I never truly appreciated how hard beat writers work until you're with a baseball team, or in this man's case, he's been with the Lions, he's been with the.
Red Wings, he's been with the Pistons as well. Until you're with them on a regular basis, Chris McCosky is Look, I get there early. Chris McCosky is the first person at the flip and ballpark every day. And I'm not saying that in exaggeration. I mean that sincerely. He's there every It's like you ever see the line from or you ever see the movie Caddy Shack where Ted Knight comes in, He's like, don't you people have homes? That's what it's like, Chris, don't you have homes? He's joining
us here on ex'es and bros. Chris, thanks buddy, how are you?
Man? Hey man, mat It's so good to hear from you, first of all, and thank you. It's a reflesh on of the fact. I don't really have a life outside of the job, so, you know, kind of a double edged sword, if you know what I mean.
I get it, but you do it so well. I'm not going to get into the trade stuff, just yet give me your overall thoughts on on where the Tigers are at today. A couple of games under five hundred when I thought they would win the division, that they're not quite there and they're not going to. What's been your overall take so far this season?
Yeah, I've kind of been saying from the start that this is a this is a team that's going to aspire to be five hundred. I mean, that's that's kind of a I've kind of set five hundred was the stealing from the get go, and that's a step forward. I mean that would that would represent a step forward. And but along there the missteps that have happened weren't expected. To Spencer Spencer Torkusen spending most of them most of the summer in Toledo wasn't expected, and that was that
was hurtful. Kerry Carpenter being hurt most of the year hurtful, unexpected. You know, Casey myis, I mean, that wasn't unexpected that he would have some time out of the rotation, just because he was coming back from two surgeries, but that happened at a bad time. Kent to my Aida flaming out also unexpected. So all that stuff has happened, and yet here they are still threatening to be where where I kind of thought they would be. So there's been
a lot of positives to take away. Where did who had Wenzel Perez being who he is, Who even had justin Henry Malloy being as productive as he's been in his short stint. So there's been some things. And you know, I didn't even mention Rady green all start getting hurt. So it's been weird. It's there. The end result is what we thought, but the way they got there was nowhere near how I thought.
Yeah, it's a really good point. And I sure didn't expect Kansas City and Minnesota to be as good this year as they have been, and kudos to them as well. When when you look at this team in general, though, what does it what is it lacking?
Do you think hitting? I mean, is in a general broad broad brush stroke, it's hitting, And and you know, Carry Carpenter would have changed that narrative was it was. It was in the process of changing that narrative before he went u because he left handed power back such a big part of that lineup. Torko Sin's power and
missing also a big loss. I mean, they have they have one of the worst wars that from first baseman in the end the game, and you know, and that's a that's a position where most winning teams have, you know, power in production and damage and the Tigers just simply don't have that there, or a third base for that matter. So that's that's what's lacking. And it's not like where you could just go out and buy you know, if if you could, you know, you could get Aaron Judge
and fix a lot of problems. But that's not that's not real. So I'm not sure how I mean, that's going to be a gradual fix. I feel like follow.
Him on Twitter or x at c mccowsky. He's got a lot of followers. You can join in the conversation and join in all the great stuff that he tweets out on a regular basis, and he does it quite a bit. He's joining his yard xis and bros. Spencer Torkulsen is is that guy that everybody is blaming. I don't think it's quite fair, quite honestly, but it has been a disappointing season for him. Where do you think the organization stands with Spencer Turklsen?
They stand with him. They stand with him. They're not giving up. But you don't give up on a one to one in two years. You know, he just had he just had a game where he hit a grand slam in the three run homer in the same game. So there's there's been a little flashes. I think I think they were just the word I would use is disappointed, because I think the talent is there. They know what
he knows that. I think there was some stubbornness on his part to adapt to the game, to the big league game, and he was so confident of the swing and the mechanics that got him to the point where he was one one that I think he was a little reluctant to adjust or not. Maybe maybe reluctant is
a wrong word. He was unable to like he'd been doing it the same way for so long, and you know how it is when you try to change, you try to change in season, you often fall back on your old habits just because that's the muscle memory, that's
what you've always done. So he's trying it. It's been a really hard adjustment to get him to be more athletic in the box, to be able to move his hands and throw his hands at the ball, as we used to say when we were growing up, you know, throw your hands at the ball, not just take that same robot swing and think the ball is going to hit the bat. And that's that's kind of been And hitting velocity too, like he said, struggling to hit velocity, which is a function of his his robot swing. So
that's the that's the area he's got to fix. And then he's making slow, way too slow strides to do that.
I think you told me even at the end of last year, at some point this team's got to take a look at Dylan Dingler. They will now get that opportunity with Carson Kelly being traded to Texas for two prospects. What have you liked about Dingler and what will he add to this team in your mind?
Well, I think he's going to go through the same growing pains that all these young guys come up and deal with. He's going to struggle. I mean, he's going to struggle mightily. But he is a I mean, he's just a prototypical leader behind the plate. He even even before he played a game in the big leagues, he had the respect of almost every guy in his pitching staff, school included. They've all worked with him, they all know him,
they all trust him. So that's huge to step in and have that in your back pocket and and they and he has that. I mean, he's a he's a he's a leader, back dog. He reminds me. And I think I've talked to you about this before. He's he's kind of like Lance Parrish. Yeah, strong minded guy. You know, he's got the power of my goodness, have you seen him. He's done in Toledo lately he has four home runs of her three day span these his ops is almost a thousand. I mean, he's he's uh, he's really doing
it down there. And he's done everything he needed to do down there. So now it's his time to come up your take his licks and adjust and adapt and and then find a way to become a productive big league catcher. Now his time.
Yeah, quite honestly, he's earned it. So you give him credit in that regard. How active do you think they'll be before tomorrow? As your phone continues, you continue to work the phones, what do you see them doing?
If anything, Well, they had better trade Jack Flaherty. I mean, if they don't find a way to get a couple of pieces, a couple three pieces for him. I mean, I know they have the qualifying offer, and I know they'll give them a competitive balance pick next year at the end of the first round, you have a chance to give maybe a major league ready player and a couple prospects for him. He's the best pitcher on the
market right now, him and Blake's. Now. Maybe I don't know, but like those two, they have to get something for him, and I think it would be especially coming off last year. I don't blame Scott Harris completely for the Eduardo Rodriguez mess last year, but he had one of the biggest names on the market at trade deadline and ultimately got nothing for him. Now, he had a deal with the Dodgers, a good deal, and we all know that EDWARDO kind
of nixed that with his own opt out. So it's going to be really tough, a tough sell for him. For a Scott to come back and say, look, I get what I wanted and I like the competitive balance to pick better than what I was offered, I think that's going to be a really tough sell. I still think there's a chance that Kanna gets traded Mark Canna, and a small chance that Gill or Shella gets moved. And I think they want to. I mean, these guys
are a one year deal there. They're not going to be picked with the team next year, so it's a good chance for them to flip them for some things that could be part of the future.
Yeah, and you would guess Canna correct me if I'm wrong here. Canna or Shella could bring you prospects, clarity, should bring you major league ready talent fair.
Yes, sir, it's got to all right?
What about the bullpen arms? What about a guy like Chafin Vest and Shelby Miller? Are those movable pieces for decent pieces?
Yes? They are? And then that's that you said it. It's for decent pieces, I don't think, because all those guys are under control. There's team options on Miller and Chafin so and also on Foley, also on Vest, So those guys are all guys that are going to be part of the team next year if the Tigers want them, may have control over them. So those are not just flipping for prospects because they're not going to be back guys. So there are teams that a lot of teams are
sniffing into the Tigers bullpen. I think Tyler Holton would get a lot of look too, and I feel like he'd be a horrible loss for the Tigers. But if they could get I mean, I feel like he could bring a haul because he's so value but so versatile, so good that if I was a containing team and I need a bullpen help, I would look right there first see what I could get. See.
I agree one hundred percent with you, But there is a balance, right, I mean, you have to be you and I had this conversation about Michael Foemer. You and I had it two years of about Derek Schooble. You were steadfast, You didn't you wouldn't have traded him. I would have traded him. And he's going to win a cy Young in all likelihood this year. What could this team, what would they have to get in order for them to consider moving their ace?
Well, you know, the comp is always the Monsto trade, always, and and everybody loves the fact that Washington got c j Abrams and Mackenzie Gore and James Wood. Look a look at the team that the Washington Nationals are. Though they're irrelevant they're not a factor. They're not they're not They're not better than the Tigers right now with all those pieces. So if that's the camp, if that's what you got to get, at least what they got, it's
not enough. I'm sorry. It's not enough Jackson Holliday. If you talked to ten scouts about Jackson and Holiday, have the Orioles top prospect in the game five of those things. I've done this, By the way, this is not just off the top of my head. I've done this. I've sat I sat in the press box in Cleveland and there were scouts, four of them sitting there. Two of them love Jackson Holliday. He is, Oh, you got to do whatever you can to get him a game changer.
The other ones like, no, man, he's gonna end up being a second basement. I mean he's not. He's you know, there's a jury still weigh out on him. So is that to get back for a guy that you know is a cy young, a left handed pitcher with the makeup of Trek Scouble. It's not enough. I honestly, I honestly can't see it. I mean, unless you're getting all stars back for Terrek Scuble two of them. I hit her in a picture. I'm not doing it for prospects. I'm just not. I don't truy not either.
Yeah, I'm not either. There's a reason the prospect nothing wrong against it, right, but not for that type of player. You need major league ready players who can come in and make them an impact on the Detroit Tiger right now.
A huge impact. And I'll tell you, I'll put this up there too as a qualify if the Tiger's thought, if the Tiger's thought there was any health risk going forward with Trek, like if they know that his medical is better than anybody, and if they said, well, you know what he see he's already had the one time that Johnny' said the flexure keed, then they know what. They don't feel that way. He works too hard, he's too he's too committed to the gym and the training
and the air armcare regimen. There's no they don't fear his health going forward. So if that's if you have that and you know that better than any team, man, I don't know how you move a guy like that unless I mean, I can't honestly, I can't envision a deal that they could get for him right now.
So that begs this question, Chris McCosky, It begs this question. Then you have to sign him to an extension. You're not going in next year, right with one year left on the deal, right that that would be the one year left on his contract, So you would have to high him, right, yeah, right, So you would have to sign him to the extension or some type of new contract.
Is is that the right mindset? Or do you kind of hold on and let's see what happens next year and consider whether or not you signed him or trade him next year where the value may not be as high.
The value is always going to be high, I think, I think, but I think to your point, they need they need they I'm sure this is already. They've already had preliminary like discussions with Scott Boris, you know, about school ball and about what it would take about what do you you know what I mean Boris's toughest way. Boris doesn't like to give out extensions. But the game is changing, Like Boris took a beating this offseason with so many kids guys gone unsigned into the into the season,
So the landscape there is changing. So maybe he is more amenable, and also the Tiger's relationship with Boris, especially relevant to Tic Scuoble, is tight. I mean they there was Boris on b Rus's recommendation that they drafted him in the ninth round. Basically, it took the flyer on him because he was he wasn't a he wasn't on anybody's board really coming out of Seattle University, coming out of arm surgery. So there's a tight bond there, and
I really think an extension can be worked done. And I think that the dialogue has already begun and I think it will continue. You know, I sue the deadline into the offseason. I think that's a priority. You know, guys like him and Riley Green carry even eventually we're going to be guys that they're going to look to keep long term.
How much has Keith impressed you, from when his struggles earlier this season to the great strides that he's made as of light.
Incredibly, So, I mean this is this is really special what we're seeing, and I don't think enough people recognized it. I mean, they signed this dude for six years before he stepped into a major league clubhouse basically, and he struggled, and he took his lumps and he never he never got to feed. We've seen a lot of Spencer Torkielsen much higher pedigree. We've seen him struggle. We've seen the haying dog looks. We've seen the frustration and that get
just utterly overwhelmed. Colt was he was over I mean he was hurting for sure when he was struggling, but he was determined. It was more of a determination and I don't understand why this is happening. I'm going to figure it out mentality, And he did, and he's they caught out of something here. I mean, he's made himself
better in the field. He's still, you know, a below power defensively overall in terms of defensive run saves and range and things like that, but he makes the plays he's supposed to make, and he's gotten so much better at the turn. It's second based on double plays and the bat plays. I mean, you see the whole money hit off the left the other days, Oh my goodness, four hundred and nineteen feet bullet to right. They got
onto something here. This was credit to David in ala Veland, the guys in the previous organization for recognizing who this kid was in high school, and because I mean you you know, you see the mindset. This kid is tough, tough mine he is.
Yeah, I love him, Yeah, I love him. I never doubted he was going to hit. All right, I only got a minute or so, so real quick, we'll torkle some me be back up the rest of the year.
Yes or no. I'm going to go with yes right now because I think it'd be a bad message to send him into the off season having his season in Toledo.
What does this team do about the plethora of second basement? I mean, Jace Young, I know, has moved a third, but they've got a lot of guys who can play second. They need a shortstop. And then what do you do? Is there anything? Is what everybody asked me. Is there anything can they can do about how your bias?
No, they got to hope for more hot streaks like the one he's been on. There's nothing they're going to do. And I can eat that money for another year, and they've got one more one more year of eating that money before they even think about buying out that contract. So that's your short stuf. End of story.
Wow, great stuff, man, I really appreciate the friendship, love the information. Keep up the great work. I know this was tough because your day never ends, you never sleep, and I know especially this time of the year.
Great work.
Chris Mukoska, the Detroit News. Keep up the great work. We'll talk soon, my friend.
Thank you. So I hope so Man, I miss you, but