The Zimmermann Thread

[davell]

#Tigers in discussions with Jordan Zimmermann, sources tell @ken_rosenthal and me, with multiple people saying talks have become serious.

 

Since we've been connected to him, figure he gets a thread.

[UMFan83]

Just gut it and start over Detroit don't throw a crapload of money at someone who will take you from 68 to 73 wins

[davell]

I don't think there's anyone here who is fawning over him, but I'll admit I don't like seeing a lot of teams Plan B come off the market before the big guys do. If we are truly in on Price or Greinke, this could help push them a bit higher.

[Guest]

The Tigers payroll was ~170 million last year. This year with guaranteed contracts and arb raises(assuming they non-tender Feliz), they're at 140 million for 11 players. With Zimmermann they have a full rotation if you still believe in Greene, to go along with Verlander, Norris, and Sanchez. Problem is, they still have 2-4 gaping holes on offense with little to spend to improve it, nothing to trade to get cheap/young improvements, and the rotation & bullpen aren't exactly strengths either. What a depressing time to be a Tigers fan, they're about to 2013 Phillies levels and they don't have a World Series win to tide them over like the Philly fans do.

[Guest]

Is my memory faulty or was Norris diagnosed with a serious health problem?

[Guest]

Is my memory faulty or was Norris diagnosed with a serious health problem?

thyroid cancer

 

already had successful surgery for it

[Guest]

[tweet]

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[davell]

You nailed it. They're like a year away from Phillying.

[Tryptamine]

I don't' get it, even with the Zimmermann signing I don't think they're better than KC,MIN or CLE. Edited November 29, 2015 by Tryptamine

[davell]

Morosi saying around 5/110 for Zimmermann. That's not bad, especially for a team like Detroit. Who I'd have thought would have seriously had to overpay to get a high tier guy early.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't' get it, even with the Zimmermann signing I don't think they're better than KC,MIN or CLE.

 

They're not poor(nobody really is in MLB) Why shouldn't they sign a good player to a reasonable contract just because they aren't a favorite to make the playoffs? To cross-reference another topic that was discussed a few days ago, this is the issue MLB has with tanking, this increasingly accepted thought process that if you're not a good bet to make the playoffs, every dollar spent is wasted, keeping you away from precious losses.

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

Morosi saying around 5/110 for Zimmermann. That's not bad, especially for a team like Detroit. Who I'd have thought would have seriously had to overpay to get a high tier guy early.

 

That's a pretty reasonable contract good for Detroit. For the Cubs this seems to mean 1 of 2 things. They either had no interest in Zimmermann at all or they are dead certain that they can get a guy or 2 that are better and or cheaper.

Edited November 29, 2015 by KrisBryantisaBeast

[Tryptamine]

Morosi saying around 5/110 for Zimmermann. That's not bad, especially for a team like Detroit. Who I'd have thought would have seriously had to overpay to get a high tier guy early.

 

That's a pretty reasonable contract good for Detroit. For the Cubs this seems to mean 1 of 2 things. They either had no interest in Zimmermann at all or they are dead certain that they can get a guy of 2 that are better and or cheaper.

 

5/110 is a lot for a guy who is 7 years off his TJS when the procedure usually only lasts 7 to 8 years. It's a pretty big gamble for Detroit.

[davell]

Morosi saying around 5/110 for Zimmermann. That's not bad, especially for a team like Detroit. Who I'd have thought would have seriously had to overpay to get a high tier guy early.

 

That's a pretty reasonable contract good for Detroit. For the Cubs this seems to mean 1 of 2 things. They either had no interest in Zimmermann at all or they are dead certain that they can get a guy of 2 that are better and or cheaper.

 

5/110 is a lot for a guy who is 7 years off his TJS when the procedure usually only lasts 7 to 8 years. It's a pretty big gamble for Detroit.

 

There's plenty of money in baseball. Its less than most projections had him going for. Its a surprisingly low number for a guy like that to take this early.

[Guest]

especially to go to detroit. it's weird.

[Guest]

The issue isn't Zimmermann's specific contract(it's pretty reasonable, and TJS does not institute a countdown clock like a movie bomb), it's that Zimmermann doesn't match up great with the Tigers specifically. For Zimmermann's money you could have filled at least two holes on a team that has many to fill and not much in the way of resources to do it. If Zimmermann was a high upside guy you could at least forgive going with the stars and scrubs approach, but as much as I like Zimmermann he's not as likely to throw up a 5 win season in 2016 as, say, Cueto will for similar dollars.

[davell]

He's from Wisconsin and one reason he was rumored with us was the Midwestern stuff. He's about 500 miles from where he grew up. That may be why he took the deal.

[toonsterwu]

I've got to think the Cubs were somewhat involved - there were enough rumors about the Cubs being in it makes it seem likely they at least called to get general parameters. All the talk by Zimmerman about him being Plan B for other clubs besides the Tigers makes me think that, initially, the Cubs are at least aiming higher, if only to feel out the market.

 

As for the Tigers ... I like Zimmerman. I think the Tigers could probably cobble some pieces together to be competitive again soon, but I probably would've gone the rebuild route as it's somewhat hard for me to see that aging core holdiing the fort that much longer, at least, to keep a championship window open that much longer. The system seems to always get ranked low, but still seems able to crank out some intriguing assets. I don't see any sleeper guys like Wily Adames yet, but I don't follow them all that closely. I do like their arm depth, although admittedly, not a lot of exciting ceiling (I do like Burrows, and I still think Lewicki might be better than any other arm in that system). Perhaps Avila isn't allowed to rebuild.

 

Contract is heavily backloaded. ugh. Could see the last 2 years being really bad for the Tigers as they try to pawn him off.

[Guest]

He's from Wisconsin and one reason he was rumored with us was the Midwestern stuff. He's about 500 miles from where he grew up. That may be why he took the deal.

 

Is this a typo? 500 miles is not really all that close. In fact, it's not close at all.

[sneakypower]

according to The Proclaimers it's within walking distance

[Guest]

according to The Proclaimers it's within walking distance

 

and then they'd walk back