DETROIT – When the Detroit Tigers selected Max Clark instead of Wyatt Langford with the No. 3 overall draft pick this weekend, it suggested new president Scott Harris thinks the rebuild is far from over.
Maybe even really, really far from over.
Before the 2022 season, Al Avila and Chris Ilitch told fans with both their words and their actions that they believed the days of losing were numbered.
Not only did they come out and declare themselves contenders, they also spent enough in free agency to land Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez. When Riley Greene got hurt before Opening Day, they traded away a top prospect to land Austin Meadows.
But the season was a disaster, as the Tigers finished 30 games below .500. They’re trending in a similar direction this year, with an ugly 39-50 record at the break.
It sure doesn’t look to me like the rebuild is over, and Harris seems to be thinking along those same lines.
When the Tigers were on the clock Sunday during the first round of the draft, everyone expected them to take the 21-year-old Langford. He was a star for Florida during the College World Series and considered one of the top three prospects in the draft.
If all goes well, Langford is polished enough to be in the big leagues by 2025.
But Harris didn’t stick to the consensus with his first pick as Tigers president. He elected to take Clark, an 18-year-old with incredible high school stats but uncertain power.
Clark’s best tools are his ability to make contact, his speed, and his arm strength. He’s a center fielder who seems to profile as an excellent leadoff hitter.
But again, he’s 18 years old. That comes with a lot of uncertainty. Harris took a risk.
Even if Clark does turn out to be a really good player, the most likely scenario is that he isn’t with the Tigers for at least three years. Harris doesn’t seem to be in any rush to get this year’s top selection to Detroit, and that probably means he doesn’t think it’ll make enough of a difference.
Just look at how the Tigers have handled Colt Keith and Justyn Henry-Malloy, two young hitters who continue to rake in Triple-A. Even though the Tigers are within 5.5 games of first place (thanks to a weak AL Central), Harris has his eyes on the future, not a potential flukey playoff race.
It’s a harsh reality for Tigers fans who haven’t enjoyed competitive baseball since 2016, but if you’ve followed the team this year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Harris watches the same games as the fans and sees the same offensive struggles. He knows it’s going to take a lot more than just Keith, Malloy, and Langford to build a World Series contending offense.
Maybe someday Clark will be part of a Tigers lineup that contends for titles. Even in that scenario, we’ve got a few more long seasons to endure.
