2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[Cruzer1]

I think Max Clark can be another all star type of player.

[Longgone]

1 hour ago, NorthWoods said:

McGonigle will be the all star bat

Eventually. Making the jump is harder these days than ever, and it's probably unreasonable to expect instant success and not some bumps.

[Tiger337]

8 minutes ago, Longgone said:

Eventually. Making the jump is harder these days than ever, and it's probably unreasonable to expect instant success and not some bumps.

That is the most probable outcome.  It sounds like he has a high floor and I think think there is a good chance he makes the opening day roster, but I would expect some troubles initially.  

[gehringer_2]

6 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

That is the most probable outcome.  It sounds like he has a high floor and I think think there is a good chance he makes the opening day roster, but I would expect some troubles initially.  

I'll be curious to see where they play him and how many places they play him in ST.

[NorthWoods]

8 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'll be curious to see where they play him and how many places they play him in ST.

It wouldn't shock me to see him at SS to judge how he handles it with the thought of Javy in CF.

I don't know how anyone can have faith in Meadows to hit or stay healthy.   

[Stormin]

Media sources seem to be constantly mentioning Javy having a bad second half.  What seldom seems to be mentioned is how well Javy played in the playoffs.  Played all 8 games at SS. led everyday Tigers in hits and average, second in OPS, only 3 strikeouts across 8 games.

[Cruzer1]

59 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'll be curious to see where they play him and how many places they play him in ST.

Lynn Henning mentioned in his new daily that he would split between 3rd and SS. A part of me wants him to be up asap so he can compete for roy, so the Tigers can get another 1st rounder next year.

I recommend Lynn Hennings new sub, he's on substack.

[Cruzer1]

The Tigers can have 4 1st round picks in 2027.  Their own, one from cb round A, a compensatory for Skubal, and a ppi.

[Tiger337]

30 minutes ago, Cruzer1 said:

Lynn Henning mentioned in his new daily that he would split between 3rd and SS. A part of me wants him to be up asap so he can compete for roy, so the Tigers can get another 1st rounder next year.

I recommend Lynn Hennings new sub, he's on substack.

I thought about it, but I am not paying $70 to read Lynn Henning.  

[holygoat]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I thought about it, but I am not paying $70 to read Lynn Henning.  

I can already not read Henning for free.

[casimir]

5 hours ago, holygoat said:

I can already not read Henning for free.

If you want free nonsense, I'll be here all week. Try the veal.

[Shelton]

8 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I thought about it, but I am not paying $70 to read Lynn Henning.  

Only 7 dollars a month if you go month to month!

It’s fascinating that he settled on this particular price point for what is basically a hobby for the man in his retirement. What’s going to happen when the tigers leave Lakeland? Is he going to travel with the team? Of course not. What kind of analysis is he going to provide that you can’t get from Chris McCosky or your drunk uncle that you see on Memorial Day? 

“JV happy to be back. A man with a family now. He’s older and wiser. Time marches on and death comes for us all. I love red wine from Costco.”

[Cruzer1]

9 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I thought about it, but I am not paying $70 to read Lynn Henning.  

I chose the free option.

[casimir]

9 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I thought about it, but I am not paying $70 to read Lynn Henning.  

That paywall is too deep.

[oblong]

I pay $5 a month for paramount plus and have a library of content that i couldn't get through in a lifetime.

 

[Sports_Freak]

11 hours ago, NorthWoods said:

It wouldn't shock me to see him at SS to judge how he handles it with the thought of Javy in CF.

I don't know how anyone can have faith in Meadows to hit or stay healthy.   

Because Meadows is still a really young player? And his defense is outstanding. As well as his speed, the guy is a racehorse. Sometimes it takes a few years for young players to "figure it out." Giving up on him too soon could be a mistake. But I agree, if he doesn't hit, at least a little, he may not stick around too long. We'll see, there are other CF options, if need be.

[Sports_Freak]

15 hours ago, chasfh said:

We were ranked 7th in runs scored before stumbling down the stretch. I don't think the problem was that the offense sucked. I think the problem was that a good offense stumbled down the stretch.

I am not tearing my hair out over lack of All-Star bat added the offense. To all appearances, Harris is counting on improvement from hitters we already have on board. He's got us to within one game of the ALCS two years in a row. I know I'm on an island here, but if he does not add an All-Star bat to the offense, then I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I have to admit I was wrong about Chris Ilitch being cheap. Harris said when he approached Chris about the prospect of possibly signing Valdez, Chris was really excited, fired up and "as passionate as it gets." If true, I couldn't have been more wrong. And glad I was 100%wrong.

[Longgone]

11 hours ago, NorthWoods said:

 

I don't know how anyone can have faith in Meadows to hit or stay healthy.   

Because you can't judge a player on an injury plagued year, and people heal.

[Tiger337]

I'm not confident Baez will hit any better than Meadows.  In fact, looking over the last three years makes me think Meadows will outhit him.

[Tiger337]

26 minutes ago, Longgone said:

Because you can't judge a player on an injury plagued year, and people heal.

Right, I think the bigger concern with him is staying healthy.  I hope he doesn't share his brother's health genes.  

Edited 4 hours ago by Tiger337

[Cruzer1]

Hitting isn't about faith. Jesus doesn't roll on Shabas.

[chasfh]

16 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

I have to admit I was wrong about Chris Ilitch being cheap. Harris said when he approached Chris about the prospect of possibly signing Valdez, Chris was really excited, fired up and "as passionate as it gets." If true, I couldn't have been more wrong. And glad I was 100%wrong.

I can see why people were so doom and gloom about the franchise, given the decade that preceded the 2024 playoffs, which they seemed to treat as a one-off (and maybe still do, who knows). Some people are simply the type who like to say they're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I think part of it is, nobody wants to be disappointed, so they prevent themselves from developing expectations, or even from hoping.

What I hope is that we're past all that and we can see the Tigers for what they are: a franchise on the rise, with a chance to step in among the elite of teams for a little while, rather than a team that simply got lucky with a bunch of nobodies for a couple of years and is destined to go splat any day now due to operator error.

[Tiger337]

5 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I can see why people were so doom and gloom about the franchise, given the decade that preceded the 2024 playoffs, which they seemed to treat as a one-off (and maybe still do, who knows). Some people are simply the type who like to say they're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I think part of it is, nobody wants to be disappointed, so they prevent themselves from developing expectations, or even from hoping.

What I hope is that we're past all that and we can see the Tigers for what they are: a franchise on the rise, with a chance to step in among the elite of teams for a little while, rather than a team that simply got lucky with a bunch of nobodies for a couple of years and is destined to go splat any day now due to operator error.

And some people said nobody good would ever even want to sign with the Tigers!

[1984Echoes]

As the ETERNAL OPTIMIST on here...

I give my stamp of approval on this version of the Tigers.

[NorthWoods]

41 minutes ago, Longgone said:

Because you can't judge a player on an injury plagued year, and people heal.

But it's not an injury plagued year.  It's an injury plagued career so far.  Sometimes players overcome that and remain healthy for long stretches but it seems to me that many times that player never stays healthy and is always tantalizing but rarely delivering.