2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[casimir]

12 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Joe Morgan was 5-7 and he may have been the best all around player I have ever seen.  

Flapping that back wing at the box just revved up the bat to ball skills.

[casimir]

57 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

Unless any of the following apply to each of you, you’re not really in any position to critique the guys height as a projectable limitation:

-Professional scouting or analytics experience

-Observed a minimum of 50 McGonigle plate appearances 

-Own and regularly play Strat-a-Matic

-Currently live in your parents basement 

-Have recently enjoyed an extended stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

McGonigle will rake—if he does it while playing SS, he will be a superstar.

Anybody ever try Randy Johnson pitching to Joe Morgan in Stratomatic or OOTP or backyard wiffleball?  Please post your findings.

[RatkoVarda]

McGonigle is both a unicorn and a strawman. If he is ROY, and he certainly could be, that does not turn Wilmer Flores or Thayron Liranzo into better prospects. If you are all in on McGonigle (and you absolutely should be) that does not mean that the best bet is still predicting that most prospects will fall short of expectations.

And I am happy to put Max Clark into (almost) the same bucket as McGonigle, as he might provide average (above average?) hitting and above average (premium?) D at an up the middle position - but again Clark is both a strawman and a (lesser) unicorn.

For the below, so far we have 3 DFAs (or the equivalent) plus 3 releases looming. 2 average starters. 2 injured pitchers.

[Edman85]

31 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

McGonigle is both a unicorn and a strawman. If he is ROY, and he certainly could be, that does not turn Wilmer Flores or Thayron Liranzo into better prospects. If you are all in on McGonigle (and you absolutely should be) that does not mean that the best bet is still predicting that most prospects will fall short of expectations.

And I am happy to put Max Clark into (almost) the same bucket as McGonigle, as he might provide average (above average?) hitting and above average (premium?) D at an up the middle position - but again Clark is both a strawman and a (lesser) unicorn.

For the below, so far we have 3 DFAs (or the equivalent) plus 3 releases looming. 2 average starters. 2 injured pitchers.

Not all team Top 10's are created equal, though. That is to say Top 10 strengths vary significantly, so saying "This Top 10 failed" doesn't mean another Top 10 will fail. Yes, the odds both McGonigle and Clark become top flight regulars are much smaller than people think, but this snap shot was from a time when the Tigers' farm was pretty weak (preseason 2023?).

[1984Echoes]

14 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

... is that “he doesn’t look like a ball player.“ I can see that being a problem for some. 

That would be Max Anderson.

[Stormin]

23 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

One concern I have is that he may have already peaked.  Given his nickname (Stormin Norman Cash?), I suspect he's old for a rookie.  

My dog's name is Norman.   I have been a Tiger fan for awhile.

[4hzglory]

3 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

 No way does he make this team as a once a week player. My wild guess is he starts in Toledo and gets called up in 2 cases...Javy struggles or gets hurt or Meadows struggles or gets hurt and is replaced in CF by Javy. I have a lot of confidence in the player development team that Harris has in place to make the proper decision. 

Obviously when he comes up, he will definitely be playing every day.  If they think that is likely to happen at anytime before the end of August (which I believe they will), I think he starts in the majors.  This gives the potential for an extra draft pick under the current cba.  If he shows he isn’t quite ready, they can send him down and be in the same position (draft pick wise) as starting him in Toledo and calling him up later.  The carrot of the extra pick is worth a considerable amount.  

[1984Echoes]

20 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

Not all team Top 10's are created equal, though. That is to say Top 10 strengths vary significantly, so saying "This Top 10 failed" doesn't mean another Top 10 will fail. Yes, the odds both McGonigle and Clark become top flight regulars are much smaller than people think, but this snap shot was from a time when the Tigers' farm was pretty weak (preseason 2023?).

That seems like a pretty good guess...

Because spring 2022 Top 10 would have had Greene, Tork, Carpenter (I think he broke top 10 before coming up to Detroit?), Keith, Jung & Flores might have been in that top ten but others vying for the back end of that might have been Faedo, Manning, Brieske, Lange and Foley.

All of those guys, except Keith, Jung and Flores would have been OFF the preseason 2023, with only Jobe as a high level replacement.

I believe...

[1984Echoes]

So let's consider 2022 Top 10:

Skubal and Mize had already graduated by then... 

So in 2022: Greene, Tork and Carpenter all debut. Keith is still waiting. Did Dingler ever break the top 10? This year preseason before he played a full season and lost "rookie" eligibility?

2022 also saw debuts or full seasons for all those pitchers listed (except for Flores). I think Manning had 86 innings the prior year.

Keeping pitchers healthy nowadays sure sucks...

[1984Echoes]

3 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

... I really don't see him coming north with us this spring unless he has an everyday position. No way does he make this team as a once a week player. My wild guess is he starts in Toledo and gets called up in 2 cases...Javy struggles or gets hurt or Meadows struggles or gets hurt and is replaced in CF by Javy. I have a lot of confidence in the player development team that Harris has in place to make the proper decision. 

If the team deems McGonigle ready, Baez will lose his starting SS position.

Hinch is perfectly fine, and I believe Baez is on board with this, playing Baez as the backup SS, at CF or 3B wherever and whenever he (Hinch) sees fit. Baez is not that type of concern anymore, and McGonigle has nothing to fear from him.

He only has to prove that he's ready for MLB pitching, and that he's capable in the field, nothing more. And then he will be the everyday starter at SS, with Baez and McKinstry backing him up.

The person who should be worried, IMO... is Meadows.

If he's struggling, or nicked up, in the least... Baez or Vierling are getting the starts out there.

He is far too often struggling to stay over the Mendoza line.

IMO, I believe there will be less patience for that in 2026...

But I'm just guessing.