Detroit Tigers Links is rolling with the same team as last year

It appears we’ve reached our happy place

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila provided some additional information on the Tigers’ offseason plans on Tuesday, both reaffirming that the Tigers are likely finished with big moves, but also indicating that there was no concerted effort to dump salary or get below the tax threshold.

I’m not sure I would call the Cameron Maybin trade a “good baseball trade” but if taken at his word, this likely signals a blockbuster J.D. Martinez trade is not on the horizon. It also means, anyone anxiously waiting for additional Tigers moves (me), should probably get real familiar with this current roster instead.

Even with the quotes, you would assume there would be at least one more move coming for the vacated center field spot. But that target is still very much in doubt.

And if we are really going for the same team mentality, then we need to bring back Don Kelly, right? Right guys?

Barry Bonds was (is) very scary

Bullpens, so hot right now

The bullpen and defense revolution is in full swing with Aroldis Chapman, someone who pitches one inning every other regular season game, garnering $86 million on the open market. FanGraphs muses that the shenanigans of Game 7 may have put a pause on the new usage of relievers. But that is extrapolating a lot from poor managing decisions.

That being said, I do agree with their take that there has been an over-correction away from power hitting. Obviously it has been proven that sinking money into aging hitters is a bad practice, but the fact that there are so many defensively challenge hitters available for dirt cheap, and Jose Bautista can’t even make back his qualifying offer in free agency, seems like an overreaction.

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What’s next?

Here are some hot stove predictions for the rest of the offseason. Actual these are more like wishful thinking for each team. I also enjoy the fact that I stumbled upon this article of the Royals in meltdown mode, quickly followed by an article indicating that the Mariners are looking like the Royals. So ... bad?

For your free time

Tigers sign Brett Pill, KBO All-Star, to a minor league deal. That’s the fifth former KBO player in the organization. Why Carlos Beltran is coming back to Houston. I think he forgot to mention money. Soap Box engaged, why Tom Verducci won’t vote for steroid users. And which teams are the most tortured franchises in the MLB?

Baseball is awesome