2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[tiger2022]

I guess that's a valid point but if a guy has pop ( like Carpenter) and potential  i'd rather give him a shot than some guy who is a complete borderline player 

[tiger2022]

In his first two seasons, Bonds hit .221 and .228 against LH pitchers.  Sounds like a perfect platoon player.  

I would prefer to just stick your best player out there 

[Tiger337]

38 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

In his first two seasons, Bonds hit .221 and .228 against LH pitchers.  Sounds like a perfect platoon player.  

I would prefer to just stick your best player out there 

Even early in his career, Bonds's splits were nowhere close to being as extreme as Carpenter.  

[Tenacious D]

He is Kerry Bonds, after all 

[gehringer_2]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

Even early in his career, Bonds's splits were nowhere close to being as extreme as Carpenter.  

I'm more concerned with Keith. His first season his split was actually negative with 88 PA against LHP, last season he had less than 50AB against lefties and did nothing - 400 OPS and a whopping 382 split. So was '24 a SSS mirage - despite that he looked quite comfortable hitting lefties that year, or '25 just a SSS transient and he should be fine against LHP if/when he plays everyday? 

[Tiger337]

Another thing about platoons is that managing platoons is more than just LHB versus RHP.  Every manager does that.  It's about knowing when to let your LHB face a LHP, so you can keep his bat (or glove) in the game for later.  That sort of thking. That's the sort of maneuver I trust Hinch to do better than most managers.   

[chasfh]

19 hours ago, kdog said:

Arenado going from the Cardinals to D'backs...STL paying down $31 million of the remaining $42 million on the deal.

Waives his no-trade clause to move closer to home.

[chasfh]

12 hours ago, tiger2022 said:

In his first two seasons, Bonds hit .221 and .228 against LH pitchers.  Sounds like a perfect platoon player.  

I would prefer to just stick your best player out there 

Playing the same eight guys every day only works when you got eight guys worth playing every day.

[gehringer_2]

53 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Playing the same eight guys every day only works when you got eight guys worth playing every day.

Indeed.

But on the other hand, let's not lose sight of the fact that platooning also has its costs. With pitching staffs running to 13, and starters out after 2 times through the order, you can run out of hitters to match up before the opposition runs out of pitchers to cross up your match-ups. In fact, if not for the three batter rule, the length of bullpens today would make platooning even less effective.

Edited Wednesday at 02:52 PM by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

Ranger Suarez to the Red Sox for 5/130.  I was hoping the Tigers would pursue him, but 5 years is a long time for a pitcher who is solid but not elite.  Right now, I am hoping for Bassitt.  It would be another safe low risk move by Harris, but a good one.  

Edited Wednesday at 07:36 PM by Tiger337

[Tenacious D]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

Ranger Suarez to theRred Sox for 5/130.  I was hoping the Tigers would pursue him, but 5 years is a long time for a pitcher who is solid but not elite.  Right now, I am hoping for Bassitt.  It would be another safe low risk move by Harris, but a good one.  

Seems like a reasonable deal.  Good get by the BoSux.

[Tiger337]

2 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

Seems like a reasonable deal.  Good get by the BoSux.

It's reasonable, but I am leery of long-term deals for pitchers who are not elite.  

Edited Wednesday at 07:40 PM by Tiger337

[Mr.TaterSalad]

On 1/12/2026 at 9:25 PM, oblong said:

Several Tigers at the Wings game tonight. I saw photos of Carpenter, Vierling, McKinstry, Tork, Meadows….  They are doing promo work this week.  I’m going to sometning at the Casino on Wednesday 

I was at the game. It was actually announced that they were chugging one beer for every free agent Scott Harris signed. They had two beers and that was it.

[theroundsquare]

7 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I was at the game. It was actually announced that they were chugging one beer for every free agent Scott Harris signed. They had two beers and that was it.

i guess it makes sense that they were chugging blue lite, then, and only because natty light wasn't in stock 😉

Edited Wednesday at 07:49 PM by theroundsquare

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

It's reasonable, but I am leery of long-term deals for pitchers who are not elite.  

That's the going market for pitching, unfortunately. Them's the breaks.

Did the Jays and Bassitt announce they they've cut ties? If not, I can't imagine he wouldn't go right back to them if they have him even a halfway decent offer. I don't see where he's so much better as a rotation option than Cody Ponce.

 

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

That's the going market for pitching, unfortunately. Them's the breaks.

Did the Jays and Bassitt announce they they've cut ties? If not, I can't imagine he wouldn't go right back to them if they have him even a halfway decent offer. I don't see where he's so much better as a rotation option than Cody Ponce.

 

Oh, I would have been excited if they got him.  I'm just not too disappointed that they didn't.  

[chasfh]

11 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Oh, I would have been excited if they got him.  I'm just not too disappointed that they didn't.  

Has Bassitt signed elsewhere? I haven’t seen that yet.

I think the Tigers believe they are in pretty good shape with the rotation. Skubal, Flaherty, Mize are definite; the other two slots are slated to be filled by two of Olson, Anderson, Madden, Melton, Keider, and SGL. Possibly Jaden Hamm? And by the end of the year we should see Jobe make an appearance. That’s eleven guys on the list, so I think I’d be surprised to see them go after an established rotation guy.

[Tiger337]

2 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Has Bassitt signed elsewhere? I haven’t seen that yet.

I think the Tigers believe they are in pretty good shape with the rotation. Skubal, Flaherty, Mize are definite; the other two slots are slated to be filled by two of Olson, Anderson, Madden, Melton, Keider, and SGL. Possibly Jaden Hamm? And by the end of the year we should see Jobe make an appearance. That’s eleven guys on the list, so I think I’d be surprised to see them go after an established rotation guy.

What you qouted was about Suarez.  Bassitt has not signed.  I disagree that the Tigers rotation is in good shape for a team looking to make the playoffs.  I'd like to see one more definite.  

[casimir]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

What you qouted was about Suarez.  Bassitt has not signed.  I disagree that the Tigers rotation is in good shape for a team looking to make the playoffs.  I'd like to see one more definite.  

Agree.  A group of Olson, Anderson, Madden, Melton, Keider, and Gipson-Long is not to be trusted for two plus SP slots.  Bassitt is a good option at this point to cover one of those spots.

[chasfh]

3 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

What you qouted was about Suarez.  Bassitt has not signed.  I disagree that the Tigers rotation is in good shape for a team looking to make the playoffs.  I'd like to see one more definite.  

I was talking about Bassitt. It’s right in the quote in your post.

[chasfh]

2 minutes ago, casimir said:

Agree.  A group of Olson, Anderson, Madden, Melton, Keider, and Gipson-Long is not to be trusted for two plus SP slots.  Bassitt is a good option at this point to cover one of those spots.

I guess if what we see with those guys is what we get and they’re not going to get any better this year, then yeah, we could use Bassitt if he would ever consider coming here.

[Tiger337]

32 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I was talking about Bassitt. It’s right in the quote in your post.

I was referring to the first sentence in your post.  

[chasfh]

31 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I was referring to the first sentence in your post.  

I see, OK. The post mentioned only Bassitt and Ponce by name, you said “him”, and I deduced you did not mean Ponce.

[Motor City Sonics]

17 hours ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I was at the game. It was actually announced that they were chugging one beer for every free agent Scott Harris signed. They had two beers and that was it.

One was a stale, warm beer and the other was a lite beer.  

[papalawrence]

10 hours ago, chasfh said:

Has Bassitt signed elsewhere? I haven’t seen that yet.

I think the Tigers believe they are in pretty good shape with the rotation. Skubal, Flaherty, Mize are definite; the other two slots are slated to be filled by two of Olson, Anderson, Madden, Melton, Keider, and SGL. Possibly Jaden Hamm? And by the end of the year we should see Jobe make an appearance. That’s eleven guys on the list, so I think I’d be surprised to see them go after an established rotation guy.

True, but that would place a ton of pressure going into 2027, with Skubal, Mize and Flaherty all likely leaving. I still think Harris will add a SP on a 2 yr deal, perhaps with an option on year 2. But I do agree, 2026 seems stocked enough to head into the season