Predictions for this year?

In today's news, we got JV locked down:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9111981/justin-verlander-detroit-tigers-agrees-deal-which-worth-202-million-sources

Justin Verlander gets massive deal

Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have reached agreement on a new contract that could exceed $202 million, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney.

Verlander's deal, which would make him the highest-paid pitcher in the game, is for seven years and worth $180 million. A vesting option for an eighth year could push the deal to $202 million.

"I love this city & the fans -- couldn't be more excited to spend my career here! We're going to bring a World Series to Detroit!!!" Verlander tweeted.

The Tigers announced they reached a five-year deal with Verlander.

In February, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners signed a seven-year contract worth $175 million, the top deal for a pitcher at the time.


Verlander
Verlander, who would have been eligible to become a free agent after the 2014 season, had recently said he wouldn't discuss a new contract if a deal didn't get done by the end of spring training. The right-hander had $40 million and two years left on an $80 million contract.

Verlander, 30, has been baseball's most dominant pitcher over the last four seasons, leading the league in innings and strikeouts three times, wins twice and ERA once. He went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 striikeouts in 2011 when he won both the Cy Young Award and MVP.

Last season, Verlander went 17-8 with a 2.64 ERA, finishing second in Cy Young voting to David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays. With Verlander as their anchor, the Tigers reached the World Series last season for the second time since 2006.

Buster Olney covers Major League Baseball for ESPN The Magazine.

Giancarlo, Mike Stanton gets traded to Tigers.

given that the tigers extended him at a 50% raise halfway thru his existing contract, i wonder if he'll be restructuring when he turns 35 and is worth half of that $$$...

We'll be solid

He could have waited until next year and gotten much more either from us or definitely on the open market. The fact that it's only 5 million more than Felix's contract means it's not some outlandish amount that will outpace inflation in salaries...by 2018 or 2019 that amount may be more than reasonable for a pitcher at his level and age.

The bottom line is that the plan is for us to win a chip by then. If we don't win a chip then we can second guess EVERY decision that was made.

baseball is going to eat itself by 2025

and that right there is something that will make him still very productive well after the fastball is gone. It's very reasonable to expect him to still be at an all-star level at 37.

against LHH his throws his slider and sinker a combined 1% of the time, making him effectively a 3 pitch pitcher throwing 61% fastballs, 17% curveballs, and 21% changeups

against RHH its a little more diverse with 59% fastballs, 12% sliders, 20% curveballs, and 8% changeups. most of those changeups come when he's ahead in the count so its kind of tied to context

hes more like a 2 pitch pitcher with a flex spot depending on the hitter

dont get me wrong, JV is the best there is, im not debating that.

but the money is too much for too long, and when his fastball starts to fade, that deal is gonna be an albatross.

>
>but the money is too much for too long, and when his fastball
>starts to fade, that deal is gonna be an albatross.

You still gonna buy $9 pisswater at the Park? Ok, no problem then.

it'll be annoying when one of them is 36

are an indication of how strong each of his pitches is. Right now he has one of the best fastballs in the game, and he places it well. If he loses velocity on the fastball, his other pitches are strong enough that he would use them more, and that along with the placement of his fastball should keep him productive. I'm not saying he'd still be winning Cy Youngs. But he shouldn't fall off the charts by 37.

Yes it's debatable. But like I mentioned, the bottom line is that if in that time we make a few deep playoff runs and win at least one chip, it's all worth it. We'd be overpaying him for a couple years at most after he would have been with us since 2006 and been the best pitcher in the game for a good chunk of that. Throw in a chip and I don't think that much money is crazy at all.

but i dont want the tigers to be the team that wins a world series and then fades for 10 years

i dont really think they will, but i have my doubts about a long term deal like this for a guy in his 30's

Prince's contract being a problem years down the road than JV's. As soon as we signed Prince for that much it became clear that the goal was to get a chip within the new 4-5 years and anything less than that is a failure.

but for some reason i see a better rate of return for Prince as he gets older, even though i have nothing solid to base that on

oh well, we'll see

this is an awesome problem to have given that they have been unpasteurized ass juice most of my life

>this is an awesome problem to have given that they have been
>unpasteurized ass juice most of my life

le sigh

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9ex25TZXm1qg2mnwo8_250.gif

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<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

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Occupy Big Government..

Fannie, Freddie dole out big bonuses
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67292.html

this is brilliant on my part, right?

I also think he's eventually gonna take that closer gig & run w/ it

Someone is gonna have to stand out and take that job, or we'll need to get someone at the trade deadline. No way I trust Leyland's instincts day in and day out to be picking the rights guy to close.

2 month tournament tops. Then give it to the best guy.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Really?

Worst team ever

oh lord

give up now.

a good one...

Nice heat on the fastball, but still not throwing the splitter.

Eh...

Not a good sign

Let the rollercoaster begin.

>Not a good sign

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<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================
Occupy Big Government..

Fannie, Freddie dole out big bonuses
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67292.html

was 1 of the most selfish things ive ever seen

pitch the rest of the game if he was allowed to. But Leyland gotta put his foot down on something like that.

There is not another "real" manager in the league that lets that happen.

before Leyland made it to his second World Series with us. But at this point I don't know who out there would be better, so I just keep my mouth shut when he does stupid things like use Don Kelly as a pinch hitter when Dirks is available right there on the bench.

Gonna have to be a name, but when u think about what he HASNT done with this team its mindblowing.

1 - 90 win season! 1!!!

not good enough

C'mon, convince yourselves that a young(ish) fireballing closer is the last piece. Convince yourselves! Do it!

Chewing cheekfuls of gum and not wearin his jersey.

I fuckin love this team and I equally'/maybe more HATE this god damn team.

Also Michigan football in Rich Rod's last year was in that same boat.

and he's still having a pretty good season by non-Justin Verlander standards.

Tigers acquired RHP Jose Veras from the Astros for OF Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later.
Veras, 32, had a cool 2.93 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 44/14 K/BB ratio in 43 innings this year with Houston and could get a shot at saves in Detroit if Joaquin Benoit has some hiccups. Veras is earning $1.85 million this season and carries a $3.25 million team option for 2014. Vasquez, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, was batting .281/.333/.390 with five home runs and nine steals through 96 games this year for Low-A West Michigan.

They comin for Jhonny, denial is not a solid plan for his suspension.

Porcello and Veras into the pen is solid along with Better than your favorite lefty Smyly, were lookin good.

AFTER the trade deadline to announce suspensions too...

>They comin for Jhonny, denial is not a solid plan for his
>suspension.

That'd be pretty good for Detroit, but Anaheim an organization which has invested big cash in their sense of denial.

I haven't been staying up on the hot rumors though.

But the Tigers have not even hinted that they're tryin to be proactive.

I find it hard to believe that they have some inside info that the suspension will be short.

carry on....
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<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================
Occupy Big Government..

Fannie, Freddie dole out big bonuses
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67292.html

Got some interesting storylines/issues going into the playoffs...Verlander doesn't look like Verlander right now. Miggy is hurt and not playing like Miggy. Jhonny is supposed to be back on Friday, in left field? Rondon is hurt.

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<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

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Ditch the paper, save the trees, and go mobile! Text bizcard to 32462!

Maybe not 2011 JV, but good nonetheless. I'm not too worried about him, or the starting staff at all. We need to hit, and obviously that starts with Cabrera. Shut him down, pinch hit here or there, but we need him to get as close to right as possible. The Peralta thing will be very interesting.

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3292313/jimdance.gif

I cant wait to hear how there are no better options out there as we watch Mike Matheny win a ring.

This is almost like the Millen Fired day for me.

TIGERS, BITCH!!!

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I literally gave up on this team a couple years ago and had no idea until the last two weeks that we were playing meaningful games. Plus I don’t listen to local sports radio any more so I’m in a bit of a bubble. This is wild.

I need a TLDR for this entire season - I don’t even know the players anymore. Somehow Skubal is in the running for a triple crown?????

Skubal is getting the Tigers another Cy Young

Went from 8.5 back to a game and a half ahead in the wild card. Nothing flashy, just grinding wins in big pressure situations.

Comerica is ELECTRIC for meaningful games. One of those should likely be a clinching game too...

Place should be jammed these last 5 games.

Jonah Hill can be Baez.