RRREBUILDING THE RRRIGHT WAY

by Holly Horning

This is a tale of 2 rebuilding teams.  One successful, one not.

You can guess which team is the latter.

The first team is the Baltimore Orioles.  They are currently above .500 and in the hunt for a place in the wild card race.  Oh, and they are in MLB’s best and most competitive division – the AL East.

They started their rebuild a full 2 years after the Tigers.  It only took them less than 4 years to successfully reboot their team.  Even with an elderly, ill owner who has ceded control to his 2 sons who are fighting each other in court over control of the team.

So how have the Orioles managed to turn the team’s fortunes around in such a short amount of time?  Let’s do a comparison between both Baltimore and Detroit to see how different moves achieved different results.

Baltimore hired a new GM and assistant GMs from outside the organization.  They broomed much of the Front Office.

The Tigers kept their GM and their Front Office.  They didn’t broom anyone.  They did demote a Sr. VP who continued to advise the GM.

The Orioles hired top talent.  In late 2018, they hired Mike Elias who has an impeccable track record.  A scout with the Cardinals who left for the Astros in 2011 and became their Director of Amateur Scouting.  His list of successful draft selections, including Carlos Correa, is long.

Elias quickly worked his way into the Assistant GM position in charge of Player Development and Minor League Operations.  Two year later, the Orioles snapped him up.

The Tigers’ Al Avila has been with the team for 20 years.  He came from the Marlins and Pirates – not exactly known for being at the forefront of baseball strategy or playing competitive baseball.  Avila’s best scouting claim to fame was Miguel Cabrera, but that was 25 years ago. Nothing since.

Both organizations came into their rebuilds with no analytics departments (Detroit had just 2 people) and having the worst farm systems.

Elias brought several other Astros execs with him and they re-made the team in less than 4 years.  One of those years was the Covid-shortened season.  Even more impressive.

Al Avila kept the same people he worked with since the Marlins and Pirates.  He added Jay Sartori who had worked for the Blue Jays over a decade ago and was running the sports and entertainment categories of Apple’s App Store.

Al Avila spent 7 years rebuilding the Tigers and the team is no closer to being competitive.  In fact, many say the team started regressing this year.

Obviously, all teams in rebuild mode need solid foundational talent but also supplemental talent.  The Orioles developed that in a very short amount of time.

On their current roster, Baltimore has 13 rookies and 4 additional players with 1 year of experience. They are spread out between pitching, infield and outfield.

With 2 additional rebuilding years, the Tigers have 9 rookies.  Five of them are pitchers.  The rest are Kerry Carpenter, Kody Clemens, Riley Greene and Zack Short.

The Orioles have multiple players in the running for Rookie of the Year.  The Tigers?  None.  So far, Detroit only has Riley Greene (if we exclude pitchers) to show for 7 years of rebuilding.

As for supplemental talent – depth in the minors, the Orioles have plenty.  The Tigers are so stretched so thinly for depth that they don’t even have a couple players who are legitimate call-ups for September.

Both teams each have had similar draft pick rankings.

Currently, during the same period of time, the Tigers had 6 top draft picks – 3 still in the minors, 2 on the IL and 1 playing in Detroit.

The Orioles have 7 top draft picks with 4 in the minors and 3 currently playing at the MLB level.  They had less time to develop their prospects but still promoted more of them (and faster) than Detroit did.

This is what happens when your GM was considered one of the very best in scouting and ran a top farm system with Houston.  Things tend to happen more quickly.  And successfully.

But Elias was also an excellent trader.  He traded 2 players who brought back a potful of top minor league talent that quickly ascended to the majors. 

Al Avila?  Let’s not go there.  We all know what happened.

Best of all, Baltimore ended up with reliable offensive producers who are under team control for years.  They haven’t even reached any kind of a window yet where they need to start thinking about players they will lose.  This rebuild has legs.  Especially when they have the ability to feed the prospect pipeline, having an endless supply of players coming up.

None of this is lost on Chris Ilitch who referenced the Orioles in his press conference.  Obviously, he’s been watching what Baltimore has been doing – and leapfrogging Detroit in the process.

It’s a primary reason why Al Avila was let go.  He was overmatched in every single category listed above that is crucial to a successful rebuild.

We can also assume that Ilitch has set his sights on hiring a similar GM to Elias.  Someone from a top team with rebuilding experience, a strong scouting resume and running a farm system.

There’s a reason why Chris has included A. J. Hinch and Ryan Garko in the GM search process. Hinch knows Elias and those who worked for him. Garko, who worked for the Dodgers, came from MLB’s best farm system. They both have the connections and knowledge to find someone similar to Elias.

What else do the Tigers need?

Someone who excels in trading. Don’t be surprised if someone with Rays experience is on Ilitch’s radar screen.

Chris has his formula for finding a new GM. And hopefully, it will mirror Baltimore’s.

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• Stats are showing that the Tigers will have to make a difficult decision about Miguel Cabrera soon.

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WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

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 – as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today’s topic:

The Detroit Tigers are about to expand their roster by 2 players.  It has been reported that they are having a hard time deciding if they will recall Spencer Torkelson who was sent down in July for offensive woes.
In 33 games (through Monday’s games), he is doing only slightly better, but still struggling.  His slash line is .234/.349/.403/.753.

There is a question whether or not the Tigers have anyone else deserving to be called up.

Should Tork be recalled?  Would it help or hurt him?

Is he better off working with the Mud Hens hitting coach, Adam Melhuse or should he be in Detroit seeing MLB pitching and under the watchful eye of A. J. Hinch?  Or will Scott Coolbaugh’s coaching derail any progress?

If not Torkelson, then who else would benefit from being in Detroit?

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• A blueprint for how to rebuild the right way.

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TOO MUCH A GOOD THING?

by Holly Horning

Ken Rosenthal continues to write excellent pieces.  He was the first to nationally blow up Al Avila and how he killed the Tigers’ rebuild.  Last year, he earned the wrath of Commissioner Rob Manfred simply by reporting on Manfred’s moves.

This week, a thoughtful piece on Justin Verlander.  One showing how he’s matured since leaving the Tigers and joining the Astros.  In part, brought on by marriage, having a child and experiencing the grueling journey from injury to recovery.

JV said he’s learned to become a better teammate.  To be engaged, “more accessible… and more one of the guys.”

Rosenthal reports that Verlander is more involved in the clubhouse and mixing more with teammates.  That he’s “a totally different guy.”

“He’s more open to helping young guys, helping the team, having team dinners, constant communication.”

Ken goes on to explain how certain players, especially top players, are self-absorbed.  How they have a single-minded focus on themselves which allows them to become elite players.

Which now, after reading this, brings me back to a thought I had back in the mid 2010’s when the Tigers had MLB’s best collection of stars and were regularly playing October baseball.

Did the Tigers have too many stars?  Too many egos?  Too many self-centered players?

Is this the biggest reason why they could never come close to winning more than a single game in the World Series?

This team, for a number of years, contained 3 first ballot Hall of Famers.  Add in a couple more who will eventually make it to Cooperstown.

They also had 5, count ‘em, 5 pitchers who would win Cy Young Awards.  Some of them more than once.  They also had a rotation that many experts said was baseball’s best one in history.

All ended up getting rings, just not with Detroit.

For years, the Tigers reaped the majority of Awards:  Cy Young, MVP, RoY, Triple Crown (hitting), Triple Crown (pitching), ERA and strikeout awards, batting titles – you name it.

But they were all individual awards.  The Tigers didn’t win any team recognitions.

And that is telling.

Did they simply have too many stars on the team?  Too many who were focused on achieving their own goals?

It seems like it, doesn’t it?

That is, if we apply what JV said about himself.  If we believe that those who are truly great are such because they are so self-focused.

Was that roster over the years simply just too much of a good thing?

You know what they say:  There’s no “I” in “team.”

There were some obvious examples of selfish behavior…

• Max Scherzer removing himself early from a playoff game for personal reasons and to maximize his value just before heading out to free agency.
• Friction between egos in the starting rotation – JV, Scherzer and Fister.
• Johnny Peralta testing positive for PEDs just before the end of the year.
• The clubhouse fight between Prince Fielder and Avasail Garcia that got Miguel Cabrera seriously injured and requiring surgery in the off-season.
• Fielder’s non-caring comments about being eliminated from the playoffs (that ended up getting him traded).
• Multiple players posting comments to social media the day after being eliminated from the playoffs that focused on their European vacations and new dream cars – not on the disappointing end of the season.

Then I look back at the ’68 and ’84 teams.  Rosters that appeared to have players who were more cohesive as a team.  Especially those of the ’84 team.  So many of those players came through the minor leagues together.  And they’re still good friends today.

Other players, such as the ’68 team, who performed in the shadows of certain teammates and yet became the stars of the playoffs because they stepped it up.  Lolich instead of McLain comes to mind.

Or players who accepted great challenges at the risk of failure.  I’m looking at you, Mickey Stanley.

But these Mike Ilitch Tigers?

All of them, save Verlander, came from other places.  For all intents and purposes, they were hired guns.  Their attachment to Detroit was not as deep as it was to themselves.

Was there even any team chemistry?

Those rosters changed regularly.  Players working with other players only for the first time in their careers.  No real connections forged from the challenges of learning how to play the game.

And when you have players like Justin Verlander admitting that they were too focused on their professional goals and not interacting or wanting to understand the rest of the roster members, the only thing these guys will have in common is the uniform.

And maybe that is what Mr. I got wrong.  He was focused on talent, not on the strength that a good team creates. 

Sometimes having too much of a good thing isn’t good. 

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MONDAY MUSINGS

by Holly Horning

Throughout the week, there are so many smaller stories hitting the media.  They may be bite-size, but often they are just as important as the headline-grabbing news.  Sometimes, even more.

And that’s what brings me to today.  A way to discuss some of these stories. A way to bring them out in the open for discussion.

And that’s the plan for Mondays.  Keeping track of these mighty little bits that hit my radar throughout the week and sharing them with you today because I know one or more will also resonate with you. So, let’s kick off this week’s musings…

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I had to laugh (and then I cried afterwards) when the tv broadcast crew mentioned the names of all of today’s great managers who came through Detroit.

Terry Francona, Gabe Kapler, Torey Lovullo, Bob Melvin and Phil Nevin. 

The Tigers missed a big one when they had the chance to hire Francona for the 2012 season.  If they had him, I believe the Tigers would be flying that flag over Comerica.  Maybe even more than one.

They could have hired Torey Lovullo but instead, it was another Tiger.  Brad Ausmus.

When they hired Ron Gardenhire, Gabe Kapler was available.  Of course, it was during the tear down years but fans shouldn’t have to overly suffer, should they?

Bad timing, yes.  But also really bad evaluations of managerial candidates.  When you miss out on 5 of them – former Tigers no less – it’s not an accident.  It’s a complete inability to understand and evaluate talent that can make a difference.

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In a game last week against the Giants, the Tigers lost the game after Miguel Cabrera struck out in the 9^th with the bases loaded.

This is representative of what is going to happen more often next year if Miggy continues to play while experiencing significant pain in his knee.

Understand that he has not forgotten how to hit.  It’s just that he can’t.  His knee no longer moves the way it should.  It can no longer be used to power a swing. As it is, Miggy has had to change his swing so that his knee doesn’t have to move.

Increasingly, he’s becoming an easier out.  And once again, the Tigers have not been proactive enough to anticipate that this would happen and do something before it became a problem and a PR nightmare.

In contrast, the upcoming retirement of Albert Pujols was planned well (2 years in advance) and it will be a seamless transition for him and the fans.

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On MLB Radio the other day, the host said that “playing good” is not the same as “playing hard.”  He had an issue with teams that say they are playing hard in order to excuse a loss.  And it reminded me of the Bally Sports crew’s discussion the other day.  They went on and on about how every member of the Tigers’ team was working so very hard.  How they were giving 200% effort.  How they were coming in early and getting extra practice.

Their strategy was to try to mitigate how poorly the team has been playing by offering up effort instead of excellence.  And their discussion actually did more damage than help.  They were essentially saying that every player was working so very hard but with such a poor track record, it really meant that there is little actual talent.

They also didn’t help any of the coaches.  What was a well-meaning shout out to how hard the coaches are working, the broadcasters were actually dissing their coaching abilities and ability to influence.  If they were indeed working so very hard, better results would be seen, indicating that either the coaches are ineffective or again, they have little talent to manage.

Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?

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DEEPER DISCUSSIONS

It appears that the Tigers will most probably finish the year as MLB’s 3^rd worst team. And as such, they would be guaranteed to be in the running for 1 of the top 3 draft picks under the new CBA rules.

The team remains at the bottom of the AL Central with a record of 47-77.

There are 38? games remaining in the season (through ?)  .  The team has the chance to lose another 100+ games before the end of 2022.

Yet, the Tigers are trying to prepare as much as possible for next year.  They need to have extended looks at some prospects as well as whittle down the 40-man roster so as to protect the right players from leaving to go elsewhere.

Once September call-ups happen, should the team play the prospects as much as possible?  Benching the regulars more often?

Or should they attempt to play their very best for the rest of the year and hopefully avoid that dreaded 3-figure loss number?

Today’s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you’ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts. Of course, you can respond to as many other readers as you want.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.

Ready?

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Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
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SATURDAY SURVEY

Over the winter, the Detroit Tigers signed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a 5-year $77 million contract.  The intent was to make him the #1 starting pitcher in the rotation.

Until this week, Rodriguez had pitched in only 8 games.  His last start was in mid-May and afterwards he went on the IL.  Shortly thereafter, he took Restricted Leave (forfeiting pay and service time) and ghosted the team for over a month.

In his return, he addressed his teammates and the media but revealed very little outside of the clubhouse.  We did learn that he sought professional help while he was away.

Eduardo will be with Detroit longer than most of the current roster.  His contract expires after the 2026 season.

Many have criticized him for not getting in touch with the Tigers or returning any phone calls.  This caused the Tigers to wonder about their future, how to re-design the rotation and how all of this may impact their pitching prospects.

Yet others argue that personal lives can be complicated at times and that people should not judge those issues.

How do you feel?  Has your opinion of Rodriguez changed?  Is all forgiven or is there still some lingering doubt or resentment?

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FIVE FOR FRIDAY

by Holly Horning

There may be only 5+ weeks left in the season, but the Tigers are plenty busy despite their very disappointing year.

They are not waiting to move on issues until a new GM comes on board.  Certain individuals are already guiding the direction of what needs to be done.  In all cases, it’s evaluating players and situations.

A. J. Hinch revealed that he is helping Spencer Torkelson long distance with his hitting.  And Sam Menzin, who is temporarily in charge, has already interviewed for the position, which is really considered a formality.  But he’s also trying to make himself look as good as possible for the potential arrival of his new boss.  His job is not guaranteed to survive a new regime, especially since he’s closely connected to Dave Dombrowksi and Al Avila.

So what are the 5 most important stories to follow from now until the end of the year?  I’ve got my list…….

1.THE GM HUNT

Obviously, this the biggest and most important story.  I don’t expect a new GM to be hired before the end of the year (at least I hope not!) but I think we’ll hear rumors of who has been contacted.  That will tell us a little bit about Ilitch’s direction.  I would prefer the team wait if it means that the best candidates are currently knee-deep in their team’s playoff push.

2. MIGGY’S FUTURE

Remember when Miguel Cabrera hinted that this may be his last year?  And then the next day retracted it?  It could have been that Tigers’ PR got to him but it also could have been his agent who is hoping that they can bargain from a position of strength if the Tigers want to buy him out. 

It’s become increasingly clear that Miggy’s playing days are numbered.  We’ve gone from him having an additional day off each week to playing 2 games out of 3 to now only playing 1 game per series.  It may work for this last-place team at the end of the year with no prospects champing at the bit to take over but it’s a whole ‘nother story if left to continue next year.

I expect that the Tigers are or will be having retirement conversations with Miggy’s agent.  Maybe even leaving it for the new GM to handle.  Don’t expect there to be a discount buyout.  More likely is an arrangement for an extended pay out and/or interest in lieu of those 2 option year buyouts.   

3. DRESS REHEARSALS

If you read yesterday’s blog, the Tigers have more positional holes in their roster than Swiss cheese.  Only 2 out of 8 positions are guaranteed with 6 others up for grabs.  Expect to see more of the Castros, Haase, Reyes, Baddoo, Carpenter and others from now until the end of the year.  It’s already started with the call-up of Zack Short.

4. PROSPECT PIPELINE

When September hits, I imagine Hinch will maximize the number of call ups so he can evaluate their potential as it pertains to next year’s roster.  A crucial move as any new GM won’t be on board and will need to depend upon the manager’s input and observations.

5. TWEAKING TORKELSON

Maybe because he was under so much pressure to promote a top prospect, but potentially Al Avila pushed Spencer Torkelson to Detroit before he was really ready.  Now that he’s back in the minors, he has yet to recover even after 7 weeks.  Imagine if Tork should somehow turn into a bust.  For a #1 draft pick (and a universal one, too), should he fail at reaching and sticking at the MLB level, the criticism of the Tigers’ player development system would reach epic proportions within the industry.

With Avila gone, A. J. Hinch has already taken it upon himself to ramp up the coaching process with Tork in Toledo.  Whether he makes it back to Detroit this year is questionable – and maybe harmful – but I expect that they are putting plans into place to keep him training throughout the winter and charting his progress very, very carefully.

Is there another top story we should be following before the season ends not mentioned above?

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• A national article reiterated the points covered here in yesterday’s blog – and today’s.

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• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
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WIDE OPEN

by Holly Horning

From now until he officially assumes his new position, we’re going to keep discussing the issues, concerns and priorities that a new GM must address.  Today, let’s look at how he may handle the roster.  Such as it is.

For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to focus on the positional players only, not the pitchers.

In a number of ways, this team has regressed in its roster.  Injuries have certainly played a part but so have several prospects, highly touted, who couldn’t manage to stick in Detroit.  And then there’s the constant shuffling of the same players back and forth to Toledo.

More than half of the current members have significantly under-performed.  Some so much that we shouldn’t expect to see them in Detroit next year.

Chris Ilitch is expecting this team to improve at the MLB level which means that the new GM is going to have to be creative in trying to fix what is wrong.

Obviously, some of the repairs need to happen off the field, in the offices.  But if we’re addressing the actual players, there’s only so much the GM will be able to do.

Before we get into the options he has, let’s take a rough look at the roster ahead of next year.

CATCHER

The Tigers had hoped that Tucker Barnhart would be the solution and Avila even said he was looking to extend him when he was signed.  But that didn’t happen for obvious reasons.  He won’t be back next year.  Jake Rogers, recovering from Tommy John surgery, won’t make it back this year and it’s unlikely the Tigers will gamble on him returning to form by spring with so much time off.

No one right now is working harder than Eric Haase, who sees an opportunity to become the everyday catcher – or at least a full-time player.  The Tigers desperately need his bat and this will give him an edge.  But he may not have the defensive skills Hinch wants.

FIRST BASE

It’s the easiest position to fill yet the Tigers haven’t had a full-time one since the 60-day 2020 season, which for all intents and purposes doesn’t really count.  For 2+ years now, they are MLB’s only team not to have a full-time first baseman.

The Tigers won’t bring back Spencer Torkelson until they are confident he can perform at the plate.  It doesn’t look reassuring right now and another Opening Day debut is questionable.  He may need further seasoning in Toledo next year.

The other options?  Eric Haase for the reason stated above.  But has Harold Castro earned the right to play there full-time or will this position remain as a platoon?

SECOND BASE

After Barnhart, Jonathan Schoop has the worst offensive stats of all the regular position players.  It’s also the worst of his career.  He may have a great glove but his value right now is not worth the $7.5 mill he’ll be paid again next year. 

He also has the potential to opt out after this year which he may just do.  He recently fired Scott Boras and hired a new agent which tells us that he’s probably considering the options.  And potentially it may have to do with the rumors that the Tigers will try to trade him.

THIRD BASE

Jeimer Candelario has been very disappointing this year both with the glove and at the plate.  He’s hitting .194 (through Tuesday’s game) and headed for arbitration next year where raises are always given.  He’s currently making $5.8 mill and conceivably could be awarded $7 mill next year.  The Tigers are expected to non-tender him. 

Could Harold Castro inherit this position where he has played the second-most games?

SHORTSTOP

Despite leading the team in several offensive categories, Javy Baez has been disappointing so far this year considering the reasons for why he was signed and for that amount of money.  His salary goes up every year until 2026 and he has an opt out after next year.  Don’t expect him to leave unless he has an outstanding 2023 season.  His position is safe unless the Tigers can somehow manage to trade him. 

But then again, there is no clear and comfortable heir currently in the system.  Depending upon the other options at 2B and 3B for next year, the new GM and Hinch may move him to one of those positions.

LEFTFIELD

Austin Meadows continues to be plagued with health problems and it’s looking increasingly likely that he won’t return this year.  So who knows what will happen to him next year.  It’s hard to gauge a player who has only played a month’s worth of games this entire year.  The Tigers also can’t be confident that he will be able to play regularly given all of his ailments this year. 

Willi Castro is the only other option.  He has split his time evenly between LF and RF where he has played less than half a season because the team felt there were better options until recently.  Injuries, not necessarily talent, have pushed him there.

CENTERFIELD

It’s the only slam dunk of the entire roster.  Riley Greene.

RIGHTFIELD

Akil Baddoo and Daz Cameron continue to struggle.  Kerry Carpenter is untested so far and considered to be defensively challenged.  Again, it’s down to Victor Reyes and Willi Castro as the most likely choices but both have played less than half a season each despite being on the Tigers’ roster for multiple years.  Will they both platoon there?

Out of 8 positional slots, this is how the roster will look after this year:

Catcher – Opening

First Base – Probable opening

Second Base – 50/50 chance of an opening

Third Base – Opening

Left Field – Opening somewhat possible

Center Field – Filled

Right Field – Opening somewhat possible or platoon option

And if we want to include the DH position, that is really open, too.  Miguel Cabrera is currently playing only twice each week.  The Tigers simply can’t give away a precious roster spot for a player who will only bat in app. 8 games each month.  And then to have yet another DH to platoon with him.

That’s a whole lotta needs.  Only 1 out of 8 positions (or 1 out of 9 if we look at the entire lineup) that are confidently filled.

So what will this new GM be able to do?  What resources will he have?

In his speech, Ilitch insinuated that he wasn’t happy that he spent all that money ($243 mill on free agents alone) to get zero progress at the MLB level.  He’s not going to be so generous this off-season.  It’s going to be hard to get him to pry that wallet open again.

In fact, he may ask his GM to shed some of those contracts or cut some payroll.  Most of those contracts will be a tough sell to other teams. 

The GM will be limited in what he can spend until he proves his worth.  Ilitch isn’t going to write that huge check again until he is reassured about his GM’s skills.  Been there, done that.

What the GM may have to do is go after some budget-friendly free agents who are a step up from the current roster but not of the caliber that a more competitive team has.  Potentially a logical path as the Tigers may be forced to take a step back and reboot, undoing Avila’s damage as much as possible.

So where, then, are the other likely options to get new players?

Now that Kerry Carpenter has been promoted, are there any other prospects in Toledo who have a decent chance of sticking after being called up?  The pickings are rather slim right now.  Can the Tigers risk not filling a position from the outside and pinning all their hopes on a player from the farm system who may not last the entire season?

If we assume that money will be limited, as well as the quality of prospects, that leaves trades as the last possible pipeline of new players.

Al Avila failed miserably in almost every trade he made.  This new GM will need to have trading skills that would give Dave Dombrowski a run for his money.

Chris Ilitch, A. J. Hinch, Ryan Garko and the others involved will all have their shopping lists of what this new GM has to have.  But the levels of his creativity and trading acumen are going to determine whether the Tigers regress or reboot for the 2023 season.

Don’t see your comment? Comments are limited to a maximum of 3 sentences. Please make sure to check out the other rules for posting under the link at the top of the page.

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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?

• TT has a suggestion for next year’s primary catcher. We’re halfway serious.

Why should you follow Totally Tigers https://twitter.com/totallytigersbb on Twitter?

• We tweet out breaking news before it’s published in the sports pages. The best news from the best sources.
• Want more than 1 Totally Tigers fix every day? How about throughout the day?

WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

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 – as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today’s topic:

The Detroit Tigers are starting their search for a new GM.  Owner Chris Ilitch indicated that the team made no progress at the MLB level this year, suggesting that the team needs someone who is experienced in the rebuilding process.

However, over the weekend, national stories came out that suggested the Tigers lack an organizational cohesiveness and process in which to effectively solve problems and improve the team.  This was exemplified by the story of Robbie Grossman improving almost immediately by moving to another team. 

An organization that easily fixed his issues that the Tigers had been unable to solve.  Several experts in baseball have suggested that the departments within the Tigers Front Office don’t communicate or work together effectively.

If you were included in the GM search, which one of these 2 job qualifications is the most important one?  Would you prioritize the need for rebuilding experience or do you believe that solving the work and communications problems within the organization is the most important?

Which one would you choose?

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IT HAPPENED AGAIN

by Holly Horning

Well, it happened again.

Another Tiger moved to a different team and improved quickly.  This time, Robbie Grossman.  He follows in the footsteps of Justin Verlander, Nick Castellanos, Isaac Paredes, Eugenio Suarez and others.

Grossman was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline.  The analytics team immediately sat down with him and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, presenting video of his hitting over the past 3 years and how it had changed this year.  The team was able to break down every measurement and movement of each part of his body during the loading and swinging part of his at-bats.

The result?  Grossman reclaimed his previous skills in less than 2 weeks with the Braves.  He’s now able to hit right-handers again.  Through Thursday’s games, he was hitting .286 with 2 HRs and a .965 OPS.  Compare that with what he did in Detroit:  .205 BA and .595 OPS.  His HR total in 2 weeks with Atlanta matches his HRs for the entire year in Detroit.  He has now returned to being a switch hitter.

Grossman said “What I’d been searching for all year, to re-create what I’ve done the last couple of years — I’ve been able to do in these last (two weeks).  So, I’m excited. I just feel lucky that I’m over here and they’re giving an opportunity and showed me some things that are helping me out…. Things I’ve been trying to search for all year, and it’s kind of clicked for me. A light bulb went on in my head, and I feel lucky that I got the help that I did here.”

It never makes a team look good when they’ve been searching for a solution for months and yet a new team finds the answer in just days.

And because of the high-profile media coverage, A.J. Hinch was forced to have to address Grossman’s comments that the Braves fixed him.

He said that the Tigers have a system in place but it could get “a lot better.”  He said that the Tigers have a similar style to that of the Braves, yet they cannot see what other teams do.  And that brings into question the quality of Detroit’s analytics system.

Just because you have an analytics department, doesn’t mean that it’s good or effective.  And the evidence of it failing is only increasing ever since the national story on Grossman hit.  Just look at how the majority of the roster is struggling at the plate this year.

Hinch acknowledged that this concern had been an issue with the team ever since he arrived.  What he didn’t explicitly mention is that Al Avila did nothing to solve it.  Even after Justin Verlander made those damning comments about how much better the Astros were in resources and teaching. 

That was back in 2017.  Over 5 years ago.

And if this system is a legitimate one, why do we never hear of the players discussing biomechanics and adjustments like other teams’ rosters do?

It’s because they aren’t getting the information or they simply are not understanding what is being presented to them.

It’s not solely up to the manager or coaches to fix issues with the players.  It’s a job that involves multiple departments.  For example, to solve Grossman’s inability to hit RHPs, the analytics department should have generated reports and videos.  Then, sat down with the manager/coach and player to review it all in order to find solutions.

It appears, from a number of articles, that those reports were not coming out of the analytics department.

Baseball experts often point to the Tigers as still being behind in analytics compared with most other teams.

But there’s also a systemic failure that is to blame.  The flow of information is not being channeled correctly.  It’s not regularly getting down to the manager, coaches or players.  Maybe it’s not even being identified in the analytics department or that the information generated is not helpful. 

There needs to be a organized process to analyze, develop and support players.  But you see the Tigers don’t have it because players are going to other teams and acknowledging that they never got help like this in Detroit.

Just because you create an analytics department and hire people to run it doesn’t mean that it will be effective or that you will succeed.  You need to have an organizational process, too.

Something that the Tigers don’t have – and haven’t for awhile.

But Hinch comes from an organization that does this better than anyone else.  One reason why Chris Ilitch is including him in the search process for a new GM.  Hinch knows what this should look like.

It won’t matter how many new personnel are hired or how much money is invested in new technology if the operational system is flawed.  Which is why this will be a top priority for the incoming GM.

If we take this a step further, the same thing that happened to Grossman could be happening to Spencer Torkelson.  It is urgent that the Tigers put a new system in place so they don’t lose him, too.

With Avila now gone, Hinch took it upon himself to send video to Tork.  He refused to give any details but one can assume he is trying to fill in those operational gaps on his own.

And if this doesn’t get resolved soon, expect other teams to be doing their homework on Tigers so they, too, can score a profitable trade and rehabilitate the players.

The new GM will have his hands full with priorities.  While solving the operational gaps in analytics, he should also be taking a good hard look at the head of it – Jay Sartori.

Sartori was one of Al Avila’s first hires when he became GM.  And Al promoted him to VP last year.

Quite frankly, I’m very skeptical of anyone Avila would hire.  (For the record, the hiring of Hinch did not emanate from Avila.) Has he ever made a great one? Even his signings of free agents have been poor.

Based upon what we’ve learned from the latest success story of a Tiger moving to another team, Sartori’s job (and even his Director, Jim Logue) shouldn’t be safe.

Is it too much to ask that there be one story in which the Tigers are lauded for their work with a player? That’s going to be the true measure of an analytics system that really works.

Don’t see your comment? Comments are limited to a maximum of 3 sentences. Please make sure to check out the other rules for posting under the link at the top of the page.

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