Tigers insider likens Scott Harris' approach to one that doomed AL East team

Scott Harris proved what Tigers fans already knew at Detroit's active (but still underwhelming) trade deadline: they were always hanging onto their prospects. Harris basically admitted that he turned down opportunities to deal a few for players who could add some relief to the struggling bullpen or temporarily fill the hole at third base when he said, "A lot of the moves we passed on felt like moves that were going to haunt us for many years to come. We have what we think is one of the best, if not the best, farm system in all of baseball."

The Tigers ended up trading only two ranked prospects, pitcher Josh Randall and catcher Enrique Jimenez. Although Harris said he didn't necessarily see any of his prospects as untouchable ahead of the deadline, fans knew that was a lie. Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Bryce Rainer, and Josue Briceño, Detroit's top four and the crowning jewels of the farm system, all stayed where they are.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who would be overly critical about not dealing those four, but what about further down the pipeline? No. 9 Max Anderson was repeatedly named the Tigers' most valuable trade chip, and he doesn't have a clear pathway to the majors at second base.

Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic cautioned Harris' prospects-first approach, when he pointed out on Tiger Territory that the Orioles have recently taken the same tack, and they've been perhaps the most disappointing team in baseball this year.

Tigers insider warns that Scott Harris prioritizing prospects could land Detroit in the same place as the 2025 Orioles

Stavenhagen also noted that other executives around the league don't like to deal with Harris. "I don't think teams around the league were thrilled at the Tigers," he said. "Every year, this time of year, I hear that Scott Harris is difficult to deal with from a baseball perspective. The Tigers are very hardline negotiators. [...] I also do worry...are relationships eroding with other clubs where it's going to hurt the Tigers in future deadlines? [...] The word 'embarrassing' was thrown around in regards to the Tigers' deadline [by rival teams]."

Suffice to say, that's not a ringing endorsement for the Tigers' deadline or Harris' way of doing things. Of course, he's also been right before; so far, Chris Paddack, Charlie Morton, and Kyle Finnegan have worked out swimmingly, and the Tigers' winning core is largely made out of former top prospects now.

However, there's certainly still an element of risk here that some fans and evaluators will never be able to fully buy into. Harris has gotten very lucky with his current stars, and it's clear the Tigers develop talent very well, but they might not always get every bounce.

Harris insisted, while dismissing the idea of a Tarik Skubal window recently, that he isn't "shorting the present for the future." But isn't he, a little bit? It's certainly a valid strategy, but it'll continue to be too much of a gamble for some fans to get behind.