2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[papalawrence]

1 hour ago, SoCalTiger said:

Did anyone watch Harris's interview on MLB network ? The optics seemed strange to me like he was really nervous and uncomfortable. The main interviewer even said "you did a good job" at the end. I came away a bit disappointed that he might indeed be a bit overwhelmed by it all. Did anyone else feel that way or did I get the wrong impression ?

I saw it and agree, disappointing. He doesn't have to committed to anything, but just one time say something like "we love Skubal and certainly want to have him.be a Tiger for life. He has options and has an agent who tends to go with the highest bidder. We intend to try." Instead we get the same statements, which to me point to Skubal being gone. Here is the interview via FB

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AsPaM7Z6H/

[RedTeamGo!]

1 hour ago, papalawrence said:

Kinda irks me that the Tigers haven't made a splash like this. Huge area of need. The waiver wire isn't the place to patch together a bullpen that is serious about contending. Dodgers, Dodgers, Dodgers. 

3 years $70 mil for Edwin Diaz is absurd. That contract is going to suck for them, not that they care. 

[papalawrence]

2 minutes ago, RedTeamGo! said:

3 years $70 mil for Edwin Diaz is absurd. That contract is going to suck for them, not that they care. 

Career 839 Ks in 519 IP. He's 31. It takes some risk. DD would have gone there. It not like he is 36. So I disagree with you

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, oblong said:

Are there any POBO's or GM's in today's game that did not go to college?  It's not 1965 anymore.

I think it’s that a new class of executives, who came in from the classroom or conference room instead of up through the ranks, rankles some fans who respect the latter far more. Scott Harris is practically representative of the new breed.

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, SoCalTiger said:

Did anyone watch Harris's interview on MLB network ? The optics seemed strange to me like he was really nervous and uncomfortable. The main interviewer even said "you did a good job" at the end. I came away a bit disappointed that he might indeed be a bit overwhelmed by it all. Did anyone else feel that way or did I get the wrong impression ?

I thought it was the opposite: Harris articulated the organization’s approach really well, which of course he would because he thinks and talks about it endlessly, but I also think expectations of him by the trad baseball media are low basically perhaps because he is not a baseball lifer, and maybe because he looks like the high school class president for the Class of 2026.

I actually thought Amsinger was being rather patronizing when he said that, as though he doesn’t really respect Harris. I also think Harris likes being underestimated. 

[Toddwert]

15 minutes ago, RedTeamGo! said:

3 years $70 mil for Edwin Diaz is absurd. That contract is going to suck for them, not that they care. 

its probably all deferred for next 50 years but 2 dollars each of the 3 years

[chasfh]

29 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

I saw it and agree, disappointing. He doesn't have to committed to anything, but just one time say something like "we love Skubal and certainly want to have him.be a Tiger for life. He has options and has an agent who tends to go with the highest bidder. We intend to try." Instead we get the same statements, which to me point to Skubal being gone. Here is the interview via FB

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AsPaM7Z6H/

It would hurt our negotiating position for him to be so open at this point. 

[papalawrence]

6 minutes ago, chasfh said:

It would hurt our negotiating position for him to be so open at this point. 

I don't know about that. It won't move the needle. Teams will be bidding large regardless. I read the Mets will not go in heavy this year for a SP. That's likely because they intend to throw the sink at Skubal next year. It would be nice to hear him say one time that he intends to try and keep Skubal around. That statement will not lead to a higher bidding situation. That's already a forgone conclusion. As a fan, I would be disappointed to know that any time the Tigers have a true superstar, it can only be for a maximum of his first 6 years.

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

I thought it was the opposite: Harris articulated the organization’s approach really well, which of course he would because he thinks and talks about it endlessly, but I also think expectations of him by the trad baseball media are low basically perhaps because he is not a baseball lifer, and maybe because he looks like the high school class president for the Class of 2026.

I actually thought Amsinger was being rather patronizing when he said that, as though he doesn’t really respect Harris. I also think Harris likes being underestimated. 

I think traditional fans are skeptical of him because they want the Tigers to make big moves to improve the team and he hasn't made any (big moves) since he has been here.  I think it has little to do with being a stat nerd or a college boy or whatever.   

[Tiger337]

4 hours ago, SoCalTiger said:

Did anyone watch Harris's interview on MLB network ? The optics seemed strange to me like he was really nervous and uncomfortable. The main interviewer even said "you did a good job" at the end. I came away a bit disappointed that he might indeed be a bit overwhelmed by it all. Did anyone else feel that way or did I get the wrong impression ?

He is not really comfortable in most interviews.  He doesn't like to talk about specific plans or give anything away and he shouldn't. He isn't good at telling jokes to turn the question or anything like that.  However, I think that has little to do with being an effective GM.  

[oblong]

30 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I think traditional fans are skeptical of him because they want the Tigers to make big moves to improve the team and he hasn't made any (big moves) since he has been here.  I think it has little to do with being a stat nerd or a college boy or whatever.   

I think it does.  The idiots on twitter who listen to too much radio make dismissive comments beyond his performance. “Scotty boy”. “Haircut”. Stuff like that. They thjnk he’s weak and timid.   Most of them are overweight pretend jocks who think they are teasing the nerd in high school. 

[SoCalTiger]

3 hours ago, chasfh said:

I thought it was the opposite: Harris articulated the organization’s approach really well, which of course he would because he thinks and talks about it endlessly, but I also think expectations of him by the trad baseball media are low basically perhaps because he is not a baseball lifer, and maybe because he looks like the high school class president for the Class of 2026.

I actually thought Amsinger was being rather patronizing when he said that, as though he doesn’t really respect Harris. I also think Harris likes being underestimated. 

So he’s playing possum eh. Could be. He is very smart. Hope he has something up his sleeve. 

[SoCalTiger]

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

I think traditional fans are skeptical of him because they want the Tigers to make big moves to improve the team and he hasn't made any (big moves) since he has been here.  I think it has little to do with being a stat nerd or a college boy or whatever.   

I don’t think he is any of that just seems a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight. He is new I guess. 

[SoCalTiger]

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

He is not really comfortable in most interviews.  He doesn't like to talk about specific plans or give anything away and he shouldn't. He isn't good at telling jokes to turn the question or anything like that.  However, I think that has little to do with being an effective GM.  

For the most part yes but a certain amount of swagger does play when influencing people and wooing fans. I mean James Bond did pretty well. 

[IdahoBert]

I haven’t watched any interviews, but when I read where Harris said “no one is untouchable“ and that he’s willing to “listen” this means the organization is not desperate, that they’re not panicking, and they will not be easy prey and it’s going to take quite a bit to pry anything loose of substance from the club. It’s his way of dealing from strength instead of weakness regardless of optics.  

Of course I’m an inveterate optimist and I like reading the most positive intent into things. 

[Sports_Freak]

3 hours ago, papalawrence said:

I don't know about that. It won't move the needle. Teams will be bidding large regardless. I read the Mets will not go in heavy this year for a SP. That's likely because they intend to throw the sink at Skubal next year. It would be nice to hear him say one time that he intends to try and keep Skubal around. That statement will not lead to a higher bidding situation. That's already a forgone conclusion. As a fan, I would be disappointed to know that any time the Tigers have a true superstar, it can only be for a maximum of his first 6 years.

Its a very good business model. Replace experienced and very expensive players with young and talented players who make millions of dollars less and are under team control for several years. Tampa has been doing it for years, with pretty good results. Baseball salaries are an overhead in the business side of baseball and overhead in any business is a killer of profits. 

[papalawrence]

5 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Its a very good business model. Replace experienced and very expensive players with young and talented players who make millions of dollars less and are under team control for several years. Tampa has been doing it for years, with pretty good results. Baseball salaries are an overhead in the business side of baseball and overhead in any business is a killer of profits. 

Like I said, I will be disappointed as a fan knowing the Tigers, in that model, will not be keeping any home grown superstar players long-term. There will never be another Al Kaline, Alan Trammell or Lou Whitaker in that model. And that sucks. 

Edited 11 hours ago by papalawrence

[IdahoBert]

I’ll admit that Scott Harris does look like a high school valedictorian. He must have a picture hidden somewhere like Dorian Gray, where his actual age is revealed.

[papalawrence]

Rosenthal today called Harris "very disciplined....if not rigid." Today on Tigers Territory they mentioned it's better to go waiver wire and minor league free agency over paying a middle SP 3/45. So better to try Drew Anderson than going after the Mike Pelfrey's of mlb. Cody Stavenhagen did say a few times that Harris is banking hard on the next wave of prospects, which is actually quite risky, because we know some will not pan out. 

Edited 10 hours ago by papalawrence

[kdog]

Tampa, Cleveland, and Milwakee are rigid and disciplined...they move guys before they need to pay them. The Tigers are trying to middle it without adding any risk to their portfolio. I don't care about signings..make a trade; All of these guys can't play in the majors.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, papalawrence said:

Like I said, I will be disappointed as a fan knowing the Tigers, in that model, will not be keeping any home grown superstar players long-term. There will never be another Al Kaline, Alan Trammell or Lou Whitaker in that model. And that sucks. 

Pujols was moved, Cabrera was moved, Verlander was moved, Bryce Harper was moved, Soto was moved, Sale was moved, Ohtani was moved. It's hardly a Detroit thing. You can blame the teams but it's mostly a system that is cooked into the CBA. 

[IdahoBert]

21 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

Pujols was moved, Cabrera was moved, Verlander was moved, Bryce Harper was moved, Soto was moved, Sale was moved, Ohtani was moved. It's hardly a Detroit thing. You can blame the teams but it's mostly a system that is cooked into the CBA. 

Yeah, I think the era of a player on one team for life is a sweet thing to remember, but not consonant with the realities of our time. Players are no longer the property of one plantation owner for life. 
 

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, papalawrence said:

Like I said, I will be disappointed as a fan knowing the Tigers, in that model, will not be keeping any home grown superstar players long-term. There will never be another Al Kaline, Alan Trammell or Lou Whitaker in that model. And that sucks. 

Agreed. We can keep some of the better players but having 6 to 8 really high priced players probably won't be happening again. The Tigers are a mid-market team that has a payroll of a small market team. Very good for the bottom line but not so much for fans.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, IdahoBert said:

Yeah, I think the era of a player on one team for life is a sweet thing to remember, but not consonant with the realities of our time. Players are no longer the property of one plantation owner for life. 
 

It could be fixed - and it's probably the thing I most wished could be fixed, but IMHO the players have a lot of counterproductive understandings of what is in their own best interests, so it's not going to happen. Probably time for Clark to make his exit too.

Edited 8 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

So, it seems like the Tigers may be following the Tampa Rays model as some of us suspected all along.  It has worked out reasonably well for Tampa but that kind of constant roster turnover is not appealing to me.  I guess it will be somewhat like following a college team which has constant turnover through player graduation.