DEEPER DISCUSSIONS

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Scott Harris once indicated that the Tigers may acquire someone to play first base on a short-term basis.  It was a hint that Spencer Torkelson would have to earn that spot all over again.

Recently, A. J. Hinch indicated that the position was Tork’s to lose.

Torkelson was fine defensively but struggled mightily at the plate.  So much so that he ranked at the very bottom of all #1 draft picks in first year performance.

AAA hitting coach Adam Melhuse was sent to AZ this winter to work with Tork.  The results are unknown however Melhuse has now been demoted within the organization.

This past week, the Tigers sent all of their new hitting coaches to AZ to meet with Spencer. Of concern have been reports that he has refused to change his swing.

Meanwhile, the Tigers hired hitting guru Anthony Iapoce to manage the Mud Hens.  He is there to address the lack of offensive training and the Tigers’ inability to produce strong hitters.

Should Torkelson be allowed to prove himself again in Detroit this year?  The Tigers have now been without a full-time 1Ber for 3 continuous years.

Or should he take a step back in order to potentially take 2 steps forward?  Should he spend some or most of the year in Toledo working with Iapoce?

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?

Don’t see your comment? Comments are limited to a maximum of 6 sentences. Please make sure to check out the other rules for posting under the link at the top of the page in order for your comments to be published.

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36 thoughts on “DEEPER DISCUSSIONS”

  1. It sounds like the young man is in need of a major attitude adjustment. Leave him at Toledo for 2023, and offer Eric Hosmer a 1 year contract to man first base. If Torkelson’s attitude and efforts improve, bring him back in September.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Oh, yes. He had a lousy rookie year, left in September saying basically he didn’t need to do much over the winter, and now this. I think he needs an attitude adjustment and perhaps most of a year at Toledo to figure some things out, his swing and otherwise. The problem is who they’ll get to play first in the meantime.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. My inclination is for Torkelson to start the season in Toledo and make up some of the minor league development time lost due to Covid. A.J. Hinch, however, seems pretty confident Torkelson will start the season in Detroit. Certainly Scott Harris doesn’t share the pressure AA did to accelerate Torkelson’s development. A.J. and SH are in better position than I to know where to place Tork, so I guess I defer to their good judgement! Perhaps the off season coaching has gone well.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. If the Tigers requested Tork to make any changes and he refused, forget Toledo, he should start in Erie. Once he can hit consistently then move him up to Toledo. Both of the previous times he was in Toledo he wasn’t overly impressive in batting average so sending him there to start probably won’t yield different results.

    Liked by 7 people

  4. I have no problem bringing him up if he earns it in the Spring. Torkelson is young and until last year baseball came easy. Maybe he needs to mature. There is a myth that he is a great fielding first baseman. Last year he was -3 on Defensive Runs Saved. (Good glove but mediocre range?), so he needs to rake to contribute.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Yet, despite the DRS, he appeared to be the only one who could actually rein in Javy’s errant throws (think how many more errors Baez would have had without Tork). Even so, I’d stick him in Toledo to start out. The youngster needs to understand that what he did in college with those “tinky” aluminum bats isn’t working with real, AKA wooden, bats. He needs to fix the flaws in his swing, the way Carpenter did. If it turns out an extended stay in the minors is necessary to wake him up, so be it.

      Liked by 2 people

  5. If he owns ST he deserves a shot especially if he maintains excellent defense. I’m confident our assembled MLB hitting department can offer all the instruction he would need. Secondly, the vibe on this team will be one of focus and a push to synergize together as a team not a group of undisciplined chasers. Just like you are what you eat, I think Tork could benefit from the environment. Also I think the lineup around him being quite young and driven with some fire will be much more supportive. He’s still got to earn it and if he does he deserves MLB support.

    Liked by 3 people

  6. If Tork doesn’t want to be coached let him enjoy minor league meals, travel, accommodations not to mention pay for as long as he can stand it. Even if he has a great ST I would send him to Toledo just to prove I can and prevent other players from thinking they are more important than the team. If he starts listening to the new coaches now and has a great (not mediocre) ST, I still might send him down. On a team as bad as this, discipline has to be established before we have 3 or 4 decent players doing what they please.

    Liked by 3 people

  7. One can infer from Melhuse’s demotion that his AZ hitting sessions with Torkelson were not successful in getting him to improve his swing. This would also lead one to believe that Torkelson might have an attitude problem where coaching is concerned which in turn would jeopardize his ability to realize his potential. This situation would seem to fly in the face of one of Scott Harris’s strategies regarding supporting and playing the players who are dedicated to improving their game. It puts Tork in the unenviable position of being made an example of by demoting him to Toledo and forcing him to improve and earn his way back. It’s why I voted for starting him out in Toledo.

    Liked by 6 people

    • We may be reading too much into the Melhouse thing. Harris wants his own guys and soon there will be very few players, coaches, or front office personnel left from the Avila regime. It is the way of the professional sports world.

      Liked by 1 person

      • You could be correct sir, except things regarding Melhuse just don’t add up. If he was slated to be demoted anyway, why send him to AZ in the first place? Having sent him down there, if he had been successful with Tork, why then demote him? However, it’s apparent that Melhuse failed, was demoted and another crew was sent down to AZ to correct the problem. This would seem to indicated that at the very least, Tork is resistant to being coached about his hitting problems which are, in fact, real.

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  8. It seems they are giving Tork every opportunity available to help him improve and be part of the team on Opening Day. It will be interesting to see if any of this has helped. There will be a lot of pressure on him during Spring training and he needs to show some kind of improvement by then. If he starts the season and is still struggling, some time in Toledo might be necessary.

    Liked by 3 people

  9. If Torkelson produces during spring training, then he should have another opportunity to see if it translates to the big leagues. But he needs to earn that spot roster spot, not have it given to him. And the Tigers should have a short lease if Torkelson struggles again with controlling the strike zone in Detroit.

    Liked by 6 people

  10. I know we’re supposed to keep it positive but from what I’ve seen Torkelson isn’t very bright and may not have the mental acumen to be a good major league hitter. He doesn’t appear to make adjustments to how he’s being pitched. Hinch’s comments handing him the job already will only add to the entitlement he appears to suffer from.

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    • Hi, All – To clarify, Hinch has not explicitly stated that Torkelson will have the 1B job. He speaks of expectations not of guarantees. And no manager is ever going to say publicly that his role with the team is TBD as it will create headlines and undermine the player’s confidence. Hinch speaks of what he’d like to see by saying “We have other options if we need to, but clearly, our best team has Spencer Torkelson as a major contributor. We’re looking forward to seeing what adjustments we’ve been able to tweak a little bit and the relationship with the hitting department. … We want him to be a big contributor.” – Holly

      Liked by 2 people

    • Bill, isn’t the main issue with Torkelson his confidence? Last year he may have been trying to follow advice about his swing and just couldn’t get results. I think we’re looking at him as stubborn when he probably is frustrated and feeling down that he couldn’t hit well, even listening to tips from experts. Spring training is critical in him establishing his poise, his faith in himself.

      Liked by 3 people

  11. My opinion would be to play him at the level he earns during spring training. If any player looks overmatched in ST they should not make the team if they have minor league options.

    Liked by 6 people

  12. Call me old-fashioned, but you need to earn your way to the Majors, and by that I don’t mean you are only good with the glove – you better hit as well. Tork has not shown this yet. I would not even consider bringing him up until he bats at least .270 in Toledo. If he can’t even do that, I hate to say it, but he might be a total bust. I am really hoping he can prove himself.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I voted start him in Detroit if has a big ST, with a caveat. Pure numbers in ST mean little considering the competition. If his approach/attitude towards hitting doesn’t change, he will never succeed at the ML level. Optics, just like perceptions, matter. B

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Between Cabrera, Haase and Schopp I feel we’re all right at 1b until Torkelson proves his worth. I don’t think he needs to change his swing especially if previous Tiger coaches are advising that. He should stay in AAA until he proves he can hit.

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    • You can’t rely on the three you named to carry the load. Cabrera did not play in the field at all in 2022; Haase played 2 innings there, and Schoop only played 2 games. The discarded Harold Castro played 50 games. The current roster player with most recent appearances at 1B outside of Tork is Nevin who played a grand total of 8 games there in 2022. Not a very appealing situation should Tork go to Toledo let alone Erie.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi, Jim – There have been multiple reports in both the major dailies and national media. An infamous interview Tork gave at the end of last year that resulted in the Tigers assigning Melhuse just 2 days later to work with him in AZ. And just a couple days ago, reports that he still feels there is no need to change his swing. That maybe is why the Tigers sent all their hitting coaches to meet and work with him last week. – Holly

      Liked by 2 people

  16. In 2021 Tork hit ,.263 at Erie and .238 at Toledo. In 2022 he hit .229 at Toledo and 203 at Detroit. Unless he does very well in ST, send him back to Erie (or West Michigan).

    Liked by 4 people

  17. “Of concern have been reports that he has refused to change his swing.” The alarm bells are deafening! If a young player refuses to be coached then it’s time to cut your losses and move on. Leave him in Toledo till he hits. If he doesn’t then trade him.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Are we making too much of Mr. T.? Let him prove himself in Spring Training, and go from there. I too was disappointed that the Tigers did not get Hosmer, but I agree that having Cabrera, Haase, and Schoop ready to play the position. and swing the bat better than T. is not so bad an alternative for the moment.

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  19. Only 8 players from rounds 1-4 in Torkelson’s draft year of 2020 have even appeared in the major leagues to date. Only Spencer Strider (the Atlanta Braves pitcher) has shown that he may be a star so far. So it often takes some time. That said, his attitude is troubling. I wonder how thoroughly he was interviewed by Avila’s staff. If I was making the pick and had even an inkling of this degree of uncoachability, I’d have passed and chosen another player.

    Liked by 5 people

    • I agree. For me the starts the season down at Toledo until he sustains a decent hitting profile over a larger timeframe. I’d be looking for power along with onbase percentage. If it rakes until the All Star break so be it

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