Where's the life preservers? Tigers continue to sink in 7-4 loss

I grew up on Tiger baseball. I was born and raised here. Its in my blood to admire this team and hate all others. That being said, I am also a realist and know we are missing key pieces that cannot be replaced until the off season. Not even Jhonny Peralta can save us. lulz

Lilly is an upgrade over Bonderman, and maybe over Galarraga or Porcello depending on which of those guys shows up on a given night. I’m not impressed that he’s a lefty, but I do like the comp picks that come with him.

Oswalt isn’t coming to Detroit. I think the Phillies will work something out for him, if not the Cards. McLane is holding out, but he’ll take the best bid by the end of the week if he doesn’t wait too long to get Oswalt on board. I’d have parted with Turner or Oliver for Haren or Oswalt, but certainly not for a mid rotation starter. If Nolasco were to become available, I’d be all over it. Otherwise, there are two prospects not on the roster that I wouldn’t trade.

Bautista can be had, and the Phillies are discussing him also, with the idea of moving Polanco back to second base.

There are others, but these guys are just some of the examples of players that would convince me that DD is doing more than just trying to pacify the fan base by “doing something”.
 Leyland’s spin after the game says it all: “I think it sends the right message to the team,” Leyland said of the trade. “We’re going to do something.”
Okay, I’m waiting for something.

so if he can pull off a trade to get a bona fide major leaguer that can fill one of the vacancies, then he should look at that seriously. And if he has to trade some of the “prospects” other than the very few top prospects to get real major leaguers, then he should do that too.
He should also consider picking up a Type A free agent or two and take the draft picks that come with them.

I definitely think these next few years are going to be exciting and kind of scary.

I’m not against making a trade for a good player, but there just isn’t anyone that good out on the market right now. I mean, we’re talking about Ted F**king Lilly here as if he’s the answer to our prayers. And if he doesn’t pan out, those draft picks are sure to net us the next Evan Longoria or Jason Heyward. DD and David Chadd wouldn’t dream of spending high draft picks on young starting pitchers or college relievers. Comp picks mean nothing if you don’t do anything meaningwhile with them.

And seriously, Ted Lilly is not an upgrade over anyone in our current rotation.

No homo.

A real major leaguer is a player that has a track record and is likely to be at least average as a starter in the major leagues. I think, in fairness to DD (and the other GM’s out there that would like to make a move) that it’s a very tough market. There are 20 teams above .500, and the sellers are demanding top prospects for average talent.

I keep reading the terms like “gut the farm”, and I reject that idea. First, there is little worth holding on to beyond Turner and Oliver. Those guys I’d only trade for a top line pitcher. With Oswalt and Haren gone, I don’t see another one, unless maybe the Fish make Nolasco available. After those two, everyone should be available. Second, trading a couple of our non elite prospects isn’t “gutting the farm”. The Tigers have a quantity of players on the farm that have a possibility, but not a probability of becoming average or better major leaguers. From the many will come a few good men. But trading any one or two of them for a proven talent makes sense if there is a need, and we have needs all over the place.

Teams want to trade players who are going to get big salary increases in arbitration, or are about to become free agents, and they don’t want to risk arbitration with them. Those are the guys that DD should be looking for. First, players that can help us now and in the future, and then players that are rentals, but come with compensation that we don’t mind offering arbitration to. I’d rather have two comp picks than two of the prospects that we have, other than the couple of guys that I mentioned. I’d rather stock the farm with players that have real upside, even if their ETA is a bit farther away. I’m real down on the farm system at the moment with all these needs and no real help in sight.

Peralta, IMO, is a no cost move that DD made to give reassurance to the team that management isn’t giving up on the season, even though I think they are. I don’t for a moment expect DD to trade Turner or Oliver for Adam Dunn, and I wouldn’t. But I’d be looking for trades since DD has to make them before April anyway, with lots of vacancies and few free agents to fill them.

I don’t think that any of my remarks can be classified as condescending, at all. I make my views know, and I don’t waiver on them. Maybe that comes across differently in a 2D format. My apologies if any offense is taken.