Detroit Tigers

[chemiclord]

But why do that when we can sell fans on "the farm" for another season? - Chris Illitch

[whatever_gong82]

Tarik Skubal simply didn't have it tonight, and the Royals scored 6 in the 7th to pull away in a close game and win going away 9-2.

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2024/08/02/detroit-tigers-game-score-recap-kansas-city-royals-tarik-skubal/74654949007/

[froot loops]

But why do that when we can sell fans on "the farm" for another season? - Chris Illitch

This might be true. As with Radar, Al Avila and Scott Harris it's hard to say where their incompetence ends and Chris Ilitch's cheapness begins. These deadline trades look like a team starting a rebuild rather than of one looking to contend in 2025 even if it's only for a wild card

[chemiclord]

I maintain that poor performance of a franchise starts at the head. A bad owner is more likely to hire bad managers who select bad players.

In Chris Illitch's case, this isn't his first time at this rodeo, and he's running it exactly like he ran it last time; on the cheap. And as a result, the GM basically has to make the right move at the right time, every time (this is basically the Tampa Bay Rays model). But there's a reason the Rays are the only ones that can reliably do it. Because it is hard as fuck and one mistake can ruin an entire season because the margin of error is so ridiculously small, and the Rays have an investment in their minor league development that by all accounts Chris Illitch refuses to do (because it would cost money he refuses to spend).

Scott Harris could be an entirely middling GM. But he's in a position where next to no one could succeed.

[froot loops]

It does seem like they have finally put money into the development system, but it's about 20 years late. A lot of the money they have out in is just to catch up. I like what they have done at the minor league levels much more now, but if you are waiting for some mythical core to come together before you spend, it's likely not to come

[chemiclord]

The Whitecaps facilities and LMCU Ballpark are about two miles away from me. If the Tigers have put any significant investment in their farm programs, it hasn't particularly shown itself at the High-A level.

That said, I haven't exactly walked through those facilities outside of the public eye, so if people inside are saying they've improved, I suppose I should take their word for it.

[froot loops]

It is probably less about the facilities than the analytics department and the coaches on staff throughout the minor leagues. They had a skeleton crew for a long time in both aspects. But I don't know., they could be lying. It's something we as average fans have no idea.

[chemiclord]

Yeah, who knows. I want to believe it. I just look at that owner and it makes it very hard to believe anything positive.

[whatever_gong82]

Royals took 3 out of 4 from Detroit this weekend with today's come from behind 3-2 win on a game winning 3-run home run by the Royals.

Detroit is now 53-60 for the season, and more or less irrelevant at this moment in both the AL Central race and the Wild Card chase.

[wcfwtf]

I’m starting to think like Chemi

[Whitley]

The Whitecaps facilities and LMCU Ballpark are about two miles away from me. If the Tigers have put any significant investment in their farm programs, it hasn't particularly shown itself at the High-A level.

That said, I haven't exactly walked through those facilities outside of the public eye, so if people inside are saying they've improved, I suppose I should take their word for it.

LMCU Ballpark is a privately owned ballpark. They currently are in the middle of a 2-3 year renovation.i was down there in April. Loved the park.

[Whitley]

Speaking of the Whitecaps. They have a few intriguing players there.

Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle just got promoted there. The Dodgers C they just traded for is there now.

When I was down there in April I liked Jaden Hamm SP, Max Anderson had good swings and eye.

Paredes and Campos had serious contact issues. Dylan Smith had trouble throwing

[chemiclord]

LMCU Ballpark is a privately owned ballpark. They currently are in the middle of a 2-3 year renovation.i was down there in April. Loved the park.

I'm glad you loved it, I have not been particularly impressed in a while, either by the stadium or the product on the field. We'll see how much the renovations improve things, but my experiences have always been extremely "meh" over the last fifteen years. It was clear that "bare minimum" had been the walking orders for a while.

[froot loops]

Welcome back Kerry Carpenter. I kind of felt like the season was going to go straight into the shitter after the deadline, but they are plugging away. It reminds me a few mediocre Radar teams that would emulate Sisyphus in trying to get beyond .500.

Trey Sweeney is tearing it up down in Toledo. Maybe he is an answer to platoon at short next season. They have a lot of young hitters for next season but I'm not sure how it all works defensively. It would be fantastic if Meadows could prove he could be an average hitter. He is the only plus defender they have.

They have a lot of work to do with the pen and getting at least one quality starter. They can't find themselves needing to do a bullpen game once or twice a week