2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[gehringer_2]

49 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I am more skeptical of his fielding than hitting.  I think he'll hit well enough to be in the line-up somewhere.  

Colt seem to me to be the kind of guy who needs to develop confidence, so if they can leave him be to get comfortable at 3B I think he's the kind of player that will help.

By the numbers, the sample size is too small at 3b but at least he didn't grade out so badly it jumped out, Neutral RDS and -2 on Statcast. +1 lateral, -1 in, -1 out. I though the best thing in the statcast data was a max throw of 87 mph, which means his shoulder has recovered pretty well and he seems fairly accurate. If he develops even a little more, his arm won't be a show stopper for him. I think a risk for Colt is he lets himself bulk up out of being a decent fielder.

Edited yesterday at 01:01 AM by gehringer_2

[Sports_Freak]

5 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

There will be changes, but necessarily ones that will affect the infield situation.  I do agree though there will be lots of mixing and matching as usual.  

Thats a real safe bet. Hinch has shown he likes to use his whole roster and he likes guys who can play multiple positions. We have 4 guys who can play, or fill in, at 3rd base for example. Also, a few 2nd base options. Quality utility players, it's the way MLB seems to be heading.

[Sports_Freak]

7 hours ago, casimir said:

At this point I think Keith gets the Opening Day 3B gig.  I’m fine with that.  Give him a defensive role, let him grow into it.  I think the bat will be fine and I think it’s good enough where he’s not a platoon bat.  SS is the only spot on the IF in flux right now, and at worst Baez’s glove still plays there.

Yes, Javy is valuable at SS. So is Parker in CF. But can our lineup handle both of these guys not hitting? We need to get something offensively at those positions. I say Parker is going to hit, at least, I hope so.

[Sports_Freak]

7 hours ago, casimir said:

Ok, ok, enough fish ‘n chips and birthday chat.  Let’s get back into which is the more extreme, Scott Harris’s awesomeness or Al Avila’s awfulness.

And you guys almost got me to admit that I like the Reuben Sandwich at Culvers.

[gehringer_2]

33 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Yes, Javy is valuable at SS. So is Parker in CF. But can our lineup handle both of these guys not hitting? We need to get something offensively at those positions. I say Parker is going to hit, at least, I hope so.

I'd like to believe Parker will hit. I've made arguments about why I think it possible for Parker to get better. And Parker is still shy of 1000 MLB PA. But the probabilities are what they are, not many guys at his age and career path suddenly get much better. Not none, but not many.

[Tenacious D]

24 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'd like to believe Parker will hit. I've made arguments about why I think it possible for Parker to get better. And Parker is still shy of 1000 MLB PA. But the probabilities are what they are, not many guys at his age and career path suddenly get much better. Not none, but not many.

He did hit at the end of ‘24 and was a catalyst in that lineup that surged to the playoffs.  I’ll give him a mulligan for last season—missed ST and had a bizarre injury that disrupted his season.  I feel much more bullish about a healthy Parker next season.

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'd like to believe Parker will hit. I've made arguments about why I think it possible for Parker to get better. And Parker is still shy of 1000 MLB PA. But the probabilities are what they are, not many guys at his age and career path suddenly get much better. Not none, but not many.

He was doing OK at the end of the '24 season. '25 was an wash, hopefully because of injuries. If he could hit a little, he would make a good leadoff hitter.

[Stormin]

If Colt Keith's throwing arm does not get injured again, and the Tigers can stop playing musical chairs with his fielding position,  I think Colt will be fine at third base.   He is an above average athlete - his base running value on baseball savant is in the 89 percentile. He is not a Castellanos, Malloy, or Jung.  Colt has played the majority of his innings as a professional at third base.

Colt is already an above average MLB hitter (107 OPS+) and getting better.

Contrary to what media talking heads are saying, the Tigers have every reason to provide opportunities for Colt to improve over the next 7 years on a team friendly contract - as opposed to paying Bregman $200 million and watch the 30 something decline over the next 7 years.

[gehringer_2]

41 minutes ago, Stormin said:

If Colt Keith's throwing arm does not get injured again, and the Tigers can stop playing musical chairs with his fielding position,  I think Colt will be fine at third base.   He is an above average athlete - his base running value on baseball savant is in the 89 percentile. He is not a Castellanos, Malloy, or Jung.  Colt has played the majority of his innings as a professional at third base.

Colt is already an above average MLB hitter (107 OPS+) and getting better.

Contrary to what media talking heads are saying, the Tigers have every reason to provide opportunities for Colt to improve over the next 7 years on a team friendly contract - as opposed to paying Bregman $200 million and watch the 30 something decline over the next 7 years.

I'd like a little more certainty we get production from the OF, but to me the IF is the least of this team's problems. The Tigers 1st priority needs to be to have a more reliable rotation and bullpen than last season. They're not going anywhere if it's Skubal, and the 11 Dwarfs again. So far I'm unimpressed on that score.

Edited 17 hours ago by gehringer_2

[chasfh]

16 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

There will be changes, but necessarily ones that will affect the infield situation.  I do agree though there will be lots of mixing and matching as usual.  

Not necessarily, but quite possibly. McGonigle and/or Hao-Yu Lee could make the team out of camp.

[Sports_Freak]

1 minute ago, chasfh said:

Not necessarily, but quite possibly. McGonigle and/or Hao-Yu Lee could make the team out of camp.

I'm not sure if they will. Maybe Lee but I would say that the Tigers will only bring McGonigle north if he can play every day. Sitting on the bench may stunt his development. Maybe he'll start in Toledo, if Javy struggles, maybe he'll come up? 

[chasfh]

12 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I think a risk for Colt is he lets himself bulk up out of being a decent fielder.

What leads you to believe Colt has a uniquely high risk of becoming either fat or muscle-bound?

[chasfh]

4 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

I'm not sure if they will. Maybe Lee but I would say that the Tigers will only bring McGonigle north if he can play every day. Sitting on the bench may stunt his development. Maybe he'll start in Toledo, if Javy struggles, maybe he'll come up? 

No one is sure that anyone will. The only practical known is that the 26-man roster we see on the page today is not the 26-man roster we break camp with. Here in December, though, all the possibilities are still on the table.

[chasfh]

11 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

Thats a real safe bet. Hinch has shown he likes to use his whole roster and he likes guys who can play multiple positions. We have 4 guys who can play, or fill in, at 3rd base for example. Also, a few 2nd base options. Quality utility players, it's the way MLB seems to be heading.

I suspect Hinch, like any other manager, would rather have eight All-Stars who are locked into their positions than a roster of pretty good guys who can play anywhere. He’s dealing with the limitations of the roster given to him, just as Harris is dealing with the realities of the marketplace to assemble that roster. If we had Dodgers money and Dodgers cachet, we would have Dodgers rosters and Dodgers rings.

[Tiger337]

16 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Not necessarily, but quite possibly. McGonigle and/or Hao-Yu Lee could make the team out of camp.

McGonigle on the roster as the starting shortstop on opening day is already priced into my expectations!

[chasfh]

10 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'd like to believe Parker will hit. I've made arguments about why I think it possible for Parker to get better. And Parker is still shy of 1000 MLB PA. But the probabilities are what they are, not many guys at his age and career path suddenly get much better. Not none, but not many.

The shine, to the degree it was there in the first place, has been coming off Parker for me over the last year. He seems to be hurt all the time and he was again last year, and when he came back, he hit like a first-time rookie rushed up to the bigs. I know he’s only 26, but as you imply, most really good players are a finished product by that age, and Parker has a boatload of blue on his Savant card, a bad sign for his future. At this point I think the best case scenario is we’re marking time with him until Max is ready; at worst, we’re going to have to replace him during the season if he’s losing more games with his bat than he wins with his glove, which is solidly within the range of outcomes.

[chasfh]

2 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

McGonigle on the roster as the starting shortstop on opening day is already priced into my expectations!

Hope you’re right!

[gehringer_2]

24 minutes ago, chasfh said:

What leads you to believe Colt has a uniquely high risk of becoming either fat or muscle-bound?

Just that he is naturally pretty chunky and may be feeling more than average pressure to up his HR totals. Training tech is of course a lot better in recent years, but it is still another reason I'd like to see them commit to him at third so his motivation  to maintain quickness and flexibility stays right in front of him.

[chasfh]

4 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

Just that he is naturally pretty chunky and may be feeling more than average pressure to up his HR totals. Training tech is of course a lot better in recent years, but it is still another reason I'd like to see them commit to him at third so his motivation  to maintain quickness and flexibility stays right in front of him.

OK, so nothing he’s doing or nothing he or anybody has said. That’s fair.

[Sports_Freak]

43 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I suspect Hinch, like any other manager, would rather have eight All-Stars who are locked into their positions than a roster of pretty good guys who can play anywhere. He’s dealing with the limitations of the roster given to him, just as Harris is dealing with the realities of the marketplace to assemble that roster. If we had Dodgers money and Dodgers cachet, we would have Dodgers rosters and Dodgers rings.

It seems like a lot of teams are going for multiple utility type young cost controlled players. The Tigers have a few of these types that are actually pretty good wherever Hinch plays them. Yes, having established players all around the field would be ideal but also extremely expensive.

[casimir]

16 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I am more skeptical of his fielding than hitting.  I think he'll hit well enough to be in the line-up somewhere.  

Same.  I've been critical of the Keith situation (how he's been handled, his output, etc).  Key to note he has put up good offense for his age and he hasn't found much of a power stroke yet.  He could be a guy that has an impressive leap this season.

[casimir]

10 hours ago, Stormin said:

If Colt Keith's throwing arm does not get injured again, and the Tigers can stop playing musical chairs with his fielding position,  I think Colt will be fine at third base.   He is an above average athlete - his base running value on baseball savant is in the 89 percentile. He is not a Castellanos, Malloy, or Jung.  Colt has played the majority of his innings as a professional at third base.

Colt is already an above average MLB hitter (107 OPS+) and getting better.

Contrary to what media talking heads are saying, the Tigers have every reason to provide opportunities for Colt to improve over the next 7 years on a team friendly contract - as opposed to paying Bregman $200 million and watch the 30 something decline over the next 7 years.

Stormin is only 10 posts into his MTF career and he has 6 positive reactions to this post.  Early on favorite for 2026 MTF ROY?

[Tiger337]

6 minutes ago, casimir said:

Stormin is only 10 posts into his MTF career and he has 6 positive reactions to this post.  Early on favorite for 2026 MTF ROY?

Let's wait and see what happens when we start throwing him curves.  

[Edman85]

Regarding Opening Day Lineup, the Padres top three starters are RHP, so it is pretty safe to say we won't have the RH Platoon lineup in that day.

Your starting lineup that day is likely 9 of the following barring injury: Greene, Meadows, Perez, Carpenter, McKinstry, Keith, McGonigle, Baez, Dingler, Torkelson, Torres...

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

It seems like a lot of teams are going for multiple utility type young cost controlled players. The Tigers have a few of these types that are actually pretty good wherever Hinch plays them. Yes, having established players all around the field would be ideal but also extremely expensive.

That's true to the degree you have to go outside to make it happen. Some lucky teams have a bunch of great young cost-controlled All-Star level players coming up through the system all at the same time, like the Tiger teams of the early to mid-80s. That might also be us in a couple or three years!

Edited 6 hours ago by chasfh