Tigers Deadline Summary: Schoop, There It Is!
Today, we recap the Detroit Tigers' relatively uneventful trade deadline and examine why that might bode well for the team's competitive chances in the near future.
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . When the Tigers signed Jonathan Schoop to a two-year, $15 million extension on August 7, it was the first time they extended a player prior to that player reaching free agency since they signed Miguel Cabrera to an eight-year, $248 million extension before the 2014 season. In 2013, Cabrera had won his second consecutive AL MVP award, leading the AL in batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.442), slugging (.636), and OPS (1.078). With that remarkable 2013 season, Cabrera became the 13th player to win back-to-back MVP awards in MLB history.
The only pitcher ever to win back-to-back MVP awards was also a Tiger. In 1944 and 1945, Hal Newhouser led the AL in both wins and strikeouts both years, posting a combined 2.01 ERA across both seasons. He spent 15 of his 17 big league seasons with Detroit, leading them to a World Series title in 1945.
. . . Before signing his contract extension, Schoop was coming off of a hot July. He hit .301 for the month and drove in 16 runs, and his 31 hits ranked fourth in the American League. Schoop also scored 19 runs in July, which was tied for fourth in the AL. Entering play on August 10, Schoop’s 123 hits in 2021 ranked sixth in the AL.
Leading Off
The Tigers’ Quiet Trade Deadline Was Actually A Great Sign
By Joe Underhill
After the Tigers finished April with a disappointing record of 8-19, those who follow the team fully expected them to be wholesale sellers at the July 30 trade deadline. Prior to the deadline, I postulated with several of my fellow Tiger diehards that this deadline would tell us what stage general manager Al Avila and owner Chris Ilitch felt the rebuild had reached. A relatively quiet deadline would mean they felt the Tigers were close to being a competitive team in the AL Central.
From May 1 to July 1, the Tigers went 42-38 and saw many of their potential trade chips either falter (José Ureña, Nomar Mazara, Wilson Ramos) or go on the IL (Julio Teheran, Matthew Boyd, Spencer Turnbull, and Michael Fulmer). The brand of winning baseball was led by the young players, a resurgent Jonathan Schoop, longtime great Miguel Cabrera, and the steady presence of Robbie Grossman.
The only move the Tigers made at the deadline was to send left-hander Daniel Norris (a former second-round pick and part of the trade that sent David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015) to Milwaukee for High-A right-hander Reese Olson. It’s a minor move and not one that changes the current or most likely the long-term competitiveness of the Tigers. Norris has struggled during his Tigers tenure to harness his considerable talent. In Olson, the Tigers add a starter to the lower level of their system who is most likely ticketed for eventual bullpen work due to a violent delivery.
That the Tigers did not move Schoop, Gregory Soto, or any of their other contributing pieces was the initial signal that winning now has become the priority rather than restocking the farm and getting rid of contracts. This was confirmed in the week after the trade deadline, when Ilitch told reporters that he could see the Tigers adding a “high-impact player” to compliment the core of young players that Avila and his team had put together. Additionally, the Tigers agreed to a $15 million extension with Schoop, giving Detroit a veteran presence in its locker room and a solid bat and glove in manager A.J. Hinch’s everyday lineup.
While the trade deadline did not bring an exciting new name to the Tigers’ lineup or farm system, it should bring a level of excitement to fans because it signaled that the club is ready to be serious about putting a winning product on the field. While the Tigers were not big players at the deadline, they need to follow through with Ilitch’s suggestion that it is time to get serious about adding talent via free agency. The trade deadline has passed, but the excitement around Detroit baseball is just beginning.
Joe Underhill is a diehard baseball fan and fan of the city of Detroit. Joe currently writes for the IBWAA Newsletter and www.tigstown.com. You can follow Joe on Twitter @TransplantedDet.
Extra Innings
“I love Jonathan [Schoop]. He’s easy to write into the lineup every day. You can rely on him. He loves to play. But more importantly, he’s a great influence. When your better players want to be a part of what you’re doing and want to stay here, it’s really easy for a manager to fall in love with the guy.
“There’s a consistency to him and what he brings every day. He makes me smile every day, he makes me laugh. I push him and he responds by asking for more and wanting to do more.”
- Tigers manager A.J. Hinch discussing Schoop’s contract extension
“The toughest part is seeing where this team is now and seeing the rise of it, and how much fun it’s been to win. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m really sad about leaving. I feel like this is a winning team. Even going out in public and seeing people wanting to turn the game on at a restaurant and hearing people excited about the Tigers has been really cool this year. So I’ll miss that. But I’m obviously very happy for this team and how far it’s come.”
- Longtime Tiger Daniel Norris, reflecting after he was traded to the Brewers at the 2021 deadline