Detroit Tigers Ongoing 2014 Thread

[MiamiVice]

Cleaves... Most teams that win do so with bullpen arms that are brought up through their own system. Look at the Cards and the Giants. Even the Red Sox pen was mostly home grown. You may not be high on the Tigers young guys... but Rondon is 23... and the other guys mentioned are either future starters or bullpen guys. Many Tigers fans have no idea the guys in the farm system... because most are not top100 hyped by scouts... I would highly recommend looking into the guys. I enjoy going to spring training myself being in Florida to see the young unhyped guys play to see what they have... and read as much about them as I can during the season... The Tigers are not in as bad a situation as you think... They have arms... Its just a matter of if they are ready. I think a few of them could be at some point this year.

 

[MiamiVice]

Knebel is going to be a stud. So is Melvin Mercedes. Trust me.

 

[MiamiVice]

Bullpen is the easiest position to fill from inside the org... Top teams do it all the time... and its rarely with highly regarded prospects... Trust Dave Dombrowski

 

[jalopy]

Bullpen is the easiest position to fill from inside the org... Top teams do it all the time... and its rarely with highly regarded prospects... Trust Dave Dombrowski

Agreed, the Tigers have enough arms in their system to get by. There are really two specialty positions in the BP that are crucial. The closer and a set-up guy. Nathan should be an adequate closer but with Rondon gone, the set-up position is wide open.

While some may think that Nathan isn't a big upgrade from Benoit, I disagree. Benoit had a strong stretch but has never been a reliable closer. Nathan should give us that. We really didn't have an eighth inning guy last year so I find it hard to believe this year will be worse.

Another thing about the weak bullpen. This year the offense will be able to manufacture runs more easily with the available speed. Part of the problem last year is the Tigers had very few come-from-behind victories because of their all-or-nothing offensive approach.

Looks like Max is going to test the market. We might as well enjoy this year because it will be his last in a Tigers uniform. Word is that the Tigers' last offer was their best and final and was rejected.

 

[Howie115]

I heard Max turned down SIX YEARS, $175 million??? Feeling we should have traded him this offseason even more now.

 

[Howie115]

Okay, now I read the offer was worth slightly lower than the $25.7 mill a season that Verlander's contract is worth. Still....

 

[jalopy]

Okay, now I read the offer was worth slightly lower than the $25.7 mill a season that Verlander's contract is worth. Still....

Yeah, you gotta believe he is gone. Big difference between him and JV is that JV still had 2 yrs remaining on his contract when he re-signed. Still, Max is taking a big chance that he repeats his '13 performance. Hard to turn down $125MM.

 

[MiamiVice]

Okay, now I read the offer was worth slightly lower than the $25.7 mill a season that Verlander's contract is worth. Still....

It was over 24 mil a season... Its going to be funny when Max regresses and has to settle for much less... Dumb move on his end. Tigers win here... either they get him cheaper.. or they get a first round pick when someone else over pays. He is not worth 24 mil a yr... or 20 mil for that matter... 1 cy young doesn't make you a top 6 paid player.

That being said... Tigers will have tons of money to spend this offseason. I am not worried at all. Max better put up this season or he will be regretting big time not taking that contract.

 

[broncosmitty]

Still four months left to trade him.

 

[MiamiVice]

Still four months left to trade him.

They won't trade him unless they get an unbelievable offer or are out of contention... and really both situations would have to be a great offer... I would guess it would have to involve a MLB ready top pitching prospect just to start conversations...

 

[MiamiVice]

Other potential starters that project to be less than $20 mil per year

James Shields
Justin Masterson
Jake Peavy
Hisashi Iwakuma
Yovani Gallardo
Jon Lester
Josh Johnson

That being said... Here is another list of guys that will be free agents that could be where the tigers use the money saved by not over paying for a 30+ yr old starter...

Victor Martinez
Billy Butler
Asdrubal Cabrera
Hanley Ramirez
Nick Markakis
Denard Span


Tigers will be fine without Max... and plenty of good places to put the money saved.

 

[Howie115]

Last figure I saw was the Tigers offered 6 years / $144 million. RIDICULOUS to turn that down after only one truly great season, but that's a Scott Boras client for ya.

Boras says Max made the Tigers a proposal, and the team rejected it. Perhaps that was where the $175 mill figure came from.

Makes me wish we would have "sold high" and traded Max this offseason, and held onto Fister.

 

[themuzzer]

Can you imagine how much Bull Pen help the Tigers could get for 24 mil a year.......

 

[themuzzer]

Hell bring in 8 different guys at 3mil a pop for a year apiece......Maybe we can get out of the 6th, 7th and 8th inning this year.

 

[broncosmitty]

They won't trade him unless they get an unbelievable offer or are out of contention... and really both situations would have to be a great offer... I would guess it would have to involve a MLB ready top pitching prospect just to start conversations...

Four months, start making phone calls. (Id think itd be a high end pitching prospect who would fill the void, (Tijuan Walker-Nick Franklin) a high price tag current star without as much value as he once had(Matt Kemp) or a few high end young prospects and soms "pieces"(The Angels entire farm system)We dodged a bullet today.

 

[Howie115]

Biggest lie of the day:

"Max is happy in Detroit. He likes his teammates and he's happy to play there."

--Scott Boras, after Max rejected the Tigers' offer. If $24 mill a season won't keep him, clearly Max could give a damn about Detroit or his teammates.

 

[themuzzer]

"Max is happy in Detroit. He likes his teammates and he's happy to play there."

--Scott Boras, after Max rejected the Tigers' offer. If $24 mill a season won't keep him, clearly Max could give a damn about Detroit or his teammates.

I like me some Maxie Poo, but hypothetically he blows a elbow or something? Really? Just gonna give up a chance for that contract on a chance?.....Maybe he needs a economic advisor, I think I can help him.

 

[MiamiVice]

Four months, start making phone calls. (Id think itd be a high end pitching prospect who would fill the void, (Tijuan Walker-Nick Franklin) a high price tag current star without as much value as he once had(Matt Kemp) or a few high end young prospects and soms "pieces"(The Angels entire farm system)We dodged a bullet today.

I could see a Tijuan Walker / Franklin deal.... but no way Max gets moved for a broken down player like Matt Kemp.... If a team doesn't offer a top 25 prospect that is a pitcher... I doubt Dombrowski even listens. Why would he... the Tigers will get a pick in return for him if he leaves which is more valuable than a past their prime player like Matt Kemp. The only teams that have the ammo and could take on the salary are the Red Sox, Marlins, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Mets, Orioles, or Cubs. I doubt the Cubs, Marlins or Astros are going to trade stud pitchers during rebuilding years for Max... Best bet right now would be Mets or Diamondbacks... Which would mean they would have to be contending at the deadline to offer their top pitching prospect...

If Max leaves.. Tigers have a TON of free agent money to spend. Something in the realm of $45 mil after vmart and hunter come off the books.

 

[MiamiVice]

You know Dave Dombrowski is just salivating to rip someone off again in a trade... I think the Robbie Ray trade may be another one of his sneaky smart moves, with Fister's arm crapping out...

 

[MiamiVice]

"Max is happy in Detroit. He likes his teammates and he's happy to play there."

--Scott Boras, after Max rejected the Tigers' offer. If $24 mill a season won't keep him, clearly Max could give a damn about Detroit or his teammates.

Max is an idiot for turning that money down. Unless he has another Cy caliber season, he is not going to get that offer on the open market. He will be lucky to get 4 yrs - 80 mil if you ask me.