OT: Brad Ausmus and the Tigers
Since his debut in 2014, I think this will be the 27th thread created regarding his tenure as the manager of the Tigers on this site. After going 90-72 in his first year and losing in the ALDS to the Orioles, the Tigers have gone a collective 196-206 (including their current record), with zero playoff appearences. After today's beat down by Cleveland, I would like to believe that soon they'll fire him before or during the All-Star break.
It isn't always the managers fault, some say it's also Avila, but something needs to be done. This team at one point was built for World Championships, and now they are scrapping the bottom of the barrel. What a disappointment.
Thoughts?
I like Omar, but he's probably not ready.
Facts. That is the 3rd most popular team in Cleveland and the Browns are the worst organization in sports. The Tribe don't get nearly the respect they deserve in their own damn city.
Ausmus can't recruit. - Maizen
36-45 at the halfway point after today's debacle. It's sure to get worse once this team sells off a couple pieces later this month (JD, maybe Upton/Avila/J Wilson). This team might lose 95 games this year.
It's clearly over. It's time to blow it all up and rebuild. The question becomes, who do you want to oversee the rebuild? I sure don't want David Chadd and company leading this, seeing what they've given us in the farm system already.
Time to rebuild, but no one will be willing to take on the Cabrera or Verlander contracts. We are stuck with them. Might be able to get some prospects for Kinsler, Justin Wilson, or JD at the deadline.
They might as well get a wheelchair for Victor and put him on Social Security. I am not sold on Nick Castellanos. They need a total overhaul at several positions, but I don't think Avila or Ausmus is the man to take on that project.
You could move Verlander's contract, as he's only signed through 2019. However, that would probably have to take place in the offseason.
On the other hand, the Miggy contract is an absolutle albatross that we can the late Mr. Ilitch for.
The most competent GM in Detroit right now is employed by the Lions. Let that sink in over the holidays.
I'm surprised at the amount of people who want to blow this team up. I'd like to see them be patient. Trade JD, and only JD. Work on the bullpen in the offseason. Another year of seasoning for Norris and Boyd, and this is playoff team. James, Nick, Jose, Ian, Miggy, Justin, Jacoby/Mikey? and ?. Fulmer, Justin, Zimm, Norris, Boyd. Give a veteran manager that team and see what happens.
deal him too
Justin Wilson may bring a lot as a closer as a team like the Nationals may overpay for him
move Avila - many teams need a catcher
after 2018, V-Mart comes off the books
Sanchez can be bought out for $5M after 2017 - if he puts together some nice starts deal him to a contender and pay most of his salary
there is over $25M in dead money on the team right now - it drops to $8M for 2018 ($13M with Sanchez buyout - remember, we owe Prince $6M a year through 2020)
if Upton has a nice year he might opt out
we'll be down to 3 big contracts with JV and Zimmerman done after 2020
Miggy can DH til the end of time
blow it up
There is nothing left for this roster to do other than start over.
They have been kicking this can down the road for a long time now. The Tigers are filled with bloated contracts, aging veterans, a style that was meant for older times.
Time to move on. It does not matter who the manager is.
It's going to take 2 years to flush the bad contracts out of the franchise.
Meanwhile, when JD leaves, whether it be this month or this winter, we are going to have a mess in the outfield. We already don't have a CF, and now we won't have a RF. I've read about JaCoby Jones in Toledo, and Christin Stewart and Mike Gerber in Erie. Very nice. But I've seen about 600 articles from the ghosts of Tiger prospects of the past, whether it be Brett Clevlen, Ryan Strieby, Steven Moya.....yeah. I'll believe it when I see the production at the MLB level.
I agree completely.
Kinsler just turned 35 and is likely already in decline. I think it's safe to say that we've already seen the best of him. I've made my thoughts known on Iggy in prior threads. Castellanos will probably continue to improve with the bat, but he's just one step above "butcher" in the field.
I'll say it: a JD-less OF will be a wasteland for the next two months. Gerber, Jones and Stewart might be here next year, but then what is the plan when at least 1-2 of them are hitting .168 next Memorial Day? Then what?
V-Mart is a virtual paraplegic after he makes contact with the ball. The man needs those big power alleys in order to reach 2nd base on a long line drive. Verlander and Miggy will be 35 next year. While I agree that Miggy will continue to hit, there's not much starting pitching on the immediate horizon (the next person to mention Buck Farmer gets hit with a shovel).
We're in for a few lean years, folks.
release Victor today. Move Miguel to DH. I would trade Miguel if the opportunity presents itself for sure. Move Nick to first. Give Dixon a opportunity at third. I dislike one player at DH. Use that spot to give a every day player a day off from field but keep his stick in the lineup. Bring back Hicks whose been hitting and he can play the field. I would trade Verlander to the Dodgers. That's the rumor and I understand they have a good amount of prospects. Hope Tiger's keep JD.
Well, seeing as they're not playing today...
Ausmus sucks. Goddammit I'm tired of people defending him. What has he done to earn your undying loyalty?? Good God. We should keep him because the "roster isn't his fault"? It's not like he did an amazing job when the roster was stronger.
Attendance has hit a low we haven't seen since 2005.
The biggest problem is mentioned multiple times above: we have too much money tied up in Verlander, Cabrera and VMart, because we're paying the price for going all-in on previous years.
Now, if the team was backed by Berkshire-Hathaway stock which spun off $250M/yr, that wouldn't be a problem - we'd just spend whatever it took and smile while we paid the luxury tax. But it's not, so that's the first problem to solve.
The next problem is which pieces of the current team are worth keeping, beyond, say, Fulmer and Castellanos. Some money goes away after 2018.
Avila is a bit of a conundrum - his half-season is astonishing work with the bat, but does it cancel out the seasons before? and do those seasons cancel out that long-ago good year? Or is it best to let someone else figure this out? Normally I'd want to see if we could get something with more EV, but this team doesn't have a lot of players with upside. On the gripping hand, 30 could be too old for a catcher.
Then there's the issue about sorting through the detritus in the farm system and seeing if there's any there there.
And after the question of whether to install hot-air dryers in the bathroom and remove the paper towel dispensers, we can worry about Ausmus.