This week's mailbag gets into relief options for the Tigers, whether the Nationals should trade MacKenzie Gore, and the trade value of Athletics JJ Bleday and Luis Severino, as well as questions involving the Astros, Reds, Rangers, Cubs, and Red Sox.
Colin asks:
A few days ago, the Dodgers traded Noah Davis to the Twins for cash. Davis was not at all successful with the Dodgers. Can you tell me how much cash a team typically gets in a situation like that?
I ran this question by a front office friend. He replied, "The dollar amount received by clubs trading away a DFA’d player for cash considerations almost always falls between $55,000 and $100,000. There’s little incentive for clubs to trade the player for anything less than $50,000 because the club will receive that amount if the player is claimed off waivers. MLB caps cash transactions in this situation to a maximum of $100,000. Thus, most cash transactions of this nature end up in the $55,000 to $100,000 range."
Barry asks:
I really feel that Detroit needs two bullpen arms, one of which could close out games or be in the closing mix and match what AJ does. Any insight as to who the Tigers are looking at? I am thinking that David Bednar is the type of pitcher Detroit likes, controlling the strike zone, low walks.
Michael asks:
Coming out of the break, the Tigers have the best record in baseball and the biggest division lead. Nobody had that on their bingo card. In light of that, what should be Detroit's plan for the next two weeks? Should they swing for the fences and if so, how? Or look to add a piece here and there but not mortgage the future (or empty the farm) in favor of adding big names now?
The Tigers definitely need to add late inning relievers who can miss bats. There's a good case to be made for signing David Robertson, who is reportedly throwing for interested teams.
The average MLB reliever punches out 22.4% of batters faced and has an 11.3% swinging strike rate. We saw trade rumors on Mason Miller of the Athletics last summer; his K% is over 40%. He's under team control through 2029, though, so the A's have no reason to trade him now unless they feel they're selling high or received an offer they can't refuse.
The Orioles' Felix Bautista is under team control through 2027. He has a huge strikeout rate as well, but walks even more batters than Miller. Bautista's teammate Seranthony Dominguez is in that same class. A free agent after the season, Dominguez seems a lock to be dealt. Same goes for Gregory Soto, so it makes sense for Scott Harris to be blowing up Mike Elias' phone.
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Tigers should talk to the Braves about Raisel Iglesias. He has a good k to walk ratio and has been a top closer for years. He’s a rental.
Bednar would be a good option also.
I just pray we don’t get Soto back.
It was a great day when we traded him. We definitely don’t want him back on the roster.
I am a Braves Fan, Iglesias has done a great job for us. His start of the year was unlike him but for the past 2 months has been consistently good. Yaw will be getting a good one in him.
Will you take another John smoltz trade? Tiger fans are nervous about dealing a top prospect
Wouldn’t trust the old man or even Bednar. If Det has a SP that Balt can plug in for next few years, Felix Bautista would be the “oh crap” closer playoff opponents would not want to see them acquire.
That should be #1 and Bednar/ Iglesias #2.
PERHAPS try n get two top relievers and really go for it. Lock up that bye and try to get to the series !
TOO bad redsox playing great as I think Chapman would be great for this bullpen
Bednar has been nearly perfect as a Closer since he was sent to AAA in first couple weeks of the season. He has rediscovered his feel for his off-speed pitches, which means opponents can’t just sit dead red anymore.
If I were a Tigers fan, I’d be very happy if he was acquired this month.
Vest has been excellent as closer. Whoever is brought in would be set up, and maybe get the save opp when Vest has pitched consecutive days.
Why do fans constantly float the idea of non-contenders trading for a pending free agent “in hopes of extending/re-signing him” when they can sign that player without giving up prospects in the offseason?
LMFG – Because fans tend to think if a player spends time on their team, they will be swayed to sign an extension with that team during the exclusive negotiating period.
Not too many non-contenders trade for rentals though, usually it’s the other way around.
What player magically falls in love with a non-contender after playing there for 2 months?
LMFG – Now that there’s only around 8-10 non-contenders each season, it doesn’t happen very often.
I mean Bregman fell in love with the Red Sox after playing with them only 2 months, I guess it all depends on who you consider non-contenders. He wasn’t a rental trade, but you removed that criteria with your followup question.
The Red Sox would be in the postseason if the regular season ended today. What triggered my original comment was a post I saw on Instagram which suggested the Orioles trading Adley Rutschman for Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez and Kash Mayfield “in hopes of extending or re-signing Cease and Arraez” but I’ve seen other people suggest similar ridiculousness as well.
The Red Sox could always fall out of it in the next 2 weeks and if they do then yeah, they should trade Bregman.
Flaherty resigned with the Tigers after the trade to the Dodgers and WS win because of his relationship with Skubal, Hinch and the Tigers pitching coach.
1. And because the Tigers offered him more money than everyone else
2. The Tigers didn’t trade for Flaherty they traded him away. So he is a point in my favor not against it.
Re Read my post!
Where did I say the Tigers traded for Flaherty?!
Nowhere!
Tigers fans amd all serious baseball fans know Flaherty was signed by the Tigers last year on a 1 year contract to “build up” his value and to reenter the free agent market.
Obviously, the Tigers traded Flaherty to the Dodgers @ last years trade deadline where Flaherty was an instrumental starter in helping the Dodgers win the National League Pennant and World Series over the Yankees last season.
Only non baseball fans would not know those facts.
Flaherty himself stated he went back to the Tigers because of his relationships and friendships, especially with Tarik Skubal.
Other teams made similar offers to Flaherty.
Flaherty choose the Tigers.
The Tigers, with the best record in baseball and a rising tide of young talent also have a great chance to go the the playoffs ans World Series.
Those fa tors matter for free agent players.
Free agent signings are not always agreed to by players with team who offer top dollars.
Who exactly offered Flaherty more money than the Tigers? (team name and dollar figure must be specified)
Either way, because they traded him away rather than trading for him he actually helps my argument a lot more than he hurts it. This was not a case of them trading assets for him just so they could maybe gain a marginal advantage in signing him.
The Tigers have some tough decisions to make. They have prospects to trade if they choose to. The Rangers went for it a couple years ago and it paid off big time. Then you have a team like the Orioles who are hoarding prospects while their competitive window closes. Flags fly forever.
The Orioles remind me of the Tigers. Great prospects and they have a need that everyone knows about but they just refuse to address it. The Rays are similar also. How many World Series appearances?
They traded Ortiz, Stowers and a couple more. That’s not a huge cost, but will run you down eventually. And trading for yet more pitching this year likely would not have gotten them into the playoffs.
They traded Ortiz because they didnt want to pay a big name pitcher. They could have traded for Crochet. That would have helped them and hurt the Red Sox at the same time.
They should have signed Healey and Quintana.
@king of cards
The Tigers have won the WS before and have 4 flags flying “forever.” No need to panic and sell the farm. They should be able to get rental arms for secondary prospects. Iglesias is expensive and just taking his contract would be a part of the return. Robertson won’t cost any prospects. Bednar could probably be had for Lee. Batista is a tough fit because Baltimore only needs pitching, and if Tigers had any extra, they wouldn’t be trading for it.
When was the last time the Tigers won it all? It wasnt in my lifetime.
1984……they reached/lost WS twice in the 2000s to your guys & Giants.
Cards – Whether or not a team has won it all in the last 15 years is irrelevant.
Fans should want to win every year and should expect a genuine effort to try and win more often than not. The goal shouldn’t be to spend just enough to turn a nice profit.
I was technically alive in 1984. Thats a long time. Anyone 45 and under doesnt remember that happening in real time.
The Tigers have a window of this year and next with Skubal. I wouldn’t sell the entire farm but they could sell some of it.
Cards – I had heard you are way younger, are you referring to a prior life through reincarnation?
The Tigers should go all in now, because you can’t predict the future.
Look at the O’s, they half-assed it the past few years and now their window may already be closed.
The tigers will have a new ace by the time skubal is up. Jobe , Mize and Olsen aren’t a bad group for the future . Sawyer Gipson long might be solid and you have more coming.the real depth is infielders and catchers so we might see Mcgonigle or liranzo moved in order to add relievers. Make these six inning games and you can win it all. We can’t worry about a prospect who may be the next Suarez or adames .. yea we had those guys
@king
That shouldn’t matter to you, as the flags are still flying!
Yes flags fly forever. But fans want to watch it happen. They are due.
Tigers should pursue 1 of 2 Minnesota relievers. If that doesn’t work, go for Bedbar. Do not expect anything from the Tigers Scott Harris until the last minute or second of the trade deadline.
Then Harris will try and trade for someone that retired. He messed up the Eduardo Rodriguez trade. He messed up drafting Max Clark over Wyatt Langford. This draft was a throw darts at the board and see what happens. Harris is a clown.
Clark and McGonigle are consensus top 20 MLB prospects and Rainier is top 100 in most prospect lists. Those darts seem pretty accurate to me.
Sounds like 20/20 hindsight. A #20 prospect is a good result, but often be the single best result.
Wyatt Langford and Kevin McGonigle would be better. Langford would solve your RF and right handed power bat need. They wouldn’t have needed Canha.
Clark just got promoted to AA and he’s dropping in the rankings as the top players are moving to the MLB.
Rainer was a good pick.
This years 1st round pick will be lucky to be a back-up as his ceiling.
McGonigle wouldn’t have been signed if Langford was drafted. Langford signed over slot with the Rangers, whereas Clark went under the draft slot. As the #3 draft spot, that’s quite a bit of bonus pool money that would be used later in the draft. McGonigle was drafted over slot otherwise he was going to commit to college ball.
It wasn’t by much. They could have made it up elsewhere. McGonigle wasn’t much of an overpay. They paid a couple lower picks They only saved $700K on Clark. That’s nothing. McGonigle only signed for $500K over slot. 3rd round pick Paul Wilson was paid $700K over slot..
This year’s pick, Jordan Yost, has the look of a player that could be in the major league for many years. Just a high school kid now but real good bat skills and just 3 strike outs in the last two years of high school ball including summer leagues. Players who make contact are hard to get out and have real good carriers.
.
You are correct.
1. Langford would have cost more and prevented them being able to sign McGonigal.
2. Clark was the best pure bat in the draft as a high schooler. If he were coming out this year, he would have been the #1 pick.
3. The Tigers are winning without Langford.
4. The Tiger farm system is #1 in MLB.
The Tigers would have been better with Langford. Who cares what the A team does? It’s about waving flags.
Langford has been much better than Clark so far at every level. The Tigers could have afforded both Langford and McGonigle. The numbers are there.
” Jordan Yost, has the look of a player that could be in the major league for many years.”
Really?
5’11” and 150 pounds? Really?
From the Juggernaut school of Walter L. SickleCells High School. Let’s hope he turns out better than the highest drafted player from that school… OF Kenny Wilson.
Remember… years from now… the Tigers could have had Slater De Brun.
170 lbs and still growing. We can look back a few years from now and see where he is. Any player that can lift the ball and make solid contact and strike out very little is an asset. To many guys can hit homer’s but can’t hit for average and strike out 3 times a game. Time will tell but it won’t be tomorrow.
If they had Langford last year the Tigers may not have gotten what they did out of Meadows. Or Vierling. One of them would not have been there if Langford had been. Both those guys in 2024 gave the Tigers what Langford would have if not more. This year, Langford might be an improvement over those 2, but then, the Tigers have the best record in baseball anyway. I like Langford, but I like the Tigers’ roster and prospect list going forward without him.
Carpenter and Perez,along with McKinstry have done just fine in RF. There is no hole.
Harris is the GM of the team with the best record in baseball with a top ~5 farm in baseball all with the 19th highest payroll in the game.
A perfect GM? No way
An amazing GM? time will tell so far some good some bad
A clown though ? No way.
AJ Hinch is amazing. Doing this with what he’s given.
Some Services like MLB.com
Rate the Tigers farm system as #1 in MLB
For the millionth time, Eduardo Rodriguez screwed up the Dodgers trade. Harris knew all about the no trade clause. Rodriguez OK’d negotiating with the Dodgers but wanted an extension. The Dodgers said no, so Rodriguez said no.
Considering Rodriguez’s history, he is not reliable…either on the field or off.
As far as Langford. STOP. Clark is going to end up better than Langford. And, even without Langford the Tigers currently have the best record in baseball, guaranteed to make this year’s post season and made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year.
Bob….you’re embarrassing yourself.
Eduardo agreed to renegotiate? I think you’re dreaming… Harris tried to trade him to the Dodgers right up to the deadline and had no plan B.
Langford is doing much better than Clark so far. 2 years after the draft… You should be getting clarity on your picks after 2 years. Clark is a heck of an A ball player… Langford did better at A, AA, AAA and the majors. 115 OPS+
Again. The notion that Harris wasn’t aware of ERod’s no trade clause is simply stupid. Give Harris credit. He didn’t throw ERod under the bus when the trade blew up…but it most certainly did because ERod and his agent wanted the Dodgers and/or Tigers to sweeten his contract after the deal was done. He moved the goal posts. ERod has shown he is unreliable. Untrustworthy…both on and off the field. The D-backs are having buyer’s remorse too.
No one is denying that Langford isn’t a good player and would be in Detroit right now if he had been Harris’s pick. But, long term, which is a good way to think, Clark is likely to be a more impactful player in Detroit. Again, the Tigers made the playoffs last year and will again this year without either Langford or Clark. Currently, even as they are scuffing, Meadows and Vierling give the Tigers something close to Langford. They certainly did last year. Additionally, it can reasonably be argued that if they had drafted Langford, they wouldn’t have been able to draft and sign McGonigal who is now the #1 prospect in all of baseball. McGonigal is probably the best of the 3.
We get it Bob. You’re the greatest poster of all time, and you should be the Tigers GM.
THE TIGERS HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL, BOB.
WT* Don’t you understand?
Here’s the obvious. You like criticizing people because you are really insecure.
ERod did not say anything about renegotiating until AFTER he OK’d Harris to talk to the Dodgers. AFTER the deal was set, EROD wanted to extend and/or sweeten his contract. The Dodgers said no. The Dodgers wanted him as a rental. ERod did not want to pitch under the spotlight in L.A. He wanted to be paid before he had to perform. Obviously, he didn’t work hard in Detroit. He contributed very little. Just as he has in Arizona. I suspect when his deal with the Snakes ends, he will be out of baseball.
The problem with the Rodriguez trade was not that E-Rod killed the move. It was that Harris had no backup plan. He knew that the trade could be refused, and still had over an hour before the deadline. He had not prepared. He could not recover.
A lot of teams knew ERod was worthless. Harris did too. I think it was remarkable he got the Dodgers to bite. then, as usual, ERod kicked dirt all over it. The guy is toxic. The D-backs are suffering with him now.
Notice how Vest sent Langford down 1-2-3 K last night?
Vierling get game winning RBI single last night. Langford strikes out on 3 pitches with go ahead run in scoring position.
Langford is a very good player but nothing special.
Clark will take longer to get to the majors but its a little early to say it was a mistake. I, too, am leery of Harris and his ability to make trades. He still hasn’t proven he can. Hope he proves both of us wrong.
Agree about trades. To me, he might just be more lucky than good. His FA signings have not screamed “genius” either. While it remains to be seen, his drafting appears solid. I like the way he under drafts a little, saves some $$$ and pays over slot in later rounds.
I bet Clark will make his debut by the end of 2026. McGonigal too. I think McGonigal will be in Detroit by June, next year. If that trio they just promoted to Erie are as good as they look like…all of them will be in the bigs next year. So long, Jake Rogers, Andy Ibanez, Wencel Perez or maybe even Kerry Carpenter.
Harris might have some serious off season trading on deck.
Remember Detroit doesn’t rush these young players to the major leagues. Unlike teams like the A’s. Angles, Pirates. They make them work their way up the ladder to the majors. While I don’t always agree with that time it takes you should have a better player at the major league level. The White Sox are another team that rushs players up and they often fail at the major league level.
The Tigers haven’t been drafting near-MLB ready college baseball players anyways. Harris certainly hasn’t. The last 1st round college player was Jace Jung under the Avila years.
How’s Wyatt Langford doing?
The RS should be asking about Gore. But with the recent promotions, there is not as much in the farm. I’d be curious what the price is.
I really don’t see Twins making a deal with Tigers without ridiculously overpaying. The Pirates are interesting though. Would love to see Keller and Bednar in the old English D. Give Carpenter and Liranzo then call the Braves and get Ozuna.
I would usually agree but if the Twins really are about to be sold, strange bedfellows may happen. It will depend on the marching orders the front office is given.
I’d like to see them snag Colorado’s Bird. Pitching in Coors and moving to Comerica won’t hurt him.
Getting Bird to Detroit would be good for the team. Could you imagine trading someone off the major league roster and telling him your off to Colorado what would be the reaction. Off the minor league roster probably not such a shock.
Look at Bird’s home and away splits… Completely opposite of what you’d expect.
Home: 1.71 era 12.3 k/9 K/W is 4.00
Road 5.79 era 8.9 k/9 K/W is 1.92
Can’t explain it.
The explanation is sample size
Even with this complete outlier of a season distorting the career numbers in his so far short career, his total numbers are:
Home: 4.48 era …. 9.2 k/9 …. 2.6 k/w …. 96 OPS+
Road: 4.15 era …. 7.3 k/9 …. 1.8 k/w …. 105 OPS+
CF O’Neil Cruz Pitt
RHP Felix Bautista Balt
Call up
LHP Drew Sommers
LHP PJ Poulin
Call the Braves, see what it would take to get Chris Sale.
From “Joseph”
“Dodgers receive Gore for OF Andy Pages, C Dalton Rushing, OF Josue de Paula or Zyhir Hope, and RHP Patrick Copen.”
As good as Gore is this is a ridiculous trade fantasy, a massive overpay.
That’s an overpay for Skenes let alone Gore
I like the idea of the Dodgers scratching out another 5-50 grand by trading Davis instead of just letting him get claimed. A thrifty team stretching their dollars farther to make do with what they have.
They’ve always been frugal.
“The Reds rank seventh in the NL with 4.55 runs scored per game. Despite ranking eighth in OBP and sixth in SLG, their 96 wRC+ is 12th. That last part is a result of not producing with runners in scoring position”
Doesn’t that mean they are producing with runners in scoring position?
Hopefully the Tigers don’t catch Boone-itis but it might have happened already. They’ve got a decent bullpen but have used these guys quite a bit. Anything beyond 70 innings is asking for trouble in the postseason. The sweet spot is right around 60. A deep run in the postseason requires a good amount of bulloen innings. Yoy’ve got to be smart about not using key guys when you lose games. It is OK to lose 35-40% of your games but it’s a mistake when you burn up your valuable bullpen innings doing it.
Would Parker Meadows, Max Anderson and Keider Montero get Gore from the Nats?
You do realize Gore is a rental? That’s a huge overpay. 5 years of Montero and a couple mid level prospects should do it.
Gore doesn’t reach free agency until 2028. Not a rental. I actually think my proposal wouldn’t be enough.