2026 Exhibition Spring Games

[gehringer_2]

5 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

No they aren't robots, but the vast majority of fans don't know enough from a small sample in order to detect whether it's real or just noise.  It's fun to guess though.  

And noise reduction is one of the things that the search for advanced metrics is all about. Launch angle and exit velo are much better indicators of a hitter's hitting health than whether the fly ball was caught!

Edited 4 hours ago by gehringer_2

[IdahoBert]

So, has McGonigle really “made” the club? 

[Tigermojo]

17 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

So, has McGonigle really “made” the club? 

Only in our hearts and minds. Hinch eats small sample sizes for breakfast. 

[Motor City Sonics]

26 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

So, has McGonigle really “made” the club? 

So he can come up and hit .205, which is probably 20 points higher than Riley Greene will hit this year.  

[IdahoBert]

Thank you, everyone. I am a born optimist too.

[NorthWoods]

19 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Thank you, everyone. I am a born optimist too.

I wouldn't say he's made it for sure but I do think at this point he would need to play his way off it.

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Outside of injury, there is no way Verlander is not in the starting rotation to start the season....even if Drew Anderson gives up zero runs in spring training.

(If you ask me why, I will tell you that I'm just a dumb poster making claims I can't prove. What comes to mind, though, includes: pissing off the fans who want to see Verlander and, more importantly, will pay $$ to see him...Verlander not being happy about it which can't be a helpful...recognizing it is long season and Anderson will get his chance sooner or later...Anderson being a good option out of the bullpen until needed as a starter.)

[Tiger337]

51 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

So, has McGonigle really “made” the club? 

My belief is that he came into spring training with a very good chance of staying with the team.  My guess all along has been that he will make the club if he is a better option, in terms of current ability and readiness, than anyone he replaces.  I expect him to make the team.  

[gehringer_2]

9 minutes ago, CaliforniaDreaming said:

Outside of injury, there is no way Verlander is not in the starting rotation to start the season....even if Drew Anderson gives up zero runs in spring training.

(If you ask me why, I will tell you that I'm just a dumb poster making claims I can't prove. What comes to mind, though, includes: pissing off the fans who want to see Verlander and, more importantly, will pay $$ to see him...Verlander not being happy about it which can't be a helpful...recognizing it is long season and Anderson will get his chance sooner or later...Anderson being a good option out of the bullpen until needed as a starter.)

I don't take issue with anything but the last line - if Anderson is pitching well but doesn't make the rotation, they will want the 6th starter in Toledo starting so he's ready to start when they want him. This Tiger org hasn't been big on transitioning guys to or from the bullpen on the fly.

 

[Tigermojo]

5 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I don't take issue with anything but the last line - if Anderson is pitching well but doesn't make the rotation, they will want the 6th starter in Toledo starting so he's ready to start when they want him. This Tiger org hasn't been big on transitioning guys to or from the bullpen on the fly.

 

Nobody has options. 

[Shelton]

1 hour ago, Tigermojo said:

He's not hitting either.

Everyone seems to be forgetting this in the rush to replace meadows in CF with Wenceel and/or Javy. 
 

Personally, I hope they stick with meadows in CF for the defense he provides, and if they are compelled to make decisions based on spring performance, just bat him 9th instead of leadoff. If it’s the end of April and Meadows is still lost at the plate, it’s a short drive to/from Toledo for the CF shuttle. 

[gehringer_2]

6 minutes ago, Tigermojo said:

Nobody has options. 

crud. I didn't know he had been called up so many times before (Phi/Chi)- I only remembered that the Tigers had looked at him before he went Korea. That does make it interesting though because they aren't going to want one of their better arms, if that's what he turns out to be, wasted in long relief. Then again, maybe there will be split starts in some other guys' futures.

Edited 2 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Shelton]

I actually think McKinstry could be the one on the outside looking in. With McGonigle on the team he really doesn’t have a role. His value has been in his flexibility and ability to play short and 3B, but times change and Keith and Kevin look set to cover those spots, with Vierling and Javy in reserve (and trei Cruz in Toledo, too). McKinstry’s lefty bat also doesn’t really play as part of any platoon. He also stands to make 4MM in a season where they have very little wiggle room below the tax threshold, which they cannot afford to exceed.

I know the instant reaction to this is “what if Kevin needs to be sent down?” To that I would say “Shut your mouth.” But also, McKinstry really isn’t good. And his spot as insurance seems redundant when you can always go to Javy (or Cruz, or Sweeney if he heals) in such an emergency. And it does feel like the last bench spot would better served by these other guys that we talking about being in competition for the final spot (Meadows, Wenceel, Vierling, Jones).

[gehringer_2]

6 minutes ago, Shelton said:

Everyone seems to be forgetting this in the rush to replace meadows in CF with Wenceel and/or Javy. 
 

Personally, I hope they stick with meadows in CF for the defense he provides, and if they are compelled to make decisions based on spring performance, just bat him 9th instead of leadoff. If it’s the end of April and Meadows is still lost at the plate, it’s a short drive to/from Toledo for the CF shuttle. 

I think there are two competing ideas at play. The first is is the what you describe, bring guys you want even if they seen slow out of the gate because it's easy enough to make changes in a couple of weeks if it's not just noise. But the second is: how much pressure is there not to scuffle out of the gate. They started great last season, but the two prior years are still in the memory banks.

[diaspora04]

5 minutes ago, Shelton said:

I actually think McKinstry could be the one on the outside looking in. With McGonigle on the team he really doesn’t have a role. His value has been in his flexibility and ability to play short and 3B, but times change and Keith and Kevin look set to cover those spots, with Vierling and Javy in reserve (and trei Cruz in Toledo, too). McKinstry’s lefty bat also doesn’t really play as part of any platoon. He also stands to make 4MM in a season where they have very little wiggle room below the tax threshold, which they cannot afford to exceed.

I know the instant reaction to this is “what if Kevin needs to be sent down?” To that I would say “Shut your mouth.” But also, McKinstry really isn’t good. And his spot as insurance seems redundant when you can always go to Javy (or Cruz, or Sweeney if he heals) in such an emergency. And it does feel like the last bench spot would better served by these other guys that we talking about being in competition for the final spot (Meadows, Wenceel, Vierling, Jones).

These seem like reasonable points to me, even coming from Shelton.

[gehringer_2]

6 minutes ago, diaspora04 said:

These seem like reasonable points to me, even coming from Shelton.

LOL - it's a little out of the box. The counterpoint is that Perez, Meadows, and even Keith (though he looks fine so far) do have have options. (The other guy doing well in ST there is no room for is Jung). I tend to see them sending Parker down and letting him force his way back by hitting well at Toledo. On one hand, you're taking away away a guy's spot who finished the season as a 'regular', but OTOH, it's really because Vierling is back, who can be a difference maker with the bat.

Edited 2 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

15 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

crud. I didn't know he had been called up so many times before (Phi/Chi)- I only remembered that the Tigers had looked at him before he went Korea. That does make it interesting though because they aren't going to want one of their better arms, if that's what he turns out to be, wasted in long relief. Then again, maybe there will be split starts in some other guys' futures.

Is long relief a waste?  It can be a valuable role if Hinch wants it to be.  

[Tiger337]

8 minutes ago, diaspora04 said:

14 minutes ago, Shelton said:

But also, McKinstry really isn’t good. 

 

Don't let Edman hear you say that.  

[gehringer_2]

5 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Is long relief a waste?  It can be a valuable role if Hinch wants it to be.  

yes - that's why I mentioned split starts - or whatever pitching chaos version he spins up.

You might even talk JV into coming into games in the 3rd - it's a spot where he could get some wins even if he can't be effective over 5 full.

Edited 2 hours ago by gehringer_2

[IdahoBert]

On the radio just now, Dan said that Max Clark had been sent to the minor league camp. And in the game v. The Rays in Lakeland March 9 John Peck hit a two run homer and the Tigers have a 3–0 lead. And Valdez has pitched three scoreless innings with 4K‘s and no BBs and it’s only taken him 36 pitches. 

[1984Echoes]

My preference is tandem starts.

Verlander started out very slowly, and less than average, last year.

Have JV and Anderson pitch 9 innings. If JV starts and is ineffective or struggling after the first couple of innings, bring in Andrson to finish the game.

Anderson can start and if he goes 6-ish, JV can have shorter outings to hone himself into shape for the second half of the season.

If a 6th starter is needed, both can start consecutive games and go back to tandem afterwards.

If JV starts picking up huge effectiveness, Anderson goes back to long relief/ 6th starts or back to starting in the regular rotation if one of the other guys gets nicked up.

Out-of-the-box-thinking so to speak... But I don't mind left field...

[SoCalTiger]

Is John Peck making the most noise this spring after KMac ? Soon to be our keystone combination for years. 

[Shelton]

54 minutes ago, diaspora04 said:

These seem like reasonable points to me, even coming from Shelton.

Thanks, Dan. 

[Tigermojo]

59 minutes ago, Shelton said:

I actually think McKinstry could be the one on the outside looking in. With McGonigle on the team he really doesn’t have a role. His value has been in his flexibility and ability to play short and 3B, but times change and Keith and Kevin look set to cover those spots, with Vierling and Javy in reserve (and trei Cruz in Toledo, too). McKinstry’s lefty bat also doesn’t really play as part of any platoon. He also stands to make 4MM in a season where they have very little wiggle room below the tax threshold, which they cannot afford to exceed.

I know the instant reaction to this is “what if Kevin needs to be sent down?” To that I would say “Shut your mouth.” But also, McKinstry really isn’t good. And his spot as insurance seems redundant when you can always go to Javy (or Cruz, or Sweeney if he heals) in such an emergency. And it does feel like the last bench spot would better served by these other guys that we talking about being in competition for the final spot (Meadows, Wenceel, Vierling, Jones).

How dare you besmirch McKinstry's good name sir!

 

[NorthWoods]

54 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

yes - that's why I mentioned split starts - or whatever pitching chaos version he spins up.

You might even talk JV into coming into games in the 3rd - it's a spot where he could get some wins even if he can't be effective over 5 full.

If he's willing this makes some sense.   Preserve both their arms and get JV off the "must pitch 5" rule for wins.