The Perils of Rooting for a Losing Franchise

 "Trust us!"  "This will pay off in the future, I guarantee you!"  "Just wait and see!"  The famous last words of a team in which seems to be in a permanent rebuild mode.   The phrases that make every fan base cringe or roll their eyes every time they hear this.  

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone with some big trades, and trade that will supposedly make teams better in the future.  Ugh, that phrase again.  The future.  The Detroit Tigers again played the trade deadline for the future.  Jack Flaherty, a rental, Andre Chapin, and Carson Kelly were all traded for future prospects.  I expected to see Flaherty go.  I understand why he was traded.  He resurrected his career this year in Detroit.  But his back issues make him suspect.  Detroit had to trade him while the iron was hot.  They supposedly got a potential big time catching prospect in return, along with a right handed pitcher.  

Chapin had an option year.  This one was a surprise.  He was sort of a fan favorite in Detroit.  But Scott Harris, the GM of the Tigers, said in his press conference, that he was given a "Godfather" type of a deal.  An offer he couldn't refuse.  So goodbye to Chapin.  Where have we heard this all before.  So now here we go.  

The one future piece that I am glad they didn't trade was Tarik Skubal.  They have two years of team control on him.  They had to keep him to build a franchise around.   Harris claims they weren't supposedly close to trading him.  But that doesn't say they weren't going to.  It just means that there wasn't a good enough offer for him.  

So now what does that mean.  The Detroit fan base has to now endure another August and September of not seriously competing for a playoff spot or a division crown.  According to Eric Petzhold of The Detroit Free Press, Harris and Manager AJ Hinch are meeting for breakfast today to figure out who they have left for a five man starting rotation.   And a depleted bullpen, now as well.  Does Matt Veirling have a knuckleball or sinker in his repertoire?    The Tigers may need it!  Oh it could be a long couple of months.

Detroit has been building up their farm system with "can't miss" prospects for the better part of a decade, now.  Casey Mize, Spencer Torkelson, and so on.  Cody Keith seems to be a hit so far.  Malloy looks good.  Now we can see if Dingler is going to be the real deal after being called up.  The next, "bright spot" in the Tigers organization.  

Now, I know not every team can win the World Series, or get to the World Series every year for that matter.  And I know the Detroit Tiger fanbase is not the only fan base going through this.  It happens in every sport.  You could be a White Sox fan right now.   But when picking up a journeyman starting pitcher, then flipping him the next year for future prospects is all you can claim,  then one has to wonder how close you really are.  

"Patience is a virtue!"  No, how about "We are the Champions!"  I'd just settle for putting the bus in drive, instead of neutral, or reverse.  

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