Roster moves

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Jason Rice

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Dec 20, 2025, 8:15:54 PM12/20/25
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Seeing on the Tigers PR twitter feed that it was J-Hen who was DFA'd to make room for Finnegan

Roger King

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Dec 20, 2025, 8:26:45 PM12/20/25
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At this point, it feels like Harris didn’t even watch the games last September. Not only is he not acquiring any new hitters, he’s getting rid of hitters now. Sigh.  



Roger King
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On Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 8:15 PM 'Jason Rice' via Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Seeing on the Tigers PR twitter feed that it was J-Hen who was DFA'd to make room for Finnegan

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Michael W

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Dec 20, 2025, 11:33:00 PM12/20/25
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Wow.  Well, I predicted that a few times here, but it’s still disappointing.

Michael 

Peter Welch

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Dec 21, 2025, 8:02:52 AM12/21/25
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JHM was a trade chip 1.5 years-ago, but now he's available to anyone on waivers or as a free agent (unless he agrees to be assigned to Toledo).

For the sake of his career, he needs to be in another organization.  He's a very limited player, especially on defense, but I think he still could be a decent DH/1B if given a chance in the right circumstances.   

Peter

From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2025 11:32 PM
To: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Roster moves
 
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Michael W

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Dec 22, 2025, 8:33:16 PM12/22/25
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Fan sites for multiple teams are salivating to pick-up Malloy, citing his lifetime major-league .820 OPS vs lefties (.397 OBP), and his sensational AAA numbers.  One Yankees site is advocating the Yankees should trade for Malloy to avoid getting pre-empted on waivers.

This one was one of the more complete:

Roger King

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Dec 22, 2025, 8:52:59 PM12/22/25
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I think it's the overview that is so frustrating for me.  Harris is acting like the September slide (and the loss to the Mariners) was due to the pen constantly blowing leads.  I mean they have literally not made a single change or acquisition to the roster besides the pen this entire offseason (unless Anderson makes the rotation).  They are just fixated on making the pen better but to my recollection, the pen performed fine more often than not.

Certainly losing 3-2 in 15 innings tells you that the pen did well and that it was really the same old story we saw down the stretch: they couldn't get a key hit.  Anyone even casually watching this team knows that was the issue.  So naturally Harris spends the first 2 months of the offseason completely ignoring the hitting side of the equation to the point where he is now actually releasing a hitter to protect some reliever who was barely on the team the entire season.  Sigh!  



Paul Meloche

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Dec 22, 2025, 9:28:06 PM12/22/25
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But then we’re back to who’s the odd man out if we pick up a hitter, don’t we expect half a dozen of the core guys to get better year over year, etc. 

I’m not saying you’re wrong, just that we’ve had this discussion before.

Which brings us back to “shake things up” and “WWDD” (first D is Dombrowski). But Harris for better or worse doesn’t seem to be that kind of executive. 


Paul M.

On Dec 22, 2025, at 5:52 PM, Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com> wrote:



Peter Welch

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Dec 22, 2025, 11:32:34 PM12/22/25
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Wouldn't be shocked if Malloy has a higher OPS than Tork if he gets an opportunity to play regularly for someone.

If Malloy ends up playing for a team with a hitter-friendly ballpark like the Reds, Rockies, A's, Astros or Twins he could put up very good numbers.  I could also see him doing will with the Rays (like ex-Tiger Isaac Paredes did).

Malloy also could benefit from the ABS system next year since he has a very good eye at the plate and could get borderline strike calls against him overturned by ABS.
(I actually think Tork might also benefit from ABS).

Kind of frustrating to see a hitting-challenged team give up one of their better young hitters.  They seem to be treating Malloy like they did Paredes, although at least they got Austin Meadows for Paredes (I know that didn't turn out well, but at the time Meadows looked like he'd be a decent lefty power hitter before he got ill).

Peter
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2025 8:33 PM

Peter Welch

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Dec 22, 2025, 11:36:50 PM12/22/25
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The Tigers' 2nd-half slide this year was because the offense was terrible.
Yes, the bullpen had some issues, but the main issue was not scoring enough runs and relying on the pitchers to be perfect.

Harris seems very confident that his returning group of hitters will get better in 2026.  I hope he's right.

Peter
From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2025 8:52 PM
To: Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>
Cc: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Roster moves
 

Peter Welch

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Dec 22, 2025, 11:53:01 PM12/22/25
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Sweeney, Jung or T. Cruz seem expendable to me.  Not confident any of them will be more than scrubs.  I suppose Sweeney, Jung or Cruz could end up being another McKinstry but I wouldn't bet on it.  

Peter
From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Paul Meloche <meloc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2025 9:27 PM
To: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Cc: Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>; detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Roster moves
 

Michael W

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Dec 29, 2025, 5:25:10 PM (13 days ago) 12/29/25
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So, it's been 9 days.  Has Malloy cleared waivers?  Or is the rule 7 "business" days?  He hasn't been outrighted to Toledo yet.  Perhaps the league is sorting through waiver claims?

I want to know what's happening!

Michael

Michael W

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Dec 29, 2025, 5:52:13 PM (13 days ago) 12/29/25
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i think it's too early to give up on Jace Jung.   His minor league numbers are pretty good.  His AAA 2-year OPS is .823 in 909 PA - not great by recent AAA standards, but not bad either. The International League average OPS the last two years were .763 and .750, and Jung was younger than most of the other players.   His major league numbers are poor, but it was in only 149 PA spread over 2 years.  If they traded him that would be OK, but I hope they don't release him.

Sweeny is a year older and his AAA numbers are a bit worse (.810).  He's definitely pushing the edge of relevance.  But shortstops are always at a premium.  He's probably worth keeping in the minors as an emergency fill-in rather than as a major leaguer.  If they let him go I would understand.

Cruz is really not a prospect at all.  He's yet another year older than Sweeney (17 months older than Malloy), but unlike all of the others, he had no minor league success prior to last year.  He did have a good year in 2025, but the AA part of that gets a huge discount given it was his 4th season at Erie.  So to bet on Cruz you are betting on 240 good PA at Toledo rather than 2000+ poor PA prior to that.  He's a guy who doesn't need a roster spot.

Michael

Peter Welch

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Dec 30, 2025, 10:12:54 AM (13 days ago) 12/30/25
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Seems like nobody claimed Malloy and he wasn't put on release waivers. 
The Tigers can assign him to the minors or trade him, although why would anyone trade for him if they passed on claiming him on waivers?  I believe this is the first time Malloy has been DFA'd so he can't elect to become a FA instead of accepting a minor league assignment.

I like Malloy, but for the sake of his career he needs to be in another organization.  Maybe he'll go to Korea or Japan?

Peter

Sent: Monday, December 29, 2025 5:25 PM

Peter Welch

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Dec 30, 2025, 10:29:11 AM (13 days ago) 12/30/25
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Jung is blocked in Detroit.  Colt Keith is a better prospect, is younger, and plays the same positions, and, obviously, McGonigle is ahead of Jung now (plus M. Anderson and H. Lee could be ahead of him as well).

If Jung played SS, 1B and OF he'd have a better chance.  He only plays 3B/2B.  He's not good defensively at 2B but ok defensively at 3B.
When Jung has been called up he's barely been able to hit the ball out of the infield against major league pitchers, plus he's yet another lefty hitter who can't hit lefties.  Tigers should have included Jung in a trade 2 years ago (same with Malloy). 

The Tigers probably like Cruz because he plays 6 positions, including SS and CF, plus he's a switch hitter.
I could see him replacing McKinstry eventually.

Sweeney has the same problem as Jung.  He can't elevate the ball.  Sweeney has pretty good bat speed but has trouble hitting line drives and balls deep into the gaps.  The Tigers' coaches have had 2 years to fix this but Sweeney hasn't been able to adjust.  I thought Sweeney might be able to be a good platoon SS since he hit righties well in the minors but his hitting against righties hasn't translated against big leaguers and his defense is mediocre.  Sweeney hasn't really played other positions (except a tiny handful of games at 3B) so he's less valuable to Hinch, who likes super versatile players like McKinstry.

Peter
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2025 5:52 PM

Peter Welch

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Jan 3, 2026, 12:24:36 AM (9 days ago) Jan 3
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13 days since JHM was DFA'd.  Still no word on where he ended up.

Peter

From: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2025 10:12 AM

Roger King

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Jan 3, 2026, 10:53:42 AM (9 days ago) Jan 3
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According to some, there seems to be an unwritten rule about a waiver claim pause over the holidays.  Google AI says:

While not an officially announced rule, the Major League Baseball does have an unofficial, de facto  pause on the waiver process over the Christmas holidays. 
During this period, the usual 7-day "DFA limbo" period for players designated for assignment is extended. Teams and the league effectively put a hold on processing waiver claims and other transactions from late December to early January, often waiting until after the New Year to finalize any moves. This allows players and team personnel to avoid being moved during the holiday season



Peter Welch

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Jan 3, 2026, 12:06:44 PM (9 days ago) Jan 3
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Thanks, Roger.  That probably explains it.

JHM reminds me a bit of the JD Martinez situation with Houston.  JD had good minor league numbers with the Astros, but the Astros later gave up on him as a failed prospect and waived him at age 25.  The Tigers picked him up as a free agent after nobody claimed him (Al Avila recommended that Dombrowski pick him up), he made some swing adjustments, and then became a star with Detroit.  I could see that happening for JHM with another team.  (JHM might not hit as well as JD did with Detroit, but he could still become an above-average Major League hitter for some other team).

Peter
From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 3, 2026 10:53 AM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Cc: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Roster moves
 

Roger King

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Jan 6, 2026, 10:16:21 AM (6 days ago) Jan 6
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This just announced by Tiger’s PR. Pretty pathetic. They couldn’t even get anything for him?

OF Justyn-Henry Malloy has been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash consideration.


Peter Welch

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Jan 6, 2026, 12:02:10 PM (6 days ago) Jan 6
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They should have traded Malloy 2 years-ago when he was still considered a decent prospect (they should have known back then that JHM was blocked by Torkelson and Keith).  His value nosedived the past 2 years when he didn't hit that well in limited playing time with Detroit, plus he doesn't have a position other than DH.

Not surprised the Rays picked him up.  Seems like the type of player they know how to use.  I was also hoping he'd go to the A's or Rockies.  He could put up big numbers in their ballparks.
He might just be a AAAA player, but there's still a chance JHM can be an above-average hitter.  I could even see him outhitting Tork in the right circumstances.

Good luck to him.  He always seems very enthusiastic and a nice guy.  

Peter
From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2026 10:16 AM
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