so you would have been fine with a fister trade if it was for a corner OFer that we probably would have had to pay too much for....but not for future arms when our closest prospects are years away from being any resemblance of ready?
At the time of the Fister trade, we still had Jose Alvarez, Duane Below and Kyle Lobstein. Alvarez is very capable to be a #5 starter on any team. Maybe Verhagen at some point?
Sites Top 100 Prospect listings are generally for only those players that still qualify to become a Rookie of the Year. At the time of the Trade, Ray was not on anyone's list. Period. It was only after the trade that he jumped to #97 on MLB's list.
Now, the assertion that Ray is a Top 100 Prospect and Fister wasn't, is plain reaching. First, MLB (website) prospect listings are known to be liberal. Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus tend to be a better gauge, and neither list Ray in their top 100. So neither were/are Top 100 pitchers at those two sites. Depending on how much time Ray spends on the MLB roster, will mean he may never appear on BA's or BP's Top 100.
If you take the top 60-90 non-japanese pitchers over the last 3 years, roughly 90% were listed in BA's Top 100, many of those in the Top 50. Sure, Fister was not. But there are always exceptions. It is all about projecting a prospect's future. It isn't an exact science, but it cannot be discounted.
Somehow Ray is better or equal to Fister because Ray was #97 on MLB's prospect list and Fister was never on the Top 100? Really?
The actual scouting report on Ray was that he
could become a middle rotation starter,
IF he developed his secondary and tertiary pitches. This fact means there is more than a little concern and we don't know for sure whether he has (5 starts in AAA doesn't do it) or if he will. He has a MLB fastball and he will at times overpower enough hitters to be effective in a game. However, sooner or later, he will need those secondary or tertiary pitches to succeed.
Ray with all his question marks for a proven Top 30 starter. I don't get it and I don't have to. Technically, the difference between the two for Free Agency is now 4 years.
Saying Ray was
97th on MLB's Top 100 is not convincing me. Saying no other team traded a Top 100 pitcher (but they traded the 101 and 102 ranked players) means virtually nothing. What is his metric (stats) appeal? He isn't some draft pick with real unknowns. He has numbers from pitching in the minors. Prior to this year, they weren't all that impressive (they weren't terrible, they just weren't awe inspiring like some). Even his splits from this year, although small sample, shows some concern in his Away (5.40 ERA 2.00 WHIP). 4 of this 5 starts had come at Home.
Comparing any of this to the Lions and NFL is comparing apples to oranges. You build teams differently and there is no Minor leagues in the NFL. Draft picks, especially the top couple of rounds are supposed to be your starters for years to come. Messing those picks up can harm a team for years to come and you usually know the first season. This trade will take years to develop.
I do not rout against a player, I rout for my Tigers. I NEVER liked Brandon Inge. Both as a ballplayer and as a person. But I always hoped for the best for the Tigers, which we all do. However, does everyone rout for Phil Coke or even Don Kelly? Not necessarily, we hope the best for the Tigers. But I doubt anyone routs against a player just to prove a point.
I believe (no proof of course), that had Fister stayed the last 2 years and went via FA, we still would be left with a compensation pick after the 1st round. That pick more than likely would have been just as likely to become a mid-rotation guy as Ray. So, where did we can anything? Krol? Please. LOOGYs aren't the difference makers (they are if you compare them to Coke).
