2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[1984Echoes]

I haven't ruminated on FUNKHOUSER in a long long time!!!

[Tenacious D]

1 hour ago, Edman85 said:

And your McCosky/Woodbery All Stars:

• Eddys Leonard (Braves)
• John Brebbia (Red Sox)
• Trayce Thompson (Red Sox)
• Corey Joyce (Cubs)
• Dixon Machado (Cubs)
• Andre Lipcius (White Sox)
• Geoff Hartlieb (Royals)
• Spencer Turnbull (Royals)
• Julio Rodriguez (Royals, catcher)
• Isan Diaz (Royals)
• Ben Gamel (Angels)
• Kyle Funkhouser (Dodgers)
• Ty Adcock (Mets)
• Jose Azocar (Mets)
• Jeimer Candelario (Yankees)
• Matt Manning (Phillies)
• Brewer Hicklen (Phillies)
• Beau Burrows (Pirates)
• Nick Solak (Pirates)
• Jake Higginbotham (Padres)
• Alex Faedo (Rays)
• Jamie Westbrook (Rays)
• Joe Mantiply (Blue Jays)
• Buddy Kennedy (Blue Jays)

I want them ALL back!

[Tenacious D]

This is unexpected.  Congrats, Riley!

Hopefully we get a hat trick with Cy Skubal.

 

Edited 18 hours ago by Tenacious D

[4hzglory]

1 hour ago, Tenacious D said:

This is unexpected.  Congrats, Riley!

Hopefully we get a hat trick with Cy Skubal.

 

McKinstry won also for Utility

[IdahoBert]

Or not….

[chasfh]

17 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I wonder if Anderson is one of those cases - sort of like Christin Stewart, where the org know/feels he has a bottom line weakness that MLB pitchers are going to exploit not matter what he shows against lower level pitching. They did ultimately give Stewart a shot, and of course as Microline and others had warned,  he wasn't an MLB caliber bat despite his MiLB success. A more hopeful take would be that they think his bat to ball skill is there but until he shows better power he can't be productive enough. At least under that reading there is a level of reasonable hope some power can develop.

Are you wondering that about Anderson after reading this?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/max-anderson-has-been-the-arizona-fall-leaguess-hottest-hitter/

 

Our lead prospect analyst has seen a lot of him in the AFL, and he provided an updated report on the 40+ FV prospect earlier this week.

“Anderson is still a little chase-prone for my liking, but it might be the lone blemish on the face of his hitting skill set,” Longenhagen told me. “He’s much more on time to do pull-side damage than he was a year ago. He has a much more balanced-looking spray chart now than he did coming out of 2024 [and is] better at pulling hanging breakers. It’s made him a more dangerous hitter overall, despite his tendency to swing at everything.”

 

[chasfh]

13 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

This is unexpected.  Congrats, Riley!

Hopefully we get a hat trick with Cy Skubal.

 

FWIW, Riley was third in slugging among all American League outfielders, and the two guys above him were the other two winners.

[casimir]

22 hours ago, Edman85 said:

I havent listened to the Tiger Territory that dropped this morning yet, but given how quickly some things they say get parroted here, I assume there is some Bichette talk?

I was interested in Kim last offseason and remain so this offseason.  I believe they are parroting me.

[Tiger337]

On 11/6/2025 at 4:31 PM, RatkoVarda said:

glasses!?!?!?!?!?!?

Can't draw a walk, can't field, looks like a podcaster, but he sure can hit!

[Hongbit]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Are you wondering that about Anderson after reading this?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/max-anderson-has-been-the-arizona-fall-leaguess-hottest-hitter/

 

Our lead prospect analyst has seen a lot of him in the AFL, and he provided an updated report on the 40+ FV prospect earlier this week.

“Anderson is still a little chase-prone for my liking, but it might be the lone blemish on the face of his hitting skill set,” Longenhagen told me. “He’s much more on time to do pull-side damage than he was a year ago. He has a much more balanced-looking spray chart now than he did coming out of 2024 [and is] better at pulling hanging breakers. It’s made him a more dangerous hitter overall, despite his tendency to swing at everything.”

 

“He’s a little chase-prone for my liking”  

Did this analyst watch any MLB ball this season?   Half the league has become a little chase prone.  It’s almost more of a plus than a criticism and makes me think that maybe Anderson really is ready for the show.  

[casimir]

22 hours ago, papalawrence said:

Yep. They don't make any predictions or even where they are leaning. They do throw out options and how this fits in with the current roster. They like adding Kim. They're not sure about Bichette long term at ss. They didn't stick on Bichette long. They're not sure about a Bregman fit. But they also stress that Detroit has to upgrade, even if it means logjam at positions. They stressed there is not much to speculate now because Harris keeps quiet. But they think we'll all know more after the GM meetings next week. 

If there are logjams at positions, deal from depth to address the shallows.

I think they were reluctant about Bregman's throwing arm?  Seems like that's never been a strength for him per baseball savant.  So, I don't know, take that for whatever its worth I guess.

Bichette has the stigma about sticking at SS.  McGonigle is also questionable there as well.  But is Rainier really the long term SS in the organization?  Is McGonigle/Baez/McKinstry or Bichette/Kim a solution at SS until Rainier might be ready?

As I mentioned above, I've been interested in Kim for this IF.  I wonder if he is the best option available in terms of positional fit and finances to add some OBP, contact hitting, IF defense, baserunning?  He opted out of, what, 1 for $16M?  What's he looking for?  Is he an option that also allows for some serious SP/RP upgrades to shore up those weaknesses?

[1984Echoes]

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

Can't draw a walk, can't field, looks like a podcaster...

This is why I didn't like him much when drafted...

 

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

... but he sure can hit!

 

This is, I think, what we can all live with if he can do that in MLB.

[RatkoVarda]

A healthy Kim makes a lot of sense, IF his repaired shoulder will allow him to play SS and 3B. If not, he just does not fit.

He declined a $16M option. FG has him at 2/26, and crowd source at 3/45.

[1984Echoes]

Not interested in Kim.

He adds nothing to the team we don't already have.

Bregman adds.

Bichette adds.

Tucker adds.

Just my 2 cents.

[4hzglory]

1 hour ago, Hongbit said:

“He’s a little chase-prone for my liking”  

Did this analyst watch any MLB ball this season?   Half the league has become a little chase prone.  It’s almost more of a plus than a criticism and makes me think that maybe Anderson really is ready for the show.  

And is k pct is really low.

[KL2]

2 hours ago, casimir said:

I was interested in Kim last offseason and remain so this offseason.  I believe they are parroting me.

Kim is a one year wonder. Outside of htat has been fairly useless and is 30. No reaosn to get a player cause he was decent 3 seasons ago

[casimir]

35 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Not interested in Kim.

He adds nothing to the team we don't already have.

Bregman adds.

Bichette adds.

Tucker adds.

Just my 2 cents.

Kim adds plate discipline, OBP, and base running at the top of the lineup and above average defensive ability around the IF.  Other than that, sure, what does he add?

We can talk about Bichette/Bregman, but I doubt they’re realistic additions.  I don’t think it’s for not trying, I just don’t see it.

Tucker is interesting.  I’m not at all opposed to moving either/both Greene/Carpenter.  Trading a corner OF and trading from among the numerous 2B prospects to bring in some younger and controllable pitching seems wise to me.

[Tiger337]

26 minutes ago, KL2 said:

Kim is a one year wonder. Outside of htat has been fairly useless and is 30. No reaosn to get a player cause he was decent 3 seasons ago

If WAR between 2.1 and 5.4 for 4 consecutive years is useless, then I guess he was useless.  The question is whether he is still a plus defender because that's where a lot of the WAR came from and defense can go fast.    

[1984Echoes]

13 minutes ago, casimir said:

Kim adds plate discipline, OBP...

Kim's OBP is .324.

Sorry... but that doesn't move the needle for me. 

Bichette, who has less plate discipline than Kim, has a career .338 OBP.

Bregman's OBP is .365.

Tucker's is .358.

And yes, I would be fully on board with signing Tucker and then turning around and trading one of Carpenter or Greene plus extra middle IF'ers for additional pitching.

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

If WAR between 2.1 and 5.4 for 4 consecutive years is useless, then I guess he was useless.  The question is whether he is still a plus defender because that's where a lot of the WAR came from and defense can go fast.    

This is also where I pause on Kim.