justin's still alive? i gare-on-tee, i coulda sworn he died a few years ago. never realized he was related to Yoda. learn sumfin new every day
finally Avila addressed a real need by trading for Justin Wilson. first off the Yanks got fleeced in this one and thats a double thumbs up from me. we now finally have a power lefty in the pen. we've needed this for longer than I care to remember. this kid is legit, hes young and has a very nice contract all while being under team control to I think 2019 for a paltry half mill per. so heres what he brings. hes young so theres still some development going on but hes got a nice arsenal of pitches. he can actually throw 5 pitches but hes got away from throwing the slider and change relying more on a steady dose of fastballs that hit 97-98 and an excellent cutter *THUMBSUP* that hits 92-93, thats pretty damn hard too for that pitch. it has excellent bite at the end and he mixes in a nice curveball that keeps the hitters off balance. hes your ideal bullpen guy and plays as well on the road as he does at home which isnt common in young relievers, this means hes very confident and level headed. hes stifling against righties who barely hit over the mendoza line at .216, Wilson also isnt afraid to come at you and in tight - something I love in a pitcher. this is hands down the best move Avila has made and gets full marks from me, it may not seem like much to the average fan but Im telling you this move will pay off in spades. I didnt see this coming at all and theres nothing not to like about this move. well done Al also to note the two he traded were not gonna be on the Tigers roster we were out of options with them and they were buried in the minors - how Avila pulled this off is beyong me
oh one other thing Al, Xmas is coming and guess whos still available.......... he loved it here and I dont think it would take much to get him back, he did a great job in the spacious outfield at Comerica and is a better option than Maybin and even Gose. this would almost be equivalent of Holland signing Parros
Having some speed in the outfield and on the base path's has been lacking. AJ back in a Tigers uni would be fine by me.
I'm liking the Mika Aviles signing and I have heard through the rumor mill that Justin Upton is close to a deal with the Tigers.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/tigers-kyle-lobstein-dfa.html I hope he does clear waivers and makes it to Toledo.
Tramm didnt make the HOF... what a not funny joke. His career included a key role on a 1984 World Series-champion Tigers team that was among the greatest in recent decades along with six All-Star appearances, four Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Sluggers... but thats not good enough. Trammell had better stats than other infielders that have been in the Hall. This just isnt right.
Tigers agree to six-year deal with Justin Upton: The Tigers and free agent outfielder Justin Upton have agreed to a six-year contract, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal is worth $132.75 million and includes an opt-out after the second year. The Tigers have not yet confirmed the signing. Upton, our No. 6 free agent coming into the offseason, will step into left field for the Tigers. Detroit currently has J.D. Martinez in right field and an Anthony Gose/Cameron Maybin platoon in center field. Tyler Collins is another outfield candidate. Last season the 28-year-old Upton hit .251/.336/.454 (121 OPS+) with 26 home runs, 81 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 150 games for the Padres. He's averaged a .262/.344/.470 (126 OPS+) batting line with 27 homers, 12 steals and 3.5 WAR over the last three years.
MLB's most improved: Retooled Tigers By Phil Rogers / MLB.com No Dave Dombrowski? No problem for the Tigers -- at least not in the short term. It's still surprising that owner Mike Ilitch dismissed Dombrowski last August. It's tricky to deconstruct that move, especially since the Red Sox pounced on Dombrowski only two weeks after he cleaned out his office at Comerica Park. But make no mistake about it: Ilitch was not doing Dombrowski a favor by releasing him to pursue chances elsewhere. Detroit's owner has been clear that winning a World Series is his ultimate goal, and while Dombrowski led the club to the precipice on a pair of occasions, Illitch decided to it was time to give someone else -- longtime lieutenant Al Avila -- a chance to steer the ship. In fact, Ilitch made it clear he wasn't looking for a change of philosophy when he signed Avila to a five-year contract. He proved it by providing Avila resources that most other general managers can only envy. The Tigers' moves this offseason haven't been as splashy as the ones Dombrowski made while finding his way around Fenway Park. But score the first round to Avila. Detroit heads my list of most improved teams. Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann were nine-figure bookends to an offseason in which Avila added to the Tigers' strength (the lineup) while addressing the glaring weakness (bullpen). A lot still depends on how aging superstars Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera hold up, but manager Brad Ausmus will look a lot smarter with closer Francisco Rodriguez and setup men Justin Wilson and Mark Lowe in the bullpen. Cameron Maybin, added in a trade with the Braves, is likely to platoon with Anthony Gose in center. Mike Aviles and Jarrod Saltalamacchia bring 17 years of experience to the bench, and Mike Pelfrey adds stability to the back of the rotation.
J.D. Martinez, Tigers reach $18.5M, 2-year deal DETROIT (AP) ? J.D. Martinez has agreed to an $18.5 million, two-year contract with the Detroit Tigers, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke Monday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. The 28-year-old Martinez was eligible for arbitration through next year and can become a free agent after the 2017 World Series. When the sides exchanged proposed arbitration salaries last month, Martinez had asked for a raise from $3 million to $8 million for this season and had been offered $6 million. He batted .282 with 38 home runs and 102 RBIs last season. He hit 23 homers in 2014 after he was released by Houston during spring training and the Tigers signed him.
I'm really excited to hear this. Now to get an extension done next off season to keep him around for a while.
