What if the Tigers never made the Doyle Alexander/John Smoltz trade?

Question

In 87 Detroit was trailing Toronto in the pennat race hwne they sent pitching prospect John Smoltz to Atlanta for veteran Doyle Alexander.

Alexander went 9-0 to lead Detroit past Toronto but the Tigers fell in the ALCS to Minnesota

Meanwhile Smoltz went on to become a future HOFer w/'the Braves accumulating 210wins, 154svs, 3000+ strikeouts, a Cy Young and 8 all star apperences

During his career w/Atlanta the Braves captured 14 divison titles, won 5 pennants (91, 92, 95, 96 and 99) and won the 1995 World Series

My question. What if the trade doesn't happen

Answer 1

then the Tigers would've done something else stupid and traded him to a different team, so no net improvement

Answer 2

No telling. But there is no guarantee John would have been that good in the AL either. John was only a prospect. There are never guarantees in prospects, he wasn't even drafted for that matter.

Answer 3

good question, the Tigers would have been winning division titles instead of losing like they did, but I dont think todays team would be around if the trade didnt happen. I like todays team with Granderson, Cabrera, and Maggs.

Answer 4

then i guess toronto would have been amazing for 14 years straight

Answer 5

idk what would of happend but the tigers messed up with that trade

Answer 6

It's always easy to look back on trades after a long time, but the trade filled an immediate need for the Tigers, and for what they needed at the time it paid off for them. If I remember, they beat Toronto 1-0 on the last day of the season to get into the playoffs, so if they hadn't traded for Alexander that certainly wouldn't have happened. They fell short but the trade -- at the time -- was the right one to make.

Again, at the time, Smoltz had been a 22nd round pick and was 4-10 with a 5.68 ERA with as many walks as strikeouts in Class AA. The Braves must have seen something in him, but numbers-wise he didn't look like much more than an organizational player.

Answer 7

Smolts had his problem with Braves as well. Remember he needed to see a psychologist to overcome some of his problem. Put him back to 90s and do it over again, he might not be the same.  

Answer 8

What if Reese's never made .....Peanut Butter cups?