MLB '24 Regular Season Thread

Detroit defeats Toronto 7-3. Jake Rogers hit a grand slam. Tigers have won 10 of last 12.
After Sunday's game, four in Cleveland.

 

Jake Rogers of Tulane.

Meanwhile, Yankees 5-9 continues to be a black hole.

 

Leyland should be entertaining. When he was with in Pittsburgh, one of the smaller suburban papers stopped sending a reporter to every game for a while, giving their Pirates' beat guy other assignments. They sent the beat guy back to cover a game later in the season. Leyland took one look at him and said, "Where the fuck you been?"

 

McKenzie Gore just threw 48 pitches in the top of the first. Long night ahead for the Nats bullpen.

 

As recently as 48 hours ago, I still believed Tigers President Scott Harris was going to flip Tarik Skubal at the deadline. And he may still, because his value as a trading chip will never be higher. If you're going to be a riverboat gambler, there's no better way to prove it than put your ace on the market for teams like the Orioles, Yankees, Braves and Dodgers, and see what other GMs are willing to pay.

It's a high-risk, high-reward situation, and if Harris is going to put his stamp on this team, trading Skubal would do it. And it's still the obvious move.

But now I think they may do a soft sell instead, based on several reasons.

1. Two years ago, owner Chris Ilitch announced a George W.-like "the rebuild is over." But it obviously isn't. And Tigers fans will mutiny if Harris flips one of the two All-Stars that make this team worth watching. Ten consecutive years of below .500 seasons, with no assurance that the window of contention is truly opening? That's going to take some PR spin of the highest order if Skubal wins a World Series in someone else's uniform between now and 2027, while the Tigers are still looking up at the Guardians, Twins and Royals.

2. If Harris doesn't think he's getting a premium haul, he's not going to panic. The demand for Skubal will still be there during the offseason, although he won't have the leverage he has right now. With Skubal, the team might win 80 games in 2024. Harris needs to figure out where he can squeeze another 10-15 wins by replacing him.

3. The Tigers have multiple issues, no more so than shortshop. To solve that, Harris would need to land a big-league ready, better than replacement level, middle infielder or two. And owner Chris Ilitch would have to agree to eat some $70 million of sunk costs thanks to Avila's parting gift, the flaming paper sack of dog poo left on the front porch that is Javier Baez. Remember, Ilitch signs the checks. That's a hefty chunk of change for a team like Detroit, which just got out from under the Miguel Cabrera contract.

4. The Tigers are now one game below .500, with a bunch of AL Central games looming. They're not making the playoffs in 2024 barring some miracle second half (and the starting rotation took another hit today with Reese Olson leaving early), but Harris might look at his chances in 2025 (they've missed Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson for much of the season, plus have Jace Jung at Toledo) and decide instead to peddle the likes of Jack Flaherty, Mark Canha, Gio Urshela, Carson Kelly and a couple of relievers to continue to build organizational depth, with the idea that he can plug holes in free agency.

Skubal is not without his own risks. Yes, he has 2 1/2 years of team control but he's also 27. He had Tommy John in college and missed much of 2022 with flexor tendon issues. He's never pitched this many innings in a season. His agent is Scott Boras, who will definitely want to test the free agent waters in 2027. But he could be the difference between getting a first-round playoff bye or winding up as a wild card.

If Avila was still running the team, he'd have flipped Skubal for three 18-year-old Mexican Winter League bat boys, a case of sunflower seeds and 12 bags of Big League Chew.

 

Apparently upset over a call in Friday's game.

 

That’s Earl Weaver-worthy.

 

MLB umpires are totally out of control. There has to be some redress for players and managers who get tossed unnecessarily and some form of accountability for red-ass, rabbit-eared umpires.

 

I’m old enough to remember when Braves fans claimed Freddie Freeman was so disconsolate about having to leave Atlanta that he’d be a bust as a Dodger.

 

Do you have any idea what the manager said to the umpire to get ejected? No? Then how are you saying that umpire/crew was out of control. Managers usually only come out for the lineup card meeting after day 1 of a series usually to make a point or be an ass or to get ejected. That looked pretty uneventful.

 

Haha. Love this.

 

Braves lose Fried and Albies for extended periods. Bust of a year continues.