1
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,840
Speaker 1: And welcome into a special episode of Tiger Territory, part

2
00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,840
Speaker 1: of the Foul Territory Network Detroit Tigers podcast. I'm Karri

3
00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,880
Speaker 1: Stegley with me. Is always a man who was always

4
00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,560
Speaker 1: on call or text. He is go to s David Hay,

5
00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:22,640
Speaker 1: what we got? What we got?

6
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,440
Speaker 2: Why you hear that siren?

7
00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,960
Speaker 3: For the first time in a long time, we have

8
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,960
Speaker 3: an emergency pod. Baby, tell me if you saw this

9
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,440
Speaker 3: one coming. The Tigers just signed from ber Valdez, the

10
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,240
Speaker 3: best remaining free agent on the market, probably the top

11
00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,599
Speaker 3: starting pitcher on the market all winter, one of the

12
00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,919
Speaker 3: best left handers in the game. So not very long

13
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:47,880
Speaker 3: ago we were saying, hey, these guys, they're probably not

14
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,320
Speaker 3: going to do much, especially if they lose the Schooba

15
00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,680
Speaker 3: arbitration hearing. Well, as far as we know, they do

16
00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,360
Speaker 3: not yet know the outcome of the Schooba arbitration hearing.

17
00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,520
Speaker 3: At the time we were recording this, it didn't matter.

18
00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,600
Speaker 3: They went and cut a big check. Kieran, the team

19
00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,120
Speaker 3: that had had a pretty sleepy winner, done some things.

20
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,399
Speaker 3: Brought back Glaber, brought back Jack Flaherty, added Kenny Jansen,

21
00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:15,600
Speaker 3: but no real splashing moves. They're dealing with some TV uncertainty.

22
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,279
Speaker 3: They have this schooble thing looming over everything. Nah, forget

23
00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,160
Speaker 3: all that, throw it out the window. The Tigers just

24
00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,200
Speaker 3: signed from Bervaldez, biggest contract in the Scott Harris era,

25
00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,319
Speaker 3: biggest Tigers contract since the signing of Javier Bias.

26
00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,679
Speaker 2: This feels to me like a pretty big deal.

27
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,399
Speaker 1: It is a big deal, And in the spirit of

28
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,800
Speaker 1: full disclosure, we're recording this just before eleven o'clock Eastern time.

29
00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,600
Speaker 1: We obviously do not know the result of the school arbitration.

30
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,720
Speaker 1: We had recorded an episode earlier today that talked about

31
00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,000
Speaker 1: some of the moves that Scott Harris, some of the

32
00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,760
Speaker 1: great moves that Scott Harris had made in his tenure

33
00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,240
Speaker 1: with the Tigers. That will publish later. So that is

34
00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,200
Speaker 1: why it is not in that episode. So just you know,

35
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,200
Speaker 1: just you know, kind of inside baseball here. So, yes,

36
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,800
Speaker 1: Tigers have agreed to a contract and still penning physical

37
00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,519
Speaker 1: like all those you know, all those ramifications there. But

38
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,720
Speaker 1: it's three years, one hundred and fifteen million dollars. And

39
00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,000
Speaker 1: stop me if I'm saying anything that is incorrect, Cody,

40
00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,239
Speaker 1: there are deferrals. We do not know what the nature

41
00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,360
Speaker 1: of those deferrals are and there is an opt out

42
00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,680
Speaker 1: after the second year for fromber So as a player

43
00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,840
Speaker 1: opt out after the second year. And the headline of

44
00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:38,360
Speaker 1: this is the money that the Tigers have put out there.

45
00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,239
Speaker 1: And I actually kind of want to go there. There's

46
00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,600
Speaker 1: a million ways that we can kind of start here,

47
00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,480
Speaker 1: but I do want to like say what this says,

48
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,880
Speaker 1: like ask like what this says about the Tigers and

49
00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,720
Speaker 1: how they view twenty twenty six because that's really like

50
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,680
Speaker 1: the most pressing thing right to me. And I just

51
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,360
Speaker 1: said this a couple hours ago, but you guys are

52
00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,600
Speaker 1: gonna view it and listen to it later. Is like

53
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,160
Speaker 1: one of the good things about Scott Harris and his

54
00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,520
Speaker 1: regime is the ability to pivot and go in different directions,

55
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,840
Speaker 1: even somewhat unexpected. What we said in the previous episode

56
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,400
Speaker 1: that will again be released later is like the glabor

57
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,239
Speaker 1: Torus signing. This is another example of, you know, quite

58
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,440
Speaker 1: frankly more expensive and bigger example of the Tigers pivoting

59
00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:32,400
Speaker 1: and going in a unexpected direction with from Bert Valdez,

60
00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:37,200
Speaker 1: this to me signals twenty twenty six is a year

61
00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,160
Speaker 1: to win, when what we'll see but a year to

62
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:46,080
Speaker 1: win because now you're starting rotation looks a hell of

63
00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:51,480
Speaker 1: a lot healthier. It's also more expensive and also way

64
00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,200
Speaker 1: more experienced Cody than I mean I can remember in

65
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,560
Speaker 1: quite some time, especially when he comes to postseason experience,

66
00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,000
Speaker 1: and certainly more than you have ever covered. Like this

67
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,600
Speaker 1: is a veteran Leyden experience, all star rotation that the

68
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,320
Speaker 1: Tigers have and they paid for it with fromber So

69
00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,600
Speaker 1: I guess the number one thing is what does it mean?

70
00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,719
Speaker 1: Because a lot of people that means a lot to

71
00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,240
Speaker 1: a lot of different people. To me. To me, what

72
00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 1: it means that the Tigers are all in too strong,

73
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,280
Speaker 1: but all a board, I guess is maybe how'll I

74
00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,680
Speaker 1: see it into twenty twenty six because again this could

75
00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,920
Speaker 1: have with some flexibility, which again is a Scott Harris staple,

76
00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,000
Speaker 1: but all aboard in the twenty twenty six about making

77
00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,440
Speaker 1: a serious run at the division and trying to punch

78
00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,560
Speaker 1: through that ceiling that they've had, which is the Alds.

79
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,560
Speaker 1: So that's that's what it says to me. Does what

80
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:52,960
Speaker 1: does it say to you?

81
00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:56,960
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, it says it says they're serious.

82
00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,960
Speaker 3: It says that they are not content just running it back,

83
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,680
Speaker 3: you know, like we have talked about and kind of

84
00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,680
Speaker 3: debated so long. It tells me also that the Tigers,

85
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 3: a strength of theirs is being opportunistic. Would this have

86
00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:16,840
Speaker 3: happened if from Bravaldez, if his market were different. There's

87
00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,920
Speaker 3: a guy at the Athletic had initially projected him to

88
00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,279
Speaker 3: get I think seven years and one hundred and ninety

89
00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:23,000
Speaker 3: six million.

90
00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,680
Speaker 2: His market kind of tanged. Now he can't say at

91
00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:26,200
Speaker 2: fully tenks.

92
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,560
Speaker 3: He's getting thirty eight point three million a year before deferrals.

93
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,839
Speaker 3: He's getting one hundred and fifteen million. But it's not

94
00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,080
Speaker 3: the mega deal, it's not the long term deal. We

95
00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,160
Speaker 3: know the Tigers like their flexibility. He hasn't opt out,

96
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:39,960
Speaker 3: So if this goes well, it's going to be two

97
00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,279
Speaker 3: years and done. I guess penning the labor situation in

98
00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,960
Speaker 3: twenty twenty seven, but they pounced on this. It clearly

99
00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,160
Speaker 3: lowered into something that they were probably more comfortable with,

100
00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,719
Speaker 3: and they jumped at it. So I don't know if

101
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:57,960
Speaker 3: in a world where from Bravaldez gets what he was

102
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,680
Speaker 3: projected to get, maybe they don't make a move like this,

103
00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,839
Speaker 3: but it's telling they were still looking for ways to

104
00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,240
Speaker 3: upgrade this team, and they found one to their liking,

105
00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:11,120
Speaker 3: and they went and they did it. It's funny how

106
00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,840
Speaker 3: this seems to change the perception of everything. Maybe that's

107
00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,200
Speaker 3: a little bit knee jerk in the minutes and hours

108
00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,719
Speaker 3: right after this news breaks, but it went from Okay,

109
00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,120
Speaker 3: I mean they're pretty good, they might still be favorites

110
00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,480
Speaker 3: to win the division, but like, really is the ceiling

111
00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,360
Speaker 3: better to well, you might just have the best one

112
00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,760
Speaker 3: two punch in the American League. I mean, the saddle

113
00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,000
Speaker 3: Manners have a very good pitching staff, but outside of

114
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,080
Speaker 3: the LA Dodgers, can anyone even come close to matching

115
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,440
Speaker 3: Trek Skougel, the undisputed Cy Young winner back to back years,

116
00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,599
Speaker 3: and from Ravalde is a guy who has been nothing

117
00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,640
Speaker 3: but rock solid and really good. By the way, two

118
00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,240
Speaker 3: left handers. You know who has a lefty heavy lineup?

119
00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,800
Speaker 3: Your division rival, Cleveland Guardians. I don't think they're gonna

120
00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,000
Speaker 3: want to see the Tigers in another three game series

121
00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:00,200
Speaker 3: or even a five game series this time around. I

122
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,560
Speaker 3: think it strengthens this rotation. One thing I had settled

123
00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,400
Speaker 3: on a long time ago. I think the Tiger's best

124
00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,520
Speaker 3: path to win, to really be better might be to

125
00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,160
Speaker 3: be to be improving their pitching. For as much as

126
00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,240
Speaker 3: we've focused on the offense and people have wanted a bat,

127
00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,760
Speaker 3: Tigers were seventeenth in ERA last year, which is hard

128
00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,840
Speaker 3: to fathom, especially when you have the cy young win

129
00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,320
Speaker 3: you're on your staff. Their rotation broke down, thinned out

130
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,480
Speaker 3: toward the end of the year last year. I think

131
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,000
Speaker 3: it's reasonable to expect they're going to be better, and

132
00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,360
Speaker 3: they now just might be a lot better. They could

133
00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,720
Speaker 3: have that top five type pitching staff if Scoogle can

134
00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,520
Speaker 3: remain healthy, if from Bravaldees can remain healthy, which he

135
00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:39,360
Speaker 3: has a track record of mostly doing.

136
00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:40,040
Speaker 2: So.

137
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,920
Speaker 3: Look, I don't know that you want to overreact. There

138
00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,080
Speaker 3: are some potential risks we're going to talk about here

139
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,960
Speaker 3: in a minute. But man, I think you feel a

140
00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,040
Speaker 3: lot better about the overall shape of things given that

141
00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,920
Speaker 3: you went out and you made a real addition.

142
00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,960
Speaker 1: So the shape of things, I want to focus on

143
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,239
Speaker 1: that here for a second. Twenty twenty three three point

144
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,040
Speaker 1: two War, twenty twenty four, four point two War, twenty

145
00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,320
Speaker 1: twenty five, three point eight war for from bird, that's

146
00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,000
Speaker 1: an average just for three years, just for three years.

147
00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,280
Speaker 1: And then we have a graphic up on YouTube that's

148
00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,360
Speaker 1: more than that, but just for three years, that's all right. Sorry,

149
00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,320
Speaker 1: that's all right, that's the right, it's all it's all good.

150
00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,040
Speaker 1: Three point eight war. I use Baseball Reference here just

151
00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,320
Speaker 1: for this, just in the spirit of full disclosure. The

152
00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,760
Speaker 1: last time the Tigers had a starting pitcher not named

153
00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,400
Speaker 1: Terrek Skoogle that had a three point eight WAR in

154
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,439
Speaker 1: a season, you have to go all the way back

155
00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:46,080
Speaker 1: to Matthew Boyd in twenty nineteen. So if you're trying

156
00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,160
Speaker 1: to determine, like what does he actually add, like what

157
00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,760
Speaker 1: what are the Tigers adding to the rotation here? That's

158
00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,840
Speaker 1: what they're adding. They're adding a bona fide studge to

159
00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,680
Speaker 1: their lineup, just based on three year average and a

160
00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:04,360
Speaker 1: guy who, look, he's thirty two. Could you argue his

161
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,240
Speaker 1: prime is more behind him than in front of him. Yes,

162
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,080
Speaker 1: but there are plenty of indications that he is still

163
00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,400
Speaker 1: a highly valuable pitcher in the last three years. Reflect

164
00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,520
Speaker 1: that as well. I want to make mention that he

165
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:22,199
Speaker 1: has eighty five pitches excuse me, eighty five innings pitch

166
00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:26,240
Speaker 1: excuse me in postseason play. That is something that is

167
00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:33,800
Speaker 1: also worth mentioning. And look, since aj Hinch came to Detroit.

168
00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:40,840
Speaker 1: There has been a natural incliniction to project and predict

169
00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,400
Speaker 1: that the Tigers might get one of these former astros

170
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:51,439
Speaker 1: to come to Detroit. To this point, unlesst the Marquis

171
00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,440
Speaker 1: has not been the case. Yeah, that has now changed.

172
00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,200
Speaker 1: This is the first for aj Hinch, and you have

173
00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,520
Speaker 1: to imagine which I'm gonna set you up here in

174
00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,920
Speaker 1: a second, Cody, you have to imagine that any considerations

175
00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:11,120
Speaker 1: with from Bravaldez, the guy would have to have gone

176
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,520
Speaker 1: through AJ and he would have had to have been

177
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:19,720
Speaker 1: endorsed or okay with at the very least what the

178
00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,199
Speaker 1: Tigers are doing. So that is something that everyone's gonna

179
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:28,000
Speaker 1: point to. The mix up. They're gonna be nice about it.

180
00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,080
Speaker 1: Then mix up that happened last season is very is

181
00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:36,280
Speaker 1: gonna be top of everybody's minds. But if we were

182
00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,720
Speaker 1: any other team, I would be more concerned about it

183
00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,840
Speaker 1: than I would be the Tigers given the AJ Hinch connection.

184
00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,560
Speaker 1: So what's the fair way to kind of go about that?

185
00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:51,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's an important part of this whole

186
00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,520
Speaker 3: discussion and probably the answer to why the Tigers got

187
00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,640
Speaker 3: from Bravaldez on a three year contract. There are clearly

188
00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,600
Speaker 3: teams a little worried about the makeup aspect of things.

189
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,240
Speaker 3: Otherwise he probably would have been paid like a pitcher

190
00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,080
Speaker 3: who has been basically a four war guy for the

191
00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:08,720
Speaker 3: past four seasons.

192
00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,280
Speaker 2: Instead, the market wasn't quite there.

193
00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,720
Speaker 3: Now the aav is still high, but the length, you know,

194
00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,080
Speaker 3: it's a signal teams weren't willing to take that risk

195
00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,800
Speaker 3: of a guy they're not sure about. I would say

196
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,480
Speaker 3: Aj Hinch and Scott Harris both have a little Taylor

197
00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,080
Speaker 3: Swift in them, but Daddy I can fix him right.

198
00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,200
Speaker 3: Aj Hinch has some confidence in his psychological genius, but

199
00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,720
Speaker 3: he also has a relationship with Fromber Valdez and that's

200
00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,160
Speaker 3: important to He managed Fromber for two years in Houston.

201
00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,800
Speaker 3: He met with him before this signing. Does not surprise

202
00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,000
Speaker 3: me that Aj has confidence in his ability to smooth

203
00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:49,319
Speaker 3: over whatever issues may or may not exist. The Tigers

204
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,720
Speaker 3: look they One thing I really believe is they have

205
00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,240
Speaker 3: created a good environment for players. They have a good

206
00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,880
Speaker 3: clubhouse culture. They probably think they can bring him in

207
00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,679
Speaker 3: without too much trouble, or at the very least that

208
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,160
Speaker 3: his upside is well worth any risk. So we'll see

209
00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,079
Speaker 3: how this happens. He's gonna have to adjust to a

210
00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,920
Speaker 3: lot of things, a new team, new people. It's gonna

211
00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,079
Speaker 3: have to play, you know, from an indoor park to

212
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,360
Speaker 3: pitching in freezing cold weather all the time. We'll see

213
00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:21,680
Speaker 3: how those things go over another Jake Rodgers. These guys

214
00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,080
Speaker 3: played together in the minor leagues up to up to

215
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,960
Speaker 3: High A before Rogers was traded. So one of the

216
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,559
Speaker 3: two catchers Valdez already has a relationship with. Now, if

217
00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,600
Speaker 3: you're not familiar with the incident here and alluded to,

218
00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,720
Speaker 3: I think the second half last season there was a

219
00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,560
Speaker 3: big hub ub what appeared to be Valdez potentially you know,

220
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,400
Speaker 3: catcher called I believe curveball. Valdez through a sinker hit

221
00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,440
Speaker 3: his catcher with the astros in the chest. It kind

222
00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:53,080
Speaker 3: of appeared to be intentional. Valdez had a indifferent reaction

223
00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:57,880
Speaker 3: in the moment. It was strange. Now, all parties denied

224
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,440
Speaker 3: it being intentional, but it was a thing. It raised

225
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,720
Speaker 3: a lot of questions. Why, you know, that's not something

226
00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,600
Speaker 3: you can do to your teammate. So maybe it's im

227
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,800
Speaker 3: born that at least one of the catchers there has

228
00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,880
Speaker 3: caught from Bravaldees in the past, has some experience with him,

229
00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,680
Speaker 3: probably knows how to communicate with him. That may be

230
00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,000
Speaker 3: no small thing in this either, even if it's Dylan

231
00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,240
Speaker 3: Dingler who ends up catching most, if not all, of

232
00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,480
Speaker 3: from Bravell does his innings. So those are some of

233
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,280
Speaker 3: the factors at play. I think pitching wise, look Fromber's

234
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,240
Speaker 3: still really good. He is an elite ground ball pitcher.

235
00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,200
Speaker 3: I think ninety seven percentile in ground ball raid and

236
00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,000
Speaker 3: he's like that every single year. Tigers tend to have

237
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,600
Speaker 3: success with ground ball pitchers. Infield defense will be interesting.

238
00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,680
Speaker 3: I don't think they have the greatest infield defense in

239
00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,520
Speaker 3: the world, but they're pretty good at positioning.

240
00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,520
Speaker 2: It's worked for them in the past. The guys who

241
00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:47,679
Speaker 2: really struggled.

242
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,160
Speaker 3: In recent years have been Charlie Morton, can Toomai Eta,

243
00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,320
Speaker 3: Chris Paddock, more fly ball type guys. So he's gonna

244
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,480
Speaker 3: get you a lot of ground balls. He doesn't necessarily

245
00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,920
Speaker 3: help you miss more bats. He's middle of the pack,

246
00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,000
Speaker 3: but he didn strike out eight to nine guys per

247
00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,439
Speaker 3: nine innings, so not shabby. A lot of sinkers and

248
00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,640
Speaker 3: a curveball that's really good at a curveball that can

249
00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:08,240
Speaker 3: miss a.

250
00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:08,920
Speaker 2: Lot of bats.

251
00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,160
Speaker 3: This guy who's thrown a no hitter before, so when

252
00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,360
Speaker 3: he gets rolling, he can be dominant overall. Look, he's

253
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,080
Speaker 3: not tek Skubl, but he's been rock solid. He's been consistent,

254
00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,040
Speaker 3: he's been durable, and you gotta think that's worth the

255
00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:24,520
Speaker 3: risk here.

256
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's certainly worth the risk. And and and again,

257
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,240
Speaker 1: like people are gonna get heavily attached to the average

258
00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,520
Speaker 1: annual value deferral aspect, how it compares to the schoolble

259
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,320
Speaker 1: arbitration stuff. That's all separate, Like, that's all separate. This

260
00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,600
Speaker 1: is it's an expensive short term contract even if the

261
00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,920
Speaker 1: player option is not exercise, So that that is that

262
00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,480
Speaker 1: is worth noting as well. I did want to get

263
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,680
Speaker 1: to a little bit of a winners and losers list.

264
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,640
Speaker 1: The winners obviously valid as he gets paid you know AJ.

265
00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,120
Speaker 1: This is this has AJ written all over it. Again,

266
00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,440
Speaker 1: like at the very least a sign off from AJ

267
00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:14,000
Speaker 1: had to be a part of this, the losers thing,

268
00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:15,880
Speaker 1: because we spent a lot of time. I mean, we

269
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:21,120
Speaker 1: had Troy Meltain discussions out the Wazoo Cody that are

270
00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:29,480
Speaker 1: now largely Troy because Troy Melton, as the you know,

271
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,240
Speaker 1: injuries can happen. We all understand this, But as the

272
00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:37,320
Speaker 1: projected starting five is currently constructed, Troy Melton's on the

273
00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,040
Speaker 1: outside looking in as a starter, and then as is

274
00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,600
Speaker 1: Drew Anderson, who was given a contract and will enter

275
00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,480
Speaker 1: and will still enter spring training, as will Meltin obviously

276
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:52,680
Speaker 1: as a starter. So now this there will be a

277
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,640
Speaker 1: battle for the number five spot all of a sudden,

278
00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,560
Speaker 1: is you know, pending an injury, it's kind of set.

279
00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,640
Speaker 1: Your five is kind of set. So that's so those

280
00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,600
Speaker 1: are some losers there, and you know what, I'll throw

281
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,720
Speaker 1: Scott Harrison and Chris Iloch in there, because the number

282
00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,680
Speaker 1: one criticism was the inability to go out and get

283
00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,000
Speaker 1: guys and spend money. And how do you feel about this?

284
00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,440
Speaker 1: This is an example of going out and get a

285
00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,240
Speaker 1: guy and they spend as some money, so like, so

286
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,560
Speaker 1: they have to be winners there as well. So the

287
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,400
Speaker 1: like problem solved for some of your spring training content, Gody,

288
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,000
Speaker 1: you don't have to worry about a number five starter

289
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:33,600
Speaker 1: battle to write about.

290
00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I had written that this was going

291
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,680
Speaker 3: to put the Tigers' financial principles to the test, talking

292
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,880
Speaker 3: about the schoobol Ar deal, the TV stuff, the idea

293
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,760
Speaker 3: that the Schoobol arbitration case was going to weigh heavily

294
00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,480
Speaker 3: on whether the Tigers got another picture of substance.

295
00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,520
Speaker 2: Well, maybe it did put things to the test.

296
00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,080
Speaker 3: I don't know exactly what went down, but it turns

297
00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:56,920
Speaker 3: out they went out and they spend, and they spent

298
00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,040
Speaker 3: in a meaningful way. Scott Harris and Chris Illich definitely

299
00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,359
Speaker 3: looked like winners here, and I've already gotten several text

300
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:05,240
Speaker 3: messages about it.

301
00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:07,720
Speaker 2: This doesn't look so good if the Tigers just turn

302
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:08,960
Speaker 2: around and trade Schooble.

303
00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,439
Speaker 3: Right my understanding, at least in this moment, Tigers are

304
00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,600
Speaker 3: keeping Trek Scouble and so again you might just have

305
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,480
Speaker 3: the best one two punch in the American League, certainly

306
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,560
Speaker 3: one of the best ones two punches in baseball without

307
00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:27,440
Speaker 3: any question. Yeah, I mean, what a what a perception win,

308
00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,280
Speaker 3: at least for relig has Yeah.

309
00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,760
Speaker 1: I never and colored me naive. I never thought this

310
00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,520
Speaker 1: as it went down in the hours since. I never

311
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,320
Speaker 1: thought this as any indication that they might look to

312
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,679
Speaker 1: trade Terrek Schooble. Now, obviously it gives you more options

313
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,920
Speaker 1: down the line if things get really bad. So I'm

314
00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,840
Speaker 1: not discounting anything like that. But just like here and

315
00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,960
Speaker 1: now and how we expect the Tigers to be. I

316
00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,320
Speaker 1: never thought that was a thing at all. Color me naive,

317
00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,239
Speaker 1: but I never really thought that was a thing at all.

318
00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,960
Speaker 1: I thought this was made with the intention of maximizing

319
00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,119
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six with the options that are on the

320
00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,920
Speaker 1: table in terms of adding to your team. You know,

321
00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,479
Speaker 1: this is a This is a like the Tigers are

322
00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:12,280
Speaker 1: now going to be at the tops or you know,

323
00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,119
Speaker 1: in the top charts or whatever, of having spent this

324
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:21,840
Speaker 1: offseason because of the glabor qualifying off, because Jack Flaherty

325
00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,680
Speaker 1: opted into his contract, because of getting Canley Jensen, because

326
00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,800
Speaker 1: of this contract here and if Schoolbl wins arbitration, that's

327
00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,159
Speaker 1: you know, either way, it's an increase. But you know

328
00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,920
Speaker 1: he wins arbitration, that's quite an increase as well. So

329
00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:40,280
Speaker 1: this feels, like I said, and all aboard tight move.

330
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,359
Speaker 1: I don't think this is a move to make to

331
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,840
Speaker 1: be able to trade Tarrek Schoolbl. I don't think that

332
00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,320
Speaker 1: at all. Color me naive, Like I said, I don't.

333
00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,000
Speaker 1: I didn't put that in there. And for whatever it's worth,

334
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,760
Speaker 1: contractually obligated but unsponsored Arrek Schoobel segment he shared the

335
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,840
Speaker 1: breaking news graphic on Instagram live and and put a

336
00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,240
Speaker 1: couple like horse emojis on there or whatever. So he's like,

337
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,800
Speaker 1: it seems like he's excited to have another horse in

338
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,480
Speaker 1: a liyap given everything that's going on with him and

339
00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:18,000
Speaker 1: his personal financial situation with the Tigers. So to me,

340
00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:20,800
Speaker 1: this is not a move without risk. This is obviously

341
00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,240
Speaker 1: you know, this is an older picture, but the framework

342
00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,960
Speaker 1: is there, the track record is there, the connections are there,

343
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,520
Speaker 1: the experience is there. It's hard for me not to

344
00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,960
Speaker 1: feel overly optimistic about what this could mean. I certainly

345
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,800
Speaker 1: didn't feel about this way about Alex Cobb last year.

346
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,640
Speaker 1: I certainly, even though he was coming off a World

347
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,440
Speaker 1: Series win, didn't feel this way about Jack Flaherty. Like

348
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:50,080
Speaker 1: this does feel like a more serious move that the

349
00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,960
Speaker 1: Tigers have made in quite some time. And maybe I'm overreacting,

350
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,040
Speaker 1: but that's what you do when you do an emergency podcast.

351
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,080
Speaker 3: It might be the biggest move the Tigers have made

352
00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,480
Speaker 3: in my time covering them. I mean, Jave Bayas was

353
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,399
Speaker 3: the biggest contract and there were red flags there and

354
00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,040
Speaker 3: I think it was very easy to see that going wrong,

355
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,919
Speaker 3: even more so than the from Ravaldez deal is now.

356
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:17,040
Speaker 3: Eduardo Rodriguez was a big deal. I think Frombert objectively

357
00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:21,320
Speaker 3: has been more consistent than Eduardo Rodriguez. Ever was trading

358
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,520
Speaker 3: Estoc Paradis for Austin Meadows was a really big win

359
00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,040
Speaker 3: now move at the time that just didn't work out.

360
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,119
Speaker 2: But this is spending, this is when. Now, this is

361
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:32,280
Speaker 2: taking on a little bit.

362
00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,880
Speaker 1: Of a risks of playoffs.

363
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:37,080
Speaker 2: That's exactly what I was about to say.

364
00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,280
Speaker 3: You have a playoff team now and you're making this

365
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,600
Speaker 3: type of move, which I think is an important distinction.

366
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,880
Speaker 3: And again this signals pitching. It might be the Tiger's

367
00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,440
Speaker 3: path to victory, regardless of if the offense is better

368
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,439
Speaker 3: or the same or worse. If this pitching staff can

369
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:58,960
Speaker 3: stay healthy, it could be really really good. Jack Flaherty,

370
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,320
Speaker 3: Casey May's results, and not to mention for Melton, Drew

371
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 3: Anderson and the prospect of getting some contribution from Jackson

372
00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,359
Speaker 3: Joe before the end of the year. Also, have we

373
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:12,480
Speaker 3: not brought this up yet? All scooble Flarty mice free

374
00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,159
Speaker 3: agents after the year. Fromer, He's going to be with

375
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,879
Speaker 3: you for at least one additional year, So it's not

376
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,480
Speaker 3: planning into the unlimited future. But if Scoobale walks, hey,

377
00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:25,440
Speaker 3: you're keeping your lefty lefty ace type and getting a

378
00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,080
Speaker 3: fully healthy Jackson job, you feel better. We already feel

379
00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,680
Speaker 3: better about the twenty twenty seven Tigers, assuming there's a

380
00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,480
Speaker 3: twenty twenty seven season than we did two hours ago.

381
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,160
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, that is a good note, and that's kind

382
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,480
Speaker 1: of what I was mentioning with like the flexibility there

383
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,280
Speaker 1: and and all that stuff. But okay, so if the

384
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:53,320
Speaker 1: offense is the same or marginally better, your pitching staff

385
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:59,800
Speaker 1: should be substantially better and that should result in an

386
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,920
Speaker 1: improved team. So everything's got to play out. But I

387
00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:05,920
Speaker 1: like what the Tigers have been able to do, and

388
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,280
Speaker 1: that's not even you know, not even mentioned I know,

389
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,800
Speaker 1: mentioned Jansen, but that's not even to mention like what

390
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,920
Speaker 1: should be like a better, more at least diverse and

391
00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:20,440
Speaker 1: flexible back end of the bullpen and in addition to

392
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:26,399
Speaker 1: everything else. So this is this is a come up

393
00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,440
Speaker 1: for the Tigers right here. I'll be honest with you,

394
00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,040
Speaker 1: this is a come up for the Tigers right here.

395
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,320
Speaker 1: Come up to level paying guys, come up to status,

396
00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,520
Speaker 1: making making like assurances to the fan base that hey,

397
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,320
Speaker 1: we're serious about this year. And then lastly, I just

398
00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:46,679
Speaker 1: wanted to put this out there. Do not buy into

399
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,359
Speaker 1: any I'm gonna try to be kind here any people

400
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,840
Speaker 1: that are just trying to get a reaction on social

401
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,720
Speaker 1: media saying that this is an indictment of how they

402
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,000
Speaker 1: view Trek Schoogle, that they only we're willing to give

403
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:06,080
Speaker 1: Trek Schoogle nineteen million, but they'll pay fromber an average

404
00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:10,399
Speaker 1: of thirty eight. These are independent all right, This is

405
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,280
Speaker 1: not like, oh, well Schoogle said no to nineteen so

406
00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,520
Speaker 1: we're gonna pray fromber this.

407
00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:18,800
Speaker 2: Like like that's just ignore that. Just ignore that.

408
00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,080
Speaker 1: Just ignore that. There's a lot of that out there

409
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,800
Speaker 1: already and it's going to continue. Just ignore that. That

410
00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,640
Speaker 1: would be my last piece of advice. All right, anything else,

411
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,000
Speaker 1: Cody before we wrap up this spot.

412
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,159
Speaker 3: I think that's all I got for now. We're going

413
00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,520
Speaker 3: to talk in the coming days to Scott Harris, maybe

414
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,520
Speaker 3: a J. Hinch from ravaldees himself. We'll digest this a

415
00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,720
Speaker 3: little more, read up a little more, scout up a

416
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,479
Speaker 3: little more, and we'll be back with a lot more

417
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,399
Speaker 3: from ravaldesk talk. Thank you guys for staying up with

418
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,560
Speaker 3: us on an exciting night in Tiger's land.

419
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,440
Speaker 1: Yes, and if you haven't already, subscribe to us on YouTube,

420
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 1: at Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. Tiger Territory

421
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,160
Speaker 1: at Cody Stapenhagen I'm at here and on this course

422
00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,399
Speaker 1: decly pot pages at Tiger Territory Underscore four. So for

423
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,640
Speaker 1: Cody stave in Hagen, I'm Ker Stackley. Everybody, have great night,