I Cannot Believe the Detroit Tigers Got Jason Benetti

The Detroit Tigers have signed Jason Benetti to a multi-year contract to provide play-by-play on television broadcasts, a shocking and profoundly awesome Hot Stove development worth celebrating. He will be employed by the team and work 127 Ballys Sports games, with Dan Dickerson filling in when Benetti has other obligations on his jam-packed schedule. The move will translate into exactly zero victories but is an absolute coup for a franchise that seems to have a lot of momentum and may not be far away from some prolonged competitiveness.

There's no need to belabor this point but it's undeniable that the Tigers' television product has been lackluster ever since two guys got into a fight about a chair. Their replacements underwhelmed and didn't have much support from the fanbase. There was speculation about which direction the organization would go filling the opening this time but Benetti felt like such an unattainable pipe dream that it wasn't worth discussing.

Now it's worth savoring.

Since the news broke a few minutes ago, several White Sox fans in my life — big strong people — have texted with tears in their eyes wondering how this could possibly happen. Because losing one of the most respected and enjoyable announcers is a profound loss, compounded on top of the general mess of an on-field product on display on the South Side. When one considers the once-high expectations and all that's happened since those blew up, it's pretty astounding.

One group's loss is another group's gain, though, and Tigers fans should be thrilled beyond belief with this. Benetti is an exponential upgrade over the previous group and his willingness to come to Detroit means the team has some life and a bright short-term future. They may make more meaningful acquisitions this offseason but in terms of vibes, nothing will be a larger positive.