OT: MIchigan Sports Thread: UM wins Natty Championship

[Roomba With a Bauer]

lol you guys thought Chris Ilitch in 2021 was going to authorize a big signing. Tigers and Wings will never land the big fish.

 

[Ricelund]

lol you guys thought Chris Ilitch in 2021 was going to authorize a big signing. Tigers and Wings will never land the big fish.

I don't think Chris is willing to spend baseball money but he's willing to spend hockey money.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Yeah, the big fish in hockey make about half of what Baez will make annually. With a hard salary cap in place, I don't think we should worry about the new era Ilitiches spending on the Wings.

The Baez signing is a bit concerning, I agree that it sort of reflects the Zimmerman>Scherzer logic (not that that logic never has merit, but it hasn't worked out for us in the past).

Baez himself can be pretty electric on his day, I'm sure he'll have good moments. But this is not really the splash I wanted to see.

 

[Reality Check]

Tigers had to get one of Correa, Baez or Story. Period.

Skeptical over how it will work out but it's a big improvement and doesn't seem absurd contract wise.

 

[Winger98]

I don't think Chris is willing to spend baseball money but he's willing to spend hockey money.

The salary floor goes a long way towards making owners spend in the NHL. MLB needs something similar.

Am I the only one who doesn’t hate the Baez signing? I like the term, he plays amazing defense, and hit 31 HR with 87 RBI’s last year. That is nothing to sneeze at, he definitely fills a black hole at SS.

I don't hate it, just disappointed by it. This could have been a statement offseason saying the Tigers are back, similar to when the old man went out and got Pudge and then Magglio the following year. What worries me is what happens when guys we draft and groom, like Mize, Tork, etc., start earning big contracts. Are we going to keep our guys or just sell them the moment the bottom line starts to shrink?

Maybe the Tigers think they can smooth over some of Baez's rough edges, maybe they are really high on Kriedler and are looking at moving Baez to 3B in a couple of years, and dealing Candelario, I don't know. The Tigers are better than they were yesterday, the contract isn't awful, and they will still have options to make moves elsewhere.

 

[Ricelund]

Reasonable take here.

 

[Reality Check]

Baez is what he is at this point. Plus for Detroit is that they don't have to give up any draft picks.

My guess is that the Tigers wanted Correa on a 6-8 year deal with significantly more money. While Correa wanted more years despite durability issues.

 

[guinness]

Reasonable take here.

I’m fine with it, the Tigers are still years away. Still better than what they had and should help immediately.

let Texas burden themselves with big contracts, the Tigers have done that as well.

Which may pan out, but not always.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Trying to spin it positively, maybe Hinch and his staff have sized up Baez' poor habits at the plate and think it's something they can improve. Idk though, the guy is 29 years old. It's tough not to be skeptical here, but I guess the Tigers are moving in the right direction.

 

[Reality Check]

Opt out option is after his second year.

That is really interesting...

 

[Syckle78]

I hope the Baez signing kicks off an era competitive teams like the Irod signing did last generation.

 

[19 for president]

Opt out option is after his second year.

That is really interesting...

Player or team? Also I think I've read before that Chris is a much bigger hockey guy than baseball guy. Plus you have to spend a ridiculous amount to be competitive in baseball. The Tiger's were always Mr. I's thing more than the rest of the family.

 

[SoupNazi]

The salary floor goes a long way towards making owners spend in the NHL. MLB needs something similar.

One of the first proposals the league gave the MLBPA for the new contract reportedly contained a $100m salary floor, and luxury tax on payroll over $180m. As a long-suffering Guardians fan, I'm in favor of a salary floor because it might just encourage the cheapskate Dolans to get out of the business of owning a team they can't afford to spend money on.

Opt out option is after his second year.

That is really interesting...

Wondering if Baez's camp insisted on that in case he doesn't like the direction of the team right away?

 

[jaster]

sssshhhhing someone when the obvious view point entering the second is that Harbaugh was in fact a historically inept coach in big games while at U of M is strange.

Strange? Seems your hatred for Michigan kind of concocted a narrative behind my "ssshhhh" comment. It was nothing more than a "please don't jinx this" sentiment I am as aware as anyone on earth of Harbaugh's resume as coach.


As for hatred towards Michigan, it really only comes from two places:

1. You went to a rival school, and therefor Michigan is your rival. Or you attached yourself to a rival school (i.e. 98% of Ohioans).

2. Michigan is the top dog in the state. If you aren't with the top dog, you likely hate the top dog. Naturally. If a school other than Michigan were historically the top dog in the state, they would garner the hate. I've heard numerous stories over the years about how someone was mistreated by a Michigan fan. Or Michigan fans are "so arrogant." Or... blah, blah, blah, some other whining. And so, "I hate Michigan." Nah. That shit is weak. Every good program has fans that other fans can't stand. And the fans who mistreated you were probably Walmart Wolverines anyway. No one hates non-alum Michigan fans, who don't represent the school well, more than Michigan alumni. It's why we look down on Ohio State so much.... they are like if trashy Walmart Wolverines had gone in the opposite direction and went and attended OSU after getting their rejection letter from Ann Arbor

Or of course a combo of the two.

Anyway, hate on Michigan until your heart is content, but know this: Michigan alumni couldn't care less about people [who didn't at least attend a rival university] hating on Michigan. It's just white noise. At best, it's weird to us to see people invested so much in something they have no actual investment in

 

[jaster]

Am I the only one who doesn’t hate the Baez signing? I like the term, he plays amazing defense, and hit 31 HR with 87 RBI’s last year. That is nothing to sneeze at, he definitely fills a black hole at SS.

I hate it relative to what else was available. His profile has more red flags in terms of the hitting side of his game dropping off sooner than the others. But the contract itself doesn't seem egregious.

Almost every aspect of his game is either top notch or bottom of the barrel. So he'll always be polarizing in that way. And he's certainly going to be entertaining (and frustrating).

 

[jaster]

Maybe the Tigers think they can smooth over some of Baez's rough edges, maybe they are really high on Kriedler and are looking at moving Baez to 3B in a couple of years, and dealing Candelario, I don't know. The Tigers are better than they were yesterday, the contract isn't awful, and they will still have options to make moves elsewhere.

Baez certainly leaves a wider birth for Kreidler than most of the other potential signings, which is interesting. Kreidler is enticing based on this previous season, but he's no spring chicken in terms of prospect status. He's older. So odds are he's nothing more than a utility guy. But if he does wind up being more than that, it might be more interesting to see Baez move to the keystone, where he has lots of experience and where his defense plays better than at 3rd. Leave Candelario at the hot corner for a couple years, by which time perhaps one of our several 3B prospects may have arrived.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

I don't think Chris is willing to spend baseball money but he's willing to spend hockey money.

Yeah especially with Yzerman as GM.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Michigan 10 point favorites over Iowa. Hopefully they don’t have an OSU hangover.

 

[YpsiWings]

Michigan 10 point favorites over Iowa. Hopefully they don’t have an OSU hangover.

I would be extremely surprised if they come out flat against Iowa, this team has the mental fortitude to avoid a letdown. Blowing a 16 point lead to State proves it, the season could have easily gone sideways from there, we have all seen it in the past. Michigan buckled down and won the East, but they still have bigger goals. Excited for Saturday, been way too long since Michigan won the B1G. It would be nice to reset another one of those streaks that make me grimace as a fan. Shutting up haters is just the cherry on top.

 

[newfy]

Yeah thinking Ohio State is going to beat U of M in a game is a bad take when they haven't beaten a real Ohio State team since 2003 (I realize they beat the Fickell team in 2011) entering that game... They were a 7.5 point dog at home.

sssshhhhing someone when the obvious view point entering the second is that Harbaugh was in fact a historically inept coach in big games while at U of M is strange.

I won't hide how much I hate U of M, growing up right near it in the Northville/Novi area 20 minutes from there breed a hatred for the fans of that place. I root against them whenever possible and always will. Wonderful academic University, my little sister is a graduate and I of course know several friends that attended. But there is a segment of their sports fans including being cursed at as a child in the Desmond Howard trip game because I root for the green team that really soured them on me. I know there are good ones, but honestly of the D-bag sports fans I have personally come into contact with U of M is over half of my life total. So yeah I will never go easy on them, I don't want to see them win a thing. I think their basketball and hockey programs are building into juggernauts and will be successful. I still don't think Harbaugh is an elite coach, not sure they really consolidate on this, but it is their time in the sun for the first time in a long time.

I am surprised at how poorly Ohio State played and I think U of M played their best game in years. I honestly thought even until the end of the third this would turn and it didn't. The ends really did get home all day and Ryan Day never adjusted which frankly shocked me. Good thing it was played on a muddy/snowy track as well. Hopefully they beat Iowa, the B1G needs a team in the playoff and you have to hope they get to avoid Georgia in the semi-final, that is the only team I really wouldn't want to play in that semi-final of what is likely out there now, Georgia is a steamroller.

Thinking OSU was gonna win is fine. Thinking it was gonna be a complete domination,was going to be a similar game to the MSU one, calling Harbaugh big game Jim, saying Michigan has a "couple nice edge" pieces instead of admitting they have the best edge pieces in the country and the best defender in college football right now etc etc. is when youll get called out on it, especially when after the fact you throw a bitter post in the mix. You hate Michigan, you made several posts that werent all that good because of it and now youre getting called on it.

Crow tastes bitter but sometimes you eat it, it happens

 

[newfy]

Baez certainly leaves a wider birth for Kreidler than most of the other potential signings, which is interesting. Kreidler is enticing based on this previous season, but he's no spring chicken in terms of prospect status. He's older. So odds are he's nothing more than a utility guy. But if he does wind up being more than that, it might be more interesting to see Baez move to the keystone, where he has lots of experience and where his defense plays better than at 3rd. Leave Candelario at the hot corner for a couple years, by which time perhaps one of our several 3B prospects may have arrived.

Ben Verlander tweeted that Baez changed his swing last year and his K rate dropped 10%... if thats the case then it shouldnt be that bad at all. First I had heard that, Valenti sure hates the signing though

 

[jaster]

Ben Verlander tweeted that Baez changed his swing last year and his K rate dropped 10%... if thats the case then it shouldnt be that bad at all. First I had heard that, Valenti sure hates the signing though

If Valenti hates it, then I feel compelled to hate it less than I thought, at least

Anyway, I think I only bitched about it in one post, but I'm done bitching about it. I still think it's high risk, but what's done is done, and now it's time to just root for what we've got. Go Tigers.

 

[BSHH]

Correa would have been the ideal fit and perhaps the last chance to add an MVP candidate to this Tigers group. But it became apparent after Seager got signed that his contract will be massive both in term and AAV, which might be(come) more difficult for the Tigers than we believe.

Happy birthday, Javier Baez - who is a good player in his own right. I prefer OBP over slugging, but his future teammates Greene and Torkelson are projected to be on-base quite often. With all his flaws, Baez should be an above-average hitter throughout the large part of this contract and a threat on the bases anyway - provided he manages to get on-base.

Defensively he will bring considerable value. Since the Tigers SS pipeline is rather barren, it was important not to sign a player who will have to move to 2B or 3B soon. It might also be good for the franchise to have a flashy and interesting player.

Some have doubts whether his tools and abilities maintain if he gets older. After seeing Semien turn in an MVP caliber season being 31, I don't see why Baez cannot play on a high level until he is 33, which would be the next-to-last year of this contract. And if age should really be a worrisome issue, the contracts that Semien and Seager got plus Correa and Story will likely get look much worse.

So overall the Tiger issued a contract to a streaky player, who usually was good nonetheless and perhaps raises the fewest injury concerns of the five FA SS. I was extremely impressed how Baez turned up his performance after he was reprimanded for the thumbs-down gesture. If his statline of the Mets stint is any precursor, we might not be talking much about Correa anymore.

Gruß,
BSHH

 

[Hen Kolland]

If Valenti hates it, then I feel compelled to hate it less than I thought, at least

Anyway, I think I only bitched about it in one post, but I'm done bitching about it. I still think it's high risk, but what's done is done, and now it's time to just root for what we've got. Go Tigers.

Yeah I think the risk angle for me is the lasting value. A guy who struggles as much as he does with the swing and miss, that doesn’t get better when players get deeper into their 30s. Baez today is always an exciting player to watch. He draws your attention, and that’s a good thing. I’m just worried about when the major decline happens.

A ten year deal for Correa feels like you are going to get 8 high level seasons from him. Baez you hope to make it to 4. That’s a pretty stark difference when you’re looking for a fixture to open your competitive window.

 

[ricky0034]

Yeah I think the risk angle for me is the lasting value. A guy who struggles as much as he does with the swing and miss, that doesn’t get better when players get deeper into their 30s. Baez today is always an exciting player to watch. He draws your attention, and that’s a good thing. I’m just worried about when the major decline happens.

A ten year deal for Correa feels like you are going to get 8 high level seasons from him. Baez you hope to make it to 4. That’s a pretty stark difference when you’re looking for a fixture to open your competitive window.

the Baez contract has a player opt out after 2 years too, so even if he is doing well he's gonna opt out after that