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Detroit Tigers president Scott Harris 'preparing to add to this team' at trade deadline
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- Detroit Tigers president Scott Harris 'preparing to add to this team' at trade deadline
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris hinted that he isn't aiming sell the farm for a shot at the World Series in 2025.
But the Tigers are still planning on being buyers at the trade deadline.
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"I think we're preparing to add to this team in July, but we've got to keep playing well to put ourselves in a position to do that," he said in a radio interview.
Harris spoke with Costa and Jansen on WXYT-FM (97.1) on Wednesday, June 11, and discussed his plans to turn the Tigers into a sustainable winning franchise.
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operation Scott Harris watches practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
"In my opening press conference, I set out to build through development and create a critical mass of young players that can help us win at this level, but also are going to stay together and play together for a long time. I think we have that at the big leagues," he said.
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Harris said that organizations that win the World Series are the ones who try to be "in the mix" every year.
"We're going to do everything we can to try to win the World Series this year. But there's a real feeling here that we're hopefully going to keep doing our jobs, keep playing at a really high level, and have multiple opportunities to try to win the World Series."
The Tigers enter Wednesday with the best record in MLB (44-24) and with a farm system that many experts think is the best in baseball. It's a combination that led Harris to call the organization "as healthy as it can be."
But that doesn't mean the team won't be active as the trade deadline approaches, with Harris saying the team will try to identify players to fill weaknesses and "chase those players aggressively."
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Despite the team's early-season success, Harris didn't appear to celebrate too much.
"We haven't done anything yet. We don't have it all figured out in this organization, but there's this feeling of momentum in the organization," he said.
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Scott Harris on Matt Vierling 's potential return
One reason Harris said the Tigers aren't in a rush to make moves is because they are still waiting to see what the roster will look like when certain players return to health.
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He pointed to Matt Vierling, who has played in four games this season and was placed back on the injured list on May 27, as someone who could bring a significant contribution to the team when he returns.
"He allows us to position our other players in different situations because he can play the infield, he can play the outfield," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting him back and seeing how the roster takes shape when he's back offensively."
Harris also said the starting staff has room to improve with four starters currently injured, making it difficult to assess what exactly the team needs as the trade deadline approaches.
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, left, celebrates with catcher Jake Rogers in the clubhouse after 4-1 win over Chicago White Sox to clinch a playoff spot at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Scott Harris on who the team would be willing to trade
Harris didn't shut down the possibility of trading key players or prospects, though he appeared reluctant to do so.
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"Philosophically, I don't consider anyone untouchable. But my job is to position this organization to win as much as we can, and so I don't think trading some players that have a chance to be impact big leaguers in Detroit is the smartest thing to do," he said.
Harris emphasized pragmatism as the organization's guiding philosophy with transactions.
"We're going to look at both sides of a potential deal, and we're going to try to make the ones that we think are going to help us get to the next level, both this year and in the future," he said.
Scott Harris on potential extension for Tarik Skubal
Harris was once again asked about a potential extension for ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, and this time he took a more diplomatic approach.
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"We're not going to talk about negotiations before we've reached the deal. It's not fair to the player, it's not fair to the organization, and it's not fair to the entire industry to float out offers or counters or any of that stuff," he said.
Harris also said that he enjoys watching Skubal pitch and that he's "really proud" that he's in Detroit right now.
"Sometimes it sounds a lot easier to just, you know, lock them up and sign extensions and just get it done because you feel like it," he said. "It's a lot harder than that."
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers preparing to add to team at trade deadline
