Quote:
Originally Posted by eazyb81
After sleeping on it........yep, we're still ****ed.
Is he overpaid? Sure.
But who cares? It's just money.
Baseball doesn't have a salary cap, and Mike Illitich apparently doesn't give a **** if he profits a dime. He just wants to win. You have to admire it when he doesn't have the revenue of a city like NY or LA behind him.
Yes his contract will look ugly towards the end as he's pushing 350 pounds, but our window for contention will likely be over by then. We have 5-6 years coming up where we will have a lot of young, cost-controlled talent. They begin to hit free agency in 2016/2017, and we won't be able to keep most of them.
Detroit has a core Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, M-Cab, and Fielder for the next few years. To compete with that, we will need everything to go right: a couple ace-level pitchers develop and Hosmer/Myers/Moose become elite, All Star-level position players.
This sucks.
|
Yeah, the Royals are probably ****ed for 2012.
It will be interesting to see what they get for Victor Martinez after this season. He's got two seasons left on a huge deal at ages 34 and 35, coming back from a severe knee injury that limits one of the things that makes him most valuable (the ability to play catcher).
Rick Porcello? Not scared. Here's a guy who, for his career, averages fewer than 5K/9 with a normal walk rate (2.4 BB/9). That's why he gets lit up (Career ERA around 4.5).
Max Scherzer is one of my favorite major league players because of the Mizzou connection, but he is not much more than a No. 3 pitcher (and his strikeout and walk rates are trending the wrong way).
Doug Fister? Please. Guy sucked in the pitcher's haven in Seattle, with a great defense behind him. Detroit is a friendlier ballpark for hitters, and his defense is going to be a liability. Dude's luck (see his time with Detroit last season) won't last forever.
Basically, the Tigers farm system is Jacob Turner. Other than him, no impact players getting ready on the farm.
So yeah, the Tigers are loaded up for this year. They're going to have:
1) A great No. 1 starter
2) A great 3-4 combo
For the next half-dozen years. But this team also has some severe flaws, and with $80 million tied up in four players for 2013 and 2014 and only one real bargaining chip in the minors, they're going to have a hard time plugging them.