Avila should focus most of his resources into the minor system after this offseason.

[durtymrclean]

There is really no point in trying to upgrade the main roster through trades or free agents because the potential returns in investment is outweighed by the enormous risk in taking in more bloated contracts. Avila should instead focus on adding as much youth to the minor system over the next two seasons as he possibly can to mitigate the potential blow of losing both upton and martinez. The team is what it is at this point, good or bad, but the minor system could be upgraded significantly at little to no cost.

 

[sggatecl]

I wish I had something constructive to add but I don't think I could agree any more.

 

[tomdalton22]

There is really no point in trying to upgrade the main roster through trades or free agents because the potential returns in investment is outweighed by the enormous risk in taking in more bloated contracts. Avila should instead focus on adding as much youth to the minor system over the next two seasons as he possibly can to mitigate the potential blow of losing both upton and martinez. The team is what it is at this point, good or bad, but the minor system could be upgraded significantly at little to no cost.

how do you upgrade the minor league system at little or no cost?

 

[kalinecountry]

how do you upgrade the minor league system at little or no cost?

Maybe DMC means to draft better higher ceiling players and the lower costs has to do with the MLB slotting system that has a topped off amount for each round. Ex. say a round figure of 10 Million for the draft, if you give a bit more to one player, you try to get the next or future round at a slightly lower amount. What I wrote probably iosn't 100 % correct but the gist of it is.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Even if you look at this season, we still have our 1st rounder because it was protected. No 2nd or 3rd round picks. Can't turn around a ml system with one top ten pick.

I can't see the ml system improving as long as MI owns the team and/or making all the decisions.

 

[Rebbiv]

Assuming they continue their current progression, I am very much excited about Mike Gerber and Christin Stewart.

MLB Top 100 picks (where most MLB players get drafted)

DET
2010 = 4 (Castellanos still with Tigers, other 3 traded away)
2011 = 1 (McCann)
2012 = 1 (Thompson traded away)
2013 = 4 (2 traded away (for Soria), other 2 will not pan out)
2014 = 3 (Hill looks to be a bust. Greiner and Turnbull aren't looking too promising)
2015 = 4 too early, but looks promising

 

[JackCade]

Avila can sign players to minor league deals, do trades with other organizations for minor leaguers, he can send scouts to Asia and elsewhere to potentially find new talent, etc.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Avila can sign players to minor league deals, do trades with other organizations for minor leaguers, he can send scouts to Asia and elsewhere to potentially find new talent, etc.

Honestly, not sure why they haven't gone overseas. Japan, Cuba elsewhere.

 

[kalinecountry]

I would like to see Avila and Co. get more involved in the international market.
http://www.blessyouboys.com/2016/2/...lourdes-gurriel-rumors-international-signings
Tigers could make big splash on international free agent market in 2016.
bybtb

 

[Thumb]

There is really no point in trying to upgrade the main roster through trades or free agents because the potential returns in investment is outweighed by the enormous risk in taking in more bloated contracts. Avila should instead focus on adding as much youth to the minor system over the next two seasons as he possibly can to mitigate the potential blow of losing both upton and martinez. The team is what it is at this point, good or bad, but the minor system could be upgraded significantly at little to no cost.

This is my only real beef with the Upton signing. $22M a year and we still aren't contenders, or likely even as good as 2015 opening day.

We should be trying to save money and work on our minor league system so when we are serious contenders again, the money will be there to grab a top FA or two.

 

[durtymrclean]

You can also trade for picks as well. Not sure what an MLB draft pick is valued at, but I assume it isn't much since they are such crap shoots and you wont know what you got until at least 3 years after the pick was made.

 

[biggunsbob]

Didn't we pull out of Venezuela? Or was it another country down there.

 

[Mitchrapp]

You can also trade for picks as well. Not sure what an MLB draft pick is valued at, but I assume it isn't much since they are such crap shoots and you wont know what you got until at least 3 years after the pick was made.

Did they change the rules because you could never trade for picks before?

 

[Rebbiv]

Did they change the rules because you could never trade for picks before?

Not all draft picks are tradeable. It is just the picks awarded for Free Agent signing.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/35452042/

They also changed the fact that a player could not be traded in the first year after signing. They now can. They did it in the past by classifying them as "player to be named later". Bondermann was such a player.

 

[@Stakesarehigh]

I'd certainly be all for the Tigers going into sell mode at the all star break or next offseason if this version doesn't pan. It's definitely an all in approach.

 

[kalinecountry]

Didn't we pull out of Venezuela? Or was it another country down there.

Tigers still have a academy complex there for kids to play, they pulled out of the Summer League. Some teams did pull out completely due to the political unrest.
http://beck.mlblogs.com/2016/01/24/tigers-lose-venezuelan-summer-league-team/

 

[Mitchrapp]

Not all draft picks are tradeable. It is just the picks awarded for Free Agent signing.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/35452042/

They also changed the fact that a player could not be traded in the first year after signing. They now can. They did it in the past by classifying them as "player to be named later". Bondermann was such a player.

Okay, thanks very much.

 

[Rebbiv]

http://www.blessyouboys.com/2016/2/10/10963664/keith-law-espn-organizational-rankings-detroit-tigers

DET minor system now ranked 26th.

Drafting has undoubtedly helped too more recently, Beau Burrows (drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, in 2015) gives another strong right-hander to the farm. Outfielder Christin Stewart, taken 34th overall, was tabbed fourth-best by BA. And then you've got players bubbling up like 2014 draftee Michael Gerber, who performed outstanding in Low-A West Michigan last year to earn a third-billing from BA.

 

[JackCade]

I think this roster is better than last year, by a bit.

This is my only real beef with the Upton signing. $22M a year and we still aren't contenders, or likely even as good as 2015 opening day.

We should be trying to save money and work on our minor league system so when we are serious contenders again, the money will be there to grab a top FA or two.

I don't know, I think the Tigers are better than last year:

1. Upton is a better player than Cespedes: Cespedes had a monster year, a career year, but at the start of last season he had had 3 years of service, one really good, one okay, and one good. I don't care about his Gold Glove, Cespedes is a great arm and weak fielder. Upton is a plus fielder.
2. Zimmermann isn't as good as Price. There isn't really much more to say about that, and Zimmermann might experience an AL dip (although Sanchez sure didn't) or he might have a bounce back year. He is still very good.
3. Pelfrey is = or > Simon
4. Norris is > Greene (maybe not by that much, but I think he is better)
5. Maybin is > Davis/Gose (maybe way better)
6. K-Rod is much > Nathan
7. Lowe/Wilson are = or maybe < Soria
8. The rest of the pen is much > the rest of the pen last year.
9. McCann is > Alex Avila
10. Salty is > than Avila, or he complements McCann better than McCann complimented Alex Avila.
11. Aviles is > Perez (maybe?)
12. Byod/Greene/Fulmer are > backups in Toledo to Lobster/Farmer/Ryan
13. Health this year beats health last year. On opening day JV was on the DL, V-Mart was dinged, Miggy was not as healthy as he currently is.

Al Avila was handed a tall task this off season and I think he's brought back a team that is better, more balanced team than his predecessor fielded last year.


I guess you could complain that the Tigers should've gotten Price and Cespedes back if they were going to spend big money, skipped out on Maybin and went with Gose and Collins as (#4) and skipped Pelfrey and went with Norris and Greene as the #4 and #5.
Then more or less done the rest the same.
I think that that is what DD might have done. But it would've left the Tigers a bit shallow if there was an injury.

 

[tomdalton22]

I don't know, I think the Tigers are better than last year:

1. Upton is a better player than Cespedes: Cespedes had a monster year, a career year, but at the start of last season he had had 3 years of service, one really good, one okay, and one good. I don't care about his Gold Glove, Cespedes is a great arm and weak fielder. Upton is a plus fielder.
2. Zimmermann isn't as good as Price. There isn't really much more to say about that, and Zimmermann might experience an AL dip (although Sanchez sure didn't) or he might have a bounce back year. He is still very good.
3. Pelfrey is = or > Simon
4. Norris is > Greene (maybe not by that much, but I think he is better)
5. Maybin is > Davis/Gose (maybe way better)
6. K-Rod is much > Nathan
7. Lowe/Wilson are = or maybe < Soria
8. The rest of the pen is much > the rest of the pen last year.
9. McCann is > Alex Avila
10. Salty is > than Avila, or he complements McCann better than McCann complimented Alex Avila.
11. Aviles is > Perez (maybe?)
12. Byod/Greene/Fulmer are > backups in Toledo to Lobster/Farmer/Ryan
13. Health this year beats health last year. On opening day JV was on the DL, V-Mart was dinged, Miggy was not as healthy as he currently is.

Al Avila was handed a tall task this off season and I think he's brought back a team that is better, more balanced team than his predecessor fielded last year.


I guess you could complain that the Tigers should've gotten Price and Cespedes back if they were going to spend big money, skipped out on Maybin and went with Gose and Collins as (#4) and skipped Pelfrey and went with Norris and Greene as the #4 and #5.
Then more or less done the rest the same.
I think that that is what DD might have done. But it would've left the Tigers a bit shallow if there was an injury.

LKP on the Tigers board?