Rays & Tigers
Submitted by: ShaquilleOatmeal
Rays
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round A Comp Balance Pick | 0 | Minors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.2 | ||
| Jaden Hamm | 21 | Minors | SP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 7 |
Total Value:
10.2
Tigers
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Mead | 23 | Majors | 3B | 2B | 5 | 19.2 | 7.6 | 11.6 | 9.3 | 11.6 | 13.9 |
Total Value:
11.6
Comments
8
Mead's horrific. Seems easy for the Rays. Curious about Detroit's point of view. Detroit could certainly use a 3B.
Mead needs a fresh start and some regular playing time. It’s time for the Rays to move on.
NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!
Yeah, I'd do this just for the Comp balance pick. The Rays aren't short on no defense RH bats. Cut bait, move on. That stupid batting stance has to go. There's a reason why you saw crazy stances til the 90s, and not anymore. YouTube. Can't stay closed...YouTube. Fly open...youtube. When a big leaguer in 2025 shows up with a batting stance looking like John Wockenfuss in 1980, it's a fucking gimmick. I can't stand it. Everything about him drives me nuts.
I feel bad for Mead and I don't think he was ever given a fair chance with the Rays, but it doesn't really matter at this point. He needs a fresh start. I'd trade him for the pick straight-up too.
God, that swing of his. That K last night, his back foot didn't pivot until the teams were walking off the field. It's so, so bad. Look at his feet here! I just screen capped this. He has fully followed through on that swing, and his back foot hasn't budged! It's like watching a bad dancer flail their arms around while keeping their feet planted. Mead is mechanically horrendous. He's going to hit grounders to SS until he fixes that, and after, what, like 7 years in the minors, it's not getting fixed. https://i.ibb.co/Q7ytnrcY/Mead.png
Here's Harper. Front hip stays closed, hands aren't beating his lower body to the ball. When his back elbow drops, his hips start to open up in unison. His hips stay square to the bat, and at contact, his front foot is closed, and his bat is pointing the same place his hips are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIs8meF8ywI&ab_channel=PastimeAthletics
Mookie Betts, same. Follow that back elbow. As soon as it drops, the swing starts. The hands are the absolute last thing to come forward. His back foot has turned, weight's coming forward, his hips are opening up, his elbow is down by his waist, and yet his hands remain above his back foot. Front foot stays closed, and doesn't pivot til after contact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k05XB6P_lAM&ab_channel=PastimeAthletics
I don't know what happened with Mead, but he needs to fix this in the minors. He didn't used to be so bad, although I was never a fan, mostly because of his poor defense. With Aranda becoming an everyday bat, and Caballero and Walls backing up Kim when he's back, I think Mead is the odd man out and he should be playing everyday in Durham (if there's even a spot for him there, which isn't obvious with all of Carson Williams, Tanner Murray, Richie Palacios, Tre Morgan, Bob Seymour and soon Ha Seong Kim). Send him to AAA to learn to hit and play OF, or trade him for a respectable offer, but like you, I just don't see a future for him in TB.