The longer the Tigers hang around in this shortened season, the louder the cries will grow for Casey Mize. They're approaching fever pitch as it is.
And so during an interview Friday on MLB Network Radio, Al Avila was asked by former Mets GM Steve Phillips how he factors the short-term benefit of bringing Mize to Detroit into the club's long-term outlook.
"That's a great question," Avila said. "I don't think a lot of people get it."
This is no longer about service time. The Tigers could roster Mize today through the end of the season without burning a year of team control on his contract. Several first-rounders from the 2018 draft have already been summoned to the bigs, including No. 3 overall pick Alec Bohm of the Phillies and No. 4 overall pick Nick Madrigal of the White Sox. The Tigers faced right-hander Brady Singer (No. 18 overall) of the Royals last month.
It's not about readiness, either. Mize proved in spring training and then again in summer camp that he's up for the challenge of facing big-league hitters. He proved that his stuff belongs in Detroit's rotation -- a rotation, by the way, that has the highest ERA (6.78) in the majors. Right now, Spencer Turnbull might be the only starter in the organization who deserves the ball more than Mize this weekend in a quietly important series against the Indians.
Yet Mize remains in Toledo, pitching against his own teammates. For the Tigers, readiness is about more than skill and polish. It's about health.
"With Casey Mize, our whole thing was, we need to get him more work," Avila said. "Last year he had a very good year, but we had to shut him down early, more out of precaution than anything. This year obviously we had a shortened spring training, and summer camp wasn't the greatest way to prepare for a season either.
"Our main thing with Casey -- and really a lot of our young pitchers -- is we want to give them more time to build up pitch count, build up innings, work on their repertoire, and not just throw them in the fire in a shortened season (after) a shortened camp. For us, we want to err on the side of caution and give him more time, and that's what we've done."
Mize, 23, threw over 100 innings last season for the second time in his career, the first time in the pros. The Tigers shut him down in August after he returned from a bout of shoulder soreness and was tagged for 34 hits and 21 runs over six starts. By that point, there was nothing left to gain -- for Mize or the organization. The plan moving forward was for Mize to start this season in Triple-A Toledo and then make his way to Detroit.
And the Tigers are sticking to it.
"Casey Mize is going to get his chance when we feel he's ready to go," Avila said. "We want him to come up here, be successful and stay here once he's up here. That's the main thing, not too different than the other young guys we have in camp also."
Almost assuredly, Mize will be in Detroit within the next month. Perhaps he'll even pitch in a meaningful game or two, if the Tigers stay in this eight-lane playoff race. But Mize would be here already if the organization was paying mind to the present. This has always been about the future, and an encouraging start to a strange season won't change that.
