2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[Sports_Freak]

32 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Sop making sense, you're ruining the piling on. 😁

I don't believe many position players were convinced the Tigers are a franchise on a serious comeback earlier this offseason, not would they believe we would spend the money when it comes time to. (Heck, most posters here didn't believe Chris Ilitch/Scott Harris would ever spend any money.) Players are probably more open to the idea of coming here now after our having signed Valdez and Verlander. I think it's going to take at least another year of proving it, and moving on to at least the ALCS, before the best of them seriously consider agreeing to commit their remaining prime production years here.

As for the city itself, anyone without interest in winning an argument would agree that it's clear that as a destination place to live, Detroit is nowhere on a par with New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, or Boston. We can probably add to that Miami (especially for Latin players), Anaheim (proximity to LA, mainstream cultural center), Seattle (team history, coolness factor), or Phoenix or Atlanta (close to home). Vegas will be up there, too, once they have their team. Other things like years and money being equal, a young player with lots of money, especially if he's single, would simply not choose Detroit as a place to live over any of these other cities. I have no evidence to present the court on this. I'm just leaning on my experience having lived a life in the United States.

Yeah, players are lining up to live on the south side of Chicago....OK.

[SeattleMike]

17 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Or maybe a weak offense played over their heads in the first half.  I think it's somewhere in between.  I don't believe they have the 7th best offense in baseball, nor do I believe they have a terrible offense. 

I think they ended up 11th in runs scored. If they repeat that and bring the runs allowed into the top 10 they will contend for a playoff spot. The offseason moves suggest that this is what the Tigers were thinking. 

Edited 1 hour ago by SeattleMike

[SeattleMike]

15 hours ago, Stormin said:

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.

I know performance under pressure really isn't a thing, but it certainly feels as though Baez needs the stakes to be a bit higher to perform at his best. 

[Tiger337]

16 hours ago, Stormin said:

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.

He was good in the playoffs, but his second half performance was one of the reasons they almost did not make the playoffs.  He was horrible in 2023-2024.  Maybe that was because of his injury.  I don't know, but I don't consider him a reliable offensive player.