2017 AL CENTRAL DISCUSSION

[dougplayer]

Sting. You mean. Another cy young.???

 

[dougplayer]

Sanchez schooling the yankees...just saying

 

[Howie115]

(2) I am not ready to throw the towel in on next season

Enjoy investing time and emotion into next year's team. I won't. Our pitching is 28th in the MLB, and Avila did nothing with the staff except get rid of our best RP. No pitching prospects acquired in the two trades. I suppose Zimmermann could still turn things around. Or Boyd could become more consistent. Or Norris can finally stay healthy for a full season. But I don't see all three of those things happening at once. And beyond the starters, we still have a puke bullpen.

 

[Howie115]

(3) Ausmus ... yes - Avila ... maybe. The Tigers are in this predicament because they went all in a couple of years ago ... I can't blame it all on Avila (but I do understand why some want him gone).

For an example on how to shed payroll, look no farther than our division rival White Sox. Since the 2016-17 offseason, Rick Hahn has gotten rid of seven veterans, including a few who were having crummy seasons, and got enough "plus" prospects that the Sox farm system is now ranked in the top ten.

In the same time span, Avila has shed Maybin, JD, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, and gotten five infield prospects and a bum relief pitcher. Only one of the six is ranked in the Top 100 (and he's #94 at that). Minimal improvement to one of the worst farm systems in the MLB.

Rick Hahn = professional GM

Al Avila = our late owner's good buddy

 

[Iffster]

For an example on how to shed payroll, look no farther than our division rival White Sox. Since the 2016-17 offseason, Rick Hahn has gotten rid of seven veterans, including a few who were having crummy seasons, and got enough "plus" prospects that the Sox farm system is now ranked in the top ten.

In the same time span, Avila has shed Maybin, JD, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, and gotten five infield prospects and a bum relief pitcher. Only one of the six is ranked in the Top 100 (and he's #94 at that). Minimal improvement to one of the worst farm systems in the MLB.

Rick Hahn = professional GM

Al Avila = our late owner's good buddy

But don't forget....some clown said we got a ''real masher'' in the trades????!!!! LOL

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Lmao @ Yan Gomes

 

[Voltaire26]

For an example on how to shed payroll, look no farther than our division rival White Sox. Since the 2016-17 offseason, Rick Hahn has gotten rid of seven veterans, including a few who were having crummy seasons, and got enough "plus" prospects that the Sox farm system is now ranked in the top ten.

In the same time span, Avila has shed Maybin, JD, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, and gotten five infield prospects and a bum relief pitcher. Only one of the six is ranked in the Top 100 (and he's #94 at that). Minimal improvement to one of the worst farm systems in the MLB.

Rick Hahn = professional GM

Al Avila = our late owner's good buddy

Not saying I would be opposed to a change at GM, I'm just not ready to put all the blame on Avila. The Tigers have under-performed in every area this season.

 

[Voltaire26]

Enjoy investing time and emotion into next year's team. I won't. Our pitching is 28th in the MLB, and Avila did nothing with the staff except get rid of our best RP. No pitching prospects acquired in the two trades. I suppose Zimmermann could still turn things around. Or Boyd could become more consistent. Or Norris can finally stay healthy for a full season. But I don't see all three of those things happening at once. And beyond the starters, we still have a puke bullpen.

I know that I am an unbridled optimist and a shameless homer, but this is how I see the Tigers next year:

C: McCann and Hicks
1B: Cabrera
2B: Kinsler (if they pick up his option)
3B: Castellanos
SS: Iglesias
RF: TBD
CF: Mahtook
LF: Upton (if he doesn't declare FA)
DH: Martinez (or TBD ... he is way to slow on the base paths)

Utility: Romine and Machado (and a TBD or two)

Starting Pitching:
Verlander (R)
Fulmer (R)
Norris (L)
Zimmerman (R)
Boyd (L)

Relief Pitching:
Greene (Closer - let's see what he can do)
Jimenez (Set Up - future closer)
(cast of a thousand - needs work)

Can this team compete in the AL Central ... I think so (or at least until the White Sox mature)

A new manger and coaching staff could install a winning culture back to the Detroit Tigers

Either way, it is a wait til next year kinda thing. We ain't catching the Royals or Indians this year.

 

[Erie Warrior]

Lmao @ Yan Gomes

Yeah, giving them an extra out in the 9th was not a good thing. That game was insane. The Tribe got to Sale early and the Sox come right back and school Carrasco.

 

[Howie115]

C: McCann and Hicks
1B: Cabrera
2B: Kinsler (if they pick up his option)
3B: Castellanos
SS: Iglesias
RF: TBD
CF: Mahtook
LF: Upton (if he doesn't declare FA)
DH: Martinez (or TBD ... he is way to slow on the base paths)

Don't be surprised if it's Castellanos in RF, as they also give him a handful of games at 1B in preparation for a full-time move there in 2019. (Cabrera a likely full-time DH by 2019.) Jeimer Candelario is a 3B and will be 24 in November. They will give him a look in September, and he'll have every shot to win the 3B job next spring.

 

[Howie115]

The good news: The Tigers drop about $50 million in payroll after this season, assuming they do not pick up Kinsler's option. JD Martinez ($11.5M), Justin Wilson ($2.7M) and Alex Avila ($2M) are already gone. They lose the money from Kinsler ($11M), Mike Pelfrey ($8M), Mark Lowe ($5.5M), and Anibal Sanchez ($16M option with $5M buyout - net $11M saved). That gets them comfortably under the luxury cap.

The bad news: They will still have over $120 million tied up in just five players (Cabrera, Verlander, Zimmermann, Upton and V-mart). Castellanos will be arb-eligible again, and if he hits 20+ HR the price probably goes up. Not a whole lot of room to sign any impact players. Maybe some cheap veteran bullpen help.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Yeah, giving them an extra out in the 9th was not a good thing. That game was insane. The Tribe got to Sale early and the Sox come right back and school Carrasco.

Indians shell Sale. Red Sox shell Carrasco. Kimbrel and Allen both blow saves.

Sucks to be on the losing end of that. Particularly with that catch. . .

 

[Iffster]

The good news: The Tigers drop about $50 million in payroll after this season, assuming they do not pick up Kinsler's option. JD Martinez ($11.5M), Justin Wilson ($2.7M) and Alex Avila ($2M) are already gone. They lose the money from Kinsler ($11M), Mike Pelfrey ($8M), Mark Lowe ($5.5M), and Anibal Sanchez ($16M option with $5M buyout - net $11M saved). That gets them comfortably under the luxury cap.

The bad news: They will still have over $120 million tied up in just five players (Cabrera, Verlander, Zimmermann, Upton and V-mart). Castellanos will be arb-eligible again, and if he hits 20+ HR the price probably goes up. Not a whole lot of room to sign any impact players. Maybe some cheap veteran bullpen help.

Tiger's salary obligations for 2018 total $138.125 million (including $6mil for Fielder). As you said, basically for the Big 5. They will have up to nine players eligible for arbitration, although 2-3 of those might be non-tendered. To stay under luxury cap, Detroit won't be able to add any large free agent contracts (unless they trade Verlander or Upton gets bad advice). Perhaps ONE veteran bullpen arm might be within their reach. Any 8 figure, long term contract could be back loaded, to coincide with VMart's contract ending after 2018...but I'm not talking about signing a major free agent here. BTW...Luxury tax threshold is $197 million next year.

 

[dougplayer]

Gas can cody allen!!! Indians rondon!!!
To funny
BAWWWWHGHAWWWWE

 

[Iffster]

Gas can cody allen!!! Indians rondon!!!
To funny
BAWWWWHGHAWWWWE

Doug...thanks for always adding nothing to any discussion (even it is about YOUR team) and for bringing any and all talk down to your fourth grade level. Your life must be menial, insipid, and boring.

 

[osubuckeye89]

Indians shell Sale. Red Sox shell Carrasco. Kimbrel and Allen both blow saves.

Sucks to be on the losing end of that. Particularly with that catch. . .

This team just doesn't have any magic like last years team. If they even make the playoffs at this point i'd be shocked if they do anything. I'm guessing theyll at least land a WC spot though considering how shit the rest of the AL is this year.

As good as a defensive catcher that Yan can be, he's incredibly lazy at times. That strike 3 passed ball was all kinds of awful he tried to pick it instead of blocking it, then non nonchalantly trots after it after he misses it.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

This team just doesn't have any magic like last years team. If they even make the playoffs at this point i'd be shocked if they do anything.

I think you're being melodramatic.

At this point last season, they only had three more wins than this year's team.

This is kind of crazy: through 8/1/16 they'd scored 516 runs, which is the exact number they've scored YTD. They've allowed 8 fewer runs.

I'm not saying I think they're going to go deep in the postseason - there's so much luck involved in that you just never know. I will say that I was shocked last year that they beat the Red Sox, Blue Jays and pushed the Cubs to extras in game 7. All three of those teams were better than the Indians - particularly with the Indians' injuries.

 

[dougplayer]

Cody allen..... human gas can. Blows another game.
What's the losing streak up to now????? 5????

 

[osubuckeye89]

I think you're being melodramatic.

At this point last season, they only had three more wins than this year's team.

This is kind of crazy: through 8/1/16 they'd scored 516 runs, which is the exact number they've scored YTD. They've allowed 8 fewer runs.

I'm not saying I think they're going to go deep in the postseason - there's so much luck involved in that you just never know. I will say that I was shocked last year that they beat the Red Sox, Blue Jays and pushed the Cubs to extras in game 7. All three of those teams were better than the Indians - particularly with the Indians' injuries.

Eh, I just don't get the same feeling about this team. I've been saying this most of the season, not just because of last nights fuckery.

Winning the division is going to be tough. They still play KC 10 more times I think and they are only 2 up right now. Every time they seem to be gaining some momentum they go and piss down their leg again, just cant seem to pull away.

They have 1 more vs Boston. 4 vs the Yankees. 2 vs the Rockies and 4 vs the Rays coming up. That's a pretty rough stretch for a team that's starting to slump right now. If they don't pull head out of ass quick they are gonna find themselves in 2nd place by next week sometime.

 

[dougplayer]

Slinky....tell us about that Indian bull pen. How they going to hide Allen in post season?? Iffy the homer is very sensitive about the InDians chances.