Monday was the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and the Detroit Tigers traded star pitcher Tarik Skubal to the L.A. Dodgers.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition producer Caoilinn Goss to talk about the trade and what's ahead for the Tigers.
Caoilinn Goss: A Skubal trade was highly anticipated, but perhaps more surprisingly, the Tigers also traded Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres… Tigers management says they have their eyes on the future. What's the logic here, John?
JUB: Follow the money. Both pitchers' contracts are about to expire. If the Tigers didn't sign them to new contracts, which would cost the Tigers many millions more, both pitchers would be free agents. So instead of getting nothing at the end of the season, the Tigers traded both of them now to get something in return. Not a lot, but something.
The logic is the Tigers are cheap. There's your logic. It's always cheaper to pay for a rebuilding team, then pay a championship team. So once again, the Tigers are rebuilding.
CG: Well, speaking of a championship team... despite the loss of two of their stars, the Tigers have been playing some pretty good baseball lately and could still secure an American League Wild Card spot in the playoffs. What's it going to take, John?
JUB: Not that much because their division sucks. Of the five teams in the AL Central, only one has a winning record and only by a few games. So if they can just get to the cutting edge of mediocrity, my friend, they will be a playoff team.
CG: Former Michigan State hockey star Shawn Horcoff is the new interim general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, the Wings have hired a search firm to find a permanent replacement for Steve Yzerman… What do you make of the interim pick and what does the team need in a GM?
JUB: Actually, the interim pick might be better than a full time one they might get. Horcoff was an All-American at Michigan State, also Academic All-American, studying finance and economics. Two very good background majors for a future general manager. He played 15 years in the NHL. He was a captain for three years, so he's a good leader. He's also been the GM for the Red Wings top Farm team in Grand Rapids. And as an aside, his son plays for Michigan. I don't know how that worked out at the kitchen table, but there you are. So Horcoff has a great background. I'm not sure if he'll be the permanent GM or not, but the Wings could surely do worse. A general manager has got to be a talent scout, a deal maker, and the hardest piece? They have to build a team with an identity and a culture that free agents actually want to play for. So sadly, it's almost impossible to say who can do those many things until they already have the job. So good luck Wings! Here we go again.
Editor's notes: Some quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full interview near the top of this page.
