AJ Hinch when asked about moving Spencer Torkelson down to the seventh hole: “You see him steadily moving down in the order and the next stop is next to me. We’re trying to keep supporting him because he’s a good player. But he’s not in a good spot.”

10 comments

1. At least AJ isn’t blowing smoke. Even Stevie Wonder can see Tork is struggling.

2. 😬

3. Simple move idea. Send Tork down and just bring up Hiura. Hiura has an upwards mobility clause and if we don’t add him to the roster by June 1st we have to either trade him or add him anyway.

   Hiura has a career 1.4 WAR to Torks -1.6. Hiura has 50 home runs in 938 career at bats to Torks 39 in 1084 at bats and has a higher career batting average. I also didn’t check but he can’t be any worse at 1st. He is also a former 1st round pick and obviously has the skills to go that high. Why keep running Tork out there when we essentially have the same thing in the minors who can actually hit the ball better? Actually Hiura has played a small amount of 2B and OF in the last couple years. Small sample I’m sure but in an absolute pinch you could run him out there for an inning. You can say he strikes out a bunch but so does Tork. I bet you can’t find any 1 thing that Tork does better than Hiura right now.

   So that’s the move. Simple and done – 1 for 1 and we can leave Canha in the OF. He can hit in the majors and has been doing well in Toledo. Easy swap that doesn’t screw with any other positions. I’m sure we can find a 40 man spot for him.

   There is a reason we signed Hiura in the offseason. Tork crash and burning was it and it’s time to put out the fire with Hiura.

4. Just send him down 

5. The reality is if any other player with options was struggling this badly – with the possible exception of Greene – the tigers would have already demoted them long ago. Because of what Torkelson represents to the org and because of his second half last year he’s being given an incredibly long leash. But like a previous commenter noted, right now Keston Hiura is a better option.

   Torkelson has never looked worse than he does right now. The team is still very much in contention for the division and needs production from first base. This should not be that difficult a decision to make.

6. Tork struggling what’s new??

7. I think C-MO has the best observations when he’s at bat. Yes dipping and trying to hit homeruns and not linedrives. Last year even when he was struggling he was hammering the ball, it was just going to player were. Linedrives are what he needs to focus on. Home runs will come with hard hit balls.

8. What do you expect him to say? Torks a bust? He’s saying what he needs to in the press, but Torks days are numbered.

9. I seem to recall a righthanded pitcher with electric, unhittable pitches who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn because of his control and location issues. He was sent to Toledo to fix his problems and relieve the pressure. The former Tigers pitcher is named Max Scherzer.

10. I think he needs to be sent down and earn his way back up. To this point all the MLB at bats have been given to him with the hope it will click. It hasn’t. Send him down and tell him we hope to see you back once you earn a spot.