Harris free agents

[Roger King]

I think Scott Harris is a smart guy and generally have faith in his decisions. But just thinking about his off-season free agent acquisitions the last couple of years and how he really hasn’t done any better than Avila in that department. He obviously hasn’t spent the kind of money Avila did going into 2022 but most of his signings have been pretty much a bust.  

I may be missing a couple of names, but here’s a quick list from the last two seasons:

Cobb - $15 million - hasn’t pitched

Brebbia - $2.75 million - was released earlier in the season

Ibanez - re-signed for $1.4 million. Now at Toledo 

Maeda - 2 years, $24 million. Was released at the end of April

Margot - 1 year, $1.3 million.  Was released earlier this summer (he was basically signed as an injury replacement but still…)

Urshela - 1 year, $1.5 million. Released last August

Flaherty - 2 years, $35 million. Still in the rotation, but hasn’t pitched very well this season. Obviously, Harris gets credit for signing him at the start of last year. He pitched well for the Tigers and then netted them a couple of good prospects in a trade deadline deal. We’ll see how Flaherty works out in the end on this latest 2-year deal.

On the plus side, the signings of Torres & Kahnle (recent slump not withstanding) have 

worked out, as has the re-signing of McKinstry. 

And of course there have been other smaller acquisitions like Holton and Jones that have been good as well, but on the whole, not a great track record on free agents for Harris so far in Detroit.

Roger King
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[Peter Welch]

Harris has poor judgement in free agent pitchers.  

What an absolute waste of money on Cobb.  Remember Cobb was about to retire, but Harris gave him $15 million not to retire.  If they wanted to sign Cobb to be a pitching coach, they should have just signed him as a coach.

There were other options we could have signed for $15 million in the offseason and they at least would have been able to pitch.  Heck, I'd even take Verlander over Cobb.

Signing a fading Maeda to a 2-year contract was really dumb.

Nobody else wanted to sign Flaherty this past offseason (which was a red flag) but Harris brought him back.  The way Flaherty has been pitching, you can see why other teams wanted to stay away.

Peter

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From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2025 12:35 PM
To: Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Harris free agents

 

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[Roger King]

Alex Cobb has to have hip surgery so it’s official that he will not throw a pitch this year as a Detroit Tiger.

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[Michael W]

There was also Lorenzen.

Michael 

[Mark Pattison]

You mean the Michael Lorenzen who was an All-Star in 2023 while with Detroit? Yeah, terrible choice.

Mark Pattison

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/detroit-tigers/4db45afb-724f-43ff-a702-31a15923a83an%40googlegroups.com

.

[Peter Welch]

Lorenzen was a good signing by Harris (he was decent for us and he got us Hao-Yu Lee in return, who is an ok prospect, when we traded Lorenzen to the Phillies).

However,  in general, Harris's free agent pitcher signings haven't been good.

Peter

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From: 'Mark Pattison' via Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2025 7:07 PM
To: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Harris free agents

 

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[Peter Welch]

Verlander throwing a shutout vs. the Cardinals through 5 innings tonight.  JV's ERA since the All-Star break is nearly 3.00.

Harris chose to sign Cobb instead, but they are both being paid $15 million.

Peter

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From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2025 5:36 PM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>; Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: Harris free agents

[Peter Welch]

I don't blame Harris for re-signing Flaherty because he pitched really well for the Tigers last year before being traded.  However, other teams didn't want to sign him, so there was a reason teams didn't want to sign him for what he wanted.

Peter

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From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2025 5:36 PM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>; Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Harris free agents

 

[Paul Meloche]

And has been the case in 2025, the SF pen can’t hold JV’s lead (six shutout innings). Cardinals win 3-2.

Flaherty and Mize have to be the 2-3 starters in the playoffs barring injury. I’m not sure if Olsen makes it back if he’ll be ready to go 4-5 innings. 

Paul M.

On Sep 6, 2025, at 6:06 PM, Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com> wrote:



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[Peter Welch]

Verlander isn't a a top-of-the-rotation starter anymore, but he's proven to be a solid #4-#5 starter for the Giants, and is having a very good 2^nd half this season (despite poor run and bullpen support).   He's better than Paddack and Morton.  

Olson isn't coming back from everything I've read.  He might be ready for the World Series, if the Tigers make it.

Harris took a chance with Cobb and struck out.  Alex got $15 million to pitch some rehab appearances in the minors and have another hip surgery.  Good for him!

Peter

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From: Paul Meloche <meloc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2025 10:27 PM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Cc: Tigers List <detroit...@googlegroups.com>

[Roger King]

I didn't think Michael was saying Lorenzen was a bad signing but rather he was just adding to my list of free agents Harris has acquired which is at the bottom of this thread.

I obviously didn't do a comprehensive list but rather the ones that haven't worked out...while also acknowledging some who have.

Harris recognized he inherited a good core of young players & prospects and it was more about developing them and seeing what they could do vs a completel team overhaul.  Another GM might have more of an ego and want to make a big splash by reworking the team.  

His acquisitions have mostly been tweaks to the roster rather than big signings.  Though as we have discussed, I do wish at times he was a bit more creative and/or bold with trades like Dombrowski.  

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[Peter Welch]

Lorenzen was decent as a #4/#5 type starter before we traded him, and Flaherty was good last year before we traded him.   So they were decent FA pitcher signings by Harris.

Re-signing Flaherty this year wasn't a bad move on the surface since he pitched well for us last year, but the red flag was that other teams weren't willing to sign him.  I still thought it was worth taking a chance on Flaherty.  I don't think any of us predicted Flaherty would be as horribly inconsistent as he's been this season.  He hasn't said anything about being injured this year either, but I wonder if he's had some physical issues he hasn't said anything about.  He does have a history of back pain.

However, the Maeda and Cobb signings have just been strange.  Giving Maeda 2 years was really questionable.  I could see taking a chance on him for one season, but a 2-year contract for an aging pitcher who was a couple years removed from TJS?  
Cobb was about to retire when Harris gave him $15 million to un-retire.  Cobb already was coming off surgery on one bad hip, and his other hip broke down this year.  I guess the $15 million should cover the co-pay/deductible on the surgery.

JV would have been a better signing than Cobb as #5 starter.  They are both getting paid the same as well, and at least JV would have created big fan interest.

Harris's free agent reliever signings:

Chasen Shreve

Shelby Miller

Andrew Chafin

John Brebbia

Tommy Kahnle

Kind of a mixed bag of mediocrity there. 
Shreve was "meh".  

Miller was ok sometimes but pretty mediocre overall and way too prone to giving up home runs in high-leverage situations.

Brebbia was a flat-out bust.

I suppose Chafin was ok in his role, and Kahnle was good for a couple of months this year, although Kahnle seems better lately.  We need him to be good for the playoffs.

Peter

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From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 7, 2025 9:10 AM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Cc: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>