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As a lifelong Tigers fan, I’m concerned the Tigers might fall into the same trap that the Orioles fell into -- too in love with their own prospects and not making a big trade or signing that could push them over the top. This team has a good number of decent young players and prospects but not any superstars (other than
Tarik Skubal). I’d love for them to really go for it this year, but I doubt they will. Any advice?
-- Keith F.
I don’t think these Tigers have the depth those Orioles teams did. I’d have never recommended they trade Holliday or Henderson or Rutschman, the Kevin McGonigle/Max Clark equivalents. They were so deep, though, that they should have been moving some of the Westburg/Cowser/Mayo class. Not doing so, while ALSO not spending real money, may have blown up the rocket on the launch pad.
The Tigers have to do something this winter that’s bigger than Gleyber Torres/Jack Flaherty. They’ve been a much better story than baseball team the last two years, with underlying numbers pegging them as a middling squad, not a good one. Maybe that’s a big deal built around Bryce Rainer, maybe it’s signing both Bregman and a starting pitcher. Maybe it’s all of that. If this is the last year they’ll have Skubal, they have to be all in around him.
--J.
