MAY 1: It seems Boyd will avoid an IL stint. Hinch told reporters (including Jason Beck of MLB.com) that while the lefty won’t start in Boston, he is expected to pitch during next weekend’s series against the Twins.
APRIL 30: Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is hopeful that Boyd will only miss one start – a scheduled outing against Boston on Wednesday – though he’s unsure whether the lefty will go on the IL, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic relays.
APRIL 29: Tigers southpaw Matthew Boyd exited his start against the White Sox on Thursday with left knee tendinitis, according to the team. Boyd departed in the second inning after allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk, and the club then replaced him with right-hander Michael Fulmer.
Until Thursday, this season had been going smoothly for Boyd, who has offered much better results than he did in 2020. After emerging as a coveted trade chip in 2019, Boyd’s value took a hit last year, during which he recorded the majors’ worst ERA (6.71) over 60 1/3 innings. He also saw his strikeout rate fall by 8.1 percent from the previous season, while his walk rate increased by almost 2 percent.
Strikeouts have been even harder to come by this year for Boyd, who has fanned batters at a lowly 17.3 percent clip. He has made up for that to some degree with a terrific 5.o percent walk rate, though, helping him to a 2.27 ERA across 35 2/3 innings. Before Thursday, Boyd hadn’t gone fewer than 5 2/3 frames in any of his starts, nor has he allowed more than three earned runs in any of his six appearances. Boyd’s fielding-independent metrics have been a mixed bag (2.95 FIP, 4.60 SIERA, 4.93 xFIP), but he ranks comfortably above average in such Statcast categories as average exit velocity against, hard-hit rate, expected weighted on-base average and expected ERA, to name a few.
It’s unclear whether Boyd will be able to build on his impressive start in the near future, as this injury could require a stint on the 10-day IL. But if Boyd’s healthy and effective leading up to the July 30 trade deadline, it’s possible he’ll resurface on the rumor mill. At 8-17, the Tigers look as if they’re well on their way to another non-contending season, and Boyd is only under club control through 2022.
Seems like the Tigers missed their window again. /s
Huh? One window closed 6-7 years ago even though it took Avila a year or two to recognize it. That window remained nailed shut, hasn’t even opened up to let a draft in. Not sure what you’re referring to. Or maybe you’re just teasing people who think Matthew Boyd was the second coming of Steve Carlton?
@stevenebraska
What window? No one was lining up to trade for Boyd after a handful of starts.
I think For love of the game is referring to trading a player when his stock is up. For example, Avila had the chance to trade Fulmer to the Astros for Bregman and didn’t do it. Avila is horrible at trades. See JDM and JD for examples just to name a few. Its rough being a Tiger fan and watching Avila and Ilitch run this team in the ground.
Don’t forget the verlander trade
Nonsense. The Astros were never going to give up Bregman for Boyd.
That is 100% BS.
Do people not know what /s means?
They went to the window and saw only crows and bread crumbs so they shut and locked it….Waiting for a new window
Pain
Getting pounded, “OW MY KNEE, WHY? WHY? WHY?”
Bring up Manning
Manning will be up later this year.
Avila again holding an asset til it has no value
What could they have gotten for Boyd? The guy had a great 2 months years ago…
That’s the point. He had a great two months in 2019. He should have moved him at the 2019 trade deadline when there was reportedly lots of interest. He has shown a tendency to overvalue his assets compared to what the market will pay. He may get a second shot here if Boyd’s knee issue is minor, but history says he’ll ask too much again and Boyd will still be a Tiger.
And Boyd and Fulmer should remain Tigers unless some GM(s) want to pay “market value” or “overpay” for each of them.
Otherwise, it makes no sense to move either or both of them.
A pitching staff with Boyd, Fulmer, Mize, Skubal, Manning, Spencer
Turnbull. Jose Arena etc is a very good rotation…..
Teams have to “Pay to Play” on trades or no deals.
And if he had traded him you’d have just complained about the return
Or he may have worked out like Smoltz. When rebuilding, you keep the young promising players. At one point, he looked like he might be worth extending. However, NONE of his fellow arrivals panned out as hoped. Only this years Rookies, and Turnbull look like they may still be here when they contend. Not a single offensive player looks like a keeper. Here’s hoping Riley Greene, and company arrive soon.
stymeedone
Not a single offensive player looks like a keeper.
======================================================
Which is as good a reason as any to trade him. You can keep him, and hope he gets you to the elusive .400 record, or trade him for prospects and hope you are competitive in 2023-24.
@Brady
So what would you expect back? Not against a trade now, but not willing to accept just anything.
For Fulmer, I’d ask for a fringy top-100. Same with Boyd. Boyd’s been pretty lucky with a .240 BABIP and a 2.1% HR/FB. Both these guys look like they could revert downward.
Then why trade them at all?
Makes zero sense! That is a “low ball” offer.
Why trade either of them at “below market rates”?!
Just keep and extend them for 3 years each if they don’t get very generous offers for both.
Absolutely!
Looks like his arm broke in this picture
Actually when he left the game it was no earned runs but I digress.
Actually when he left the game he had runners at second and third and they both ended up scoring so your point is?
Are you devoid of humor? Norm obviously understands, technically, the runs belong to Boyd. He was simply making a tongue-in-cheek comment that he actually hadn’t “allowed” any runs at the time of his departure. Some of y’all, man I swear.
You could argue OP was being equally as humorless to split that hair in the first place
That was the joke…
^^^^this^^^^
The “this” was referring to miggy4prez..
I’m not sold on Boyd. Number 4 starter at best.
Years ago…I said this day was coming……and I also predicted tommorow’s situation.
No, I am not Nostradamus,.just someone with common sense…….
Al is a professional, his expense account says so……
Me, I am just a fan…or at least I used to be……but now I am forced to be entertained by posting nasty comments about people I don’t even know…… Thank you, Chris Illich, you really know how to run a team…..
Wait? Pitchers get hurt even with the DH? Who knew that they could get hurt besides swinging the bat and running the bases!
What you need is a DF (designated fielder) to stand behind him to field any grounders that might come his way. Then you need a big weightlifter on the off-days. That way, when pitchers are working on their legs, he can pick them up and carry them.
A DH minimize health risks. But you just want an excuse to be against it.
So does a pitching machine. Bring on the robots!
I’m not even against the DH, I just want both leagues to be the same, whichever way that ends up, but the amount that people want to act like hitting is some major health risk to pitchers is just comical.
Still missing the entire point of the universal DH. nobody is saying it will completly eliminate pitcher injuries. They’re saying that they’ll avoid the risk of injury doing something they’re not really expected to do.
Then change your expectations. Before 1974? Pitchers did everything, and spent the off season working a 2nd job, not staying in shape. Explain why they are more injury prone now?
Can’t understand why people are feeling like Boyd is so overrated when he started out the year so well. Even with the runs charged to him last night, his ERA is still just 2.27 and he’s only given up one homer and only 7 BBs in over 35 innings. Yeah, I know it’s a long season and he could degrade as it goes on, but how about some credit where credit is due?
He needs to maintain this excellent performance over more than a full season to be considered “very good” or better. Over his career. we has fluctuated between great and terrible with nothing in between.
I will say, though, that Matthew Boyd is a Hall of Fame human being. His charity, Kingdom Home, runs girls homes with schools in Africa. It tears at your heartstrings to see pictures of him, his wife, and Spencer Turnbull walking with these little girls who otherwise would be sold into the sex trade or kidnapped by Boko Haram. They are truly invested in these girls and I admire the character this shows, regardless of what they do or don’t accomplish on the field.
They obviously can’t trade him now, but if he has 2-3 good starts after his return, they absolutely have to move him.
And Fulmer should be traded before the day is over.
What would you want back? Do you really think trading the young(er) pitchers will improve the outlook? Or do you want them traded just for the sake of trading?
What you want back is too broad to be answerable in the specific. In the Tigers position, you’d pretty much want to accept the best offer.
IRT ‘just for the sake of trading’, you need a specific program, but otherwise, yes. It starts with targeting your players who won’t be around when the Tigers are competitive. This is their 4th straight season of under .400. I think you can safely presume that they will not be competitive this year or next.
Since neither Boyd nor Fulmer will be in Detroit in 2023, then their best-long value to the Tigers is as trade bait.
@Brady
Only if they get something of value back. JDM’s best long term value to the team would have been to let him walk after another half season and taken the 4th round pick.
That’ll happen sometimes, but that’s pretty rare. But of course, this also assumes that they continue to pitch okay, but as long as they look like they can be at least league-average with 6 IPs/GS, there will almost always be someone looking for a rotation replacement.
Boyd is a foundational piece who could be extended or traded at the trade deadline. Ditto with Fulmer who has pitched great after he is finally injury free.
Boyd will be back. AJ and the Tigers new coaching staff have encouraged Boyd to forget trying to strike everyone out and “pitch to contact” and quick outs (former U of MIchigan pitching coach is the new Tigers pitching coach). It is working this year for Boyd. Boyd is having a ” breakout year”. If Boyd stays healthy and keeps pitching the way he has been pitching, then Boyd will make the All Star team this year. Boyd is pitching deeper into games with a 2.27 ERA against some very good hitting teams. The Tigers will not take any “low ball” offers for either Boyd or Fulmer and they should not. Trade them for only the right offer or just extend them to be foundational pieces of the Tigers next contending teams..
SportsFan0000
Boyd is a foundational piece
========================================
Boyd is a #3, and I am being a little generous. In his best year, he was 9-12 with a 4.56. He is a career 36-57 with a 4.94 ERA.
Boyd has been a regular in trade rumors the last 18 months or so. Don’t buy into his 2019 success and improved strikeout rate? Consider the teams that had interest in him prior to last year’s trade deadline: Astros, Dodgers, Giants, Rays, and Yankees, among others. Basically five of the smartest teams in the game. If those teams buy into a pitcher’s improvement, I’m comfortable saying you should too.
And, if Boyd pitched in the pitcher Friendly NL, his stats would be much better.
And, put Boyd on a contender’s rotation with great defense behind him, a great bullpen, and guys who can hit and win games instead of a last place rebuilding ballclub, then his stats would be even better..
What? Is this Al?
So if he doesn’t start, what would the Tigers do? I don’ t see them calling up Manning because going against the Red Sox in Boston would be a potential disaster… Plus I would assume that Manning would be the opening day starter in the minors…
Bullpen game? Fulmer? I would guess one of these two happening before Manning gets the call…
I would like to see a Boyd extension. And/or Fulmer. If not maybe package both or one with one of our decent relievers for a high end prospect.
Boyd and Fulmer, if traded, would be traded separately. The return would be much higher in separate deals. Each of those guys will bring the Tigers at least 2-3 young players/top level prospects (team top 30) with high upside.
Meh. He left cause he got his butt hurt giving up those runs.
He didn’t give up any runs himself. He left a few people on base. He was charged with only one run and the next pitcher was charged with a run.
I’m not in the know, but I’m pretty sure this is all Al’s fault.
After 5 years of rebuilding, the Tigers have two MLB players: Jeimer Candelario and Matthew Boyd.
I would add Turnbull. Still not much. Candelario might not start for many teams.
Tigers have Candelario, Harold Castro, Willie Castro, Boyd, Fulmer,
Spencer Turnbull, Casey Mise, Taruk Skubal , Daniel Norris, Alexander, Goodrum , Victor Reyes and many more on the major league roster.
Tigers have a top 5 rated Farm System brimming with young, talented players that will arrive in Detroit in waves in ’22,’23,’24 including Riley Green, Spencer Torkelson, Joey Wentz, Dillon Dingler and many more.
I understand your frustration.
It is frustrating that the Tigers did not start their rebuild a few years sooner. If they had started their rebuild as soon as Max Scherzer turned down his Tigers contract extension, then the Tigers would be contending right now with the young players they would have received in trades and in their draft picks..
Not a team apologist.
Ownership and the Front Office share a lot of blame for the Tigers current struggles and performance on the field by not engaging in both long range and short range strategic planning.
Dude, I like your optimism. But the MLB roster is junk, as the previous person stated. None of the guys the Tigers are running out there would not start on pretty much every team. Reyes, Castros, Jones. Don’t have a bat to earn a roster spot. Tiger minor leagues is very top heavy, Greene, Tork and Manning left. Nothing really much after that. No depth.
Royals passed the Tigers in a much faster rebuild and are ready to win now. Avila needs to go. What has he done to earn his job?
MLB Roster is some fill in free agents and some young players trying to establish themselves as major leaguers, Multiple Expert Rating Services say the Tigers farm system is “Top 10” and that the Tigers have not seen so much talent in the Tigers current farm system since the all the players promoted that made up the 1984 World Series Champion Tigers.
I dunno how accurate that is. We will see in ’22.’23.’24.
If the Tigers are not opening a New “window of contention” by say ’23 or ’24 then it would be time to clean house in the Front Office.and Ownership should consider selling the Team.
Grossman, Ramos, Candelario, and maybe Baddoo are the only Tigers in the lineup worth anything. The rest are pretty much automatic outs.
Keith Law had the Tigers at #19 last year with their prospects rankings. Now Mize and Skubal are off the list and graduated.
Other teams have started their rebuild after the Tigers and are already competing for playoffs this year. This rebuild is going in the wrong direction fast. Miggy and his contract are really handcuffing the Tigers. 30 million for nothing.
Cabrera”s contract extension was a huge mistake. Now deceased former owner, Mike Illitch, was overly generous with his declining/aging veterans. Illitch was too emotionally involved, too generous, treated older, declining veteran players like family. .
Illitch Sr. extended veterans who should have been traded for younger players. Illitch signed Fielder behind Dombrowski’s back when Dombrowski had no interest in signing Fielder,.
Mike Illitch’s roster actions handcuffed the Front Office for years….Remember, Dave Dombrowski was basically fired by Mike Illitch for starting the rebuild at his last Tigers trade deadline that brought back Fulmer, Boyd, Norris, Jones in deals. Illitch then hired Al Avila and made him promise to continue to try to compete with that older roster when a rebuild was required. The rebuild was stopped, put on hold for a few more years. More large veteran contracts were handed out to Zimmerman, Upton and others. Those crazy “over market contracts” buried the Tigers in debt, put the rebuild on hold for a few more years, and have prolonged the rebuild once it was finally, formally started.
Tigers will be back in contention, but it may take longer because of all the bad contracts and the fact that the rebuild was started, stopped, and dragged on because those veteran, long term contracts to declining veterans were virtually untradeable for young impact players of value unlike other teams who traded some of their core at younger ages and without ball and chain contracts that produced lower returns…
Isn’t it more honest, more direct and more logical just to say, “Al stinks”.
Admit it. Feel the relief truthfulness brings.
As far as Keith Law’s ratings go, he sometimes makes good calls and at other times he makes bad calls like many other baseball commentators….only time will tell…
MLB Pipeline Jonathan Mayo and others rank the Detroit Tigers farm system
as #2 in all of MLB. in 2021
mlb.com/news/2021-farm-system-rankings
Bleacher Report rates the the Tigers farm system @ #7 in 2021.
Really, seriously folks….I know Al and Chris are really nice guys……BUT DO THEY HAVE TO PROVE IT AGAIN THIS YEAR?
The best thing Al could do is to use this rainy day to sign Albert Pujos to a 2. year player/manager contract w/ a 3rd year option……let him bat himself and Miguel first and second…..watch them loft balls into the Al Kaline corner and break somerecords…….Henchman can be assistant manager….