Maybe it's because this team is so bad I've stopped following closely, but I didnt realize until today that Cabrera is the only player we currently have signed past this season on our roster
The Athletic did a rough organizational ranking, breaking down each position. It’s very depressing to me.
We should try to acquire Mookie Wilson. At this point he would be an improvement over most of our OF.
Was having a nice little Sunday until I read it just now. That hurts to see in black and white, and is even worse that it makes me think they really could take Torkelson #1 overall.
They can't take Torkleson. What is the fucking point of a guy whose main attribute - right handed power - is wasted by playing at Comerica for 81 games a year. I think the OF lines up okay for the future if Greene pans out, and the pitching is very good, so the question is what can they do in the IF and C besides drafting Martin. I think first base can be filled with a FA and catcher is probably the same. After that we're just hoping that some pitching can be exchanged for high level infielders. Maybe Boyd can get a real SS prospect.
If he's the best player in this draft, it would mean Martin and Hancock either both got hurt or played like trash, IMO. That would make me sad. I was on board with Andrew Vaughn at 5 last year, but a) I think Vaughn's profile is better, and b) that was in comparison to a couple HS position players rather than two college guys (Martin and Hancock) I think are rare talents and will ultimately be viewed in three months as some of the best college prospects we've seen in the last 5-7 years.
Martin is my clear favorite, but if Hancock is viewed as better than Mize and Manning, that's a fine pick as well. At some point the Tigers should be able to trade some excess pitching for talented position players.
Kiley McDaniel (now at ESPN) has said he thinks Hancock could be viewed as the best college RHP draft prospect since Strasburg if he stays healthy based on what he saw in a workout at UGA a few weeks ago. That's obviously very lofty, but supposedly his stuff is 96-99 with an elite change, really good command and improving breaking ball.
Bro it’s best player available. If he’s the guy who has the best year and potential he’s the guy. I hate this rhetoric that the other two having bad seasons would only mean tork is 1. Fuck the media and haters.
I never said he's not good at baseball. There's just a ceiling to that skill set. Pete Alonso is probably the best version of that skill set. He was awesome last year. But he's not more valuable than just about any of the top 8-10 third basemen in the league because there's just more value there. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want Alonso. I just wouldn't want to take him with the #1 overall pick if I were drafting from current MLBers.
Unfortunately this fan base can’t accept the first pick in the draft. They then proceed bitch about not taking the best player because he has a ceiling. Detroit sports fans are so amazing. Maybe we should have got the third pick to satisfy you idiots.
Alsonso was the best 1B in the league last year. He wasn't one of the 15-20 best players in the league because other guys do more. I would prefer to take someone with those capabilities. Apparently, you wouldn't. I'm sorry for the impasse we appear to have reached.
If you had the #1 pick in the draft and every current MLB player was available, where would you take Alonso? That's his point. If you would take Alonso #1 just say that.
Right. So the question is, is the best 1B in the league, in a draft that contains every player in the league, the best player in the draft?
He could be, could ask the same question about any position. I’m signing out hopefully next year we get the 5th pick and you guys bitch about it. ✌
He could be, but the point is that it's basically impossible for him to be that valuable with a bat only profile. If the best player in this draft is a 1st baseman who needs to prime JD Martinez to be an elite player, that's kind of disappointing if you have the #1 overall pick. There's a reason those guys almost never get picked that high, and it's not because none of them are good players. Hancock was awful yesterday and Martin apparently isn't playing SS this year, so that helps Torkelson's cause. If he's the best player, they should pick him. I just hope he isn't because Martin's skill set gives him a lot more room for error and a higher ceiling.
I'd rather have Alonso, but I don't think Swanson is the comp for Martin. Swanson was a sure fire SS who wasn't close to Martin as a hitter through 2 seasons. FR seasons... Martin - .338/.452/.414 as a full time player Swanson - .188/.435/.250 in 11 games SO seasons... Martin - .392/.486/.604 at 3B Swanson - .333/.411/.475 at SS JR season... Swanson - .335/.423/.623 By comparison, Torkelson's stats... FR season - .320/.440/.743 SO season - .351/.446/.707 Martin as a hitter was basically the same as Torkelson last year against better comp.
I think a Bregman comp makes more sense than Swanson. The Swanson comp is only out there because of the Vandy thing, IMO. I don't know that he hits 40 HR like Bregman has, but I also don't know that Bregman hits 40 HR with a non-juiced ball and doesn't know what pitch is coming.
2020 Draft Watch - week 1. I will try to update this every week since we have nothing else to look forward to. Austin Martin: .200 AVG (2 for 10), 2 2B, 3 BB, 0 K’s, 2 HBP, OBP .467% Spencer Torkelson: .333 AVG (3 for 9) 2 HR, 2 RBI, 8 BB, 2 K’s, OBP .647 Emerson Hancock: 4 IP, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks. 13.50 ERA Nick Gonzales: .571 AVG. (8 for 14), 4 HRs, 17 RBIs, 6 BB, 3 Ks, OBP .727
I know I could check their WARs but wouldn't a lot of folks still give the best 1B title to Freddie Freeman? I even wonder if Rizzo would get some nods over Alonso, though obv not for the next 5 years or something like that. 180 Ks for Alonso last year, def a bit of run good it seems ...
Alonso was tied with Muncy for the highest fWAR, so I just went with that. Alonso also just seems like the best comp or Torkelson as a hitter compared to more all around guys like Freeman or Rizzo.
Gonzales is going to put up absurd numbers all season. Apparently the ballpark for New Mexico State makes Coors Field seem like PNC (or whatever the Giants are calling that place these days). He had a great stretch in the Cape Cod league last summer, though, so it seems he's currently in the top 5-10 mix.
He was obtusely misconstruing peoples' arguments about the values and ceilings of various positions and players.
50 hrs will do that i assume. I still would prefer a lefty 1B with a Rizzo/Freeman type profile if we went that route. Think those guys age a little better than RHB, bit more athletic with those two as well (chip in steals, D). Though I don't have a clue how Alonso's D rated last year ...
I love the yearly ‘miggy is in shape/working out/losing weight’ narrative by the Detroit media. I wish they would just buy him out. You think the guy who makes $35M a year would care about the profession even if we suck.