The fact that they let Cameron rot in AAA, instead of denoting him for a couple weeks because they were worried about his prospect ranking/reputation is laughable
Because I don't give a fuck about Anthony Fenech, but everything about him and how he covers the team is about himself. Just because I agree with some of his conclusions doesn't mean I have to like him personally. He's also the same person who was rah-rah about Avila and wrote in July that extending him was the right move until something changed and he became this guy. I'm also going to assume there's more to the Verlander story than they let on, as well.
We don't know they did that. That's what the bitter guy who just got fired said happened in a story that doesn't have comments from anyone else. Maybe they were should have sent Cameron down like Mientkiewicz said. Or maybe they fired Mientkiewicz because Cameron took a step backwards last year and the manager was a big reason why. Or maybe they didn't send him down because they didn't want to take ABs away from guys like Hill in Erie. I don't know. I do know that I'm not just going to take the word of Fenech and Mientkiewicz on this, just like I wouldn't just take the word of Avila and McCosky on it on the other side.
Too many good FA starters available to get anything for someone who was bad for the last half of the season (although his teammates had a fair amount to do with that). Ideally we could get someone like Brandon Marsh from LAA, but I think that ship has sailed on getting someone of that caliber. Only reason we could even get that would be that Marsh is going to be the odd man out in LAA moving forward and they need pitching desperately.
The quotes from Avila will still make you cringe. These hires probably won't matter. But they appear to be a step in the right direction from a developmental standpoint, at least.
If they were going to protect 6, I think those would be the 6 I would have chosen. With the 26th roster spot likely for next, the Rule 5 becomes a bit more interesting in terms of the kinds of players teams might be willing to keep now. I'd still dump 5-6 more guys to protect a couple others they didn't, but I'm assuming those guys I would dump will be the first to be designated for assignment if we ever sign or trade for someone.
There are a handful of guys they could have protected instead, but not many who another team would want to waste a roster spot on all year. Maybe they lose a Jacob Robson or Elvin Rodriguez, but somebody housing Rodriguez in the MLB for a year when he simply won't pitch just to take a flyer doesn't make much sense. I would have maybe protected Robson over Hill, as Robson takes a walk and is a better hitter and teams can find a use for him as a 5th OF next year, but whatever.
Tigers are picking Zack Brown in Rule 5 right? He dominated AA in 2018, but struggled last year in AAA. Brewers fans are surprised he wasn’t protected.
So Brown was Brewers #3 prospect. Avila’s definitely going to select him. He has better stuff than Burrows and Funkhouser.
Greg Bird probably sucks and will never stay healthy, but if we're not going to dump Brandon Dixon for Bird on waivers (if he gets there) I don't get it. Bird at least has a path to competence as a player.
surprised Wander Javier didn't make that list. He was looking like a big time prospect before injuries derailed his progress and is still only 20 years old
He had a slash line of .177/.278/.323 in 80 games in low A ball this year at age 20 and only played 50 games in four years before that. Even if the talent is huge and the Tigers are terrible, you're wasting another full season of that guy's development when he desperately needs it by stashing him on a big league roster next year because I just don't see how you can even put him in a game with that level of production. IMO you're crushing his only chance of possibly becoming a player in that scenario. He's the kind of guy you trade for before the deadline and try to develop in the minors instead of taking him in the actual draft, IMO.
If they want to swing for the fences on a position player, I think Buddy Reed from San Diego is the more sensible guy. He's at least played 160 games in AA and it's just a matter of whether he figures out how to make contact or not.
Any chance we invite Ellsbury to camp? I would t expect anything from him but I feel like he’s worth a gamble.
They better announce the Greg Bird signing. We don’t have a first baseman, and he’s worth the flyer if can stay healthy.
Was just coming to post same thing. I doubt they do it at his $10 mil salary that he’s due. And orioles probably tried to trade him before dumping him, and had no luck
I'm not sure what to do with Villar. I'd much rather claim him than sign someone at the position, but I'm not sure how much upside there is in another 1-year deal for a vet like that (he's only 28, but the upside is essentially we get him for a walk year). Personally, I'm more intrigued by something like the Padres DFAing Pedro Avila after signing Pomeranz. Those are the kinds of players we need to be all over this offseason that we've essentially ignored the last 2 years. I don't care if we make big moves, but we need to become far more of a transaction-based org through the rebuild and take all the lottery tickets we can buy.
Guys who got non-tendered I'd like to see us take a shot at (but we probably won't) include: Travis Shaw (awful last year but really good before that) Kevin Gausman (I'll believe in his upside until he retires) Cesar Hernandez (we could do a lot worse at 2B) Steven Souza (hurt all the time but he's got power and a decent approach)
From Rosenthal today in The Athletic. I would definitely take on a year of Lowrie if it meant getting a free look at Smith. Lowrie's worth that money if he's healthy, anyway. • As the Mets try to clear money for other moves, here’s a concept they are considering, according to major-league sources: Trading infielder Jed Lowrie and/or reliever Jeurys Familia by packaging him with a low-cost, zero-to-three year player such as first baseman Dom Smith. Lowrie and Familia were two of Brodie Van Wagenen’s free-agent signings last offseason, his first as Mets general manager. Lowrie, who appeared in only nine games due to injuries, is owed $9 million next season. Familia, who had a 5.70 ERA in 60 innings, is owed $22 million over the next two.
actually we have #68. I take back my hell yeah Here’s the order of the two rounds, per Mayo: Round A 31) Baltimore Orioles 32) Pittsburgh Pirates 33) Kansas City Royals 34) Arizona Diamondbacks 35) San Diego Padres 36) Colorado Rockies 37) Cleveland Indians 38) St. Louis Cardinals Round B 68) Miami Marlins 69) Detroit Tigers 70) Tampa Bay Rays 71) Milwaukee Brewers 72) Cincinnati Reds 73) Minnesota Twins
What happens right after the first round is starting to take shape now that the Competitive Balance Rounds are set. Competitive Balance Round A takes place after the first round is over, and Round B is held after the completion of the second round. Since 2017, Major League Baseball has used a formula that combines revenue, winning percentage and market score to award Draft picks to teams that fall in the bottom 10 in revenue or market size. That first year, six teams received Round A picks and eight clubs got Round B picks. Each subsequent year, the number of picks in the two rounds alternates between six and eight. This year, the A’s have dropped out and the Tigers have been added. The 2020 Round A is eight picks once again, with the Orioles, Pirates, Royals, D-backs, Padres, Rockies, Indians and Cardinals getting selections that, as of now, will be picks 31-38. The Round B order will be Marlins, Tigers, Rays, Brewers, Reds and Twins. Those picks will be Nos. 68-73. The order and current pick numbers of Competitive Balance Rounds A and B are below. Pick numbers are subject to change based on trades (Competitive Balance Round picks can be traded) and qualifying offer free-agent signings. Click here for the complete Draft order, including updates due to free-agent signings. Round A 1) Baltimore Orioles 2) Pittsburgh Pirates 3) Kansas City Royals 4) Arizona Diamondbacks 5) San Diego Padres 6) Colorado Rockies 7) Cleveland Indians 8) St. Louis Cardinals Round B 1) Miami Marlins 2) Detroit Tigers 3) Tampa Bay Rays 4) Milwaukee Brewers 5) Cincinnati Reds 6) Minnesota Twins There are still changes that will come to the Draft order, starting with what happens with qualifying-offer free-agent signing deals. Those deals will have some impact on the Draft beyond the top picks. Two free agents, José Abreu of the White Sox and the Twins’ Jake Odorizzi, accepted their teams’ qualifying offer this year. That brings the total of acceptances to eight of the 90 players who have received a qualifying offer. Here are the eight free agents who declined a qualifying offer this year and the Draft compensation their 2019 teams stand to receive if the players sign elsewhere. The Giants have already been awarded what is currently pick No. 75 for losing free agent Will Smith to the Braves. For signing Smith, the Braves will forfeit their second-highest pick, which was currently at pick No. 63 in the second round. When the Phillies’ deal for Zack Wheeler is official, they would lose their second-round pick (No. 53), moving the start of the Competitive Balance Round B up to pick No. 67, and the Mets would receive a compensation pick after the Giants: Astros -- Gerrit Cole: pick after Competitive Balance Round B Braves -- Josh Donaldson: pick after Competitive Balance Round B Cardinals -- Marcell Ozuna: pick after Competitive Balance Round B Giants -- Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith: picks after Competitive Balance Round B Mets -- Zack Wheeler: pick after Competitive Balance Round B Nationals -- Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg: picks after Competitive Balance Round B
Competitive balance picks are the dumbest thing about baseball. I'm glad we have one, but the Tigers and Cardinals have zero business getting free draft picks based on market size.
Kind of interesting write up (if you like in the weeds statistical breakdowns) of the pitcher we got for nothing from Pittsburgh last week and why we may have acquired him. If what the guy is saying is true, I guess I'm at least happy we're looking at this kind of stuff these days. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-tigers-new-acquisition-a-teheran-type-or-something-different/
I'm a sucker and got my Baseball America sub back. They're going through the International signings for each team this month and broke down the Tigers' class yesterday. This is as long of a report as I've seen on Roberto Campos since he signed. Spoiler It was a great year for players the Tigers signed from Latin America. It's just that their success mostly came with other organizations. Eugenio Suarez, a 2008 Tigers signing out of Venezuela, ranked second in baseball with 49 home runs. Willy Adames, 2012 Tigers signing from the Dominican Republic, posted a 4.2 WAR season (per Baseball Reference) with the Rays, while teammate Avisail Garcia (a 2007 signing from Venezuela) had a 2 WAR year. Most of Detroit's 2019-20 international bonus pool money went to three players. The Tigers' top bonus went to 16-year-old Cuban outfielder Roberto Campos, who signed for $2.85 million, the sixth-highest bonus of any player this year and the most for a 2019 Cuban signing. After leaving Cuba, Campos went to the Dominican Republic and trained with his brother Raul (a 2018 Marlins signing) in San Pedro de Macoris near the Tigers academy, so the Tigers saw a lot of him in the evaluation process. He's 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, adding size and strength over the past 18 months. Plus power is his calling card, with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball out to any part of the park in BP with deep blasts to the middle of the field. There are some strikeouts that come with Campos' power, but he's not just an all-or-nothing swinger. He has a good eye at the plate, recognizing breaking pitches and staying disciplined in the strike zone for his age. That approach and knack for lifting the ball should help his power translate in games. Campos initially worked out as an infielder, but he transitioned to the outfield before signing. He's a corner outfielder who is still learning the position, but his speed improved to become an average runner underway, though he may slow down given his body type. A lot of Cuban signings have been making their debuts in the Dominican Summer League recently, and that might be where Campos gets his start in 2020. Detroit's top Venezuelan signing this year was Manuel Sequera, a 17-year-old shortstop from Venezuela who trained with Jose Montero. He has a lot of strength projection remaining in his frame at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, with a mature offensive approach for his age. He shows gap power now but should be able to develop at least average or better raw power in the future given his physical upside. Sequera is a below-average runner and some scouts weren't sure about whether he would stick at the position, but he has made progress defensively and has a chance to remain there. He has solid hands and his best tool in the field is a plus arm. Abelaldo Lopez, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic who trained at the Quality Baseball Academy, signed with the Tigers for $700,000. He's 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and has a chance to develop into a power-hitting corner outfielder. It's near-average raw power right now with the physical projection in his lanky frame to develop that pop into a plus tool, with a power-over-hit profile. He's a below-average runner with at least an average arm that also should tick up to above-average once he fills out. The Tigers spent $175,000 to sign 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Raudy de los Santos. He has a smaller, wiry frame (5-foot-11, 155 pounds) with a good swing path on a short stroke from the right side. For a skinny kid, he has some sneaky power for his size, but his swing and ability to hit in games stands out more in his offensive profile. He projects to stick at shortstop, where his hands and feet work well and he has an above-average arm. The Tigers also signed 17-year-old catcher Samuel Rojas from the Kander de Pablos program in Venezuela. He's a strong-bodied 5-foot-10, 190 pounds with a durable build and a high-energy mentality behind the plate. His game is built around his physical strength, with power his best offensive tool and an average arm that could move up in the next couple years.