PoBO Scott Harris certainly inherited a mess from his predecessor. Despite former GM Al Avila’s comments about the rebuild being over, and getting Chris Ilitch to spend $235 mill on the roster last year, the team regressed in almost every facet but pitching.
Harris’ job is to right the ship and even he has said this will be a process. There are no quick fixes. It’s premature to say that the Tigers are undergoing another rebuild. It’s more likely that this year is focused on reassessment.
Given all of this, Harris is dramatically remaking the roster. No exciting moves but an effort to remake as much of the roster instead of focusing in on just a couple areas.
The Tigers cut 16 players and only 2 of them have found new homes in MLB. The rest are either unsigned or have received new minor league contracts. It is a telling statement about the low level of talent this organization had last year.
As far as trade chips, Detroit has few and they are all pitchers. So far, 2 relievers have left in exchange for multiple players and top prospects.
Which brings us to the only other logical trade piece.
Eduardo Rodriguez.
He started only 17 games last year and missed almost 2 months from an undisclosed family emergency while ghosting his team the entire time. He had the team’s best record as a starter at 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.
E-Rod was signed to a 5-year contract for $77 mill. His salary for 2023 is now considered to be a very reasonable $14 mill that goes up to $18 mill/year in 2024.
Rodriguez has an opt-out after the 2023 season.
Should the Tigers hang onto him or should they take advantage of the inflated market for starting pitchers and try to trade him? Conceivably, they could get a multi-player haul in return.
Or do they need his experience and depth as a starter for a team that used 17 different SPs last year?
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The Tigers expected starting rotation is ERod, Boyd, Lorenzen, Turnbull, & Manning. None of them threw even 100 innings last year and 3 threw less than 70. The Tigers need every arm they have to start the season but I might look to trade him once Skubal is back.
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I voted to trade but it was more of a coin flip; he’s a bargain in FA market but is his sabbatical and lack of innings downing his trade value. I keep hearing SH say they are working around the clock on ways to improve thru trade or possible FA signing so that’s a signal oh hope. If the return is enough, I would pull the trigger because the Tigers have arms to get to Skubal such as Wentz, Faedo, Hall and Brieske who all had stints in 22.
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If he thinks he is being underpaid, he will leave after 2023. Trade him now.
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“You’re worth whatever you can get”, or in this case Rodriguez is worth whatever Harris can get. If Scott can make a deal with a solid return, especially for a right-handed OF bat, I say do it. As to finding an inning-eating replacement arm, I agree with Wilkins Micawber in David Copperfield, “Something will turn up”.
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Was Micawber in charge of player development for Al?
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If I recall, Dickens’ long lost novel about the Tigers’ player development during the AA era was titled “David Littlefield”,
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OMG, I am dying . . . . I love this blog.
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And just think about how much you will love the blog when the Tigers return to greatness.
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Definite yes. Starting pitching was at a premium for injury riddled contenders last year. Tigers are rebuilding so try to use him to obtain a building block as he is sure to opt out after the season.
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Dump him – he quit on his team. I suspect they considered trading him at the deadline last season but Ilitch nixed any major trades by AA because the boss knew that Avila was on his way out.
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I say trade him. We’re not winning anything this year anyway and have lots of arms. If the market stays hot he’ll opt out at the end of the year anyway.
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I disagree, Chief. I really think that 60 wins is doable. 🙂
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Needy teams expect recent success in players they acquire. So play him for the first half of the season to build his value. Then trade him in July.
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Great suggestion— I think we are all wary about him, which means other organizations would be as well. If he delivers near his norm he could be a nice trade chip mid-season.
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Trade at first best available time. Late spring training, trade deadline or now? Whenever!!!
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Rodriguez has an incentive to put out a good year in 2023. I think he will do just that. If that occurs, it is likely that he will opt out at the end of the year. Next season’s free agent class is weak and he sees what transpired this Winter. The opt out clause makes him essentially a rental which lessens any return in a trade.
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Yes trade Eduardo for prospects. In 2023 the Tigers will pay $75 million to 3 players, over half their payroll. Again yes trade him and hopefully Baez opts out and Miggy leaves quietly.
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I voted “yes” with a caveat. IMO they bite the bullet a bit and wait for the trade deadline. If he performs before then they get better return while having a chance to evaluate where their weaknesses are. Then the trade could be tailored to what they need to take the next step.
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I am in the minority here, but I say hang on to him unless they can get a proven every day position player (at one a position) with a contract similar to ERod’s. At some point, the Tigers have to stop dumping MLB caliber talent for prospects.
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I voted not to trade him…yet. We need everyone for the start of the season, then reevaluate as the trade deadline nears. I have no doubt he will be gone – one way or another – by seasons end.
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I voted trade him, hopefully he gets off to a great start and then trade at the deadline, hopefully he doesn’t have the same issues of injuries and/or goes MIA. Although at this point the offense isn’t going to help a pitcher who managed a 5-5 record last season
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They should trade ERod. The current team isn’t going anywhere so you may as well trade for more draft choices.
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Rodriguez has a career record of 69-44, and he is 50-24 over the last four seasons- far and away batter than any other member of the Tigers’ projected 2023 rotation. Rodriguez is the only member of the Tigers’ rotation who has double figure win totals for a single season on multiple occasions.
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