2026 MLB Thread

[Uncle Rico]

Shohei is the best fielder in the outfield in baseball

[Billy Hoyle]

I'm not ashamed to admit I owned a "Motre Bame" Brewers cap. I bought it in 1994 before I came to MU from out of state.

https://x.com/sportslogosnet/status/2080664550227984761

[cheebs09]

I'm not ashamed to admit I owned a "Motre Bame" Brewers cap. I bought it in 1994 before I came to MU from out of state.

https://x.com/sportslogosnet/status/2080664550227984761

I own one and still wear it. It keeps me humble.

[Shaka Shart]

Shohei is the best fielder in the outfield in baseball

Does that mean he can get the nice Fwar positional adjustment now which is the only statistic that matters?

[tower912]

If/when Detroit has their fire sale and you wonder why...
Bullpen, 21 saves, 24 blown saves.
Carpenter, Torkelson, Vierling, McKinstry all hitting <.210

[MuggsyB]

Misiorowski struck out 11 out of 12 today to start the game today.  That hasn't happened since 1920. 

[Uncle Rico]

If/when Detroit has their fire sale and you wonder why...
Bullpen, 21 saves, 24 blown saves.
Carpenter, Torkelson, Vierling, McKinstry all hitting <.210

American League is so bad, a hot 60-day stretch and you could make the playoffs going away.  With the Red Sox surge, they're almost certainly not selling now.

Detroit should sell.  Bullpen isn't good enough and the lineup is bad.  But selling this year really could set them up for the following 2-3 seasons since the market is so constricted.

[tower912]

Being me, I can make either case.  Detroit has certainly showed the ability to get hot for two months, with most of the current roster.  AND, Jobe is about ready to return and I can see him becoming a weapon out of the pen.

However, too many injuries, too much poor hitting, and too many blown saves.  Trade Skubal, plan on signing Mize, stock up on pitchers on the cusp of being ready and a right handed hitting center fielder. 

My prediction for what they actually do changes daily.

[Jockey]

Misiorowski struck out 11 out of 12 today to start the game today.  That hasn't happened since 1920. 

He sucked. ERA went up.

[Pakuni]

Being me, I can make either case.  Detroit has certainly showed the ability to get hot for two months, with most of the current roster.  AND, Jobe is about ready to return and I can see him becoming a weapon out of the pen.

However, too many injuries, too much poor hitting, and too many blown saves.  Trade Skubal, plan on signing Mize, stock up on pitchers on the cusp of being ready and a right handed hitting center fielder. 

My prediction for what they actually do changes daily.

They've inexplicably passed on chances to lock up Skubal the past two offseasons. Doing anything but trading him now would be malpratice. They should consider themselves lucky he came back and pitched this year so they could still get some assets for him.

[tower912]

They've inexplicably passed on chances to lock up Skubal the past two offseasons. Doing anything but trading him now would be malpratice. They should consider themselves lucky he came back and pitched this year so they could still get some assets for him.

Skubal forfeited any sympathy from me when he disclosed he was having elbow discomfort in January but hid it due to his arbitration hearing.

I said last November it would take an established starter, the best pitching prospect a team had, and a right-handed hitting CF to get Skubal. That doesn't feel far off, though substituting a closer with a team controlled contract may be sustituted for the established starter.

At this moment, I feel like they go all in and buy.  That opinion might change after a decent belch.

(Belches)

[Pakuni]

Skubal forfeited any sympathy from me when he disclosed he was having elbow discomfort in January but hid it due to his arbitration hearing.

I said last November it would take an established starter, the best pitching prospect a team had, and a right-handed hitting CF to get Skubal. That doesn't feel far off, though substituting a closer with a team controlled contract may be sustituted for the established starter.

At this moment, I feel like they go all in and buy.  That opinion might change after a decent belch.

(Belches)

Good for the Tigers if they can get that kind of return, but that's a big ask for a guy most teams will view as a rental.
The Athletic did a story last week on realistic returns for some of the players that might get dealt and said the Tigers should expect a top 25-50 prospect, another good prospect and a flier.
They comped it to their trade of David Price in 2015, which brought back Daniel Norris (top 25 prospect in baseball at the time), Matthew Boyd (Blue Jays #22 prospect at the time) and Jairo Labourt (Blue Jays #13 prospect at the time).
Anything can happen, but it would be a surprise if a team acquiring Skubal would give up multiple roster players for him.

[tower912]

Well, considering I speculated one established major league pitcher (starter or reliever), a top pitching prospect, and a right-handed hitting CF (unspecified) we aren't that far apart.

I don't know if they are going to trade him.   The worst thing they can do now is give him away.

[tower912]

Choice is a gamble.   Keep him, buy at the deadline, go all in, gamble.  Trade him, get an appropriate haul, gamble.