Let’s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you still going into offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom calls – as you talk to your co-workers.
Here is today’s hot topic:
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Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario were acquired by the Tigers in exchange for Justin Wilson and Alex Avila back in 2017. Paredes made his debut in 2020 at the age of 21, starting just 30 games. But he did well in the Winter Leagues, winning a batting title.
He played fewer games last year and struggled. But he was also only 22.
Before the season started, the Tigers traded him and a draft prospect to the Rays for Austin Meadows, who has spent most of this season on the IL with various health issues.
This week, Isaac was named AL Player of the Week. He has hit 10 HRs, driven in 21 RBIs (in 34 games) and has a .927 OPS. Meadows has yet to hit a HR as a Tiger and has played in only 36 games.
If Paredes had stayed with the team, and assuming that his offensive skills are not different between the two teams, he would be the best hitter on the team in Detroit.
The Rays have a reputation of making outstanding trades that benefit them and the ability to correctly spot and evaluate talent. Paredes is only 23 and has 4 more years of team control after this year.
Did the Tigers get fleeced on this trade? Should they have seen this coming?
Or is this merely a fluke? Will he come back down to earth?
Did the Tigers give up on him too soon? Has he finally evolved as a hitter? Did the Rays have something to do with his improved plate performance?
What do you think about this trade?
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Too soon to tell, for me; so, somewhere between fluke and fleeced, I guess. Certainly, much more data to support Meadows as the legitimate Major Leaguer, but his very weird season of health issues legitimately leaves his future in doubt. Plenty of kids have knocked the socks off we fans over the years, only to crash to earth eventually: water finding its level (Akil Baddoo anyone?).
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Just reread the April 5 “Suddenly Smart” post. At that time I bet the Vegas odds were pretty long against the Tigers getting fleeced on this trade ever being a topic. I vote too soon to tell.
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“Too soon to tell” with a touch of “no one could have known” – certainly no one I recall here at TT. Weren’t we all ecstatic about the deal when it went down? Now pitchers around the league are busy looking for Isaac’s weaknesses – which I expect will be exploited soon enough.
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I think you are right that there was ecstasy when the trade was made, but the results are too characteristic of how the Tigers organization operates. Players doing better after they leave is too common, suggesting poor capabilities for assessing and developing players, a frequent observation by Holly.
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It was a good trade for both TB (dumping salary) and for us who need to fill in for Greene. No one could predict that Meadows could be so sick, so often. I felt that Paredes might hit but being in the Ray’s lineup is easier than our AAA players but wait till he come down and they figure out he fields like Jhonny Peralta.
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The Rays are playing him at 1B because he’s a fire hydrant at third. Isaac’s also painful to watch on the bases. He didn’t fit the move to speed and athleticism.
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I voted for a “bad trade” tinged with “too soon tell”. Given Al Avila’s trade record I have a funny feeling that the Ray’s may have fleeced Big Al once again. I fervently hope it’s not true, but it wouldn’t be a total surprise if that’s how the trade ultimately turns out, a fleece job.
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Right now it sure looks like just another bad trade. It’s very early, but I have a feeling that TB felt like 2019 was a fluke for Meadows. It’s just maddening that the Tigers felt Parades was “blocked” by the likes of Candelario and Schoop – certainly raises eyebrows about their virtually non-existent player development and overall culture.
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Yes, the old PD dept was awful, but I have hopes for the new and 🤞improved one. However, it’ll take a year or three to really start seeing the fruits from it. Either way, it’s too soon to say with Paredes – he could just as easily prove to be another “one hit wonder”, like Bosch or Mahtook, or Haase.
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Too soon to tell. However, every signing or trade made recently went south so they are trending badly indicating they may have gotten fleeced on every deal.
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I voted too soon to tell but was tempted to vote a bad trade by the Tigers. I wish there would have been a choice of “a panic move by the Tigers that may bite them in the butt” 😉
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Austin Meadows having vertigo really resonates with me because I experienced a severe bout with it. The ENT specialist told me about 2 types….temporary and permanent. A vertigo attack will put you flat on your back, with profound weakness, extreme dizziness, and there’s nothing you can do except wait for it to pass. For me, it took 3 or 4 months to work it’s way out of my system. Let’s hope Austin’s case is much milder. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
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The trade made sense at the time, but it points to the Tigers inability to accurately evaluate their own players. There must be something inside the Tigers system that’s failing in the hitting department. For instance, did Torkleson just forget how to hit for power? He should should run into the occasional fastball for homeruns, but he doesn’t. Why is that?? Why can Paredes now hit home runs, but couldn’t for the Tigers?
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One could picture this conversation when Paredes reported to the Rays.
Paredes: “My approach is I try to hit line drives up the middle, maybe up the gaps, and I like to take my walks”
Rays hitting coach: “Yeah…we’ve watched alot of video on you. We want you to forget about all that and just hit ball in the air”
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Austin Meadows has now been on the I.L. 6 times in his MLB career: Three times in 2022, 2016 with a broken orbital bone, 2017 with an oblique strain and 2020 with Covid-19 (First time). Draw your own conclusions !
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The Rays are far better at player acquisition, player evaluation and player development than the Detroit Tigers, that it is embarrassing. Look at how many Ray’s employees go on to lead other Major League teams. The Tigers have a long way to go. The organization valued Candalario more highly than Paredes. Parades has stated that Tampa Bay has a much better system than Detroit and that they have helped his overall game improve.
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Of his 10 home runs, 2 were hit on a game against the Tigers, and 3 were hit in a game against the Yankees. In other words, Paredes is streaky. His HRs are not spread out over various games. His statistics are a bit padded for this reason. He went O for 3 last night, with one strikeout and 1 LOB. He’s hitting .245. The verdict is still out on this.
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His .310 OBP isn’t great either, Andrew. With Isaac it’s all or nothing.
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I agree with those who said “too early to tell.” Tampa Bay in the last few years has done well in recruiting and developing talent. Their reward: just about the worst home attendance in MBL. Sad. Sad.
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They also win the “Ugliest Stadium” award, John.
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With Oakland a close 2nd
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The difficulty in analyzing this trade is how badly the Tigers hitters are coached. I can’t imagine Paredes would have improved as a young hitter if he had stayed. We finally have a decent pitching coach – can we change hitting coaches too? Please?
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I voted good move for the Tigers because I thought it was at the time. Meadows showed good production and power and was a major league talent in the outfield. Paredes had been up a couple of times and didn’t do much. Vertigo is no joke. I do question if the Rays knew about it before the trade.
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I voted bad move although I could have gone with too early to tell but based on AA awful track record I felt the need to vote the way I did. I can’t believe he has the apparently never ending contract that CI gave him several years ago (believe it was right before July 4th). AA needs to go and the sooner the better
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