This week, we saw the annual end-of-year press conference by the Tigers in which Al Avila and A. J. Hinch took center stage.
What a difference a year makes. The window into this rebuild has opened juuuuust a little bit more. If you were listening carefully, there are some interesting takeaways beyond the actual words spoken.
Here’s my top 5 list of the most important points expressed during their time on the dais.
DETAILS
Last year, Al Avila sat by himself, squirming over the questions being asked about the truncated season and the future of the rebuild. He offered no information about any of the players, payroll or free agent shopping. Absolutely zippo about what the team would be doing going forward.
This year, he offered concrete information about the needs of the team, potential payroll and the future of certain players. We actually learned some things.
POKER FACE
Remember the days when Avila would blurt out whatever was on his mind? How he would constantly show his hand to the detriment of the organization?
Thankfully, those days seem to be over and it appears our GM may have learned his lesson. He gave enough information to satisfy inquiring minds, yet not enough to give other teams an advantage in off-season negotiations. And when pressed for more, he stood firm in not giving additional hints.
TIMELINE
We’ve now got the team on record about the timeline for a return to competitiveness. Avila: “These next couple steps, the next year or two, will be very important for our major-league club as far as getting back to the playoffs and bringing back our fans with the optimism that we have a chance.”
Last year, Avila refused to give us a timeline. Now he is. It’s a bold move because it now puts the onus on ownership and management to deliver or else more fans will revolt – and bolt.
LESSONS LEARNED
Avila: “Sometimes you don’t have to make a big splash…Sometimes a big splash turns out wrong for you.” Translation: It’s acknowledgement from a team that big, lengthy contracts haven’t worked out for the Tigers. Big splashes like Jordan Zimmermann and especially Prince Fielder.
It’s a smarter, lessons-learned statement that the Tigers will be looking at all the factors before they sign someone. Now that they have a more-established analytics department, combined with Menzin, Sartori, Garko, Ribas, Hinch, Fetter et al, they have more sophisticated ways of determining accurate values that are more likely to deliver.
FREE AGENTS
Avila: “This is not going to be spending like a drunken sailor, those types of comments. This is going to be a very measured process, and we’re going to make sure whatever decisions we make free-agency wise, that it doesn’t sink this organization for years to come, but it builds this organization for years to come.”
Dove-tailing on the previous comment, Avila is telling us not to expect really big, lengthy, expensive free agent signings. It’s a confirmation that the previous contracts Mr. I influenced – signings that made this rebuild excruciatingly more horrible than necessary – are not going to happen in the future. This means that the 10 year/$340 million contract rumored to be what Carlos Correa wants, is not where they will going.
What else did you pick up from the press interview?
What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
- Astros’ owner makes his statements about possibly retaining Justin Verlander.
- Why Justin Verlander may turn down the Astros.
- Would the return of JV to Detroit be a smart move?
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AL has little support on this blog and duly so considering performance. I called him a glorified scout in GM shoes. But that scout has grown to understand life as a GM as Holly’s article highlighted. And now joined with AJ they seem to have similar visions and how to smartly get there.
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1) Two of the Tigers free agent issues were framed around injuries where the team has to play whack-a-mole because of lack of organizational depth. Guess what. I wish this on no one, but players will get injured in ’22 as well. 2) HInch was definitely pushing for an elite shortstop at the press conference.
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Avilla is now getting credit that is completely undeserved. With Chris Ilitch’s approval, he ruined the Detroit Tigers, helped by Mike Ilitch’s foolish long term decisions. Along came A.J., and now Avilla all of a sudden has made some good decisions….Give me a break.
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I challenge your use of the word “approval”. I have always felt it was at the “direction” of Chris Illitch. Now that AJ is on board, we may finally see what Mike Illitch saw in AA when DD was let go. My reasoning here is that AA is still the GM.
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Perhaps Avila and Hinch have made a fortuitous team, rather than either one being a genius.
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I trust the optimism for the future does not paper over the mistakes of the past. There was no need for a teardown as far as I can see. Management let go decent players who went on to make valuable contributions to their new teams while Detroit received little or even nothing in return and is still seeking to fill holes six years later.
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Al Avila stumbled around for the better part of six years with an ineffective staff and now we are to believe that, because “he learned his lesson”, he has transformed himself into a cutting edge, analytics driven highly effective GM? While Al Avila’s personal and complete turn around is always possible, it would seem more likely that Al is being directed by Ilitch, Hinch and the new front office and that Al is merely a conduit in the modernization of the organization.
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The credit and adulation now given to Al Avila is definitely undeserved, Just look at his track record of failed trades,signings and drafts over his tenure. Im skeptical that all of a sudden hes turned from a Dunce to good GM overnight. I give all the credit to AJ Hinch and his crew. Chris Ilitch also needs to stay out of the way,except for needed finance!
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I put my trust in Hinch in decision making going forward. I’m sure Hinch realizes that signing Correa would be foolish. Most long term signings eventually become an albatross around the neck of the team. The Tigers could possibly sign 3 or 4 upper tier free agents at that kind of money. Give Ryan Kreidler a long look this spring. Use the money to fill other holes such as adding a pitcher and a catcher for one or two years.
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I picked up exactly what Holly is putting down. In a dynamic changing situation currently engulfing the home office, this could have been an elaborate “good cop, bad cop” public posturing to set up a hard bargaining position for FA negotiations while also managing public expectations. What I picked up is that signing starting pitching is going to be the biggest goal in the off season and high priced long term SS’s need not apply.
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Don’t like the ten year Astro’s short stop idea for all Zimmerman comparisons. The A’s/Jay’s player(can’t remember name, something like siemon) is a better bet. Don’t want to end up like Mets, a deja fielder moment all over again.
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The less Al Avila has to do with these decisions, the better.
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Given his past history of trades/FA signings I don’t trust AA ever to make the right decision nor do I trust CI to actually spend money, I trust AJ to make the right decision involving any FA signing. Been burned too many times by AA’s incompetence as a GM the only improvement I see is that he doesn’t telecast his thoughts to everyone in MLB. Too bad AJ can’t be the manager & GM
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