Free Agency Begins For The Tigers | The Valenti Show with Rico

Free Agency Begins For The Tigers | The Valenti Show with Rico

That was a great update. Who Who was that supposed to be? Kenny, we’re having system issues back here. That was supposed to be a Shabbat. Is the system issue oper an operator issue? Things happened overnight this morning. Okay, let’s let’s get into it. Right, guys? It’s the beginning of free agency. Oh, that’s right. Uh, Tigers off season begins today. And I want I I think there is so much to unpack. And I guess I failed miserably yesterday because we we had full phone lines and great engagement, but it was all Brad Holmes and no matter how much I brought up Scott Harris. No, no, no. You I I don’t think you failed. I think it was just it was the recency of I I was expecting this. It was it was the day after Christmas and you’re already trying to pedal Easter. H let’s just deal with Christmas and why I didn’t get the gifts that I wanted. It’s okay. I like that. Well, today marks a critical off season for your Detroit Tigers. And I do think it’s a critical offseason for Scott Harris’s approval rating because you’re faced with kind of two conflicting things. Meaning, you may start this off season by trading Sai Young. That’s never a good thing. Like that’s that’s that’s not a good starting that’s not a great place to start. How and and it might be right for the organization. Let’s be clear. But on the other side of it, I think fans have had just about enough of Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill and Moneyball garbage. You’re right. What about Ring Cone? Dumbasski’s online, too. I think they’ve had enough of matchup mania. I think people want ball players. Now, you can maintain roster flexibility. You can maintain a matchup centric approach, but when push comes to shove, you need some dogs. You need some guys who are going to get up to the plate and do big boy things. You can even maintain some spots for the young guys we’ve been waiting for that maybe one, two, make it up here next season. Yeah. I mean, McGonagal should be your second baseman, period. Why? He’s got nothing left to prove at the minor leagues. I don’t want to hear anything. You know what? I agree. But don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll manipulate his service time. Um, bring him up in uh June. Now, now look, here’s what I want to ask you because Rico, you’ve got a an interesting thing here. You know, when you look at the Tigers, where do you stand on the scoo thing? Basically, you’ve got from now until the winter meetings, winter meetings are essentially a month away, December 7th through the 10th. you keeping Scooble and spending around him or are you trading Scooble and spending the money you would have paid him? Because I’ll tell you this, if they trade Scoo and they are not active in free agency in a big way, this fan base will revolt. Mhm. They will. Cuz I don’t think at that point you can really sell McGonagal or Clark or anybody and the fans will be like, “Oh, cool. You could sell it to the nerds.” You would. There’s a weirdo baseball community that this team can do no wrong. You can sell it to them. Yeah, but I don’t think you’re going to sell it to the Daiquiri crowd. They they they want some names. Yes. The nerds would be like, “Yeah, you just wait and see. In a few years, this guy’s going to be something.” I mean, it’s like if the winter meetings could be now and at least you would know, okay, he’s gone. I think we got to spend the money. I think they know now. Just cuz the deal’s not executed, they they know what their fate is. And again, I’m I’m not going to stand here and say they should spend $400 million. I don’t think it’s a appropriate thing to do and I don’t think you have the type of payroll to carry a pitcher making 40 plus mil a year. Like even if you were 200 million, which you’re not. You only have 97 million committed. Rico, it it it it’s it’s it might Yes, it makes sense on paper, but the optic says, “Well, you’re too cheap to keep your backtoback Sai Young Pitcher.” That’s why you answer for it by being active in free agency, really bolstering this lineup and supporting the next wave of pitchers that you have. See, look, this is what I want to ask. I have the the top 50 free agents and what their projected contract would be. You can’t take it as gospel, but what this is going to serve as, I think, is going to be a sobering wakeup call for people. Meaning, look, I have said from the beginning, your most effective way to acquire real talent that is not egregiously overpriced and might have term is trades. You weaponize the prospects. Franchises that roster bait don’t really get anywhere. Okay? You you have to because again if you hold on to your own stuff too long, you end up with Jackson Holiday. You end up with Kobe Mayo. You end up with these players and you go, “Wait, but you were supposed to be special.” On the other side of it, you can get an Adley Rutman. Yes, he stunk this year. The point is, you’re not you can’t view it. Everyone’s going to work out. Your best thing you can do is weaponize your prospects. You’re never moving a McGonagal. It’s a non-starter. He’s coming up. He’s playing second base. I’m good with it. Okay. You want to protect Max Clark, I’m also good with that. Anything beyond those two, I’m willing to listen. That doesn’t mean I’m running to the altar to trade to Bryce Reneer at short. It doesn’t mean I’m trading both my young catchers and Loronzo and Brouseno. No, but you have to be willing to give to get. But but you have Dingler. You can go ahead and part with at least one. Well, especially when both your catching prospects are hit first, guys. So yes, I agree with you. So here’s my thing. I you can pick names. I can go down this list, but I want to show people is the the hybrid model of if they’re trading scoo and primarily you’re getting prospects. Do I think you would get a major league player? Yes. But what we don’t need is more prospects. You take some of the hall and acquire a star and then you plant your flag in the free agent market and you acquire the other star. Two right-handed bats. Now, I also as we start the off season, you’ve al I think I know where you’re going, but go ahead. I believe it would be in the best interest of the organization to at least explore in a serious manner the return value on either, not both, Carrie Carpenter or Riley Green. Why? Not just because they’re both left-handed. They’re the same player. And I don’t think you need both. And honestly, I think Riley could be the one because he needs fixing. I can’t deal with the lack of contact. I can’t deal with a guy who doesn’t run. I can’t deal with a guy who was largely unplayable late in the year. Why not see what that’s worth? Cuz you’ll be surprised somebody will pay. I want to know where you’re at with it. Let’s focus for just this moment in time. Can I get Tiger fans to unite? Where are you at with the scoo situation? And where are you at with your free agency demands from this team? And how much of where you’re at, is Scott Harris’s approval rating on the line? That if they don’t do this right, it could be a heel turn for you. And if they do it right, well, all of a sudden, the Tigers could approach Lion’s level of of heroism. Yeah. 2485399797. Is there a player you have in mind? Like if I said to you right-handed bat, you want me to bring up a player that Well, I mean, we’ve been talking about uh Bo Bashette. So, yeah. Um he’s And again, he can say he wants to be back in Toronto, but like Bett is right-handed bat, high contact guy. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a 30 run home hit 30 home run hitter again. Uh and again, he doesn’t run anymore, but he he makes contact, he gets on base, and he’s 28 years old, opening day of 26. 5 years, 130 million. To me, that’s a no-brainer. He plays short. McGonagal plays second. We’re good up the middle. We’re set. And I’m not telling you Bett’s a highle defensive player, but I’m also not ready to just park him at DH. Okay, like other other players that are really interesting is is like, okay, take a look at like Pete Alonzo. Now again, Pete Alonzo is going to strike out a ton, but he’ll hit 50 home runs and he’s a player to be feared. Fair four at 110. That’s it. 27.5 a year. The idea is if I don’t spend 40 for just Scooble, but I’m willing to spend 50 on two players that are everyday guys in the lineup over the course of 1,200 at bats, I’m better for it. So, I want to know where you’re at. And the scoo thing is just what do you want to do? Because I I just will I I am approaching shock if they keep him. Now, if you keep him for the year and you want to go all in around him, that was Rico’s plan a month ago. I didn’t laugh at it then. I’m not laughing at it now. But that’s up to you guys. I I I’m willing with that. I’m a firmer opinion. You just trade him and you move because I I I don’t think that um Scott Harris’s approval rating would just plummet. Even though it’s smart, if Scoo’s not on this roster and he’s playing for the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, somebody else, it’s it’s he’s going to be a bump. People just will turn on him and be like, “We couldn’t keep our guy. Why didn’t you pay him?” Well, it wasn’t fiscally responsible. I don’t care. He was our guy. He was our hero. He was our pitcher. But I’m with you. I think it’s if you can make that money up and spend it in other places and maybe make up for the lack of schoolable guaranteed victories by just outscoring people, right? You may have something here. Well, how is it any different than what the Yankees did? They lost Juan Sodto and Juan Sodto turned into Max Freed. It turned into Devin Williams and it turned into Cody Bellinger. It did. the money you were going to allocate ended up with those guys. It’s the same principle. So, do you think that they would have to go out and get an arm and not just two bats? I mean, you could, but as you look at it, you you do have Casey Mai, you do have Meltton, you do have Olsen, you are stuck with Jack Flity for 20 million bucks. Um, you would get somebody and Job eventually will come back as a part of the core of this team. But Rico, all I’m trying to say is this off season’s very important for the Tigers to show that they are serious about more than waiting. The free agency is never going to be the highest value. What I want is a bold trade and a bold signing. And that’s how you salary offset. The only way you’re getting players who have good contracts is through trade or even then in the trade, the other team has to pick up part of the tab to get better prospects. But how important is it for you, the fan, for the Tigers to get serious here? That that’s what I want to know. Last year it was, wow, they made an offer to Bregman. Okay, this year it’s important. You got to bring someone home. Do you go get Breman? You could. I’ll give you that contract projection next. If you like 2485399797, we’ll get with the people. We’ll get some ticket texts as well. 971

Do you believe that the Tigers will be “serious” this offseason? #tigers #mlb

Image Credit: USA Today