Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - 81 | Detroit Tigers | Profile & Projection

Episode Date: February 12, 2020

Let's talk about this Detroit Tigers team. They're bad! What are they up to? Who did they add? Who did they lose? What prospects do you need to know and who may be moved at the deadline? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What's going on? It's TPP number two with Talking Baseball, and we are talking about your Detroit Tigers. They were bad last year, looking to be bad again. Okay, join us next time. We will be talking about, no, Jake, we'll do it. We'll talk about these guys. It's the Detroit Tigers time to shine on Talking Baseball.

Are you excited, Jake? Yes, yes, in all the wrong ways. You know, the Orioles who we just did, you know, they've been looked on as a pretty bad team. They play in the ALE East. The Tigers play in the Central. And I just had my first dark thought come over, because they won 47 games last year.

Is that the worst team to ever play baseball? Ooh, interesting question. in the hundred and sixty 47 and 114 last year and just a really weird roster nobody to get too too excited about we're going to get into it Jim the other thing is the AL Central is weak

and dude think about this and this is my first sad thought for tigers fans the 93 win Indians are saying we have to rebuild yeah yeah yeah I mean the tigers are bad and the bad day one double as many games. No, but the plan is in place for the Tigers.

I'm going to defend them. They are a step ahead of the Orioles, maybe. I don't know anything about the Tigers. I don't know anything about the Tigers farm system. I like some of these off-season additions that the Tigers made because it's trade season. They have to rebuild their farm. The Orioles had Machado to trade. They had some other guys that helped them get some people back.

The Tigers now have that. They brought in C.J. Cron. They brought in Jonathan's scope. They brought in Austin Romine and they brought in Ivan Nova. And I would guarantee you their hope is that those four guys play well enough to be traded at the deadline. At least two of them. They're like, we need to bring in at least four one-year players in hopes that they play good enough to return us some prospects

because we just need to build our farm all types of ways. They also have Jordan Zimmerman who's going to be a free agent. So they're sitting on five free agents coming up. So I think the Orioles had no one. They had cop. They have at least five guys. Maybe they can fish some return.

They did not sign those guys to win games for them in 2020. Hey, Jim. Yeah. Could I read you Jordan Zimmerman's stateline from last year? Yeah, I love it. Jordan Zimmerman was one and 13. It's fine. Nobody cares about wins and losses.

691 ERA, 112 innings pitched. Yeah. So what of it? Tell the mighty have fallen, and he's going to collect a paycheck this year, too. They're going to, they're going to, uh, uh, uh, pomeransom. 25 million.

Someone's going to trade for him to go be a weapon out of the bullpen. The Brewers. Jordan Zimmerman will be a brewer out of the bullpen by the end. of the year. So let's get a couple things out of the way. Jordan Zimmerman, Miguel Cabrera, got paid crazy contracts by it was literally, did he pass away?

Eilich, their owner, when they were trying to compete and they were just paying everyone. So you're riding out those two contracts. That is what it is. I'll say this, and what they have in reverse Oriole fashion, we kind of got a little excited about the Orioles lineup. There's a couple dudes there. that can get you excited. The Tigers have a couple starting pitchers.

I mean, Matthew Boyd had a really 238 strikeouts and 185 innings. ERA didn't land in a great spot, but he was solid for them. Spencer Turnbull and Daniel Norris, the old weirdo, everyone kind of forgot. They also threw the pill last year. It wasn't pretty. Their FIPS are better than their ERAs for the most part. If I was the Tigers, what I would be doing, and you mentioned, signed Ivan no fun. If I was the Tigers, your lineup is garbage. I mean, one of the worst

lineups ever assembled by humans. If I'm the Tigers, go and get good defensive players and boost the pitcher stats and then flip those guys. Oh, wow. I mean, that's, I don't, I don't like deep diving into analytics, but. Wow. I mean, that's awesome. Go get Etchervaria. Yeah, on the Braves. Yeah, go get them. Go get them. Go get them. And then get a really good defensive second baseman that's available that I can't think of.

Why don't you just pluck the minors, all defense team? Robbie Almar. Jake, I love your plan. Pluck the miners for an all defense team. Is that not low-key genius? I mean, then you just make sure the infield is awesome. Have Boyd, Zimmerman, and Nova pitch to contact. get them good through July 31st, trade all three for a haul.

I mean, it's genius. And they do, they do, if you're a tiger's fan. I'll give you full credit, but I think we call it the John Boy Plan. Okay. By Jake Story Ellie. By Jake Story Ellie. Yeah. Your plan, but we just call it the Johnboy plan.

The whole damn business motto. Matt Manning and Casey Mize are their two premier prospects. They're both pitchers. They think we're going to see Casey. Mize this year. We'll see. Manning seems two years away. But they're supposed to be potential number one top of the line guy. So those

guys are in your farm system. You're looking out for them. Yeah, I'm let's just build this whole tiger. You're in a pitcher's ballpark. Like, you let Jose and Glaze just go a few years ago. I'm so team tigers go get defense now because the lineup

blows. Who's Matt Manning? That's their number one prospect in the organization. Did you talk about him? Yeah. Yeah, him and Casey Mize are our big time starting pitching prospects. Yeah, this dude was in AA last year. So it's probably. Yeah, they are baseball or fan graphs, excuse me. They have Mize coming up this year and they have Manning in 2021.

We'll see. I guess if you're a Tigers fan, I think you want to see one of them this year, but you don't want to see both because again, there might not be hope for this team for three years. No, don't rush these dudes up to pitch and pitch and shit. Casey Mize, cool name. Kind of looks like, uh, yeah, he kind of looks like a ghost though from the 19, early 1910's ghost. Okay.

Yeah. Yeah, that's tough. Pushing that. Well, I'm just saying. You know, I look at a picture. You are just saying that. I look at a picture and I'm like, that dude looks like he died and I was a ghost. haunting the 1910s.

He's not, not pale. I will work. So War Eagle. War Eagle? No. Not into it. Okay. And that's just me, Jake. That's you.

But you're rooting for Casey Mize. I'm rooting for all Tigers pitchers. That's what I've decided coming into this. I'm rooting for all Orioles hitters. I'm rooting for all Tigers pitchers. That's how I'm going to get through with these guys. Because again, I mean, Turnbull, your guy, he was okay for them last year. Why not?

Daniel Norris, grade A weirdo. Let's boost those guys up. Flip them for some hitters because we've got nothing right now. I'm showing the picture of Casey Mize to everyone just so they can get a good luck. It's a little pale. Do you like the eyes on Casey Mize? I surmise you might. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, you put a tan on him. They really pop. He needs to see some. son. Those are my final thoughts on Casey Mye's top prospect for the Detroit Tigers. What do we have anything else on the pitching staff here? Because I don't. No, no. I mean, we like Ivan Nova because of his Yankee passed. He's pitching Austin Romine. I wonder if they've worked together before. I would guess they have in passing. I'm rooting for all the free agents that signed with the Tigers have good years and be traded because

that's a fun storyline for everyone. Win, win, win, win. for everyone. You know? For the Tigers, they win because they're going to get prospects back. For the players, they win because they're going to not be on the Tigers anymore, and they bet on themselves and it worked out. Win for the teams that trade for them because maybe they get a new player at the deadline. So that's what I'm rooting for.

We do have a note here that says the key spring spring training battle for third base is between Dowell Lugo and Heimer Candelario and Harold Castro. So that's no fun Yeah Yeah no And I mean Trevor Ploof told us Spring training battles don't matter

But on this team it might The whole season's a battle No one has a spot Yeah literally the whole season Is a roster battle for this team And that's a Let's go through the starting lineup Jim Center fielder

Jacob Jones Shortstop Nico Goodrum I didn't know he could pick it at short Miggie Cabs is going to be D-H in That sucks First baseman, CJ Cron, Cron. He comes over from Minnesota. He's got some pop.

Good for him. Kristen Stewart, my girl, the only lefty in this lineup. I guess we got some switch hitters. Jonathan Scope, it'd be cool if he finds something for them. They've got Yimer Candelaria winning that vaunted third base job. Austin, Romine, the former Yankees backup catcher and Victor Reyes. Young guy who played decently for them last year, he'll be in right field. But my word, what do you do with this?

How come C.J. Cron, like, isn't getting jobs? I think he's a horrible defender. Okay. I mean, he has a career OPS Plus of 110, and that's six seasons. He's only had one season in the bigs, whereas OPS Plus was under 100. Yeah, I mean. It means not amazing. Yeah, he's a good offensive player.

He's a major league offensive player. His defense is that bad at first that he has to sign a one-year prove-it deal coming off of a good season with the twins? I don't think it's a one-year prove-it deal. I think it's just a guy that you think about what the DH spot has become. The DH spot is either someone who's a monster who rakes every day, who you're penciling them into your DH, or the DH has almost become a rest day position, and that's why you have a utility guy in your. your spot. So to lock up your lineup every day with C.J. Cron, who, you know, he's going to give you a 780 OPS or something like that and be good. I think teams would rather have the roster flexibility of

having someone else do it. But hey, I mean, the guys got, what, 55 home runs over the past two years. Like, he is a major league hitter and he's a prime candidate to be traded at the deadline. Yeah, you know, you know what else we should look at guys without options? Like Buck Farmer doesn't have any options. So maybe he gets traded. Buck was great for them last year, Jim. So he could work himself into a trade. Love this Detroit pitching staff.

Lugo doesn't have options. And neither does Candelario. So they're in a position battle and they both have no options. Interesting. I mean, I think one ends up on the bench. And I think if you get DFAed by Detroit, I don't think another team is sprinting to pick you up. Whoa.

Yeah. In 2019, Okay. What do you think their offensive categories ranked out of the 30 MLB teams? Which do you think they were the best at? Between like everything? Yeah, I'll just tell you. It was stolen bases.

Sacrifices. Okay. Stolen bases. They were ranked 21st out of 30 in stolen bases. When nothing matters, you can just run. So that probably helped out. Everything else, average 26 on base percent. dead last 30th OPS 29th. Good job.

Runs dead last 30th. Home runs 29th. We are an optimistic pod. We're an opt-pod. Yeah, they've been saying that. If you are a Tigers fan, which Detroit, in its roots, is a good baseball city. Yeah. What do you do with this? What are you, it's Wednesday night, 705, Kansas City's in town. you've just made a nice kilbossi and you sit down in front of the TV

What are you excited for with this Tigers team? Boyd Trying to have a turn-in-around season And like you're buying in that Kron Is I say it in scope Can like offer a jilt Something?

I don't know nothing man You're dormant fan Cron Cron Dishprone Yeah man It's a It's tough

They open up against the Royals, a two game set against the Royals. So that's right away. You can get the confidence up right there. The Royals are another team in division, not trying to win. If you're the Royals in Detroit, do you shake before the series if you're both managers and say, hey, let's each get one here. Yeah. Let's each get a win under the belt for this season and keep it moving.

Balance it out because then the Tigers, they host the Indians for four games. then the Royals again for three. So their first, what's that? 4 plus 2 is 6 plus 3, 9. First nine games. Five of them are against the Royals. So 5 and 4? Can they start out 5 and 4?

That might be the only chance they have to be above 500. No. And I don't think they can. I don't think they will. No. Something fun to watch is Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine got into a fight a few years back. And now they're teammates.

So that's fun, I guess. And Jonathan's scope was in the Little League World Series twice. So. So he's played big games before. Clutch factor's real. Net, net. Are we hoping Michael Fulmer comes back for this year? Is he supposed to?

I think so. He had T.J. And end of March last year. They should, they should, I mean, if he comes back, then it's full trade show. Trade everyone. Give me Tigers pitching in defense. All day. I really like your defensive plan, but now you tell me Crohn's terrible.

Oh, he's awful. So that hurts the plan or instantly it's hurt. It looks like we got a AAA catcher, Jake Rogers, that's in their top 20 prospects. He's hoping to get the call this year. God, I don't know. Yeah, Isaac Paredes, he's a third baseman shortstop. He's thinking he's going to get the call. Willie Castro, call him all up.

Let's, God. Michael Fulmer lost 20 pounds. He lost 20 pounds. Huge. That is huge. I guess not as huge. He's not as huge now. I lost 20 pounds.

And he says, I wish I knew stuff in 2016 that I know now. I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger. The Michael Fulmer theme song. And that'll round this out. over under before we get out of here. Vegas has it at 59.5 games. You had the Orioles at a hard 59 wins on the season over under 59. The safest under in the world.

Going under, huh? Empty out your bank accounts and put all of it. Sell anything you own. The Indians are still going to be good. Yep. Minnesota is still going to be good. Yep. The White Sox got a bunch better.

Yep. And Detroit is god awful. They won 47 games last year. They're going to get 12 games better, 13, when one of the teams in their division got much better. And you know what else? They're going through the NL West this year, which I think is the weakest NL division.

I mean, any team compared to them, the Giants are the only bad team in the NL West. And I mean, it's a coin flip between them and Detroit in a series. All right. Well, enjoy the season. Detroit fans. Enjoy the free money. Thanks for stopping by.

Take the under. I'm also taking the under, Jake. See ya.