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Detroit Sports and the "DO SOMETHING!" Philosophy

Every fanbase and its media have a tendency to beg for the organization to "do something!" when things are going wrong. Recently, the cries for this behavior have come from the Detroit sports fandom and media. The Detroit Tigers spent 175 days at the top of the Central Division in 2025. Since the beginning of July, the Tigers have been under .500 (32-41) with a 5-15 record in September. So, every radio personality, Twitter user, and podcast host has taken to the mantra "DO SOMETHING!" This philosophy poses a significant risk to the team's success, both in the short and long term.



Detroit Sports and "DO SOMETHING!"

No one is arguing that the Tigers do nothing. The question is "what should they do?" To illustrate the dangers of such philosophies, consider Al Avila's signing of Javier Baez to a $140 million, six-year contract. Baez has earned the first $92 million through four seasons with a .228 batting average and a .623 OPS. He has averaged a little over 10 home runs and 50 RBIs per season.


Comparing Baez and McKinstry in Detroit

Players

Games

WAR

BA/OPS

HRs/RBIs

Javier Baez

482

3.8

.228/.623

43/215

Zach McKinstry

407

5.1

.238/.690

25/107


For comparison, Zach McKinstry has been with the Tigers for three seasons, earning a total of $3,148,900. He has averaged roughly eight home runs and 36 RBIs per season. So, over the past three seasons, the Tigers have paid Baez $69 million more than McKinstry for six more home runs and 42 more RBIs.


The point isn't to argue that Baez hasn't been good or that McKinstry is a far superior option. The fact is that his signing of Baez came from panic, one that originated from the "DO SOMETHING!" philosophy.


Let's examine another Avila-era "DO SOMETHING!" transaction. The Tigers traded Isaac Paredes for Austin Meadows. Paredes has become a two-time All-Star with an OPS of .784. In his four seasons after Detroit, he has averaged roughly 22 home runs and 68 RBIs per season, primarily at third base. Detroit could have used some production from third base over the past few seasons. Keeping Paredes represented the opposite of the "DO SOMETHING" approach. Meadows, the "DO SOMETHING" option, is no longer in Major League Baseball, and while the circumstances are unfortunate, the principle remains the same. A long-term view of the Tigers' success would have prevented them from signing Baez and trading Paredes.


Comparing Paredes and Meadows Since Trade

Players

Games

WAR

BA/OPS

HRs/RBIs

Isaac Paredes

506

11.8

.239/.784

90/274

Austin Meadows

42

0.4

.248/.655

0/13


With calls for that behavior now coming in, the Tigers would be wise to avoid doing something that hurts the organization in both the long and short term. This warning doesn't excuse poor acquisitions, nor does it argue to stand pat. Scott Harris will have to be aggressive while keeping a level head this offseason. Bargain hunting can yield high rewards for low costs, but eventually the team will need to make some expensive upgrades. The trick is to avoid the "BIG NAME" additions to appease the crowd. Gleyber Torres is a perfect example of that approach. They need to find that type of player, one undervalued in the market with a proven track record, to right the ship this offseason.


Detroit Sports and Getting a "BIG NAME"

For a good example of a "BIG NAME" mistake, let's examine the Detroit Pistons' addition of Blake Griffin. Griffin came to the Pistons in exchange for Tobias Harris, a first-round pick (Miles Bridges), Avery Bradley, and Boban Marjanovic. Griffin helped the Pistons to a playoff appearance against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019. The Bucks swept the Pistons with an average margin of victory of over 23 points per game. Since 2019, Harris has played in 63 playoff games. Griffin has played in 161 regular-season games since then. So, the Pistons "DID SOMETHING" by adding Griffin: a first-round sweep for Harris, who is still a solid NBA player, and Bridges, who is a young NBA contributor. Be honest: Was that trade worth it?


Comparing Griffin, Harris, and Bridges from 2019-20-Present

Player

Games

PPG

RPG

APG

Blake Griffin

161

8.2

4.3

2.3

Tobias Harris

424

16.9

6.4

3.0

Miles Bridges

344

17.6

6.7

3.0

If you need further examples, consider the Pistons' trade of Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson or their signings of Josh Smith, Ben Gordon, or Charlie Villanueva. This mistake is one the current Pistons front office has avoided making, despite the media's criticism. It's not enough to "DO SOMETHING." Organizations need to avoid pressing the metaphorical panic button and do the work to resolve their team's issues.


Detroit Sports and "HEADLINE GRABBING"

The Detroit Lions used to participate in the "HEADLINE GRABBING" attempt to "DO SOMETHING" all the time. They selected wide receivers in three consecutive drafts. A wide receiver always grabs headlines; unfortunately, they didn't catch many passes. Charles Rogers had 36 receptions, and Mike Williams had 127 receptions. Roy Williams caught 393 passes, but he is the exception. Before selecting the three wide receivers, the Lions chose a quarterback, Joey Harrington. The Lions needed to take the approach they have now: incremental improvements over multiple drafts.


Even worse, though, was the Lions' later decision to fire Jim Caldwell because the Lions weren't succeeding in the playoffs. They brought in Matt Patricia. They "DID SOMETHING!" Everyone knows how that worked out. Patricia alienated everyone on the team and in the organization, leading the Lions to a 13-29-1 record. The players even threw a party when the Lions fired Patricia. Change for the sake of change is not only irrelevant, it is often harmful.


The Long-Term Versus Short-Term Costs of "DO SOMETHING"

During the waning years of the Detroit Red Wings dynasty, Ken Holland always "DID SOMETHING" to help the team keep up its playoff streak. Consider the Red Wings trading a future first-round pick for Kyle Quincey. That player ended up being Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Vezina Trophy and Connor Smyth Trophy winner. Did that help them win a Stanley Cup? No. Did it cost them a generational goaltender? Yes. Has the Yzerplan worked out perfectly? No. But the Red Wings haven't destroyed their long-term prospects for short-term gains.


The point here is to question whether or not the Tigers are close enough to winning a World Series to go all in, or does the "DO SOMETHING" philosophy risk convincing them to make a costly long-term move for little short-term return?


The Tigers could look to their own history for such philosophies. In 1987, they added Doyle Alexander, who helped the Tigers make the playoffs, finishing the season with a 9-0 record and a 1.53 ERA. The Tigers lost 4-1 to the Twins in the ALCS. Alexander played 78 games for the Tigers with a 3.91 ERA and an All-Star appearance. The player they traded was John Smoltz, a Hall of Fame Cy Young Award winner and 8-time All-Star, who pitched for 21 seasons after that. Ask yourself, honestly: Was one playoff win worth that?


Comparing Alexander and Smoltz Post Trade

Player

Games

Record

ERA

Playoff Record

Doyle Alexander

78

29-29

3.91

0-2

John Smoltz

723

213-155

3.33

15-4

Detroit Tigers and "Do Something"

It's easy to point out the mistakes of these organizations in the past. The point is that the moves to straighten out the Tigers might not grab headlines, feature a big name, or a coaching/front office shakeup. It's the much more uncomfortable reality of making several small changes to create a significant and lasting improvement.


List out the Tigers' needs:

There is an argument to be made that Harris should have gotten this done already. The time for excuse-making is passing, but the "DO SOMETHING!" philosophy is dangerous. Adding a "BIG NAME" or trying to "GRAB HEADLINES" will only result in more Javier Baez-like moves. Other organizations and players' agents will recognize that Harris could be on the hot seat. That's when teams need to be the most cautious.


When the Lions started 0-10-1 in the Dan Campbell era, there easily could have been a panic firing. The city of Detroit basically worships Jared Goff now, but take a look at headlines from 2021, and you'll see the "DO SOMETHING!" ethos painted all over them. The Lions focused on improving the offensive line and have made incremental moves over the last several years to become one of the league's best teams.


It's aggravating, but there are no shortcuts and no do-overs in sports. The Tigers have a long road ahead. After a decade of hard-to-watch baseball, this season's collapse is a hard pill to swallow. Whether something happened in the locker room or the team leveled off to its actual talent level, the Tigers' organization must grapple with decisions on how to best help this team both in the short and long term.


(All stats provided by Sports Reference and StatMuse)


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