royals are possible biggest challengers to Tigers in Central now,

this hurts a bit. stupid royals.

Royals are like the Lions... Always losers...

Bad trade for the Royals, great trade for the Rays.

On one hand, I'm glad because the Royals are in our division and just got hosed, on the other hand, Tampa has the best front office in the game and with trades like this will be a challenger for the Tigers for the AL pennant.

Looks like the Royals' GM Moore is trying to save his job.

For one last season.

If they did this to win now, w/o making a few more moves, including another SP who is significantly better than everyone in their roto, below their new #1 (who would be a #2 on many MLB teams) they still won't win one of the two WC spots. There may be as many as 5-6 teams who might win 90+ games next season in the AL West and East. If Shields pitches well for them, he will be gone as a FA in '15... if not '14 when the Royals try to trade him for prospects.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/reaction-to-rays-royals-trade.html
Reactions to rays - royals trade.

kalinecountry said:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/reaction-to-rays-royals-trade.html
Reactions to rays - royals trade.

Click to expand...

"The Tigers weren't happy to see the Royals acquire Shields, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Shields is a difference maker who will make the Royals better, Knobler writes."

So will this push the Tigers' brass into signing Sanchez and/or Soriano @ or near what they and their agents are looking for? I know that Ilitch could afford to do it, but long-term, Sanchez being signed @ 5-6 years @ $$75-90 MM might negatively affect the future contract negotiations of @ least some of their other SPs being Verlander, Fister, and Scherzer, likely ratcheting up their demands in collective salaries and years.

Unless the Royals actually get above .500, I still see them as a 4th place team at best. What is it, one season above .500 the last 18?

turok said:

"The Tigers weren't happy to see the Royals acquire Shieldsoyals, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Shields is a difference maker who will make the Royals better, Knobler writes."

So will this push the Tigers' brass into signing Sanchez and/or Soriano @ or near what they and their agents are looking for? I know that Ilitch could afford to do it, but long-term, Sanchez being signed @ 5-6 years @ $$75-90 MM might negatively affect the future contract negotiations of @ least some of their other SPs being Verlander, Fister, and Scherzer, likely ratcheting up their demands in collective salaries and years.

​

Click to expand...

The Tigers won't do anything based on what the Royals do. They're the fuckin' Royals. Another sub .500 team and 4th place finish.

Mitchrapp said:

The Tigers won't do anything based on what the Royals do. They're the fuckin' Royals. Another sub .500 team and 4th place finish.

Click to expand...

I could see the Royals finishing in 3rd if not 2nd in the ALCD with ~a .500 record (at this point in the off-season, mind you), b/c of the pathetic Tribe and even more awful "rebuilding" Twins. The White Sox may still have a better rotation than the Royals, but they have some holes or weaknesses on the field and @ the plate that will need to be addressed.

Royals are always terrible. Its hard to predict they will be better because of one trade. James can be good but his career is a bit inconsistent to make me think he's nothing more than a 3 in the Tigers rotation.

I don't see the Royals adding a couple pitchers making them much better than they were in 2012.

Outside of Butler and Gordon, they don't have any impact players on the offense, so unless they make some real moves to land some solid contributors on offense, they're still a 4th place team.

3 things you can always count on, Cubs never winning a WS, Pittsburgh will never get in the playoffs and the Royals will suck.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/da...or-shields-too
Tigers tried for Shields, too.
from Danny Knobler for cbssports

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/tigers-pursued-james-shields.html
Tigers pursued James Shields.
from mlbtraderumors

http://www.freep.com/article/201212...-city-royals?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Detroit Tigers
Tigers offered Avisail Garcia for James Shields.
from the freep

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2012/12/report_detroit_tigers_were_aft.html
Detroit Tigers were after James Shields before Kansas City traded for him.
from Mlive

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...gers-offered-Avisail-Garcia-RHP-James-Shields
Tigers offered Avisail Garcia for RHP James Shields.
from the detnews

So if this is in fact the case, DD might still be looking at another comparable quality pitcher with 'some' sort of Ace status like Shields. or he was just saying.....

kalinecountry said:

http://www.freep.com/article/201212...-city-royals?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Detroit Tigers
Tigers offered Avisail Garcia for James Shields.
from the freep

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2012/12/report_detroit_tigers_were_aft.html
Detroit Tigers were after James Shields before Kansas City traded for him.
from Mlive

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...gers-offered-Avisail-Garcia-RHP-James-Shields
Tigers offered Avisail Garcia for RHP James Shields.
from the detnews

So if this is in fact the case, DD might still be looking at another comparable quality pitcher with 'some' sort of Ace status like Shields. or he was just saying.....

Click to expand...

Garcia for Shields might have been a good short-term move, but perhaps not long term, like the Royals, although the Tigers' ability to sign him to an extension might be somewhat better, given that they have 3 SP who might all need to be offered extensions before they reach free-agency. Obviously KC's FO isn't going to plunk down big money for a long-term contract with a FA SP that is a #2 or maybe even a #3. They could have retained Myers and obtained Sanchez or much more likely EJax, if their owner wasn't a Scrooge, albeit the Royals being a small-market ballclub. The Royals apparently would either need to prove that they are a genuine contender in the ALCD during the entire '13 season, or might need to vastly overpay to attract any desirable FAs.

As I have mentioned in the past, I would like to see the Tigers acquire a #2 or #3 LH veteran SP, by trade or through FA, since the Tigers haven't really had any southpaw that was lasting and decent since Kenny Rodgers retired. Both Robertson AND the D-Train failed miserably on the mound, after both were signed to 3 year, $$20+MM contracts in the same '08 off-season. Jarrod Washburn crashed and burned after he was traded to the Tigers by the M's in '09 for Robles and French. Converted Coke also had to go back to the BP after being unable to retain his spot in the roto in '11. The Tigers simply have been very unfortunate and unusually unlucky when it comes to LH SPs.

Unfortunately this off-season is pretty devoid of worthy LH FA SPs, unless the Tigers were to give Liriano an invite to ST, if he is left unsigned, but he isn't very likely to ever again come close to being the SP that he was as a rookie in '06, before he became injured.

Shields is highly overrated (I place him as a low #3, high #4). I have both A. Sanchez and E. Jackson ahead of him. Why trade for him, when you could sign better?

I know Shields is owed $9 Mil in 2013 and possibly $12Mil in 2014. But that is it.

My MLB rankings

#5 Verlander

#42 Fister

#54 A. Sanchez

#62 Dempster

#68 E. Jackson

#81 Scherzer

#85 Shields

#87 E. Santana

#89 Porcello

#90 Chen

#98 Guthrie

Rebbiv said:

Shields is highly overrated (I place him as a low #3, high #4). I have both A. Sanchez and E. Jackson ahead of him. Why trade for him, when you could sign better?

I know Shields is owed $9 Mil in 2013 and possibly $12Mil in 2014. But that is it.

My MLB rankings

#5 Verlander

#42 Fister

#54 A. Sanchez

#62 Dempster

#68 E. Jackson

#81 Scherzer

#85 Shields

#87 E. Santana

#89 Porcello

#90 Chen

#98 Guthrie

Click to expand...

There were a couple of stories saying the same about shields as a number 3, going on 31.
imo he's good very good but not a great pitcher.

My questions Kevin are; do you have Kershaw, Price, Felix, ?? ahead of Verlander at #5?

and in your top 20/25 are there 2/3/4 pitchers you would like to see the Tigers trade for?
I am thinking trade for because of the years and contracts handed out to several players that are just too much for their ranks among their peers. guessing the tv contract monies have something to do with them.
or is there a fa pitcher you would like to see the Tigers sign?

#1 Kershaw
#2 F. Hernandez
#3 Marcum
#4 Latos
#5 Verlander

#30 J. Weaver
#31 Price

I understand their is health issues with Marcum. From 2009-2012, Marcum leads all MLB starters in Away WHIP and Away OPP OBP

Price (like Shields) has benefited from a pitcher friendly ball park.

I would like to get Jon Lester, because he is a lefty. Homer Bailey. Jordan Zimmerman. Travis Wood (another lefty). Jhoulys Chacin.

To the casual fan (aside from maybe Lester), these are all young and not very recognizable. And they are all in my top 25 and would trade Castellanos + package for any one of them. I wouldn't have traded him for Shields.