While the Tigers’ 36-37 record looks underwhelming, they’ve no doubt exceeded expectations so far after finishing last in the majors in 2017. But even though the team sits just 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Indians in the AL Central, general manager Al Avila isn’t adjusting his immediate or long-term plans, he explained to Jason Beck of MLB.com and other reporters Sunday. Perhaps of greater intrigue, Avila’s not ready to say whether he aims to keep either right fielder Nicholas Castellanos or right-hander Michael Fulmer for the long haul. While Avila noted that “I don’t have a mandate to trade anyone,” he added that “our intent here is to be open-minded, and if somebody offers us something that quite frankly makes us better as we move forward, then we have to really seriously consider that.”
The Tigers failed in their attempts to extend Castellanos last winter, and the 26-year-old has since hit at a career-best pace with a .310/.353/.502 line in 306 plate appearances. He’s in his second-last year of arbitration control, while Fulmer is in his final pre-arb season and isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2022 campaign. The 25-year-old is now in the midst of his third straight effective season, although it hasn’t been impressive as the previous two, as he has recorded a 4.13 ERA/4.08 FIP through 80 2/3 innings.
Now the latest on a pair of NL Central teams:
- The Cardinals plan to activate reliever Greg Holland from the disabled list during the upcoming week, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Holland has been out since May 26 with a right hip impingement, and the results during his rehab assignment haven’t been “ideal,” manager Mike Matheny admitted. The $14MM free-agent signing has allowed four earned runs on five hits (two home runs) and posted more walks than strikeouts (five to four) in five minor league games. He has also logged horrid numbers in the majors this year, having recorded a 9.45 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 15 walks in 13 1/3 innings.
- The Pirates reinstated infielder Jung Ho Kang from the restricted list and optioned him to Triple-A on Friday. General manager Neal Huntington spoke about Kang on Sunday (via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review), saying “we need to see quality plate appearances” in the minors and “we need to see him doing the things he did before to show us he can be major league ready again.” If that happens, the Pirates will be happy to welcome Kang back, Huntington suggested. “We would love to have a healthy and productive Jung Ho Kang back on this major league team,” he said, “because if that player comes back, he’s going to help us win games.” Kang did indeed help Pittsburgh win games from 2015-16, but he then earned his third DUI in his native South Korea prior to the 2017 season and hasn’t played in the majors since.
According to this article that quoted Castellanos, no contract extension was ever offered: detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2018/06/02…
Nicholas Castellanos is the one player I want the Tigers to trade. They will miss his bat but his fielding will never improve. It seems that whenever the opposing team rallies, Castellanos’ defense factors in.
I would like to see Dixon Machado see less playing time. I don’t know who the answer is at 2B but Machado is NOT it.
Also, if the Tigers are so high on Victor Reyes, let him take over LF full time. JaCoby Jones can be the backup.
JaCoby Jones is the far better fielder, and his bat is starting to come around. Reyes is intriguing, at 6’5 with speed and athleticism, but he needs to learn how to hit.
Tigers are far better than what I thought they’d be at this point of the year. Of course after AA trades off some parts at the deadline, we’ll see a decline. My original prediction/expectation was 95-99 losses this season but now I’m thinking 85-90, probably closer to 90. Ron Gardenhire is doing a pretty good job with the youngsters so far, especially with Miggy gone for the year and for the most part V-Mart not really being a factor.
A pretty good job?? Gardenhire having this team even remotely close to .500 speaks volumes to the job he and his staff have done with this team thus far..
No one, I repeat NO ONE, had this team pegged as having a roughly .500 record through their first 75 games this season..
Also, if you knew they’d be at .500 through their first 75 games, you’d think Miggy and V-Matt would be having MVP candidate type seasons, along with Fullmer being in the running for the Cy Young award…Obviously, with neither of that trio producing at a high level, it even further justifies what an excellent job Gardy has done this year..
Now, I HIGHLY doubt the Tigers will remain close to being a .500 team, but if they keep up this pace, then Gardenhire should easily win Manager of the Year for the AL..With the Braves entire coaching staff winning the award in the East lol…
i have to agree with both points tbh i’m more surprised with the braves i was not expecting the braves to be this good yet (i still had them a year or 2 out) but i hope both teams can keep it up it’s better for the sport to have teams trying to win than sucking to be good
Amen. Its still supposed to be entertainment.
You can’t say nobody believed in this team. I did. I was going to go back in edit this piece (for the type-o’s) from January but never found the time. Almost prophetic: m.facebook.com/notes/troy-r-vanderstelt/defiant-de…
Don’t forget Seattle who’s battling Houston for 1st place in the West, without Cano. Servais is in the hunt for MOY also.
Gardy should have been the Tiger choice in 2014. He could have taken a very good team to the WS.
The Tigers were much better prepared for this change, than they were last time. It took only 3 years to go from worst to first, then. When the Yankees started their rebuild, no one discussed what Judge or Sanchez would bring them to speed along the rebuild. So why are the Tiger’s young players being bandied about? Just as it would have set back the Yankees rebuild, it makes no sense to trade the young building blocks of the Tigers.
Cards bringing back Holland. So they’re trying to lose?
Please, as a Pirates fan I say bring him back!
You have nothing to worry about from by beloved, awful Cardinals.
He’s been doing great. I thought the same thing about the move, glad it’s worked out so far.
Castellanos and Fulmer are young enough that the tigers should keep them and build around them. There is no need to flip a 26 year old Castellanos and in return get a 20 year old who you hope will be as good as Castellanos when he is 26.
You wanna pay him 25 mill for 5 years
Castellanos should be playing 1B.
Can we please just end this misery with Holland. It did not work let’s move on. Whoever is deciding to bring him back to the majors where he has an over 9 ERA after giving up 4 ER in 5 innings on a rehab assignment does not deserve a job. There are players in AAA more deserving of the spot but 14 million says Holland is better so he gets it. Apparently 14 million means more than winning games.
I love they way Matheny says that the results “Haven’t Been Ideal”……ROFL.
He’s such a lame-duck. He’s probably the most “neutrally opinionated manager” that I’ve ever known. I seriously doubt that he ever even questions players….never mind “ripping them a new one when they screw up”. What a loser……He should be FIRED immediately. His attitude (or lack thereof….) is EXACTLY what’s wrong with the Cardinals.
NO FIRE!!!………..I guess you could call him a “nicey-nice manager”…..LOL
Holland probably has something physically wrong with him again. They should just admit that they screwed up by not fixing the bullpen, and move on.
Matheny does rip into players. His mild manner is deceiving. He’s a great manager. If you want to blame anyone for this mess, it is Mozeliak. He’s always bringing in cheap past their prime pitchers to pitch out of the pen. Hoping to catch Lightning in a bottle, instead of signing real talent. The Cardinals have a billion dollar tv contract, so there’s no excuse to continue patch work. I might be time to bring fresh blood in with creative ideas, because I’ve been thinking that Mo has run his course. I can’t understand why a guy gets promoted and he’s hasn’t done anything really outside of Holliday and Ozuna since he’s been in charge. Oh and Mabry needs to go too.
I agree with most of that other than Matheny is a great manager…he is constantly one move behind. leaves pitchers in too long bc he didnt get the pen up in time, puts guys in slumps at the top of the lineup. Worst move St Louis has made in the last 5 years is hiring Matheny who had no experience over Franconna
Mo hasn’t done anything other than bring in Holliday or Ozuna? Mozeliak is also responsible for…the draft…player development…essentially the entire roster. I think we are at a point where it is safe to say that outside of Molina and Wainwright, every player on the Cardinals was brought in under Mozeliak’s supervision and direction. Even with them, he had influence. His job is much more than trading for players or signing free agents. For better or worse.
Completely Agree…. This Mess has Mozeliak The “ Brain” written all over it. How that idiot keeps a job is beyond comprehension!
Geez, they can have Holland, Cecil, Bowman, Wong, Gregerson, and the Great Dexter Fowler…… Any takers, LoL!
Tigers could extend Castellanos and move him to 1B next season with Cabrera shifting to DH. I can’t see him netting a significant haul given how poor his defense his.
However, I wouldn’t mind seeing a package of Fulmer and Greene dealt for some position player prospects.
Mo also has very capable people under him to help in the process of the minors! I’m not here to pick on anyone but when you come out as he did yesterday and say (we are a good team ) then I really wonder if he has lost his mind! We have players playing out of position constantly and this whole thing of bringing players up and down can’t be good for moral and cohesion of the team! I will admit that as far as starting pitchers go we are in Great shape but we have watched this line up hit for the fences for 3 years! ITS TIME FOR CHANGES!