Japanese Free Agents to be Posted, Coaching Carousel, and Andy Ibáñez

Japanese Free Agents to be Posted, Coaching Carousel, and Andy Ibáñez

Today we’re going to take a look at some news and notes from around the league and talk about how they may affect the Detroit Tigers. Uh some big news earlier this week. A pair of players from the NPB officially will be posted by their teams and be free agents this winter. So we’ll talk about that and we will talk a little bit of Andy Abanz 2025. All today on Locked on Tigers. You are Locked on Tigers, your daily Detroit Tigers podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What is up everybody? Welcome back to another edition of Locked On Tigers. I’m of course your host, Scott Bentley. Today is Thursday, October 23rd, 2025. Thank you so much for making Lockdown Tigers your first listen every single day. We are free and available wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network your team every single day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Just download the app today. Welcome in everybody. over halfway through the week yet again already Thursday. Now today we are going to discuss a few different things uh some notes and and honestly big news from around baseball and kind of how that could affect the game of baseball, how that could affect the Detroit Tigers, etc. And then we’ll end the show by talking about Andy Abanz and his 2025 and what the future holds for Andy Abanz in the Tigers organization. We’re going to start off with some managerial news. However, the San Francisco Giants have hired Tony Vitello. Huge moment for baseball, man. Um, for and for both landscapes as well, right? NCAA and Major League Baseball. Both of those landscapes have the possibility of changing forever because of this. And I’m not trying to be overly dramatic and and you know trying to make this sound like it’s the biggest deal on the planet earth right now, but I I do think that this is a a a massive deal for the game of baseball. The NCAA effect is pretty obvious. Um Vitello ran one of the most successful baseball programs in the entire country. Uh year in and year out were a powerhouse right at Tennessee and it really flourished under him. If you follow college baseball in any capacity, you are aware of this. Even if you don’t, you probably are kind of aware of this. They are an absolute powerhouse and Vital is a really big reason for that. Um, so obviously Tennessee is is the biggest uh and the Giants are the two teams that are affected the most by this. What happens to Tennessee, I think, is fascinating. Um, I I could probably talk for 30 minutes if this was, you know, locked on college baseball. I could probably talk for 30, 40 minutes just about that. Um, like the SEC is so good these days, you know, Vandy, uh, Alabama in recent years, Texas, Texas A&M, uh, obviously LSU, Arkansas, Florida, like there’s just there’s so much good baseball there that any sort of crack in the armor is is probably going to be taken advantage of by its, you know, inner conference foes. And so I’m really interested in who they bring in. I feel like you kind of need a a big name to to but or they could just say, you know what, the system is the system and and promote from within. I don’t know. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens as far as recruiting and commits and stuff. Obviously with him leaving, that could change a lot in that aspect as well. So huge hit for Tennessee. But the biggest question with this is will it be something that happens going forward? That is why it is such a big deal to me and that is why it is such a big deal for people that follow the game of baseball. College to MLB in terms of managers does not happen very often in the history of baseball and Tennessee again has become a juggernaut under Vitello. Like I I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it. I’m just saying it’s rare up to this point in history. And if it works, you might literally be able to point to one hire and go, that is where kind of the landscape of where Major League Baseball teams get their managers from changed. And and if it works, there’s a real chance you could see a lot more of that going forward. Other college managers taking this path and and MLB front offices also start considering, you know, college managers a lot more when they have openings. in that regard. Uh it could also be a thing where you know coaches and like we’ve seen coaches a little bit more right or managers in college turn into coaches at the professional level or like Chris Federer for instance even Robin Lund right like we’ve seen that that’s been happening for for ages right but manager to manager is is really an interesting path and if it doesn’t work then I would imagine that not much changes is right and and college managers could uh I guess take the path that has been laid out for them which is either you reach you know SEC manager and you kind of just stop because you’re making millions of dollars or you then become a coach at the professional level and work your way up that way. Um so I I I don’t want to put the future of managers on one dude’s shoulders. That’s not, again, I’m not trying to make this out to be, you know, the biggest story ever today. It’s just cuz obviously that’s not the case and obviously the the whole fate of the the job is and the future of the position is not in his hands. But I I really do think that this is a big deal for Major League Baseball and college baseball. So, I’m going to be paying very close attention to what happens over there. And in terms of, you know, the Giants, uh, like Buster Posey continues to make outside of the box moves and, um, you know, does this affect the Tigers? Not in the short term, right? Obviously, the Tigers are happy with AJ Hinch. They’ve extended him twice in the last couple few years. Um, just extended him literally this season. So, presumably, this is not something that will affect our organization for at least the foreseeable future. But I do think that it does affect baseball. And I I love stuff like this. I absolutely love outside of the box moves that you don’t see very often. And for as much as I just every time I look at the Giants, part of me, you know, dies inside because of what they did when I was, you know, 14 years old in 2012. And and Posie obviously a big part of that as well. Um, but uh I you got to give well I I say credit where credit is due for the non-traditional thought that goes into this. I I love watching the game develop and evolve and this is obviously a part of that if it works. If it doesn’t then, you know, the pie is on uh is on Buster Posy’s face and and he’s going to have to face the music in that regard. And um they’re going to be back on a managerial hunt in a year or two if it doesn’t work. So, we’ll see what happens there. Um, I do also want to talk about some news that came out from Yahoo Sports Japan on Wednesday involving this year’s NPB class. So, we’re talking about players that NPB is the Professional Baseball League in Japan. In my eyes, it is the second best league on the planet Earth. And I think that over the last three, four, I I mean really I I guess especially since Otani came over, the classes, the free agent classes out of Japan and the players that have been posted every season just seem to get, you know, better and better. and you’re seeing more and more stars come over over the last however long that is, five, seven, eightish years. Um, so I want to talk about two bigname players that are coming over this winter and if the Tigers could be in play for either of them. We will do that right after this. First though, got to talk to you’all about our friends over at FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer. You don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get 300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. You pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love FanDuel. There’s so many ways to play and so many ways to bet. 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But the second that the World Series ends, it’s like boom, there’s there’s a deadline 48 72 hours away. So, want to make sure we get out ahead of that with our big picture conversations heading into the winter. Today, we talk about some news and notes from around baseball. The next thing I want to bring up is how intriguing I think this free agent class out of the NPB is. Um the biggest name this year is certainly Municheka Murakami. This is I mean a guy that played in the World Baseball Classic is a guy that is legitimately one of the most dominant players in NPB history already and he’s 25 years old currently will be 26 over the off season. So next year will be his age 26 season. Um yeah I mean multiple MVPs. uh 55 home run season over there, which is the NPB all-time record for a player born in Japan. And he homered in the World Baseball Classic final against USA like and that was what three years ago now already. Um so he’s incredible. He’s a big body, I think 61 or 6’2, over 200 lb. Plays third base and plays first base, but mostly has played third in Japan. He’s a lefty bat. Like I said, next year he will be 26. And also because of his age and how many years of service he has in the NPB at this point, he will be a true free agent. So it will be much more similar to the Yamamoto sweep stakes as opposed to the Sasaki sweep stakes. Right? Sasaki was still very young and so when he came over it was as an international free agent. he is not getting he he’s getting paid out of international pool money from the Dodgers whereas Yamamoto is getting 315 mil and had a bidding war and and everything. So um it will be much more like the latter. It will be a true free agent bidding war type of scenario. The concern with him if there is one is strikeouts. He strikes out quite a lot already in Japan and that may only increase against MLB pitching um and MLB velocity really that consistent VO is is a heck of an adjustment for people that play overseas when they first come over. So um his walk numbers they’ve been good his whole career. They also dropped off a pretty decent amount this past season, like five or six percent, but they were so high that they did that and they’re still well over league average. Um, so like draws, walks, hits absolute bombs, you know, hits for a really good average, gets on base, etc. He he again like multi-time MVP winner before his 25th birthday. Like he he’s phenomenal. Um, I I would obviously be thrilled if the Tigers signed him, but I don’t anticipate that they will be in on him. you know, if you were holding your breath waiting for that comment, I apologize to burst your bubble, but he will likely end up in a big in a big market that is willing to pay him a lot of money. It’ll be fun to watch kind of how the off season uh unfolds in regards to him. Uh like the only thing that I will say and and to put a bow on him and move on to to other players here is like at least we have seen the Tigers be a little bit more active and aggressive with international free agents in the Scott Harris era. Um I you know like they’re actually listed as potential suitors and they’re actually listed as potential you know like finalists for some of these guys over the last couple of years. But that also hasn’t amounted to much yet. In the same breath, they they haven’t actually got any of them or signed any of them. You’re seeing the international free agent work being put in at the um the well like Dominican Republic level and and the Venezuelan level, right? like they are getting a lot more Puerto Rico, a lot more of those, you know, like 15, 16year-old kids to sign and have improved their international free agent class in that regard. This year, they they signed maybe the best prospect they’ve ever signed in an international free agent class from places like that. However, in Japan, they’re still kind of waiting to be bigger players in that market. Now, a player that I think is a lot more obtainable for the Detroit Tigers is Kazuma Okamoto. The reason why it’s more intriguing to me is just because it’s more realistic for the Tigers. I I I don’t anticipate they will be the favorite on him. I I I still would not put my money on the Tigers bringing him in. However, the reason we’re having this conversation today, you know, with the World Series still yet to be played and these guys haven’t even, you know, officially their their signing period is obviously nowhere close to starting yet is because Yahoo Sports Japan did just announce on Wednesday that Okamoto would also be posted. Right. We’ve known for well I mean we we’ve kind of known for years at this point that Murakami was going to get posted and certainly have known for all of this year that he was going to get posted. But you know the the rest of the class was kind of up in question. And so Akamoto I I think is a guy that is a a really intriguing ad. 29 years old has had some great numbers in Japan for his entire career. Um, another guy that homered off of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and he is a right-handed hitter as opposed to a lefty. The biggest difference here in profile is well, Akamoto doesn’t hit, you know, 55 home runs. That that’s a potential generational power obviously in Murakami, but uh Akamoto hardly struck out this past year. And I think that that’s a big thing and a big reason why when we go through this winter, he is going to be on a lot of people’s wish list for the Detroit Tigers. Um has played a lot of first base, has played a lot of third base in his NPB career. Now lately it’s been a lot more first base and he’s been getting like accolades for how good he is defensively at first base lately. But when he first came up, played third, has played, like I said, plenty of third in his professional career. Um, put up 30 plus home run seasons in six consecutive years. He was injured a little bit last year, so that came to an end. Um, but it gives you a little bit more of the contact profile you want. He only struck out, I think it was 33 times this past season. Now again, injury didn’t play a full season either, but uh still over 90 games played, so you’re getting a lot more of a a you know, a lot less swing and miss hopefully in that bat. You’re getting fewer walks as well. Um but you are still getting legitimate pop with a little bit more bat to ball skills in there. Um the kicker obviously is do you have an actual spot for him? Um, are you comfortable with how he plays third base? I don’t think they would sign a guy who is 29 and never played Major League Baseball before to just replace Torqulson after a 30 homer season, but I I’ve been fooled before. Like I I’m not necessarily uh like absolutely in love over the thought of uh like Tolson being this team’s three or four hitter next season. So, I I don’t know. There there’s a lot of nuance that comes with this conversation. It depends on on a lot of different factors. You want him in the field. He’s a solid defender. Again, a really good one at first base presumably at 29, still athletic enough to be a solid third baseman, which I think if the Tigers were to be in on him, would be what they would want. Uh, you know, best case scenario in that regard. So, a lot of great articles out about both of these gentlemen. Um, Thomas Thomas Herriagan of MLB.com. Um, Mark Feinand, who’s one of the biggest baseball writers on the planet at MLB.com, has written about them. Uh, Maria Torres of The Athletic also has a couple of articles on these guys. So, go check all of those out. I used a lot of those resources myself when doing my show prep for this, but it’ll be super interesting to keep an eye on. And uh I I wanted to have the convo today just while the iron was hot with the news on Wednesday that Okamoto was going to be posted. Um but we’ll have this conversation, I’m sure, plenty more throughout the off season and the winter, you know, when we start talking about uh free agents and and free agent profiles and are there a fit and what position and etc, etc. Um but I I feel like since this is in the news now, might might as well tackle it today. Anything else? Let’s get into Andy Abanas. Okay, we’ll do his 2025 player review right after this. First though, going to talk to you about our friends over at Prize Fix. This episode brought to you by Prize Fix. Every day we make decisions, but on Prize Pix, being right can actually get you paid. So don’t miss the excitement of this football season with Prize Fix, where it’s good to be right. Playing Prize Pix is so much fun. It’s a simple way to add more excitement to football. You just pick more or less on player projections. Uh like if Josh Allen’s passing yards or Saquon Barkley rushes for a touchdown, all of a sudden you’re in the game. I love how quick it is. You can start and make your lineup in under a minute. There’s so many great features as well. So download the Prize Pix app today. Use code lock down MLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code locked down MLB for $50 in lineups after your first $5 lineup prize fix. It’s good to be right. All right, everybody. Welcome back here. Third and final segment locked on Tigers. Appreciate you all for tuning in as always. Uh, one more kind of funny note, I guess, before we get into Andy. Two former Tigers who are guaranteed a World Series this year. Okay, there there’s a handful actually. Evan Woodbury of M Live uh put out a fantastic piece and and tweet as he does every year kind of highlighting all of the players who have ever played or been a part of the Tigers organization that are now a part of the World Series teams. Um so go check that out. Go support Evan Woodberry is just one of the best in the biz. Um, but one of the really funny I guess is the word things is that Buddy Kennedy and Jose Urania both played for the Dodgers and the Blue Jays in this season in the year 2025. So, they are both guaranteed to be World Series champions. Shout out Buddy Kennedy, man. Shout out Jose Urania, too. Um, you know, Urano’s Tigers tenure wasn’t that great, uh, unfortunately, but has kind of revitalized his career a little bit and, uh, yeah, has been a an okay depth arm for a couple of teams over the last four or five years. Buddy Kennedy, man, Buddy Kennedy just has bounced around to seemingly half a baseball. Diamondbacks, Phillies, Tigers, uh I mean Dodgers, Blue Jays, like just, you know, keeps finding work and and has some tools to to be a solid player like that. So, uh congratulations to those two on no matter what happens, being World Series champions in the year 2025. Let’s talk Andy Abanz’s 2025. Uh he is 32 years old at the time of this recording. He hit 239 with a 301 on base percentage and a 352 slug. That is a 653 OPS. Was just hardly better than a replacement level player in the eyes of war. Almost had the exact same, like literally one point off from the exact same OPS that he had in 2024 in 2025. Um, but this was actually, believe it or not, despite the fact that his OPS was actually a point better in 2025 than 24, I think this was a worse year for Andy Abanz than it was in 2024. And you’re asking why? That doesn’t make any sense. He hit better. His OPS dropped by about 100 points against left-handed pitching. Went from 802 to 714. The reason why his OPS went up is because he raised his OPS against right-handed pitching. It went from 407 to 507. I do not care about 407 to 507, literally at all. That’s just improving from like garbage to awful. Like that that that doesn’t do anything for me. He’s still not good against righties. He still does not hit them hardly ever. And Hinch is still not going to put him in the game against right-handed pitching. So like I I I don’t care. Like if it went from 600 to 700, then that would be a big deal. That’s like below average to average. That is a big, you know, improvement for his deployment and his usage and and when Hinch uses him and that’s like, okay, Andy Abanz can start against righties. 407 I just hit my mic. I’m so passionate about this for some reason. 407 to 507 just does nothing for me. He He is still nearly unplayable against right-handed pitchers and and does not get at bats against them because of that. It is certainly not worth his OPS against lefties going from well above average at 802 to just around average at 714. I would much rather he replicated what he did. I I’d rather I would legitimately rather his OPS was zero against righties if it meant that his lefty ops was like 900. That is where his value is. Now, in terms of the profile, we we know the drill at this point. This is we’re a couple years into the Andy Abany experience. Uh he doesn’t strike out very often. He plays solid defense, kind of all over the diamond. Uh played first base, second base, and third base this year. Um got some looks in the outfield in spring training. That didn’t really translate to anything. Uh I think he played an inning or two at short this year. Now, that was, you know, just lineup manipulation for hinch matchup ball, but still the fact that like that’s even everything. There you go. Uh, he can play all over and he was actually he was a plus defender this year. So, you have that going for you again for a team that really wants to cut down at strikeouts. He does not strike out very often. He also hit over 300 with runners in scoring position. All of those things have value, right? The team is trying to limit strikeouts. Andy does that. Uh he is a righty, which is a team need. The team is trying to add more right-handed hitters to this lineup. And uh the reason for that is because they want to hit lefties better. And he hits lefties well. Like I don’t know. I expect him to be back in 2026, at least for spring training. Um, but the drop off against left-handed pitching is concerning because that is kind of where all of his value resides, right? Like if he’s not hitting lefties, what is the the value that he is providing on a game-to-ame basis on the roster? Next to none. So, the second that he stops doing that on a consistent basis is when yeah, he he loses said value. So, um I don’t know. I I think he he probably makes it through the winter, although I wouldn’t be totally stunned and surprised if he didn’t. I I think that it might more so be a guy that makes it through the winter on the 40man still gets to spring training and then I don’t know, maybe spring training determines his future a little bit more. He’s also going to be 33 next year. Like I don’t know. It just it wouldn’t shock me if he made it through the winter then like if he did poorly against lefties in spring then he was one of those guys that’s cut or DFAD right before opening day. You know there’s always a big flurry of um DFAS right uh like two days before opening day after spring training ends. So maybe he’s something like that. Look like ultimately I’m I’m fine with him being on the team next year if they want. But my my biggest thing is just please improve the lineup to a point where he is not like batting two or three or four or lead off against lefties. Like I he is a good complimentary utility player. He should not be the star of your lineup when a lefty is on the mound, man. And if they do believe that the lefty production is going to continue dipping, then you know maybe he doesn’t make it through the winter. But I I I don’t need a guy whose ops was was 720 against left-handed pitching to be, you know, the cleanup hitter or or the two hitter in my lineup next year. I’m good on that. I think it’s time we we, you know, again, like if if he wants to hit seven or eight and be the the the platoon guy in the bottom half of the lineup, beautiful. Okay. Again, plus defender. He he’s he he he brings, you know, a decent amount to the team when he’s hitting lefties. Okay, I’m just repeating myself at this point, which I do all the time, and I apologize for that. I think that’s pretty much it. World Series starts tomorrow. It’ll be fun. We’ll talk about that a little bit more tomorrow. Thanks for making Lockdown Tigers, your first listen every single day. Shout out to the Everydayers that do tune in every day. We will of course be back on Friday with another show. After you make us your first listen, make Lockdown MLB Game Night your second listen every game every night until a World Series champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on Lockdown MLB YouTube if you want to see it while they’re literally live or wherever you get your podcasts. Peace and love. Going to therapy is dope and I’ll catch youall tomorrow, baby. Go Tigers.

Today we discuss the future of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. We also talk about Tony Vitello and breakdown Andy Ibáñez’s 2025 season for the Detroit Tigers.

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