2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[Tiger337]

16 minutes ago, Shelton said:

Not sure where the discussion is currently but just want to go on the record that Al Avila deserves basically zero credit for anything good that has happened to the tigers over the past few years. He’s terrible and no amount of 3 WAR seasons from Riley Greene is going to change that. 

I do agree that Avila was terrible, but I don't think Harris deserves much credit for them making the playoffs the last two years. I give that credit to players plus Hinch and Fetter who were already in place before Harris took over.   I don't see any remarkable contributions from Harris to those teams.  And that's not really a knock against Harris since I know he's trying to develop from within which takes time.  I think we'll see big contributions from Harris in coming years.  Even if Harris turns out to be a cookie cutter analytic GM, he'll still be a lot better than Avila and most of the other GMs they have had in my lifetime.   

Edited 10 hours ago by Tiger337

[Sports_Freak]

24 minutes ago, Shelton said:

Not sure where the discussion is currently

Comparing our current GM to our GM from 3 years ago?

[Tiger337]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

Comparing our current GM to our GM from 3 years ago?

There is no comparison.  The question is not who is better but how much Harris has contributed to last season's success.   

[Sports_Freak]

2 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

There is no comparison.  The question is not who is better but how much Harris has contributed to last season's success.   

Success? His horrible trade deadline moves cost us winning the division. How many games did Morton and Paddack lose for us? He would have been better off sitting on his hands and not forcing Hinch into using a bottom feeding team reject or a senior citizen pitcher. At least, that's how some fans feel. 😁

[chasfh]

27 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Success? His horrible trade deadline moves cost us winning the division. 

Yes, why couldn't Harris have replicated the brilliant trade deadline moves that won us the division in 2024?

[Tiger337]

Just now, chasfh said:

Yes, why couldn't Harris have replicated the brilliant trade deadline moves that won us the division in 2024?

I am really hoping this is a joke.

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, Shelton said:

Not sure where the discussion is currently but just want to go on the record that Al Avila deserves basically zero credit for anything good that has happened to the tigers over the past few years. He’s terrible and no amount of 3 WAR seasons from Riley Greene is going to change that. 

That amount would be one, and it wasn't even this past year. Obviously, Harris's terrible deadline moves lost Riley three wins versus 2024. That cost us winning the division!

[chasfh]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

I am really hoping this is a joke.

As much a joke as anybody else's.

[Sports_Freak]

19 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Yes, why couldn't Harris have replicated the brilliant trade deadline moves that won us the division in 2024?

If some fans want to give Harris credit for the Tigers making the playoffs last season, maybe they should also blame him for such an historic collapse within the division? I see their point.

[kdog]

Harris can't believe that every young player is going to have an ideal outcome. On the other hand, his philosophy seems to be shared by 70% of the league. Everybody overvalues what they have and don't want to lose deals.

The real choices come when they don't want to pay guys who are close to reaching the end of the arb clock; Skubal doesn't count because paying him would be out of scope. But are you going to pay Riley Greene? If not, when do you trade him and can you strike when you think you can get the best value.

Until he has to make real hard choices, it seems like we are going to churn and roster hoard and see what happens..optionality will be the calling card.

Edited 8 hours ago by kdog

[Tigermojo]

10 minutes ago, kdog said:

Harris can't believe that every young player is going to have an ideal outcome. On the other hand, his philosophy seems to be shared by 70% of the league. Everybody overvalues what they have and don't want to lose deals.

The real choices come when they don't want to pay guys who are close to reaching the end of the arb clock; Skubal doesn't count because paying him would be out of scope. But are you going to pay Riley Greene? If not, when do you trade him and can you strike when you think you can get the best value.

Until he has to make real hard choices, it seems like we are going to churn and roster hoard and see what happens..optionality will be the calling card.

Motivation. Come here. Get better.  Give us your best performance. Get paid.

Instead of get paid. Eat a bunch of donuts.  Show up late. Now you're injured. 

Harris told us his plan when he arrived and he has followed that plan. So far, they have two playoff appearances. 

[kdog]

That is correct...but they have lost for the same reason(inability to hit). In lieu of adding any new guys from the outside, they are going to rely on the same guys who failed in the biggest spots. Some guys might improve, and others might just plateau or regress. As the POBO, he has to project some of the outcomes and make trades if they don't want to assume contractual risk with older vets.

[IdahoBert]

I’m fearful that our heralded “top prospects“ could end up being different versions of Colt Keith. 

[Tiger337]

41 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

I’m fearful that our heralded “top prospects“ could end up being different versions of Colt Keith. 

Most of them probably will be that or worse...But I am hoping a couple will become above average major leaguers.  I am also hoping for a steady flow of new prospects for several years.  

Edited 7 hours ago by Tiger337

[Shinzaki]

Will McGonigle, Clark and Briceno be the new age Lou, Tram and Parrish?  Can Rodriguez become another Gibby?

Gonna be fun to see

[Sports_Freak]

47 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Most of them probably will be that or worse...But I am hoping a couple will become above average major leaguers.  I am also hoping for a steady flow of new prospects for several years.  

You know who else were top prospects? Jace Jung, Justyn Henry Malloy, and Trey Sweeney. Kinda scary counting on prospects, even if they're considered "can't miss" types.

[RatkoVarda]

33 minutes ago, Shinzaki said:

Will McGonigle, Clark and Briceno be the new age Lou, Tram and Parrish?  Can Rodriguez become another Gibby?

Gonna be fun to see

Hopefully, yes!

But I think everyone has their favorite memory from the Scott Sizemore Era, so let's aim for some different results this time.

[Tiger337]

9 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

You know who else were top prospects? Jace Jung, Justyn Henry Malloy, and Trey Sweeney. Kinda scary counting on prospects, even if they're considered "can't miss" types.

I am always skeptical of prospects, but none of those guys were regarded to be in the same class as McGonigle and Clark.  

[RatkoVarda]

Here the top Dodgers prospects from 2020 = 1 regular; 3 guys who never got a single at bat; and a whole lot of blah in between.

[Edman85]

6 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

Here the top Dodgers prospects from 2020 = 1 regular; 3 guys who never got a single at bat; and a whole lot of blah in between.

 

I see three regular position players (Lux, Busch, Ruiz), two back end rotation guys (with injury issues: Gonsolin, May), and an 8th inning guy for several years (Graterol). Not sure where that assessment comes from.

Edited 6 hours ago by Edman85

[Tiger337]

3 hours ago, chasfh said:

That amount would be one, and it wasn't even this past year. Obviously, Harris's terrible deadline moves lost Riley three wins versus 2024. That cost us winning the division!

So, was he a bad draft pick by Avila or not developed properly by Harris?  

[RatkoVarda]

Just now, Edman85 said:

I see three regular position players (Luck, Busch, Ruiz), two back end rotation guys (with injury issues: Gonsolin, May), and an 8th inning guy for several years (Graterol). Not sure where that assessment comes from.

Ruiz is awful on both sides of plate and the Nats would have dumped him long ago except for his horrible contract. Lux was a SS and the #1 prospect and now is a rando platoon OF. Injuries have devastated almost all the pitchers careers. the point is, the LAD don't miss any of the guys they traded and really should have traded even more of them before there value zeroed out.

[Sports_Freak]

53 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I am always skeptical of prospects, but none of those guys were regarded to be in the same class as McGonigle and Clark.  

Yeah, those two are highly regarded. Hopefully theyll pan out. Colt Keith was also highly regarded. So much so, the Tigers signed him for several years.

[Stormin]

I give Harris credit for having the patience to let younger players develop.  A year ago, many people wanted Christian Walker to be signed and Tork to get kicked to the curb - glad that didn't happen.  Similarly many were ready to give up on Mize - now I wonder if the Tigers should extend Mize before he has another good season and the price tag goes up.  Dingler has gone through alot of ups and downs.

I think the only two free agent signings Harris has made that even approach upper level are Flaherty and Torres.  Harris did well with these two signings.  Getting high level FA signings wrong can set the team back years.  Harris has spent significant $ on mid level free agents - a market that is high risk.  Hope Harris spends less $ on mid level free agents in the future.

As far as trades, has Harris made a real trade?  Tigers have not got much in return but they haven't given much away either.   If Finnegan is the best trade acquisition, he was non tendered at the end of 2024 so ...

Edited 4 hours ago by Stormin

[chasfh]

4 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

I’m fearful that our heralded “top prospects“ could end up being different versions of Colt Keith. 

Colt Keith is not done quite yet. He may not even be at his optimal self yet. He's just finished his age 23 season.