Tigers offseason thread

The Den
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Also the Tigers let go of their 1st base coach and their assistant pitching coach Juan Nieves today. I read earlier that some other purges happened in other organizations ….and while “they like their guys”, Kevin Seitzer is out there available as a batting coach and he is gold standard

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Hey, @Weaselpuppy can you add the MLB/Tigers to the thread title. Good offseason thread and here’s hoping it’s only a 4month offseason.

From the freep on Tork:

Yes, Spencer Torkelson was the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, and he still has two more years of team control, albeit with a likely raise via arbitration (or a negotiated deal). And yes, his 26 homers – including six in September – present the potential for a breakout season next year. (As did his 31 last year, and his 31 in 2023 – offensive hope can not live on home runs alone.)

But he also went all of August without a homer, as the Tigers’ offense (and their playoff hopes) finally fell apart. In all, he finished with a 114 OPS+; 100 is league average … but of the 20 qualified first basemen this season, his 114 ranks 15th.

Maybe his potential cost certainty, even with a likely raise, outweighs the uncertainty of his bat, but the Tigers have potentially younger, cheaper options, too, to add to an already crowded infield: Colt Keith got 17 games with time at first base this season, Eduardo Valencia spent about a third of his Triple-A time this season at first, and slugger Josue Briceño – their No. 4 prospect, per MLBPipeline – tore up Double-A this season (though he did cool off in a short Triple-A stint).

FRM: I don’t see Keith playing the majority of his time at first with Valencia and Briceno having the ability to play there with far stronger power potential. But they included him as an option.

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Keith’s offensive output would Place him in the bottom quintile of first baseman and probably the lower half of that. Neither Valencia nor Briceño have anything but a sprinkling of career games playing first base, so definitely looking at a defensive downgrade there.

The problem with Keith is that so far through 1500 career plate appearances he has produced below average Major League starter output and his lack of a defensive home keeps him from getting consistent at bats to put it all together. We’re not sure what putting it all together looks like for him because he doesn’t do anything well he just does most things average to below average. That could change because he’s entering his age 25 season and usually 25 through 27 are your Peak production years but the base he is jumping off from makes me think that isn’t very damn High.

I mean a wildly successful year of improvement from him would look like hitting 265 with 18 home runs and that would be very strong Improvement indeed. Maybe he can turn some of those doubles into home runs as he hit 19 doubles.

That’s said Torkelson hit 28 doubles and hit more home runs than Keith is likely to ever hit in a season and he walked 71 times which is more than double what Keith walked. There is no chance I want Torkelson gone if the guy taking over is going to be Colt Keith. Keith right now has to prove he’s more valuable than Lee who to be honest seems like a better hitter than Keith based on small sample size for sure.

Ooh but Dillon Dingler had this amazing offensive breakout season right? Torkelson’s OPS Plus was better than Dinglers. All the Torkelsen haters are going to have to pull a Gayle King and just sit there with that for a minute

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https://x.com/the_det_times/status/2106096881155915821

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I know the tigers spent but they spent poorly. High priced 1-2 year contract.

Which I understand with the pending lock out.

But after the lockout they need to spend on long term deals for younger players with an upside not over the hills pitchers

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FA starts ~Nov 5th

Lockout starts Dec 1st.

I wonder how aggressive teams will be. Dont want to handcuff themselves to a contract if theres a cap after the lockout. Or burning a full year of the contract

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Relievers yes, while remembering the younger guys they are getting back. Vest Brieske et .

SP, not so much as majority they have are younger..

BP is the focus with SP right there with them.

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Off-season will definitely be interesting.

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Schitts Creek Comedy GIF by CBC

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It would be pretty awesome to get Skubal back…

and have Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith as bonus additions!!!

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Projected Tigers Arbitration salaries for 2027

Detroit Tigers (11)

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I think if we see teams like the Guardians and the Pirates start to buy more…. that tells us alot imo

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4th and 5th OF pool

Malgeri Callahan Perez Vierling McKinstry Meadows Baez Hope.

Glove guys- Baez Meadows McKinstry

Bat guys Callahan Hope Malgeri Vierling

Kinda both kinda neither-Perez

Glove guys are basically CF, bat guys are RF.

If Hope is ready based on a big AFL and ST, he’s in IMO. This relegates Malgeri Callahan and Perez.

Vierling can play a little CF, but McKinstry to me has more value. Meadows looks like a numbers game/AAAA level guy in a Break Glass In Case of Emergency role in CF and Perez same in RF.

Malgeri will be 27 next year and had a nice little run, but what can you confidently project there?

Carpenter is getting pressed in RF(Hope) and DH (Valencia) and may be if not if imminent danger of a roster spot this year, very much could be next year.

I’f like to see Hope up, Carpenter DH platoon and occupy that 4th OF slot, and have Baez and McKinstry as bench Swiss Army knives to be better depth. This allows for the Keith-Lee-Anderson 2b/3b constellation to round out the 13 hitters, with Bricen̈o knocking on the door mid season for injury/non-performance power bat gap filler.

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Dingler and McKinstry win. This is both leagues combined and a better award, qualitatively, than a GG. GG announcements 11/1 and both our cats are finalists (C and multi-position)