DETROIT -- Mother Nature washed out Wednesday’s Tigers-Pirates matchup at Comerica Park, but it was still a good day for talking baseball. Here are some of the highlights (which have been edited lightly for clarity and brevity) from a Reddit AMA Wednesday afternoon with MLB.com Tigers beat writer Jason Beck. You can read the full transcript here.
How aggressive will the Tigers [be] in the trade market? -- tcguy71
I think the Tigers will be aggressive on the guys they want to bring in. That doesn't mean they'll make the biggest deal. But I think president of baseball operations Scott Harris knows what he and manager A.J. Hinch want/need -- particularly relief depth, maybe another starter, possibly a right-handed bat for the lineup or a more full-time answer at third base -- and they have the prospect depth to make a few deals without selling out the farm system.
I would not expect the Tigers to offer up their top prospects. I think Scott Harris strongly hinted in his radio interview on June 11 that they want to build around those guys in the years to come. But they've built some depth in some areas, particularly in the infield, where they could part with a prospect or two without mortgaging their future.
What are the Tigers thinking about adding a starter? Or are they banking on Alex Cobb and José Urquidy coming back and working out? -- Go_J
The Tigers can explore the starting market and see if there's a deal to be made for depth. But if Reese Olson comes back healthy, I'd be surprised if the Tigers go big for a starter barring more injuries. With Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Olson, they would have a potential postseason series rotation intact. A fifth starter only comes into play in the regular season, and with Keider Montero holding his own, plus Cobb and Urquidy potentially factoring in, they have options there.
Which of our young core is getting the next contract extension? -- hundredgrandpappy
Skubal is the obvious player looming, and I don't know how that one will ultimately turn out. The last few years have shown us that pitcher situations can be hard to predict given the injury risks, so I'm less inclined to try to predict. After that, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter are all on track to become arbitration-eligible this coming winter. Greene would be a logical candidate, given his consistency and how much he means to the team.
As someone getting ready to move to western PA, when can we expect to see Clark and McGonigle in [Double-A] Erie? -- BallUHouston
The thought going into the season was that they'd move around midseason, so probably sooner than later. Even with time lost to the ankle injury, McGonigle has shown he's ready for the next test. Erie is in a race this week for the Eastern League Southwest Division first-half title, which would clinch a fourth consecutive playoff berth, so there's value in keeping that team together for now to settle that, rather than bringing in some new guys (even really talented prospects) for a potential adjustment period.
Do the Tigers provide food/meals for the press box and media? Any teams in MLB with exceptionally good press box offerings? -- ManInShowerNumber3
The Tigers, like pretty much every MLB team these days, offer meals in the press box (dinner for night games, breakfast/lunch for day games) for a set price. They also have hot dogs and, of course, pizza. They do a very good job on variety, which helps a ton during long homestands.
The best press box dining is always a good debate among beat writers. Houston was really good this year, and they score bonus points in my book for having a Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain. Boston, Pittsburgh and San Diego are traditionally very good, though I usually take at least one day in Pittsburgh to grab a sandwich from the Primanti's stand. Philly is famous among the media for having an ice cream server with rotating flavors as part of its press box dining.
I know you used to live local in the Toledo area. My friends in Toledo are split 50/50 Tigers fans and Cleveland fans, even the ones who work for the Mud Hens. Though my Tigers season ticket rep is from Findlay, so I count that as a win. What's the culture like around Major League Baseball in the greater Toledo area and how has it been changing over the years you've been covering the Tigers? Or, tell us what it was like when you lived there back in the day, if you feel like you don't have enough information to speak on it now. -- funkmon
Feels like Toledo has always been a good split between Detroit and Cleveland fans, which made last October fascinating. The Tigers having their Triple-A affiliate there obviously makes a difference, and it's a little bit of a shorter drive to Comerica Park (even with I-75 being under construction until the end of time).
I actually covered the Mud Hens for a few years during the summers when they were still playing at the Lucas County Rec Center and I lived down the street. Writing for the weekly Maumee Mirror was pretty much my start in this business.