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Spencer Torkelson's All-Star Case + Mailbag · Tiger Territory: A Detroit Tigers Podcast

0:05
Speaker 1: Hey, Welcome into another episode Tiger Territory, part of the
0:08
Speaker 1: Foul Territory Network, a Tiger's podcast. I'm Kieren Seckley with
0:11
Speaker 1: me as always a man who's a writer, but his
0:14
Speaker 1: story remains unwritten.
0:16
Speaker 2: He is Cody Stevenagan.
0:19
Speaker 3: Doing good. I don't know what to make of that one.
0:21
Speaker 3: Excited to be on today, though, we are gonna continue
0:24
Speaker 3: our summer all star series, Little Spencer toorkles and talk
0:27
Speaker 3: and then thanks to everyone who submitted questions, a little
0:30
Speaker 3: bit of a mail bag episode coming your way as well.
0:33
Speaker 3: Guess what the people will know about They won't know
0:35
Speaker 3: about trades, the trade deadline. We're gonna talk about all
0:38
Speaker 3: that and more so. I think we're gonna have some
0:41
Speaker 3: fun in the next thirty minutes or so.
0:43
Speaker 2: Yeah.
0:44
Speaker 1: So we're not gonna comment about the game that happened
0:48
Speaker 1: Tuesday night, except man, what a game. I couldn't believe it, Cody,
0:51
Speaker 1: it was a very exciting game. I can't wait to
0:53
Speaker 1: talk about it Thursday. But we will talk about all
0:56
Speaker 1: the games on Thursday. Right now, we're gonna this Gus
1:02
Speaker 1: an issue, not even an issue, well it might become
1:04
Speaker 1: an issue, but a thing that on the on the
1:09
Speaker 1: chalkboard of possibilities for this Tiger season.
1:14
Speaker 2: Spencer Torkelsen All Star.
1:19
Speaker 1: The odds on that weren't that great, Cody. But here
1:22
Speaker 1: we are on June tenth, and Spencer Torgelsen is very
1:27
Speaker 1: much in the All Star conversation representing the Tigers and
1:32
Speaker 1: the American League. So before we get to all that,
1:38
Speaker 1: I did wanna kind of backtrack because it will come
1:42
Speaker 1: up and that's okay, that's okay. You put these things
1:45
Speaker 1: out there. You're responsible for your opinions. You're responsible for
1:48
Speaker 1: you right, what you say. So that's we're gonna we're
1:51
Speaker 1: gonna have ourselves a little bit of accountability. Speaking for
1:56
Speaker 1: myself and then Cody, you can go too. Spencer Torklsen's season,
2:01
Speaker 1: the fact that he even made the team was not
2:03
Speaker 1: something that we were heavily invested in being a thing.
2:09
Speaker 2: Why is that?
2:09
Speaker 1: Is it because you just flat out didn't believe in him? Well,
2:12
Speaker 1: he did have a little bit of a track record.
2:15
Speaker 1: I'll say this. The team signed Labor Torres and we're like, oh, okay,
2:23
Speaker 1: they signed Labor Torres.
2:24
Speaker 2: What's that gonna be? You know? Is that the third
2:26
Speaker 2: basement thing? Yeah? Blah blah, blah second base? What was
2:28
Speaker 2: I mean for Cold Keith?
2:29
Speaker 1: Certainly not somebody wh's got a lah, you know, pelts
2:32
Speaker 1: on the wall, and it's Scot Harris comes out and
2:34
Speaker 1: says that Cold Keith is gonna play first base, and
2:36
Speaker 1: Spencer Torkelsen is and this is closer to direct quote,
2:41
Speaker 1: gonna have a chance to make this team, and he's
2:46
Speaker 1: working very hard.
2:48
Speaker 2: Okay.
2:49
Speaker 1: To me, that kind of signals that the front office,
2:52
Speaker 1: while not giving up, has in pencil written the guy
2:58
Speaker 1: off a little bit. I think that that was how
3:02
Speaker 1: I interpreted everything in that moment. So therefore I'm assessing
3:07
Speaker 1: everything in my mind from that starting point, and I
3:12
Speaker 1: certainly was not dismissing the possibility. But when the team
3:16
Speaker 1: does this, it kind of reminds me of that famous
3:19
Speaker 1: Inside the NBA segment where Shaq was mad at Kenny
3:22
Speaker 1: for colling Dwight Howard Superman, and Kenny's like he had
3:25
Speaker 1: an S on his chest and a cape.
3:28
Speaker 2: What did you want me to call him? All right?
3:30
Speaker 2: Like the Tigers signed a guy and moved a guy.
3:35
Speaker 1: Into Specier Togolson's place, and at that time he was
3:39
Speaker 1: not a hit or worthy of an everyday DH role,
3:43
Speaker 1: not to mention the fact that AJ doesn't necessarily want
3:46
Speaker 1: an everyday DH role. So from that starting point, we I,
3:52
Speaker 1: I'll speak for myself, viewed Special Torgelson as an outsider
3:56
Speaker 1: in this roster construction, and he obviously hid his way
3:58
Speaker 1: onto the team. He obviously he has hit his way
4:01
Speaker 1: into All Star consideration. So I wanted to start the
4:04
Speaker 1: conversation that way, Like, if you the whole time one
4:10
Speaker 1: hundred percent believed in Spencer Tourglsen, no doubts, congratulations, like sincerely, congratulations,
4:17
Speaker 1: But it was just getting harder and harder and harder
4:20
Speaker 1: to justify that opinion. So if you stayed on Torgosen
4:23
Speaker 1: Island and you didn't sell any real estate there, congratulations.
4:27
Speaker 1: But for me, from what the Tigers were doing, I
4:30
Speaker 1: just couldn't stay there that long. And I'm glad to
4:34
Speaker 1: be where we're at today talking about Torgosen this way.
4:38
Speaker 1: And I did not expect it, but the Tigers didn't either.
4:43
Speaker 2: That's why they made.
4:44
Speaker 1: The moves that they did and constructed the roster they did,
4:47
Speaker 1: and thank god it worked out the way it did.
4:49
Speaker 1: As of right now, forty plus wins in early gym.
4:52
Speaker 1: So that's that's my piece of it, Cody, what would
4:54
Speaker 1: be your piece of it?
4:56
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, that's that pretty much covers it. I
4:58
Speaker 3: don't know that I have a tongue to say. Obviously
5:01
Speaker 3: I was wrong, like a lot of people regarding Spencer
5:04
Speaker 3: Torklesin and his impact and his place on this team.
5:07
Speaker 3: I was wrong, kind of like the Tigers were wrong
5:09
Speaker 3: when they seemed prepared to push him off at first base.
5:12
Speaker 3: And now he's your everyday first baseman. Again, that's great, man,
5:17
Speaker 3: Kudos to to work. It's great. It's an awesome story.
5:19
Speaker 3: You know, it doesn't always have to be about who's
5:21
Speaker 3: right or wrong. We were never anti Spencer torkle Sin
5:25
Speaker 3: in terms of like hating one him or whatever, but
5:30
Speaker 3: just using our brains. And they were thirteen fourteen hundred
5:34
Speaker 3: Major League played appearances of data points that suggested he
5:37
Speaker 3: wasn't going to be a reliable option and if you
5:40
Speaker 3: were serious about making the playoffs in twenty twenty five,
5:42
Speaker 3: you need to bring in something else. And they actually
5:45
Speaker 3: did that. The Tigers agreed now they they did in
5:51
Speaker 3: spring string. I was skeptical this whole well, he could
5:53
Speaker 3: actually make our roster. I was like, really right handed
5:56
Speaker 3: only first basement, how is that going to work. I
6:00
Speaker 3: was really wrong, was thinking him experimenting in the outfield
6:03
Speaker 3: was again a single inning out there. But part of
6:07
Speaker 3: this is because he's hit so well, And it's worth
6:09
Speaker 3: noting Keith got off to a slow start that he
6:13
Speaker 3: very quickly reclaimed basically your everyday first base role. Made
6:18
Speaker 3: a lot of those off season conversations irrelevant. But yeah,
6:22
Speaker 3: if it makes anyone feel better for me to say
6:23
Speaker 3: it was wrong, Like obviously I was wrong and most
6:26
Speaker 3: people were wrong. I'm just like, it's a great story.
6:30
Speaker 3: Good for Tork for being able to overcome the amount
6:33
Speaker 3: of diversity, ensure that the doubters and the media and
6:37
Speaker 3: the public and whatever. Honestly, it's a testament to him
6:42
Speaker 3: for putting in the work, for staying strong, for believing
6:45
Speaker 3: in himself. Here we are now talking about could he
6:47
Speaker 3: be an ulcer?
6:49
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's not just like like you said, it's
6:53
Speaker 1: not just that you know the data points. I never
6:57
Speaker 1: used the term bust. I don't believe dirty home run
6:59
Speaker 1: guys are us, you.
7:00
Speaker 3: Know, like to label anyone a bust.
7:03
Speaker 1: But the way you phrased it was like reliable everyday player,
7:07
Speaker 1: and that's exactly what the concerns were, Now he's hell reliable.
7:11
Speaker 1: If you just go look at his baseball savant page,
7:14
Speaker 1: batting run value eighty two percent tile base running value
7:20
Speaker 1: seventy three percent tile based running run value seventy three
7:23
Speaker 1: percent tile on on baseball savant And if you look
7:28
Speaker 1: at his batting profile, it's a whole lot of red. Cody,
7:32
Speaker 1: whole lot of red eighty three percent, tile expected OHBA
7:36
Speaker 1: exit velocity seventy eight, expected slugging eighty nine, barrel eighty seven,
7:42
Speaker 1: sweet spot ninety, chase eighty eight, walks based on ball
7:47
Speaker 1: percentage eighty four. Like he is doing damage at the play.
7:51
Speaker 1: He's not just being reliable, he is doing damage. And
7:57
Speaker 1: two thirty seven, we all knew that that average when
7:59
Speaker 1: it was up at the beginning of the year was
8:01
Speaker 1: not like sustainable or whatever. But it's come down to,
8:06
Speaker 1: I think where we would say is a nice little
8:09
Speaker 1: cushion area for him. He does lead American League First
8:13
Speaker 1: Basement and slugging with a nice five and a fifteen
8:20
Speaker 1: runs forty five RBIs that also leads American League First
8:23
Speaker 1: Basement fourth in the AL overall both of those categories,
8:27
Speaker 1: and he's also second. I mentioned the walks earlier. He's
8:29
Speaker 1: also second in based on balls among American League first
8:34
Speaker 1: basement with thirty three and he has one hundred one
8:37
Speaker 1: to thirty four w RC plus as well. And I
8:39
Speaker 1: mentioned the walk thing because that's another stuff that we
8:41
Speaker 1: don't talk about enough. I just give myself criticism, so
8:45
Speaker 1: I might to my own home for a second. That
8:48
Speaker 1: was the first thing I was looking for when he
8:50
Speaker 1: came back last year is how is he at the plate?
8:53
Speaker 1: Does he see the ball better? He was taking more
8:56
Speaker 1: walks at a way higher clip than he had, you know,
8:59
Speaker 1: prior to being in said down to Toledo, and that
9:01
Speaker 1: has continued this year with his new stance and load
9:06
Speaker 1: mechanism whatever you want to call it. So like, in
9:09
Speaker 1: addition to just like hitting the ball and hitting the
9:11
Speaker 1: ball hard, he's also seeing it a lot better. He's
9:15
Speaker 1: you know, not like the crazy statement on the planet,
9:18
Speaker 1: but he's as well rounded a hitter as we've ever
9:20
Speaker 1: seen Spencer Torkelsen.
9:22
Speaker 2: And while also.
9:23
Speaker 1: Having like literally among league leader counting numbers, metrics counting numbers,
9:30
Speaker 1: they all love Specer Torkelsen so far this year.
9:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm glad you brought up the walks. Karen it's
9:36
Speaker 3: it is interesting to think two thirty seven batting average
9:39
Speaker 3: that is currently Spencer Torkelson's career high. He got so
9:43
Speaker 3: much love in twenty twenty three when he had the
9:45
Speaker 3: thirty one homers, but again, the overall profile wasn't I mean,
9:50
Speaker 3: he had a one oh eight WRC plus he was
9:52
Speaker 3: slightly better than league average because he hit two thirty
9:55
Speaker 3: three and he only had a three thirteen one base percentage. Honestly,
9:59
Speaker 3: that's not a high enough on base percentage to really
10:03
Speaker 3: be a true middle of the order threat, even if
10:06
Speaker 3: you're leaving the ballpark. You know, every good at a
10:09
Speaker 3: good clip. The walk rate was nine percent that year.
10:12
Speaker 3: This rate, it's up to twelve point three percent. He's
10:14
Speaker 3: getting on base at a three forty two clip, and
10:18
Speaker 3: the power is there, and I think that's really what's
10:20
Speaker 3: making him more of a presence, Like he's doing more
10:25
Speaker 3: than just connecting and hitting a homer every now and then.
10:28
Speaker 3: He's reliably getting on base. I think that. I mean,
10:32
Speaker 3: obviously the homers are nice too, right, The homards are
10:34
Speaker 3: probably why we're really having this discussion. But when there
10:37
Speaker 3: are you know, there there's peripheral data in terms of
10:40
Speaker 3: this hard hit rate. All that there's on base numbers
10:42
Speaker 3: just makes you feel better. That's kind of why we
10:47
Speaker 3: are having this discussion now. I think the interesting thing
10:50
Speaker 3: Karan is he actually gonna make the All Star Game.
10:53
Speaker 3: I don't know, I'm a little I think. I think
10:57
Speaker 3: Tigers fans, if you want to see your boys work
11:00
Speaker 3: in the All Star Game, you'll have to get on
11:02
Speaker 3: there and run up the vote total. Because you got
11:05
Speaker 3: Vlad Junior, who's Lad Junior, and you got Paul gold Schmidt,
11:10
Speaker 3: who happens to be a New York Yankee doing well.
11:13
Speaker 3: Torglsen is outpacing all of them in terms of homers,
11:18
Speaker 3: in terms of power, but you know, you look at
11:21
Speaker 3: fangrafts War he's sixth among ale first basement right now.
11:27
Speaker 3: He is kind of in this bucket with some other
11:30
Speaker 3: guys Jonathan Randa of Any Pasquentino, Tyler Soderstrom, who I
11:34
Speaker 3: don't know where are meriting the same All Star hype.
11:39
Speaker 3: It toworks power numbers in a way set them apart.
11:42
Speaker 3: But especially when I look at Vlad and gold Schmidt,
11:45
Speaker 3: it's gonna be probably hard. I would think to get
11:47
Speaker 3: three first basement on there might take some good fortune
11:51
Speaker 3: might take some help from the fan vote to actually
11:53
Speaker 3: get one that all star roster.
11:57
Speaker 1: Well, he's gonna have to continue to do one specific
11:59
Speaker 1: thing that will help propel him even further of a case.
12:04
Speaker 1: And I'll get to that in a second.
12:05
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Speaker 1: All right, coming back here, Hitting a baseball is kind
13:15
Speaker 1: of one of those things that's like very easily said,
13:18
Speaker 1: very hard done, all right, And the thing that plagued
13:23
Speaker 1: Spencer Torkelsen his entire career up until this season was
13:28
Speaker 1: his inability to hit the four seam fastball. If you
13:31
Speaker 1: can't hit the four seam fastball, you're you're at a
13:35
Speaker 1: severe disadvantage at the plate, like automatically, right, So what
13:39
Speaker 1: do I mean by that?
13:40
Speaker 2: Last season? Last season, Spencer Torkalsen.
13:42
Speaker 1: Hit only two twenty six on four seam fastballs with
13:47
Speaker 1: a four to four to one slugging percentage. Baseball Savant
13:51
Speaker 1: had that as a negative one run value.
13:55
Speaker 2: All right, Well what's he doing this year? How about
13:58
Speaker 2: three point thirty nine? How's that do for you? Cody?
14:01
Speaker 1: With a six' ten slug and seven run value For
14:06
Speaker 1: Spencer torgelsen against the four seam. Fastball, okay the overall.
14:11
Speaker 1: Numbers we just saw examples this past weekend In. Chicago On,
14:17
Speaker 1: friday he had a liner probably was a double without
14:21
Speaker 1: being played so well in left, field but a liner
14:24
Speaker 1: single ninety seven mile an hour. Fastball his home run On,
14:27
Speaker 1: friday ninety seven mile an hour. Fastball sunday's double that
14:33
Speaker 1: got the got the got the series, win going ninety
14:37
Speaker 1: eight mile an hour, Fastball and really that's a home
14:40
Speaker 1: run in like what twenty parks like he crushed that,
14:42
Speaker 1: ball all, Right so that's him using all fields and
14:48
Speaker 1: and you know both you, know both halves of the
14:52
Speaker 1: plate with you, know with the fastball thrown to him
14:54
Speaker 1: and destroying, them destroying them and also key.
14:58
Speaker 2: Situations keep in.
15:00
Speaker 1: Mind, too we were we're not sure we were gonna
15:03
Speaker 1: do this episode because he had kind of gone on
15:06
Speaker 1: like the previous two series had not gone well for.
15:08
Speaker 1: Him he was only three of twenty three Against Kansas
15:11
Speaker 1: city in The White, Sox so it was, like is you,
15:13
Speaker 1: know is this the kind of the beginning of the
15:15
Speaker 1: slide was a real, concern And Spencer torgelsen had himself
15:21
Speaker 1: a crucial and highly Productive those weren't empty calorie you,
15:27
Speaker 1: know hits and and and runs driven in had himself
15:31
Speaker 1: a productive and crucial weekend In chicago that kind of
15:36
Speaker 1: brought this conversation a little bit back into the forefront
15:40
Speaker 1: of its. Validity so Like Spencer torgelsen bastball like he's
15:45
Speaker 1: on it more than he's been in his entire. Career
15:48
Speaker 1: and the REASON i bring this up is that people
15:50
Speaker 1: who don't watch The tigers every day are gonna, say,
15:53
Speaker 1: like all, right, well he's got fifteen home. Runs you,
15:57
Speaker 1: know maybe he's quote taking advantage of, mistakes more like
16:00
Speaker 1: he's just hitting more hangars or. Whatever dorms has always
16:04
Speaker 1: been able to get a hold of a. Hanger that's
16:07
Speaker 1: probably all ten or whatever of his home runs in
16:09
Speaker 1: twenty twenty. Four this, year he's doing damage on just
16:14
Speaker 1: on the pitches that guys are trying to get by,
16:17
Speaker 1: him not something that they are trying to fool. Him
16:20
Speaker 1: AND i think that's if you want to point to one,
16:22
Speaker 1: THING i think that's the biggest thing with him this.
16:26
Speaker 3: Year, YEAH i would imagine his success hitting the fastball
16:30
Speaker 3: is closely related to look at his run value in
16:33
Speaker 3: the heart of the. Plate last year there was negative.
16:35
Speaker 3: Six the weirdest thing Watching Spencer torklsen was the amount
16:39
Speaker 3: of often fastballs middle middle that he would foul. Off
16:43
Speaker 3: he was, late the timing just wasn't. There, well now
16:46
Speaker 3: he's plus one over the heart of the. Play he's
16:48
Speaker 3: got six homers on. FASTBALLS i think there's probably a
16:52
Speaker 3: pretty potent link between those two. Things when he's getting
16:55
Speaker 3: the fastball and it's in hitable, location he's not missing,
16:59
Speaker 3: it nears off and he's not fouling good off nears.
17:01
Speaker 3: Often that's the mark of a good.
17:03
Speaker 1: Hitter, yeah AND i know he and we'll kind of
17:07
Speaker 1: tie a bow on it a little.
17:09
Speaker 2: Bit another one.
17:11
Speaker 1: Of those contrary things that you look, at like the advanced.
17:14
Speaker 1: METRICS i said that his base running run values into
17:17
Speaker 1: seventy three percentile in. Baseball his sprints speed's only twenty.
17:22
Speaker 1: Eight so he's he's base running. Low, YEAH i mean
17:27
Speaker 1: he's but he's smartly running the. Bases that that's the
17:32
Speaker 1: only way you can describe.
17:33
Speaker 2: That and then look the.
17:35
Speaker 1: Defense the the the eye test with a lot of
17:39
Speaker 1: the highlight eye tests versus the metrics has always been
17:43
Speaker 1: a thing With Spencer, torgelsen but Again Friday, friday he
17:47
Speaker 1: bailed out the infield on Several earth this past, WEEKEND
17:50
Speaker 1: i should say he bailed out the infield on several
17:53
Speaker 1: occasions with some you, know high difficulty scoops at first base.
17:58
Speaker 2: And the whole one to one pick kind of counted.
18:06
Speaker 1: Out if you're SOMEONE i mean you're a, WRITER i
18:08
Speaker 1: know you like stories like like if you're someone that
18:12
Speaker 1: like likes a good story in terms of like this
18:14
Speaker 1: guy making his first Career All star appearance Special torcalsen
18:18
Speaker 1: is going to be highly up there amongst the guys
18:21
Speaker 1: that would be considered for a. Spot you, know LIKE i,
18:23
Speaker 1: said as everybody else counted, out his position given, away
18:28
Speaker 1: comes back and is having a career, year and and
18:31
Speaker 1: so that narrative, works the highlight plays at first, work
18:34
Speaker 1: AND i JUST i just feel like there's a lot
18:37
Speaker 1: going for.
18:37
Speaker 2: Him you you gave the good.
18:39
Speaker 1: Stuff that's like the things that might be working against
18:41
Speaker 1: him that are kind of that are outside of his,
18:43
Speaker 1: control but there's a lot that is going for him
18:47
Speaker 1: and will Justify All star. Status and, look if he
18:50
Speaker 1: doesn't make, It i'll say this as someone who looks
18:53
Speaker 1: at you, know yearly archives on a regular.
18:56
Speaker 2: Basis he's on pace right now to.
18:59
Speaker 1: Be like, wait, wait hold, on he wasn't An All
19:02
Speaker 1: star in twenty twenty, five you, know so like, so
19:06
Speaker 1: like you look at the numbers and you look at
19:08
Speaker 1: the team. Stature that's also a part of it. Too
19:10
Speaker 1: team stature should play a part in all of these
19:13
Speaker 1: guys for The. Tigers but that's the main. Thing he's
19:16
Speaker 1: hitting at an excellent. Rate he has the great, story
19:19
Speaker 1: he has the county numbers and the, metrics and and
19:24
Speaker 1: he's a highlight. Player like the montage if they announced
19:27
Speaker 1: him to be An All star is gonna be a
19:29
Speaker 1: really fun. Montage and that in terms of like how
19:32
Speaker 1: we think of, it that counts for something.
19:34
Speaker 2: Too so.
19:37
Speaker 3: That's All i've. Got and you've done. It you have
19:39
Speaker 3: Explained Spencer turkelsen as well as it can be.
19:42
Speaker 2: Done, yeah put that on my.
19:45
Speaker 1: Resume uh all, right let's, uh let's go into the mail, Bag. Cody,
19:50
Speaker 1: uh let's let's start out with a fun. ONE i
19:53
Speaker 1: want to start out with a fun. One this was a,
19:54
Speaker 1: great great question From. Nick you talk About Specier, torrelsen
19:59
Speaker 1: get a little running the. Outfield how About Dylan? Dingler you,
20:03
Speaker 1: know is it possible that you could throw him in
20:06
Speaker 1: the outfield on occasion for those that may not remember he.
20:09
Speaker 1: Was it's not like he's played every single ending of
20:11
Speaker 1: his life at. Catcher he was an outfielder as. Well
20:14
Speaker 1: was he center, Field.
20:15
Speaker 2: CODY i can't.
20:16
Speaker 3: Remember, yeah so like so he has as an, adult
20:21
Speaker 3: he has played outfield at you, know high.
20:24
Speaker 1: Levels, Right so it's not the craziest thing in the.
20:26
Speaker 1: World we've Seen Eric hoss in the outfield before for
20:30
Speaker 1: The tigers when they you, know things were a little.
20:33
Speaker 1: Desperate the Way i'll answer this question is Number, one
20:38
Speaker 1: you're gonna want him behind the plate as much as
20:40
Speaker 1: possible because he's that effing good behind the plate right.
20:44
Speaker 1: Now Number, two that's really probably more it's probably gonna
20:48
Speaker 1: be a sign of something bad happening and something good,
20:53
Speaker 1: happening which is we ja Like Jake rogers like kind
20:56
Speaker 1: of gets the back going a little. Bit so as
20:59
Speaker 1: it's a fun, POSSIBILITY i definitely believe that something that
21:02
Speaker 1: Aj hinch, Like, YEAH i could probably do that IF
21:05
Speaker 1: i really wanted, to you, know like flex's managerial muscle
21:08
Speaker 1: like he likes to do on. Occasion BUT i feel
21:11
Speaker 1: like it'd probably be more of a bad.
21:13
Speaker 2: Thing than a good, thing is my.
21:16
Speaker 3: Thoughts, Yeah i'm gonna try to keep these answers short
21:19
Speaker 3: so we can get some more. Questions and my answer is,
21:23
Speaker 3: YES i can tell you for a fact it has
21:25
Speaker 3: almost happened this. YEAR i think it Was opening Day Dodger,
21:28
Speaker 3: stadium or at least one of those games IN. LA
21:31
Speaker 3: i think what it would take for this to happen
21:33
Speaker 3: now would be an off, day a DAY J rodgers is,
21:35
Speaker 3: starting The, tigers get into the, ninth the, tenth there's
21:40
Speaker 3: a big spot lefty on the. MOUND aj, decides, hey
21:44
Speaker 3: we just need the, Batman we just we just need
21:47
Speaker 3: the bat and he gets a pin hit, chance and,
21:51
Speaker 3: honestly he'd probably go up back out in the, field
21:53
Speaker 3: like if he doesn't succeed or, something or you, know
21:55
Speaker 3: maybe if it's an away, game and SO aj basically
21:59
Speaker 3: would have to roll dice from the bad and be, like,
22:01
Speaker 3: hey we'll figure out the defense. LATER i think that's
22:03
Speaker 3: probably the only situation would. Happen that's still kind of
22:06
Speaker 3: an unlikely situation to get, there especially now that yeat
22:09
Speaker 3: a couple of guys. Healthy, uh but not totally out
22:12
Speaker 3: of the realm of.
22:13
Speaker 1: Possibility all, Right, well let's stick to keep these things
22:17
Speaker 1: connected here for a second team, defense you, know any
22:21
Speaker 1: concerns with team defense that comes From David and at
22:25
Speaker 1: FIRST i was, LIKE i don't, know, man it feels
22:27
Speaker 1: like they play pretty good.
22:28
Speaker 2: Defense BUT i see where the QUEST i. SEE i see.
22:31
Speaker 1: Where he's going with that, though because again the metrics
22:34
Speaker 1: don't Like. Tork we talked about, that and If tork's
22:37
Speaker 1: not doing, it it's Cult, keith who, is you, know
22:39
Speaker 1: obviously very new and not getting a lot of opportunities
22:41
Speaker 1: because The tork's bad at first. Base labor has the
22:44
Speaker 1: defensive reputation and is graded out, negatively but like you,
22:48
Speaker 1: think everybody kind of likes what they see, there and
22:52
Speaker 1: Then Kerry carpenter does not grade out positively even though
22:56
Speaker 1: what we saw this past, Weekend so, LIKE i think
22:58
Speaker 1: they're THEY'RE i think it's a. Bout question is, like
23:01
Speaker 1: are there spots in the third base is kind of a.
23:03
Speaker 1: Rotation obviously there are spots where you could, say, LIKE
23:06
Speaker 1: i could see that being a, problem even though it
23:10
Speaker 1: has not shown itself to be.
23:12
Speaker 3: YET i think on the list of Things i'm worried,
23:15
Speaker 3: about this is really. Low The tigers are ay thing
23:17
Speaker 3: ninth in baseball right now in defensive runs saved one
23:21
Speaker 3: CONCERN i had going into the, season, like is this
23:23
Speaker 3: gonna be the worst defensive infield in all of? Baseball
23:26
Speaker 3: And torques eh Col keith whichever position you put him,
23:31
Speaker 3: At Glabor torres in a way not as bad AS i,
23:34
Speaker 3: thought but not a plus. Defender you've gotten pretty good
23:38
Speaker 3: defense on the left, side whether It's Indian, banyas whether it's,
23:41
Speaker 3: McKinstry Hobby sweeney's actually graded out, negative but like you
23:45
Speaker 3: still feel okay about him. THERE i think you're starting
23:48
Speaker 3: to see one of the reasons maybe The tigers didn't
23:50
Speaker 3: care all that much about infield. Defense they also position really.
23:53
Speaker 3: Well even on the, infield even in an era without,
23:56
Speaker 3: shifts they rank really high up. THERE i don't have
23:59
Speaker 3: that data in front of. Me they're able to get
24:01
Speaker 3: their guys in a good, position AND i think that's
24:03
Speaker 3: helping mitigate some of the defensive limitations in the. Infield the.
24:07
Speaker 3: Outfield Riley green's at least metric decline is really interesting to.
24:11
Speaker 3: Me probably really to do a speed and he's not
24:13
Speaker 3: getting as good as. Jumps but you just Got Parker meadows. Back,
24:16
Speaker 3: MAN i think you're going to be pretty well off
24:19
Speaker 3: in the outfield. Too you feel better about all this
24:21
Speaker 3: If Matt vierling's able to get back. Healthy but, No
24:24
Speaker 3: i'm not really concerned about the team.
24:26
Speaker 1: Defense all, Right and we'll get to more of your
24:29
Speaker 1: questions in a, Moment but first a word from our.
24:32
Speaker 4: SPONSORS i just want to, say Before Arena, club if
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25:05
Speaker 1: All, right next, question this will tie into pretty much
25:08
Speaker 1: what's on the minds of everybody else moving.
25:11
Speaker 2: Forward but we had a.
25:12
Speaker 1: Question about win total realistic win total. Projections that comes From.
25:17
Speaker 1: Nick he gave a ninety two to ninety six range
25:22
Speaker 1: as his, prediction so thank you for also giving a prediction.
25:25
Speaker 2: Yourself before the.
25:27
Speaker 1: SEASON i was in the eighty two to eighty, six
25:31
Speaker 1: like maybe get, lucky you, know not, lucky but you,
25:34
Speaker 1: know bounce around a little, bit you can get to.
25:36
Speaker 1: Ninety right, now The tigers Entering tuesday are on a
25:39
Speaker 1: one hundred and four win. Pace by the, way that's
25:42
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four win, total highest in franchise.
25:45
Speaker 2: History And.
25:48
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go a little higher, Mintay i'm gonna say
25:50
Speaker 1: they're gonna knock on the door of one hundred wins
25:53
Speaker 1: and could possibly get. It but the you, know but
25:57
Speaker 1: it's still very early and some things to go. Wrong
25:59
Speaker 1: BUT i think they're in the ninety six to one
26:01
Speaker 1: on one. Range that's my.
26:02
Speaker 3: ANSWER i think that's a pretty good, answer even though
26:06
Speaker 3: it's SOMETHING i feel way more like contrite about than
26:09
Speaker 3: my opinions. On Like Spincer tokelsen's place on the, team
26:12
Speaker 3: saying there wasn't a ninety win version of The. Tigers
26:14
Speaker 3: we're SAYING i didn't see a ninety win version of The.
26:16
Speaker 3: TIGERS i think there's a ninety plus win, team AND
26:20
Speaker 3: i woo And i'm a. Believer, Now fangrafts is still
26:26
Speaker 3: actually a little pessimistic picking The tigers finish with ninety
26:29
Speaker 3: three wins to play a five to twenty one clip
26:32
Speaker 3: from here. Out some of the harder parts of their
26:34
Speaker 3: schedule are already in the rear. View you have a
26:36
Speaker 3: chance to strengthen yourself with the trade. DEADLINE i think
26:40
Speaker 3: they can exceed ninety three to win one. Hundred you're
26:42
Speaker 3: gonna that's gonna have a really high, bar even if
26:46
Speaker 3: they add a. Bat we've seen the offense slow. Down
26:50
Speaker 3: i'm not sure there's like a top eight offense in.
26:53
Speaker 3: BASEBALL i don't know IF i quite buy that one,
26:56
Speaker 3: yet But i'm gonna. Go i'm gonna, say, DUDE i don't,
27:03
Speaker 3: know ninety five to ninety nine is could they win one?
27:07
Speaker 2: Hundred like they?
27:08
Speaker 3: Could i'm not saying they. Won't i'm, saying IF i
27:11
Speaker 3: had to pick, something go ninety five to ninety nine. Ones.
27:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, again it's like they're almost. Halfway they're, already so it's,
27:19
Speaker 1: like you, know, what what are you supposed to do about?
27:22
Speaker 3: It?
27:22
Speaker 1: Uh and for the record on, that they're on the
27:26
Speaker 1: back half of like fewest, games so like most games,
27:31
Speaker 1: whatever and how you flip it about like playing teams
27:34
Speaker 1: with above five hundred record right? Now and then they
27:37
Speaker 1: also lead the league this came out On. Monday they
27:40
Speaker 1: lead the league in the fewest blown. Leads so so
27:45
Speaker 1: that's you know that that's relevant for what we're about
27:47
Speaker 1: to talk, about and that's relevant for how they got
27:49
Speaker 1: here as. Well so let's let's get the overarching element
27:55
Speaker 1: with the trade deadline, Stuff, Cody this comes From nathan
28:00
Speaker 1: Does schoobl's influence and influence in terms of how he's
28:05
Speaker 1: playing and then influence with his contract situation under team
28:10
Speaker 1: control for obviously this year and then next season influenced
28:14
Speaker 1: The tigers. Approach my answer is it one hundred thousand million?
28:20
Speaker 1: Percent Should why AM i saying? That Because Scott harris
28:24
Speaker 1: has said from day one that he doesn't believe in
28:27
Speaker 1: quote number year. Plans So Scott, harris Mister, harris friend
28:34
Speaker 1: of the, podcast by the, way you have in front
28:38
Speaker 1: of you a potential one hundred win team with areas
28:43
Speaker 1: that can be improved and a window of some of
28:47
Speaker 1: the best pitching that this town has seen in quite
28:50
Speaker 1: some time and has has a chance to do something
28:55
Speaker 1: hardware wise that No tiger's pitcher has done since how Newser,
29:00
Speaker 1: right moving back to back say Uns so, yes you
29:05
Speaker 1: should one hundred percent look at this as a as
29:10
Speaker 1: sliding the chips into the middle of the. Table you
29:12
Speaker 1: don't even have to do it all for this, year
29:13
Speaker 1: but you can do it all for next. Year there
29:15
Speaker 1: are gonna be guys, available they're gonna be under contract
29:17
Speaker 1: for next season two that could help. You so my
29:20
Speaker 1: answer is it should will? IT i don't, know never
29:23
Speaker 1: seeing How Scott harris handles, this but.
29:25
Speaker 3: Should it's gonna be really interesting to learn How Scott
29:29
Speaker 3: harris navigates. THIS u trying to find the Theo epstein
29:33
Speaker 3: QUOTE i think from twenty. SIXTEEN i, COULD i couldn't
29:35
Speaker 3: find it on short, notice but he said something to
29:37
Speaker 3: the effect of like you're not promised another, chance you,
29:41
Speaker 3: Know AND i think that means he has to be,
29:44
Speaker 3: aggressive even the kind of outside Of. Schooble you. Know
29:48
Speaker 3: you just look at The Baltimore Orioles. Man they were
29:52
Speaker 3: supposed to be a budding. Dynasty they're. Terrible now think
29:56
Speaker 3: about The Chicago White, sox and they were supposed to
29:59
Speaker 3: be a budding jug or. Not they then became the
30:01
Speaker 3: worst team in baseball. History i'm not saying that's going
30:04
Speaker 3: to happen to The. Tigers they seemed set up for,
30:06
Speaker 3: SUCCESS i don't, know so did The. Orioles you do
30:09
Speaker 3: have the best picture in baseball on your, team you
30:12
Speaker 3: do have a lot more, talent but we don't know
30:14
Speaker 3: what twenty twenty eight is going to look. LIKE i
30:17
Speaker 3: think maybe that should scooble or. NOT i think that
30:21
Speaker 3: gives The tigers every reason to be pretty damn aggressive
30:24
Speaker 3: at this straight.
30:24
Speaker 1: Deadline little housekeeping, note there was no Cy Young award
30:30
Speaker 1: When hell knew how was doing his, thing but he
30:32
Speaker 1: went back to BACK, mvp so safe to say that
30:35
Speaker 1: he would have won The Cy young.
30:36
Speaker 2: TOO i think that's, fair, right that fair, SO.
30:39
Speaker 1: I BUT i was actually, Incorrect SO i wanted to
30:43
Speaker 1: hold myself accountable.
30:44
Speaker 2: There All, Right SO.
30:48
Speaker 1: I think this is the most fun. One, cody who's
30:54
Speaker 1: the highest ranked prospect you would give up in a. Trade,
30:58
Speaker 1: now obviously this is. Relative you would give up everybody
31:01
Speaker 1: in your system for say Like Juan, soto you, know
31:05
Speaker 1: like that that kind of.
31:06
Speaker 2: Thing Uh so we got understand.
31:09
Speaker 1: That but in terms of how these trades typically, Go
31:13
Speaker 1: i'm Gonna i'm gonna KINDA i am going to answer
31:17
Speaker 1: this the same but the same guy that has been
31:23
Speaker 1: kind of talked about a lot that The tigers love
31:25
Speaker 1: and like he's currently number six ON mlb. Pipeline how you,
31:30
Speaker 1: LEE i feel like that's gotta be the that's gotta
31:33
Speaker 1: be the, ceiling right, that like the High Hoyyu ling's
31:36
Speaker 1: gotta be the ceiling of of prospects that you'd be
31:39
Speaker 1: willing to give. Up and there's a version of how
31:43
Speaker 1: you lee that you're comfortable or comfortable giving. Up AND
31:45
Speaker 1: i know the ranking isn't, much BUT i really do
31:48
Speaker 1: think you can get something decent for a trade. Package
31:50
Speaker 1: that kind of centers On Max. Anderson Max anderson was
31:56
Speaker 1: my my prospect to watch coming into the.
31:58
Speaker 2: Year he's still only twenty three years. Old cody like
32:01
Speaker 2: he like the great.
32:03
Speaker 1: Year he's having a great year pulling up those stats right,
32:06
Speaker 1: now three thirty, five he's an eerie right, now he's
32:09
Speaker 1: got nine home, runs thirty SEVEN. Rbi so he's he's coming.
32:14
Speaker 1: On he's a guy that had a second round. Pick
32:17
Speaker 1: every front office is going to have a profile on.
32:20
Speaker 1: Him he could be like a HIGH u league type
32:23
Speaker 1: that could get you a starting pitcher or a high end,
32:26
Speaker 1: reliever as The tigers have been on the other end of.
32:29
Speaker 1: That so that's kind of like my prospect to watch
32:32
Speaker 1: in terms of talented that could get you. Something and
32:35
Speaker 1: THEN i Know logjams is kind of like, overused but
32:39
Speaker 1: you do kind of have a little bit of an Infielder.
32:41
Speaker 1: LOGJAM i think you'd be comfortable giving up someone Like
32:45
Speaker 1: Max anderson for a good major league piece in the
32:50
Speaker 1: in the in the short, Term that's my.
32:52
Speaker 3: Answer, yeah this is kind of WHERE i say it's
32:54
Speaker 3: going to be a little bit of a test For Scott.
32:55
Speaker 3: Harris you, know if you if number, one The Blue
32:58
Speaker 3: jays aren't out of, Contention but if you Want, bobashett
33:01
Speaker 3: a player of that, Stature i'm not sure The tigers
33:03
Speaker 3: do Because i'm not sure they would want to part
33:06
Speaker 3: with what is required to complete that sort of. Trade
33:09
Speaker 3: it would mean getting uncomfortable trading someone you don't want to.
33:13
Speaker 3: Trade maybe that how You lee type. Prospect i'm looking
33:18
Speaker 3: at this list AND i, Like i'm starting to see
33:21
Speaker 3: why executives are afraid to trade their talent Because i'm
33:24
Speaker 3: not Trading clark, McGonagall, Rayner, Arsenio. Loronzo. Uh MAYBE i
33:29
Speaker 3: would Trade, lee BUT i know how much of The
33:31
Speaker 3: tigers love. Him everyone you, Know Jase young is no
33:34
Speaker 3: longer prospect. Eligible everyone wants to Trade Jace. Young he
33:37
Speaker 3: is kind, OF i, think an expendable, part and maybe
33:40
Speaker 3: that's what you try to do, First Yong. Chridler here's
33:45
Speaker 3: a name Justin Henry malloy who we all, love but
33:49
Speaker 3: he's a little. Blocked BUT i think in the right
33:52
Speaker 3: organization you could really have a. Role could you get
33:55
Speaker 3: a team to bite on one of those guys would
33:57
Speaker 3: be a QUESTION i would. Have what about Jayden, ham
34:01
Speaker 3: seventh ranked player ON mlb. Pipeline you're a little bit
34:07
Speaker 3: thin actually pitching. Wise in the, System you've also shown
34:11
Speaker 3: you can maximize. Pitchers i'm not Sure jaydenham's stock is
34:16
Speaker 3: quite as high as it was coming into this, Year
34:18
Speaker 3: but if there's a team out there that likes, them
34:20
Speaker 3: would you make that move to get a real? Guy
34:24
Speaker 3: that's an interesting. One so, Yeah i'll draw the line
34:28
Speaker 3: after number six based on THE mlb pipeline List Max
34:32
Speaker 3: anderson all the way up to number thirteen from our re.
34:35
Speaker 3: Rank at our friends At tiger's minor league report they
34:39
Speaker 3: have Jaden ham at. Eight they do a great job over.
34:41
Speaker 3: There what About Isaac pacheco resurgent. Year could you get
34:46
Speaker 3: a team to buy in on that, hype sell high
34:49
Speaker 3: on a guy Like. Hi but, again we're always trying
34:51
Speaker 3: to move the guys we don't really, like and sometimes
34:54
Speaker 3: it's complete a big. Trade you have to move the
34:56
Speaker 3: guys you do, like and that's why it's.
34:58
Speaker 1: Hard yep and and and you always like it's like
35:06
Speaker 1: The catch twenty. Two you don't want to fall to
35:08
Speaker 1: in love with your, guys but you also you also
35:13
Speaker 1: just can't like try to give.
35:17
Speaker 2: Like spare parts away in order to like conferve the.
35:19
Speaker 2: Team so, uh let's let's let's wrap it up.
35:22
Speaker 1: Here he's batting lead off, Tonight Jami, jones you know
35:27
Speaker 1: how long we expect in case you missed our last,
35:30
Speaker 1: episode how much do you long to expect them to
35:32
Speaker 1: be In?
35:33
Speaker 2: Detroit?
35:34
Speaker 1: Uh the Way andy And banya has, STRUGGLED i. DON'T
35:37
Speaker 1: I i kind of think That jami gets a little
35:40
Speaker 1: bit of a run H. Cody On sunday you had said,
35:44
Speaker 1: that you, know you you anticipated a little bit shorter
35:47
Speaker 1: than than THAN. I so, uh, yeah he had any
35:50
Speaker 1: like change of opinion.
35:51
Speaker 2: On that OR i.
35:52
Speaker 3: DON'T i don't. KNOW i don't think they'd flip him
35:55
Speaker 3: For andy, again real, quick it's gonna be a few
35:57
Speaker 3: WEEKS i think For Andy. Uh the QUESTION i have
36:00
Speaker 3: Justin henry mLOY will be eligible out of the option
36:03
Speaker 3: cycle on the. Twelfth so at the end of This baltimore,
36:06
Speaker 3: series would they prefer mlloy For? Jones that's my. Question
36:12
Speaker 3: jones obviously does give you a little more personal positional.
36:15
Speaker 3: Versatility done, good and the very little we have seen
36:19
Speaker 3: of him getting a start Here tuesday, NIGHT i wouldn't
36:24
Speaker 3: be shocked they just ride it out with him a
36:25
Speaker 3: little bit.
36:25
Speaker 2: Longer, yeah WHAT I i just would really like to see.
36:31
Speaker 1: Them utilize that defensive versatility because he's starting.
36:35
Speaker 2: Today as we, said and he.
36:37
Speaker 3: Is i'm just Da so are they just going to
36:41
Speaker 3: bring Up Jay hennon two? Days If Jamai jones is
36:44
Speaker 3: ONLY i My jones he wrote about my love this.
36:46
Speaker 3: Guy if you're just using him AT, DH i think
36:49
Speaker 3: there's more upside IN JA i would.
36:52
Speaker 1: Agree so, so so, basically let's see some of that,
36:55
Speaker 1: Versatility let's see how he does in the, field spot
36:59
Speaker 1: opportunity he's at third or outfield or, whatever and then
37:02
Speaker 1: kind of figure out what you really what you what
37:04
Speaker 1: you got in him right?
37:06
Speaker 2: Now because it's you, know people it's.
37:08
Speaker 1: Not, yes he is a little, season but so Was
37:10
Speaker 1: andy when he came, here, Right so like that that
37:13
Speaker 1: that's all part of.
37:14
Speaker 2: It SO i. AGREE i agree with. That. UH i
37:18
Speaker 2: think we covered, Everything, cody that we get to. EVERYTHING i, MEAN.
37:22
Speaker 3: I mean that we we could always do, more BUT
37:24
Speaker 3: i think we are about out a.
37:25
Speaker 1: Time, yeah and the trade target, stuff, well well we'll
37:29
Speaker 1: do this again. Before we'll have another mail bag before
37:32
Speaker 1: the before the trade deadline for. Sure, Uh and at
37:35
Speaker 1: that time we might have a little bit more clear.
37:37
Speaker 1: Picture what we didn't talk about is that The American
37:39
Speaker 1: league is pretty bundled in a lot of places and
37:42
Speaker 1: that's going to affect how teams are at the trade.
37:45
Speaker 1: Deadline so hopefully by this time In, july we have
37:49
Speaker 1: a pretty good indicator of you, know who will be,
37:51
Speaker 1: selling who you know who would be open to selling at,
37:53
Speaker 1: least and as of right, now everyone's almost everybody still
37:57
Speaker 1: kind of. Believes so we'll see what happens from, there all.
38:03
Speaker 1: Right you follow us on x former known As twitter
38:05
Speaker 1: At Cody, Sapanhagen i'm At Kirano Score steckley Pot page
38:07
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