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What does Santa need to bring Detroit Tigers for Christmas? ZiPS developer Dan Szymborski shares 2025 projections
December 24, 2024 · 73 min

In a Christmas edition, Evan and Mark discuss what Santa needs to bring the Detroit Tigers. The wish list includes the health of star players, some luck, a lot of player development and a right-handed hitter — namely Alex Bregman. Numerous first basemen have been traded or signed in free agency, but the Tigers haven't been involved in those moves. What does that mean for Spencer Torkelson? FanGraphs senior writer Dan Szymborski, who developed the ZiPS projection system, joins Days of Roar for the first time to share 2025 projections for the Tigers, covering the entire team as well as individual players. After discussing the Tigers' roster, Szymborski explains how his projection model produced player comparisons for top prospects Kevin McGonigle (compared to Alex Bregman) and Max Clark (compared to Johnny Damon). To wrap up, Evan and Mark explore the likelihood of Alex Bregman signing with the Tigers, especially since it's now confirmed that Bregman won't be returning to the Houston Astros.

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