Scott Harris: No Shortcuts to October | Have a Seat

Tigers President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, sits down with Jason and Dan to discuss the challenges facing hitters in MLB and how players like Riley Greene have rebounded from early adversity. We’ve seen flashes of what the team can do offensively this season but the goal is to create more consistent run support for Tigers starting pitching, Harris explains. How is the organization building Detroit into a destination, a place that players equate with continual improvement? Also in this episode, Harris delves into his process for evaluating decisions (and non-decisions), highlights several Tigers prospects and explains why being a new dad will humble you in an instant.
Listen to Have a Seat, presented by Fieger Law, and other Tigers podcasts: www.mlb.com/tigers/fans/podcasts

[@joshneumann2513]

Good to hear Harris’ side of things, wish I could hear more from him.

[@rufus_the_cat]

Excellent questions and good answers. I’m 100 percent rooting for this team to become one of the best team’s out there.

[@vader_OG]

good luck with that strategy

[@dennisb-trains23]

Under the current system used they will never succeed.

[@davidfly7426]

When measuring your team’s progress, you choose to use data that isn’t based on the W/L result in comparison to the rest of the league. When measuring your younger players progress you fall back on how all other “young players” are doing around the league. Carp and Greene are likely the only players, still on this team, when they are playing more than 162. This near-decade-long rebuild is just getting started. SH sure sounds committed… yet to prove capable.

[@Dtownpunk77]

Did Scott say, the weekend again st the white Sox, we saw flashes of talent????????? Cmon man, white socks are the worst team.

[@zacharydillon9746]

This is such a great podcast

[@dennisb-trains23]

It's better than the team

[@wrecker132]

Get Joel Zumaya

[@dennisb-trains23]

Zoom zoom. The front office covered that fiasco with a terrible excuse lol

[@Joshua-ub2su]

He says almost all of the right things. I want to see the Tigers spend money on Alex Bregman this offseason and show they are serious.

[@brandonday2494]

Things do take time for young hitters, but you don't get to waste Skubal and Greene's prime years waiting around either. Have to make something happen and be right about who you're patient with and who you move on from more quickly or trade before they're prospect value drops.

[@dennisb-trains23]

Greene will never be a star performer until he changes that God awful swing.

[@brandonday2494]

@@dennisb-trains23 He's already a star performer.

[@SuperMCFIVE]

Chris Ilitch has to be willing to spend. Not $400 like Cohen. Closer to a St Louis Cardinals payroll

[@VoxVeritas1776]

Scott please inform FHoFer Jim Leyland that clubhouse chemistry does indeed matter.

[@andrewboudreau5279]

I don’t choose to be negative about the team but more importantly Jason Benetti is my spirit animal.

[@cynthiapapp]

He sucks!! Everything has to have a joke or some STUPID remark. Half of which has nothing to do with the game of baseball. He does not just call the game! He sucks!!

[@AtomicAsphalt]

@@cynthiapapp He's been a major disappointment. Maybe he should have brought Steve Stone along with him.

[@dennisb-trains23]

He's so much better but I sure don't miss ChumpMo

[@dennisb-trains23]

​@@AtomicAsphaltyou like Matt Sheppard better?

[@christopherhakim7568]

Detroit needs to bring Spencer Torkelson back he had 15 doubles when he was demoted just think how close he probably was for each hit to hitting a homerun there. now put that in your pipe and smoke it!!! PS I still need my tryout with you guys as you guys said I could try out my email and then some guy called me and said I couldn't try out. forget about age you are only as old as you feel and right now I feel 23 still. ,,😁✌🏼⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾

[@oldbk4281]

I really like this podcast - the JK Simmons episode was excellent, and Dan & Jason do a fantastic job. That said, listening to Scott Harris spin bullshit & talk in circles is nauseating. This team continues to spin its wheels and there is little to no reason for optimism. They have the 24th best record in MLB, and Bleacher Report just updated their farm system rankings and have the Tigers at 14th. So bad major league team and middling farm system. Throw in an owner & POBO who keep reducing payroll, and it’s a good recipe for a permanent spot at 4th in the division (presuming the White Sox will continue to be worse - here’s hoping).

[@R1vJ4]

There is no way WonderBoy Harris is pushing forward to compete this year... not this team. Next year and the past seven years have been no different in what Cheesy Ilitch and his SportsBetting wanted him to do. He is just as bad as Avila was. These analytics he speaks... is for long term that has no clear time-line... unless he giving the "GO". He want the fans to come out to support a team that is failing day to day, week to week, month to month... for what???... another farming spring training year of rehabbing, flourishing young who need more time, trading rehabs and descent players to build a Minor League that hasn't done NOTHING to make THE DETROIT TIGERS ALONE... BETTER to compete. Heh... Cheesy Ilitch prolly gets paid more for making the Detroit Tigers mediocre to last for being this type of Slum Lord.

[@dennisb-trains23]

It's like ilitch gave the keys to these guys and checked out. Pizza pizza probably makes more money than the team.

[@dennisb-trains23]

​@@R1vJ4with the inability to hold all players accountable for poor performance, the team will never be .500 at best. How bad does defense or offense need to get to see its a system problem and coaching ineptitude.

[@R1vJ4]

​@@dennisb-trains23 If I lived in Toledo or any Minor League affiliation, I'd prolly support them more... but I don't and that's what this is all about. Trying to make the Minors better... how successful are they??? I got to the point of I don't care because they are not giving what the fans would like. We all see what's up and it's not working to make the Detroit Tigers better. It's like that 5-0 start... someone or something held or is holding back to the original plans. Ya get told to hit a batter, ya hit the batter. You are strictly this and nothing more. A f@$%ing Boot-Camp for the rest of the League. Reminds me of the Strike years but in a more sorry azz way for us fans. These call ups and rehabs are basically SCABS from back in the day. Nothing promising except for an Owner who likes it this way of butchering the Detroit Tigers and screwing the fans. I'm only an AJ fan when he helps the Detroit Tigers win and he's as good as the players he fields. He gets paid to do a job...nothing more than and what is expected WITH WB Harris. They both manipulate the fans and that's what Cheesy Ilitch likes and pays them to be. Poster Faces for the fans to erupt on so that it's not that bad for him when he fires them in his continuation of butchering the Detroit Tigers.

[@AtomicAsphalt]

"I don't think our evaluation of hitters is limited to outcomes." Dear Lord..... Please get us out of this nightmare.

[@jordanhernly1285]

14:00 I about threw my phone

[@dennisb-trains23]

I think this same philosophy applies to team performance 🤔

[@crazyclown2650]

Thanks for this.

[@benjaminbrewer7614]

I First read all the comments, Then I watched about 8 minutes of the podcast. Harris kept talking about young hitters adjusting, and I look at our lineup. Canha, Urshela, Badoo, Mckinstry, Rogers, and so on. These players have been in the big leagues, and there are no adjustments left. His horse bleep lying and his plan is much like the Yzerplan and the Gores plan. It's going nowhere fast. The best fans in the world continue to get kicked in the gonads by inept management. The guy doesn't even dress like an executive, much like Gores.

[@Darelgilman]

What improvment have we seen? Other than our pitching rotation having 3 solid starters. The offense has been better. But not enough to say its an improvement

[@dennisb-trains23]

They are justifying their own failures to accurately evaluate talent and hold ALL underperforming players equally. Eh um...baez.

[@sallen2556]

Interesting podcast. But Harris failed to trade E-Rodriguez. Turnbull was lost for nothing. Drafted a high school kid instead of a college kid who could have helped now. Didn't make any effort to try to win the crappy central division this year. Couldn't muster any trades to help this anemic offense given our system-wide pitching depth. I'm not impressed so far.

[@justified1free2]

But they are getting worse not better tha they were in 2023

[@jordanhernly1285]

14:00 This is exactly what is wrong with our offense, I had a feeling this is what they did, but to hear him say it really pisses me off

[@PrinceoftheCityNY]

Torkelson and Manning demotions have hurt and they just haven't performed well in the division.

[@cadenkeider3484]

So many dumb people in this world. If you’re satisfied with this interview, you don’t know ball. And you most definitely don’t know this team. But I’m glad you have the ability to ignore everything and cheer for your team. I’m jealous of that.

[@VoxVeritas1776]

For those blaming AJ Hinch for the lack of urgency on this team I’ll lay it at the feet of the man in charge and until he starts showing some excitement and passion why should the players or the fans GAF.

[@DJBumblebee12]

I love the podcast so far but I cannot help but believe these are all canned answers from Harris. To reiterate, Dickerson and Benetti are the two most positive individuals associated with the Tigers in 2024, but this interview felt like a total PR push. Harris wasn't really able to go into detail about any of the clear deficiencies the roster has (many) and justified not signing key FA bats by just saying *some of them*, without naming names, weren't performing well? And when asked about having to balance the pros and cons of trading players at the deadline, he said he didn't even think about it until the end of July. Are you serious!? The President of baseball operations does not weigh the pros and cons of trading a player at the deadline until days before the deadline? Total bullshit and I cannot believe there was no pushback on this. Love Dickerson and Benetti, but this is a PR interview, nothing more and nothing less.

[@jeffs7826]

Settle in for the next 8-10 years as they wait for prospects to be drafted and develop. Terrible. Cheap owner and it’s a money ball management

[@herodotus7]

They're doing the Astros approach. It probably will turn out okay.

[@thenameosborntremaine1661]

Nice chat but this doesn't do much for me as a fan.

[@tonychasey7990]

Scott; "ummm error ummm, Hitting is hard.. ummmm. Errrr derrr I studying Hitting... uuuujhhhhh... I brought old wash ups in even though I preach time for young hitters... ummmm, err duuhhh. Mmmmmm core.... ummmmm. Uhhhhhh

[@AustinBouman]

I get that your a fan Scott. I am too. but please, you need to get bats. We can't do this for another 100 games...

[@JackGRose]

He won't

[@davidschaller7702]

He will. He won’t be a buyer now. We’ll trade pieces for more prospects.

[@drezdin4557]

@@davidschaller7702with the whole prospects thing will take oh so far to where eventually prospects won’t do anymore. Eventually we gotta get an actual bat and pitcher

[@davidschaller7702]

@@drezdin4557 I agree. 100%. However, Scott Harris has said nothing that would indicate he’s gonna make a move to add a proven bat. All he talks about is developing the young core.

[@donbaker3993]

@@davidschaller7702 They ought to add at least one if for nothing else but to improve the morale of the fans and the team moving forward and increase their win %, regardless of how marginal that might be.

[@MichaelPCaruana]

"When you look at what happened to some of those players they would have been mistakes" says boy genius Scott. JD Martinez: 300 average 151 ops+ Matt Chapman: 233 average 107 ops+ Cody bellinger: 272 average 115 ops+ But we gotta sit and watch Harvey Baez swing at sliders ten foot off the plate, 100 year old mark canha, and a singles merchant in gio urshela who doesn't even play everyday. Get bent with this crap Scotty

[@Hollisterhomestead]

Lack of patience and $ is the only reason we didn't get to keep JD. And how did that trade to "galvanize" our infield workout? Lugo, alcantara, King???? As tigers fans, we truly CAN afford the time it will take for there to be lasting success. Not being impatient is how we will get to see players exactly like JD Martinez on our team.

[@jeffreyluce9502]

Yet Clevelands young hitters are smoking the ball.

[@vader_OG]

bunch of propaganda bullshit. scott needs to be held accountable for the mistakes he made not signing bellinger, JD or matt chapman. The young hitters needs reinforcement and they’re not developing properly without it. Wasting good pitching once again and all because scott didn’t want to “block” who exactly?

[@dennisb-trains23]

Ok enough with your constant platoon system. It's not working. Urshella doesn't even run hard to first ever. Baez is a washed up bum. Hinch is letting a bad system ruin this team. The tiger players are just not quality big league players.

[@relatablebranden]

Enough of the BS. WE WANT A WINNING BASEBALL TEAM. STOP THE EXCUSES. NEW HITTING COACH IS NEEDED. SHUT UP ABOUT THE "SLOW PROCESS" ITS BEEN 8 YEARS SINCE THIS REBUILD.

[@stretchedmonkey6490]

Harris hasn’t even been here for 2 years. Nothing before him is relevant to his process. It sucks for us as fans though

[@relatablebranden]

@@stretchedmonkey6490 but it's the same old bs excuses

[@donbaker3993]

@@relatablebranden It does sound remarkably similar.

[@JimmieWilson-wd6vd]

This a Joke

[@codyh9175]

I've been a lifelong Tigers fan and I know this has been a long and arduous rebuild, but people need to stop complaining as much. Whining will do no good. The team needs support.

[@chimchu3232]

Yes, tell me about it. Getting sick of all the negativity, can we just get back to enjoying games?

[@codyh9175]

@@chimchu3232 right? I feel like every comment I see says someone should be sent to AAA after a strikeout, or Hinch should be fired after a loss, or Scott Harris should be fired. The damage Al Avila did to our system is long lasting. You can't just put all the blame on our current staff

[@chimchu3232]

@codyh9175 I completely agree, it is frustrating to watch sometimes, but I'm over the doom and gloom comments. People take it too seriously, it's a game after all, and every other team is trying to win as well. We still have a lot going for us, and several young guys that are developing into really good assets for us. It would go a long way if the fan base was more positive.

[@codyh9175]

@@chimchu3232 100%

[@dandaniels5260]

If this is what they continue to put out they'll need to start supporting themselves.

[@robmartin1691]

Sadly, Scott Harris is turning out to be Randy Smith 2.0. Twenty months with a bad off-season, a bad draft and he butchered last season's trade deadline. His results are poor and the direction of this franchise should worry all true fans. Following "league trends" instead of leading.

[@willyonish2650]

You clearly don’t know shit about baseball. Clark AND Mcgonigle will both be multiple time all stars, but yeah dude bad draft, great take you clown.

[@stretchedmonkey6490]

How was getting Max Clark in our system a bad draft in your eyes?

[@robmartin1691]

@@stretchedmonkey6490 top to bottom it was a bad draft IMO and I certainly hope Max Clark is the real deal. However, he has a serious attitude problem and is years away at best. Odds are he will flame out and the more ready talent that was available in that spot will flourish.

[@alwaysatiger]

@@stretchedmonkey6490Drafting a high school hitter out of Indiana where the season is short and the level of talent is low was a huge risk IMO.

[@stretchedmonkey6490]

@@alwaysatiger a risk, but he's still the 12th prospect in baseball. every pick is a risk, remember the most "mlb ready" bat in 2020? Where's he now?

[@trobinson9342]

Get this guy out of town he doesn't care about winning.

[@epl529]

DD is the greatest bootlicker since Hawk and Wimpy

[@thenameosborntremaine1661]

It's what they pay him to do.

[@user-xn9tp3si8p]

Lol what a joke. How about we get a big league roster instead of using it for a triple A place holder 😂 SELL THE TEAM STOP TRYING TO PLAY US FOR FOOLS WE LOVE BASEBALL WE DESERVE BETTER THIS IS THE BEST BASEBALL TOWN GIVE US A BIG LEAGUE ROSTER PLEASE I JUST WATCHED A TRIPLE PLAY HAPPEN

[@user-xn9tp3si8p]

STOP FILLING OUR MLB ROSTER W TRIPLE A TALENT IM TIRED OF THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR THE PAST LIKE 10 YEARS AND STOP WITH THE EXCUSES

[@georgekuhnlein9097]

Did you even listen?

[@user-xn9tp3si8p]

@@georgekuhnlein9097 yah and I heard a bunch of jibber jabber

[@R1vJ4]

@@user-xn9tp3si8p I heard we not gonna do anything this year... what's his name again? Oh okay... Al Avila

[@user-xn9tp3si8p]

@@R1vJ4 Lol give the young guys opportunities at “the highest level of baseball u can’t get anywhere else”

[@leonidas7281]

This guy is a joke and so is the owner.