2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[Shades of Deivi Cruz]

SS/3B/CF is still a problem offensively. I want to believe in Parker Meadows, but it's getting harder and harder to do so. IMO, we are relying on too many players to meet/exceed last season, when last season was already ahead of what was expected of them. This includes Javy, Zach, Jones and even Tork. I suppose it's possible to absorb regression from them, if there is improvement in the Sweeney/Vierling/Meadows/Keith group, but it's tough to count on that.

[NorthWoods]

22 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

agree they are still too left handed, esp if McGonigle makes the team.

If this remains true near the deadline it would seem that a RH bat would be one of the easier things to acquire.

[NorthWoods]

Just now, Shades of Deivi Cruz said:

SS/3B/CF is still a problem offensively. I want to believe in Parker Meadows, but it's getting harder and harder to do so. IMO, we are relying on too many players to meet/exceed last season, when last season was already ahead of what was expected of them. This includes Javy, Zach, Jones and even Tork. I suppose it's possible to absorb regression from them, if there is improvement in the Sweeney/Vierling/Meadows/Keith group, but it's tough to count on that.

I have no faith in Meadows offensively, I wouldn't be shocked if we're back to Javy in CF by opening day.

[4hzglory]

1 minute ago, NorthWoods said:

I have no faith in Meadows offensively, I wouldn't be shocked if we're back to Javy in CF by opening day.

I agree.  I do have reasonable faith 3b can be league average with Keith hopefully getting the majority of playing time, but having Vieriling, and McKinstry among others.  And I don't think there needs to be improvement in Vierling other than health.  If healthy, I'd be surprised if he's far off from 2024 and that would be a large overall improvement over what Ibanez or Jones brought. 

[Motor City Sonics]

The Dodgers screwed everyone with that Tucker contract.     What do you think Skubal will want now?  70 million a year?   How many teams could afford it.  Don't worry, I did the research.  The Dodgers and The Mets.   Maybe the Yankees if they get desperate enough.  That means the Tigers lose a ton in trade leverage because so few teams can even entertain signing Skubal.    I think the Dodgers guaranteed we lost the 2027 season entirely.   This whole Salary Cap issue will stop everything.       To me Tucker isn't all that much better than Bobby Higginson.  He really isn't.  You can take Kyle's best years with Houston and factor in he was part of a really good team, which inflates his numbers a bit -  and he still doesn't grade out that much better than Higginson, who was on a lot of lousy Tiger teams.     

[LongLiveMaroth]

8 hours ago, Tigermojo said:

"Detroit also forfeits draft capital because Valdez rejected a qualifying offer from the Astros. They’re a revenue sharing recipient so it’s the lowest penalty, their third-highest pick in the 2026 draft. That’s currently slated to be their Competitive Balance Round B selection, which is 69th overall. The Tigers could look to trade that pick — Competitive Balance selections are the only ones that can be traded — rather than losing it as the compensatory pick. They’d then forfeit their third-round selection (#98 overall), but another team might be more willing to give up something of value for the higher draft choice and accompanying slot value that makes it worthwhile for Detroit to lose the third-rounder."

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/tigers-framber-valdez-agree-to-three-year-deal.html

I really hope Harris is thinking about this; getting a decent prospect for that and then just losing your 3rd rd selection would be ideal.

[RatkoVarda]

Ilitch now has the Tigers with a Top 10 payroll and less than 17M from the first competitive balance tax line.

Someone needs to reign in his irresponsible spending!

[Tiger337]

"Kyle Tucker is not much better than Bobby Higginson" is not something I expected to read this morning.  

[chasfh]

55 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

My thoughts are all financial and lack of trust in Chris.  The uncertainty of the new TV deal along with a potential lockout looming has me doubting that he’s going to significantly increased payroll this season.  I hope that I’m wrong and this is the new Chris.  

All due respect, this is chicken little thinking. I think Chris has already proven since the Baez deal, and the hiring of Harris, that he is willing to spend to improve the product both on the field and behind the scenes.

[Longgone]

24 minutes ago, NorthWoods said:

I have no faith in Meadows offensively, I wouldn't be shocked if we're back to Javy in CF by opening day.

I have no faith in Javy offensively.

[chasfh]

55 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

I still think they are a RH bat short, as Jones is unlikely to repeat his 2025, Vierling is just solid and coming off multiple injuries. Maybe they do something at the end of ST, or maybe they wait and see how it goes, possibly with Anderson or Lee.

I'm not sure they'd get anyone you will like off the market. The only RHB guys left hit DH or play on the dirt, where we are already basically set. If we want a top bat, we'll have to liquidate a numbered prospect-plus to get him. I don't see it, since it looks like we are already, as of now, the consensus favorites in the Central as currently constructed.

[gehringer_2]

22 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Ilitch now has the Tigers with a Top 10 payroll and less than 17M from the first competitive balance tax line.

Someone needs to reign in his irresponsible spending!

is that with or without Skubal’s 20 or 32 M$!

[CMRivdogs]

Regarding payroll. if Skubal wins his case the estimated team salary will be about $215.5 mil about $202.5 mil if the Tigers win the case. That puts them above the nearly $200 mil opening day figure in 2017. 

According to Rosenthal in The Athletic, they are at least talking like going for it all this year at least.

How much big money comes off for 2017? Are we still paying Javy? If they not competing come trade deadline I see them trading Skubal then, but for now I convinced they are all in.

 

[KL2]

2 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

Regarding payroll. if Skubal wins his case the estimated team salary will be about $215.5 mil about $202.5 mil if the Tigers win the case. That puts them above the nearly $200 mil opening day figure in 2017. 

According to Rosenthal in The Athletic, they are at least talking like going for it all this year at least.

How much big money comes off for 2017? Are we still paying Javy? If they not competing come trade deadline I see them trading Skubal then, but for now I convinced they are all in.

 

we're still paying for 2017?! We were **** then I thought Miggy's contract was long over. 

[NorthWoods]

17 minutes ago, Longgone said:

I have no faith in Javy offensively.

Max will solve CF for us soon enough.

[chasfh]

So much for Ilitch is too cheap and Harris is too scared to sign or trade for expensive big leaguers. I would bet there's another shoe dropping at some point, although I'm not sure what that is.

Two immediate thoughts leap to mind:

1. This acquisition is definitely going to challenge an infield that is average at best, below average more likely. Valdez is simultaneously one of the premier ground ball pitchers in the game and one of the hardest-hit as well. There are going to be a lot of screaming ground balls getting through the infield when he's pitching, and we're going to hear Benetti intone "past a diving" a lot. To that end, if another shoe doesn't drop somehow, I would guess we're going to see a lot more Javy Baez at short this year, at least until his bat disintegrates.
2. I think a follow-on effect of signing Valdez is that overnight, Detroit has become a lot more attractive destination for free agents, because now they know we will pay players top dollar to come here. This is a big step toward moving ourselves into the conversation with the Big Six, Blue Jays, and Phillies when it comes to attracting top talent.

[RatkoVarda]

9 hours ago, Tigermojo said:

"Detroit also forfeits draft capital because Valdez rejected a qualifying offer from the Astros. They’re a revenue sharing recipient so it’s the lowest penalty, their third-highest pick in the 2026 draft. That’s currently slated to be their Competitive Balance Round B selection, which is 69th overall. The Tigers could look to trade that pick — Competitive Balance selections are the only ones that can be traded — rather than losing it as the compensatory pick. They’d then forfeit their third-round selection (#98 overall), but another team might be more willing to give up something of value for the higher draft choice and accompanying slot value that makes it worthwhile for Detroit to lose the third-rounder."

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/tigers-framber-valdez-agree-to-three-year-deal.html

this entire paragraph at mlbtraderumors is dead wrong. the CB picks can be counted when determining a team's 3rd pick, but, unless traded, the CB pick CANNOT be the pick that is forfeited, so they are going to lose the 98th pick for signing Valdez. Kind of incompetent for them not to know the rules.

the story actually is this: the Tigers have gamed the system a little bit, as they are losing their 4th overall pick for signing a free agent

[CMRivdogs]

19 minutes ago, KL2 said:

we're still paying for 2017?! We were **** then I thought Miggy's contract was long over. 

Fingers working slower than mind. That's what happens when you switch to half cafe. I meant 2027

[theroundsquare]

11 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

this entire paragraph at mlbtraderumors is dead wrong. the CB picks can be counted when determining a team's 3rd pick, but, unless traded, the CB pick CANNOT be the pick that is forfeited, so they are going to lose the 98th pick for signing Valdez. Kind of incompetent for them not to know the rules.

the story actually is this: the Tigers have gamed the system a little bit, as they are losing their 4th overall pick for signing a free agent

thanks for this clarification.  when i read that on mlbtr, it didn't seem right to me but i also thought that i was the one that was probably misunderstanding

 

ps: i wonder if hinch will slot olson or flaherty between valdez and skubal to present different looks and keep bullpen assigments more spaced out

[Dan Gilmore]

Agree that RH position player is a remaining area to improve on, I would also say LH reliever. Would like to have a strikeout lefty to mix in with the Jansen/Finnegan/Vest trio. Whether they do something about either of those now, or wait until the deadline will be interesting to watch. 

[Edman85]

58 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Ilitch now has the Tigers with a Top 10 payroll and less than 17M from the first competitive balance tax line.

Someone needs to reign in his irresponsible spending!

I want to see how Skubal's arb hearing goes and how much of Valdez's contract is deferred before making that call. Also, if too much of Valdez's contract is front loaded, the Tigers could get hit with a valley charge pushing things closer.

[Hongbit]

 

[chasfh]

Remember "pitching chaos"?

[ewsieg]

1 hour ago, Longgone said:

I have no faith in Javy offensively.

I would concur, yet I have more faith in him that Meadows.  Thus I must have some faith.

[tiger2022]

1 hour ago, Shades of Deivi Cruz said:

SS/3B/CF is still a problem offensively. 

I was told that the Tigers have 8 amazing options at 3rd this season earlier in this thread.