Josue Briceño's hot start in Triple-A means apologies to Scott Harris may be in order

Since becoming the Tigers' president of baseball operations in 2022, Scott Harris has rarely ever traded a prospect from the team's top 30. His first and only trade deadline deal of 2023 was sending Michael Lorenzen to the Phillies in exchange for Hao-Yu Lee. Even in more active deadlines in 2024 and 2025, Harris refused to move a single top-15 prospect and, of course, he declined to buy at all at the 2026 deadline.

That isn't to say that other teams haven't come forward with interest. Though the Tigers' farm system has gone up and down major outlets' rankings in the past few years, players all over the major league roster are proving that Detroit's scouting and player development is formidable.

But even when it's invited the ire of Tigers fans, Harris has stuck to his guns. After their postseason exit last season, he said that moves that would've brought the much-yearned-for big rental bat to Detroit would've cost the organization dearly. Troy Melton is believed to be the Diamondbacks' asking price for Eugenio Suárez in 2025. Josue Briceño, who was just promoted to Triple-A, was reportedly of interest to the Pirates.

Despite missing more than half of the season with a wrist injury, Briceño is already mashing just three games into his stopover in Toledo. He has a hit in each so far, including a bases-clearing double that left the bat at 113 MPH.

Josue Briceño, Troy Melton's ascent shows why Scott Harris and the Tigers aren't quick to give up prospects

Harris has always plead patience with the team he's trying to put together in Detroit. Tigers fans took that to mean patience with Spencer Torkelson or Riley Greene or Casey Mize, guys we'd already spent a long time waiting on, but we now have a better idea of what he actually meant. Melton, Jackson Jobe, Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Lee — these are the guys we've really been waiting on.

It's not hard to guess that a guy who's been in the game for the better part of two decades has a broader picture of the development of a team than fans, but it's oftentimes been hard to see Harris' vision.

We're seeing it now. The Tigers almost entirely homegrown core is already exceeding expectations in 2026, and there are reinforcements like Briceño on the way over the next few years. We get it now, Scott. Sorry for all of the grief.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow