentially McGonigle working into there or SS before then end of the year and even possible from the start. That’s why I think Jung is a trade candidate.  

[RatkoVarda]

---

2. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

I was the guy in the media high on McGonigle when he was part of a very deep prep position-player crop in the 2023 draft -- and my belief in him has paid off better than I could've expected so far.

The concerns at draft time were that his power/speed combo and odds to stick at shortstop weren't strong enough to warrant going higher than 37th overall (where Detroit took him). He has been at least a passable shortstop as a pro and has a real shot to stick long-term. His power (by literally any measure) is now above average, if not plus.

McGonigle's feel and on-base skills were never in question, so now he looks like he could be above average at everything in the batter's box and closer to average on the bases and in the field.

[Tenacious D]

11 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

Or potential trade bait should Harris sign Torres again. 

I don’t see that happening, nor do I think they should.  He was a nice bridge and hedge in case Tork couldn’t hit.  He strikes me as someone who could quickly decline and his unwillingness (alleged) to play anywhere but 2B does not fit with how Hinch likes to utilize his roster.