Cabrera, Willis traded to Tigers in blockbuster deal
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4567/tradexlargeno2.jpg
December 4, 2007
By JON PAUL MOROSI
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
STORY UPDATED: 7:44 p.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a move that will transform the team’s roster and expectations, the Tigers on Tuesday agreed to a trade with the Florida Marlins that will bring third baseman Miguel Cabrera and left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to Detroit, in exchange for a package of six prospects headlined by outfielder Cameron Maybin and left-hander Andrew Miller.

Until Monday night, many in the industry believed Detroit would not trade Maybin under any circumstances and would be very reluctant to deal Miller. But in a whirlwind 24-hour span, the Tigers agreed to part with both of them in return for two players who immediately make them one of the favorites to win the World Series next year.

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According to one club official with knowledge of the negotiations, Detroit has tentatively agreed to include catcher Mike Rabelo and right-handed pitchers Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop in the deal.

The trade had not been officially announced as of 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Team officials postponed a briefing with the local media, scheduled for 6:10 p.m., a sign that they were in the midst of serious negotiations. Shortly after that, the Free Press reported that a deal between the Marlins and Tigers had been completed.

The club also considered trading for Oakland right-hander Dan Haren and Baltimore left-hander Erik Bedard. By late afternoon on Monday, though, it was clear that the team’s first preference was to acquire Cabrera and Willis in a monumental swap.

Cabrera, 24, and Willis, 25, are both due to become free agents after the 2009 season. It’s not clear whether Detroit has made plans to pursue contract extensions with them.

The deal was remarkable in both its magnitude and unexpected nature. One night before the trade, Detroit club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said he was “very happy” with his team’s everyday lineup. Then he added Cabrera, the most formidable young hitter in baseball since Albert Pujols.

On Monday, manager Jim Leyland pointed out that the Tigers did not arrive in Nashville with a glaring weakness, but added, “By having conversations with people, who knows if something will pop up?”

As a result of the deal, Detroit is now willing to move third baseman Brandon Inge, outfielder Marcus Thames and right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin, in order to free up money in the Tigers’ payroll.

Inge, who will be displaced at third base by Cabrera, is owed $19.1 million over the next three seasons, and Detroit may need to absorb some of that salary in order to trade him. Durbin and Thames were due to receive raises in arbitration.

The Tigers entered the week without needing to upgrade their offense, but could not resist the opportunity to land Cabrera – especially since the team’s front office has a long history with him.

Detroit assistant general manager Al Avila signed Cabrera out of Venezuela during his tenure as an executive with the Marlins, and Cabrera is a personal friend of Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen.

He also happens to be one of the best hitters in baseball. He batted .320 with 34 home runs and 119 RBIs for the Marlins this year. According to Retrosheet.org, the player with the most comparable stats through age 24 is longtime home run king Hank Aaron.

Cabrera batted almost exclusively third and fourth for Florida this season. He provides the Tigers with yet another middle-of-the-order presence, to go along with Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Guillen, who batted third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, for most of the 2007 season.

Cabrera, like Sheffield, Ordonez, and new shortstop Edgar Renteria, is a right-handed hitter.

Kenny Rogers re-signed with the Tigers last week, which seemed to eliminate their need for another veteran starter. But Detroit’s interest in Willis rekindled, and a deal became possible once the club retreated from its former stance that Maybin and Miller –considered integral to the Tigers’ future as recently as Monday night – were untouchable in trade talks.

The arrival of Willis gives the Tigers one of the best rotations in baseball. Detroit’s starting staff will now include three left-handed pitchers – Willis, Rogers, and Nate Robertson – along with right-handers Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman.

In addition to Maybin and Miller, the Tigers surrendered two prospects – Trahern and De La Cruz – who were among the organization’s ten best in preliminary rankings by Baseball America.

DO IT NOW

That would be incredible.

NASHVILLE -- A source familiar with discussions between the Tigers and Florida Marlins has denied that Miguel Cabrera is part of trade talks between the two clubs.

A report on foxsports.net said a trade involving Cabrera, a powerful right-hand hitter and third baseman, and left-hand pitcher Dontrelle Willis, was being discussed with the Tigers, who would offer superstar prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.

fuck

"I'm on a fucking roller coaster here"

^to be read in your best Al Pacino yelling voice

12:30 p.m., from Peter Gammons
• The Tigers and Marlins have had preliminary talks about a blockbuster trade -- Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for a package of young players that could include outfielder Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller -- but Florida GM Larry Beinfest needs a lot more and doesn't think it's serious.


Update on the Cabrera/Willis for Miller/Maybin report
by Danny Knobler
Tuesday December 04, 2007, 1:01 PM

Danny Knobler is currently away from his computer and has phoned in this report.

A team source has confirmed that the Tigers and Marlins have had talks, but classified these talks as discussions rather than negotiations. The current sentiment is that the Marlins are using the Tigers too potentially generate some better trade offers for Cabrera, possibly from the Angels.

It's also believe that Dave Dombrowski is reluctant to deal Cameron Maybin.

Its hard to believe the Yanks and BoSox (or Angels) won't jump in here with the Marlins dangling those guys.

Seal the deal DD.

Pipe dream.

Even if it happened, though--

CF Granderson
2B Polanco
DH Sheffield
RF Ordonez
3B Cabrera
1B Guillen
SS Renteria
C Rodriguez
LF Jones/Thames

^permaboner

Pay them to take Inge, too.

I'm not completely sure but I MIGHT even through in Miner. Miner alone would seal it.

Pipe dream.

Even if it happened, though--

CF Granderson
2B Polanco
DH Sheffield
RF Ordonez
3B Cabrera
1B Guillen
SS Renteria
C Rodriguez
LF Jones/Thames

I would take this lineup over the Yankees lineup.

Plus our pitching would be/is better already.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The assumption that the Tigers would not make a big trade during this week’s winter meetings was always conditional: As long as they refused to trade outfielder Cameron Maybin, and as long as they refused to trade left-hander Andrew Miller, they would need to be spectators in all sweepstakes for the biggest names in baseball.

Maybin was untouchable, many in the industry believed. Miller was virtually untouchable, too.

At some point in the last 24 hours, though, the philosophy seems to have changed.

The club has had internal discussions about whether they should include Maybin and Miller in trade offers – a development that could immediately vault them into trade discussions for Oakland right-hander Dan Haren, Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Florida left-hander Dontrelle Willis.

Detroit has a greater need for pitching than offense, and Haren is at the top of the Tigers’ list – ahead of Johan Santana, even – among the pitchers that could be dealt.
One industry official indicated to the Free Press today that Detroit would be willing to include Miller in a trade offer for Haren. That could pique the A’s interest, since their front office is said to be very fond of Miller.

The Tigers also have several prospects – notably shortstop/second baseman Scott Sizemore, utility man Michael Hollimon, and first baseman Jeff Larish – who have the good plate discipline Oakland likes in position players.

On the other hand, an offer of Maybin and Miller could overwhelm the A’s.

Detroit showed interest in Willis earlier this off-season, and the Tigers have long had an interest in Cabrera, whom Detroit assistant general manager Al Avila signed during his tenure with the Marlins.

The Tigers would likely need to part with Maybin in any trade for Cabrera or Willis, because of the Marlins’ lack of a long-term centerfielder

I love it, WIN NOW.

This is what I was hoping for.

Although I heard during lunch on Fox Sports Radio that the Yanks are hot after Haren now.

If Pocelo(sp?) can replace Millers potential coming up and we have a center fielder that gets it done, I say do it.

Sounds awesome to me. Pull the trigger on this deal.

I'd give up a ton for Cabrera.

Dude is putting up Arod-esque numbers at a younger age, all without that nagging "slow bat" problem.

I am not too fond of Willis but I would love to have Cabrera. But Miller and Maybin isn't enough to land them. The Angels are/were offering just as much for Cabrera alone.

Most of this has been mentioned (looks like they changed/updated what Glenn posted), but two parts I have not seen on here yet (bolded):


Update on the Cabrera/Willis for Miller/Maybin report

by Danny Knobler Tuesday December 04, 2007, 1:01 PM


Danny Knobler is currently away from his computer and has phoned in this report.
Baseball sources have confirmed the Marlins and Tigers have discussed a deal that would bring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit in exchange for a package of players believe to be headlined by coveted prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin.
Some people in the Tigers' organization believe the Marlins' main motivation in talking with the Tigers is to pressure the Angels into upping their offer for Cabrera. The Angels have shown interest in the young slugger over the past few weeks, but talks have recently stalled.

Word has it that the Marlins are asking for a huge return for either Cabrera or Willis. The team is seeking four top, young major-league players from the Angels in exchange for Cabrera.
One major issue that could prevent the Tigers from reaching a deal is the amount of money it could take to sign either of the players to long-term contracts. Until today, the Marlins would not allow other teams to negotiate new contracts prior to a trade, but there are indications that may have softened on this stance Tuesday.
In much-less exciting trade news, the Tigers have acquired relief pitcher Denny Bautista from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Jose Capellan.

3:28 p.m., from Peter Gammons
• The Twins and Red Sox are getting closer to finalizing a Johan Santana deal. Boston has sweetened its offer by adding a fifth player to the the offer -- outfield prospect Ryan Kalish, a ninth-round pick in the 2006 draft out of Red Bank Catholic High School (Shrewsbury, N.J.).

• The Marlins and Angels are serious about moving Miguel Cabrera to the Angels. Expect Florida to get Howie Kendrick, Nick Adenhart, Jeff Mathis and a prospect from L.A. for the third baseman.

sounds like were mucking up the market. good gming, dd.

I don't want Willis but I'd love Cabrera or Haren. The market price for Haren may be a little high though coming off his career year. His pre/post all star splits are kind of grim.

ESPN reporting Maybin, Miller, Rabelo & 3 prospects for Cabrera and Willis

as in done deal?

its done, its done!

you sure we got willis?

HOLY SHIT!!!

Miggy's been probably my favorite player the last 3 years!

it SEEMS like we ante'ed up, big time. buuuuuuuut, we know exactly what we gave up, and i think DD knows the marlin organization better than anyone. i love when he trades with his usual suspects. i still have 10000% faith in him, so im all smiles here. dontrelle rebounds big time, we move in the fences, and miguel starts talking about 500 hrs when hes 30 (tiny exageration).

Florida has a pretty damn big ballpark in their own right so we probably don't even need to move in the fences.

HOLY SHIT!!!! (sorry, can't help it...)

not to pull a kornheiser, but whats the biggest trade in detroit sports history?

i realize that this is all very young talent, but this has to register on the charts.

if mags / shef stay healthy, we legitimately have a fantasy line up. dear god is that disgusting.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

you gotta be shittin my bitch

HOLY fuckin assraping pile of dunkey nuts this deal is something considering how far away Miller/Maybin still were.

It's not as if Miller was only 20, either. I really like this deal.

Damn.

Can't wait to see Cabrera in a Tigers uniform.

The three other prospects we traded were Burke Badenhop, Eulogio de la Cruz and Trahern.

I keep forgetting and watching the game and then I remember and I just can't help it:

HOLY SHIT!!!

I don't want to fuck around now, we need to sign a couple bullpen pitchers and lock this thing down. I'd hate to spend this much, give up these prospects, and lose the World Series because we wouldn't throw down another 10 mill for a couple of decent setup men.

I am not a fan of having given Trahern and De La Cruz, as well... That settles me down a bit, although I'm still fairly excited. We're just going to have to majorly overhaul our farm.

I don't want to fuck around now, we need to sign a couple bullpen pitchers and lock this thing down. I'd hate to spend this much, give up these prospects, and lose the World Series because we wouldn't throw down another 10 mill for a couple of decent setup men.

Backup catcher too, unless Vance is deemed ready/sufficient.

One of the most exciting days as a Tiger fan, ever.

We should sign them both to long-term extensions first.

I still can't believe this. And, yes, lock Cabrera up for sure, then Willis. Also get more relievers. This is the year, we need to make it happen now before Pudge and Sheff are too old.

fuck, cock, shit

This doesnt really hurt the farm too bad considering Willis is 25 and cabrera is 24.

Porcello is 2-3 years away.

Gives them a nice nucleus of Bondy, Verlander, Willis, Cabrera and Ganderson all under the age of 27. 3 SP and a 3B and CF.

I am very happy with this deal.

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT!!! DIVISION CHAMPS FOR SURE!!

Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Karl. Hell, look what happened to your NBA title hopes vs. the Pistons.

I was hurt.

Willis might just need a change of scenery. Let's not forget how dominant he was before last year.

Cabrera was the best player in the National League, and a top 5 player in all of Major League Baseball. The Tigers now have the best lineup in baseball (yes better than the Yankees) and the best starting pitching in baseball. One, maybe two bullpen guys and this team is not great, but perfect.

The term gets thrown around a lot, but this might be the biggest deal in Detroit history. I can't think of anything bigger, at least not in the 25 years that I've been alive.

Dave Dumbrowski has my vote for the Nobel Prize.

peace?

Oh and with this team it's World Series Champs or bust.


You know what would make me the happiest man in all of the world - if we go undefeated against the Indians this year. Oh and the Tigers need to beat Ohio State as well.

peace?

Sure.

and the best starting pitching in baseball. One, maybe two bullpen guys and this team is not great, but perfect.


What if the Red Sox get Johan?

You know what? Screw it, I agree...WS or bust!

Verlander
Bonderman
Willis
Rogers
Nasty Nate

Beckett
Santana
Schilling
Matsuzaka
Lester

Good call. I don't know, it's close. What do you think?

I think Lester would be part of the Santana deal. The Twins have asked for his medical records and whatnot.

As of right now, Johan to Boston is only an "if" so I guess you can say the Tigers may have the best staff, on paper right now anyway.

Next year there will be NO offensive slump like they had last year. We're looking at a 100 win team which may score 1000 runs.

When Carlos Guillen is hitting 6th on a team, you know the lineup is incredible.

Bring on those fucking Indians!

http://www.druidcityonline.com/Questions%20Chukker/chukker%20inside%20pics/images/K%20chukker%20030.jpg

yea, maybe not quuiiiiiiite, but its very close to world series or bust. if its not that, it better be damn close. not making the playoffs would be extremely disapointing, no matter what.

btw, not mentioned yet, i think. props to mike illitch, the only good sports owner we have in town. someone who actually is willing to support a winner. he is committing huge, with this deal.

imo, hes as good as any in sports. i would take him 10/10 over mark cuban. hope the kids are taking notes...

The biggest and best difference between him and Cuban is that Ilitch stays in the background unless needed. He's not a loudmouth, out there acting like a jackass. He just pays what he has to pay and does everything he can to field a winner. Unfortunately until DD got here he just had a really shitty management team in place.

What is to happen of Inge?

Who cares?

He can go back to that Super-Sub role he was in a few years ago and backup 3rd, CF, catcher, and whatever else we need.

one article mentioned us trading him for payroll relief. he gets close to 20 million over the next 3 years.

Bullpen help?

uhhh... Inge = backup C? lols.

Well, he used to play C. I think we could stick him back there for a few games here and there. Not many, but a couple. I'm not thinking full time catcher, just as an emergency C.

If Cab plays 3rd, could'nt Inge go back to backing up 2nd, SS and 3rd?

I've been OOT on this most of the day

keith law suggested letting guillen play 3rd and let cabrera play first.

he also said willis isnt that good because his awkward delivery that made him deceptive 2 years ago has been hard to repeat consistently and puts strain on his arm.

that might be true, but i want to see what pudge does for him.

I'd have quite a bit of concern over Guillen throwing from 3rd to 1st.

How is Cabrera's arm?

strong, but i dont think hes regarded to high as a fielder.

4 more months (or 3, if you like Spring training).

Hmmmmmmmmm......

This is an interesting trade but I'm not sure that I'm that high on it. I really like Cabrara but I'm not so sure about Willis. We have unfortunately given up A LOT of our youngsters over the last year and the minores are startign to look a little bare. I guess I just have that fear of hte Tigers of 10 years ago when their minor league system was pathetic as was the team.

Add to that the fact that we still have two glaring problems. We have no real back-up catcher and a Pudge isn't exactly a youngster. More importantly our bullpen sucks and so does our closer. TODD JONES IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!!

On the bright side we can score a shitload of runs with our lineup and it looks like we are going to need them.

Sorry, I've been studying for final exams.

right now, I'm in awe of Dave Dombrowski and his arete as a general manager.

todd jones is fine. last year he was well above average.

is zumaya back next year?

is zumaya back next year?

End of July.

I think there's a good chance that Guillen could be playing 3rd, with Miggy at 1st.

Another thing to think about is possibly putting Cabrera in LF. Just a thought...

Hmmmmmmmmm......

This is an interesting trade but I'm not sure that I'm that high on it. I really like Cabrara but I'm not so sure about Willis. We have unfortunately given up A LOT of our youngsters over the last year and the minores are startign to look a little bare.

But our farm system is still way better off then before DD got here. So I'm not disagreein with what you said there but relatively speaking...

I guess I just have that fear of hte Tigers of 10 years ago when their minor league system was pathetic as was the team.

Add to that the fact that we still have two glaring problems. We have no real back-up catcher and a Pudge isn't exactly a youngster.

Imo, Robello wasn't going to start and maybe/hopefully DD can pluck a guy that has the potential to back up now and start later. Robello wasn't that guy imo.

More importantly our bullpen sucks and so does our closer. TODD JONES IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!!

On the bright side we can score a shitload of runs with our lineup and it looks like we are going to need them.

Just my 2 cents

the difference between this year and 10 yrs ago was our major league team now is an allstar team and 10 years ago it was a AAA allstar team. for teams like the tigers the farm system is just fuel to throw on the fire.

Its amazing to me what good drafting (bring all the Millen hate you want) will do for a team. I know there are huge differences in MLB, NFL and NBA but drafting peeps other peeps want is a good thing.

The Tigers were able to land a few big name FAs like Pudge and KR. Mags was considered damaged goods, we gambled and it turned out huge for us, imo. So we have the talent now and then to have a farm system that can help you get to the top like the Yanks and BoSox is invaluable or something.

Was the Marlins GM there when DD was there? Imoutatuch

MC has played in atleast 157 games in the last 4 years.

Was the Marlins GM there when DD was there? Imoutatuch


I don't think so. If he was, he was deep in the system.

They interviewed Dontrell over the phone and he was giddy about coming to the Tigers.

They also asked him if he would lobby for a DH job when he wasn't pitching and his respons was "I've been told Jim Leyland is a man not to be fucked with." (Slight paraphrase).

Tahoe,

I know that Rabelo isn't all that great and it doesn't bother me at all that he's gone. I didn't see him as a solution to the problem which STILL exists.

As for our farm system, it's still in decent shape but the I am more worried about the latest habits of using our youngsters to make trades as opposed to developing them for the future. We have seen a lot of quality prospects traded away. If this keeps up, our farm system will be in trouble.

I'd be more worried if Willis and Cabrera weren't 25 & 24 respectively. That is the future.

I've been very critical of Illitch ever since Juan Gone turned down $120+m and that money wasn't re-allocated elsewhere, but I have to hand it to the guy, he finally stepped up with the $.

Props to the pizza man.

A few tidbits.

Apparently, Cabrera and Carlos Guillen are best friends.

Also, Olney says Pudge, scheduled to make $13m, may bat 9th.

The Marlins total team payroll may end up being as low as $8m, which means that our 9th place hitter will likely make more than the entire Marlins roster.

Anybody want to guess who the Marlins highest paid player is?

Andrew Miller
^answer in white text

Damn, I'd hate to pitch to this lineup, that is for sure.

I just hope Porcello pans out and Willis can be a solid 3rd pitcher (after Kenny leaves). If so, we'll still be good for a while IMO.

We do need to figure out catcher fast too. We've got a FA starter and an old injury prone backup. I doubt they want to turn Inge into a catcher again with his hitting numbers.

Hopefully Dontrelle pitches well here. I am a fan of athletes who show passion/fire and wear their emotions on their sleeve.

Keep in mind Willis is only 25. He can certainly rebound from last year.

However, LeBron is only 22.

FYI.

OWNED!!!!

However, LeBron is only 22.

FYI.

I lol'd.

I've been thinking about the use of Inge as a backup C for a while now, I wonder if it is actually being considered?

Also, I'm not super concerned about Dontrelle, but my expectations aren't that high for him, either.

If he can eat innings and give us the sub 4.50 ERA that he is entirely capable of, he'll be a solid addition and should win 12-15 games with this lineup.

The bullpen on the other hand...

TGF:howdidwegetminer:

Willis did have a not so good year this past season however, if he was on a winning team I think that those numbers would be quite a bit different

I lol'd.

I've been thinking about the use of Inge as a backup C for a while now, I wonder if it is actually being considered?

Also, I'm not super concerned about Dontrelle, but my expectations aren't that high for him, either.

If he can eat innings and give us the sub 4.50 ERA that he is entirely capable of, he'll be a solid addition and should win 12-15 games with this lineup.

The bullpen on the other hand...

TGF:howdidwegetminer:

imo, all you want from a pitcher is ability to eat innings and keep an era at 4.5. especially with this team, thats all you need. anything better is great, but so long as you can eat innings and keep it close its all good.

however, i am worried about willis' delivery, which i would describe as sloppy choppy, even more than im worried about amir's slow low release.

It was change of address time for Willis. He'll have a monster year for us...and by monster year, I mean scary good.

however, i am worried about willis' delivery, which i would describe as sloppy choppy, even more than im worried about amir's slow low release.

And ARod's slow bat, of course.

And LeBron's old age catching up with him....NOT!!

I've been thinking about the use of Inge as a backup C for a while now, I wonder if it is actually being considered?


Well, he has the arm strength and speed to be a great defensive catcher. I don't know about his ability to call games though since he hasn't done that in a long time.

I wonder if his hitting would change as a catcher vs corner infielder (less pressure to deliver).

12:58 p.m., from Amy Nelson at ESPN
• Since news broke of the Marlins-Tigers blockbuster, Detroit left-hander Andrew Miller has not heard a word from anyone in the Tigers' organization. One of Miller's agents ran into Jim Leyland in the hotel lobby Tuesday night, and Leyland told him the deal wasn't anywhere close to getting done. What is unclear is whether any of the eight players involved have to physically be examined, which is why the trade could be held up. So far, Miller and his agents have not been told anything. Word is that the deal might not be completed until after the winter meetings -- unless there are other factors preventing it from getting done.

Miller, in fact, is working out at the Tigers' spring training complex in Lakeland, Fla. He met with the trainers this morning, had his sore left knee worked on, and is now out playing golf with some of his teammates. Late in the season, Miller had an MRI on his left knee, where it turned out there was some mild cartilage damage. He's been rehabbing it ever since. Since he's officially still a Tiger, he wasn't denied treatment.

Um, anybody interested in a mass suicide if this falls through?

Probably just a delay in getting the physicals.

I wish April were here...

I wish April were here...


Me too.

http://www.aprilscott.info/images/April_Scott_new_boobs_job.jpg

espn says it's official now

They also said we had Les Miles locked up. I'm waiting for an official word from the Tigers.

3:45 p.m., from Amy Nelson
• Andrew Miller got a phone call within the hour from Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski that he was traded to Florida, which signals that the deal is official.

Todd Jones flapping his gums already, not good.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3142853


Teams put bow on 8-player deal that sends Cabrera, Willis to Detroit
Associated Press

Updated: December 5, 2007, 5:58 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It's a done deal.

The Tigers and Marlins completed their blockbuster trade Wednesday, an eight-player swap that sent All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from Florida to Detroit.

The Marlins received a package of six players, including two highly rated prospects: left-hander Andrew Miller and outfielder Cameron Maybin. The teams reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday, with the deal subject to both sides being satisfied after exchanging medical records.

"Wow. Those moves put us over the top," Detroit closer Todd Jones wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The Tigers also sent catcher Mike Rabelo and right-handers Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and Dallas Trahern to Florida in a huge deal that developed quickly and took the spotlight away from the Johan Santana sweepstakes at baseball's winter meetings.

The clubs touched base a little bit Monday night, then Florida approached the Tigers on Tuesday morning. The Marlins told the Tigers they could have both stars for those six players, then Detroit called back later in the day and agreed.

"We made this trade to win now. It's obvious," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said.

Detroit had not been considered a contender for Cabrera or Willis. Both can become free agents after the 2009 season, and the Tigers hope to keep them long term.

"There were a lot of complaints about our asking price," Florida general manager Larry Beinfest said. "We're here today because we thought we got value for them."

Cabrera, an All-Star in each of the last four seasons, joins an imposing lineup that also includes Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen, Ivan Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco. The Tigers also acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria, a five-time All-Star, in a trade with Atlanta this offseason.

Willis, the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, is coming off a down year in which he went 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA.

"He has mechanics, as you know, that are not easy to keep in check," Dombrowski said.

Willis will be part of a solid rotation with Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman as Detroit tries to reach the World Series again after losing to St. Louis in 2006.

The Tigers' last title came in 1984, when they got off to a remarkable start.

"The 35-5 start might be in trouble from '84," Jones wrote in his e-mail.

Cabrera and Willis were the last players left from Florida's 2003 championship team. Unable to secure a new ballpark, the Marlins keep shedding players when they are due to earn huge salaries. Cabrera made $7.4 million this year and Willis $6.45 million. Both were eligible for arbitration and likely to receive raises.

"They will forever be in our history because of what they did," Beinfest said.

At $1,325,000 next year, Miller immediately became the highest-paid player on the Marlins.

"This is not woe is the Marlins," Beinfest said, pointing to Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and others still on the roster. "We have really good players. ... Our expectations have not changed. We want to go out there and win every day."

Beinfest sounded happy with the package of pitchers his team received.

"We've built some pitching depth," he said. "These guys are all legitimate."

Todd Jones, shut the fuck up

Hey, Todd Jones...you're Todd Jones. Shut the fuck up.

I love Todd Jones. He's fucking stellar. Awesome!

I hope reports out of NY aren't true that the Tigers are talking about flipping Willis to the Mets with Pudge. To me that makes no sense if true, Willis fills a huge need and I can't see a better option for us in a trade or Free Agency, and as for Pudge there isn't a better Cather available. I just hope this Omar and the Mets trying to look like they are being active.

Article (http://www.metsblog.com/2007/12/05/buzz-willis-offered-to-mets-with-pudge/)


Willis, Pudge offered to Mets?
Posted by Scott Warheit December 05, 2007 20:03PM

While the Detroit Tigers have yet to fully digest trading for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, another move may be in the wings. According to a New York Mets blog, a WFAN interview with a Mets beat writer suggested the Tigers and Mets have had preliminary discussions about a trading involving Willis and catcher Pudge Rodriguez.

December 5, MetsBlog.com: Omar Minaya said he inquired about Dontrelle Willis, but the Marlins were not going to deal him within the division.

"However, the Tigers have explored the idea of spinning him off, and they have contacted the Mets. There wasn't an official offer presented to Omar, but what was talked about, from what I was told, they talked about spinning off Willis. In addition, though, the Mets would have to take on some salary. The Tigers are interested, perhaps, in moving Willis and Ivan Rodriguez and dumping his salary, which is $13 million next season. So, if the Mets wanted Willis from Detroit, they'd have to take on that salary. The thing is, he has a no trade clause, so to get him to waive it you'd probably have to give him another year."

The Rodriguez inclusion seems like more guessing than anything else, and I would be surprised if the Tigers moved Pudge without receiving a solid catcher in return

Now thats a twist to this whole deal

I don't get the point of doing that. The Tigers would need to get either a better catcher than Pudge, or a better pitcher than Dontrell.

It doesn't seem like salary is a concern right now.

I hope reports out of NY aren't true that the Tigers are talking about flipping Willis to the Mets with Pudge. To me that makes no sense if true, Willis fills a huge need and I can't see a better option for us in a trade or Free Agency, and as for Pudge there isn't a better Cather available. I just hope this Omar and the Mets trying to look like they are being active.

Its lies, lies by the Met rumor-mongers to steal some of the Tiger's spotlight. That rumor is debunked


...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

Earlier in the day, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti broke down a rumor that suggested the Mets could acquire LHP Dontrelle Willis from the Tigers, as well as C Ivan Rodriguez and his $13 million salary.

However, at his blog for Booth Newspapers, Tigers beat reporter Danny Knobler debunks the idea, by writing…

“While they were negotiating…with Florida, it appears that the Tigers did briefly consider turning it into a three-way deal in which Willis would go to the Mets, possibly with Pudge Rodriguez…The Mets love Willis, and in fact had tried to get him from the Marlins themselves…But it’s barely worth talking about now, because it’s not happening, and the Mets know it.”

…from what i can gather, while the Tigers most certainly would have requested a pretty significant package from the Mets, RHP Aaron Heilman was the only player from the Mets to be discussed with detroit, though i would guess C Johnny Estrada may have been involved eventually as well…

Nevertheless, Knobler quotes a Mets official as saying, “There’s no turning back now for them. If anything was going to be done, it had to be done before (the trade became public). They’ve energized their fan base now. They can’t go back.”

…well, hats off to omar, because, from what he told reporters, the Marlins were never going to trade dontrelle to a team within their division…so, to listen, while trying to sneak him to queens, back to the NL East, behind their backs, is either really shady, or really clever, or both, i suppose…

…by the way, thanks to bad boyz for the link…

Frontpage Article (http://www.metsblog.com/)

I believe the Tigers had a team option for Pudge this year. I suppose the trade adds salary, but if it was that big of an issue why pick up the option in the first place.

trading willis would be horrible. w/ his personality, i think he could be the biggest fan fav since mark "the byrd" fydrich. i cant wait to see him w/ the tigers.

If Pudge's contract was so horrible why did we pick it up? The more I thought about that one, it made less sense.

Yeah, that would make no sense unless we got a better P or better C (doubtful). I just can't see that happening at all.

he's nicknamed "the D-Train." How could he possibly fit in here any better?

Zach Miner is going to have something to say about the D-Train taking his spot as most beloved Tiger.

Wonder what the Mets were offering?

I know the Tigers were interested in drafting Mike Pelfrey, so he would've probably been included. And depending on who else we received (Heilman and Estrada for example) it would've been worth exploring.

I am still holding out hope that we go after Bengie Molina and Tim Lincecum using a package of Willis, Pudge and Inge.

Very exciting trade, but you have to wonder what our next move will be.

Seems very unlikely we'll go into the season with a $100+ million dollar payroll.

I think its pretty clear that Pudge is overpaid, and Willis seems like somewhat of a risk. I would think that both of them could possibly be moved, but who knows maybe we'll break the bank this year and keep both. Right now the teams with bigger payrolls are in huge markets, NY, LA, Chicago, and Boston.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/salaries?team=det

Is Monlina younger than Pudge? Seems like he's old too.

Our starting pitching was below average for the whole 2nd half of the season... I think Bondy and Robertson may have tapped their ceiling.
Who is the lefty relief man gonna be .. Seay?
The old saying ..good pitching beats....
Just saying there are holes here that don't look filled yet.
Don't be surprised if a starting player gets moved for legit starter/pen help.
Shef seems like a logical choice... Sheff & Robertson might fetch the right guy.

Is Monlina younger than Pudge? Seems like he's old too.

He is probably around the same age as Pudge but the bigger issue with Pudge is his salary and his production relative to the salary.

Our starting pitching was below average for the whole 2nd half of the season... I think Bondy and Robertson may have tapped their ceiling.
Who is the lefty relief man gonna be .. Seay?
The old saying ..good pitching beats....
Just saying there are holes here that don't look filled yet.
Don't be surprised if a starting player gets moved for legit starter/pen help.
Shef seems like a logical choice... Sheff & Robertson might fetch the right guy.

i dont know about that... bondo showed signs of mental weakness last year, but supposedly he played injured for X amount of time. but i dont think you can say he hit some sort of a cieling.

i also dont think trading shef gets us a starting pitcher wed want.

who knows what DD is capable of, but i think this team is more or less set, with a few minor things left to work out (includes inge).

i think they should look at inge at catcher. i know its been some years, but he was pretty good defensively, iirc. inge is older than you probably think, if he wants to continue to make big money in the mlb, i think converting to catcher would be his best move.

I agree we wouldn't get a top flight starter for Sheff. Remember we gave up 3 pitchers that aren't in the majors or even close to it to get Sheff. Now he's a year older, has a big contract, and was hurt this year. I really like him, but he's not going to fetch a better pitcher than Willis IMO.

Sheffield has far more value to the Tigers at the plate than in trade.

As for the rotation, they were all hurt last year except for Verlander and Nate.

Willis, Bonderman and Rogers all had injuries that killed performance.

Nate went down too with 'arm fatigue', he was shelled there for a while.

As for the rotation, they were all hurt last year except for Verlander and Nate.

Willis, Bonderman and Rogers all had injuries that killed performance.

Willis didn't have any injuries last year, he just sucked.

Willis didn't have any injuries last year, he just sucked.

He was hurt, he simply didn't sit any games out.

When is the presser? Id like to see them both in the old english D.

ahhhhh..frickin sick, we got willis and cabrera...oh

New Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis wants to sign long-term deal

Newly acquired Tigers left-hander Dontrelle Willis would like to sign a long-term deal with the team this off-season, his agent said Tuesday night.

“Detroit pays fair-market value for guys, and guys are happy playing there,” Matt Sosnick said Tuesday. “He’s really excited about going there.”

In one sense, this winter would be an optimal time to sign Willis long-term, because his value has dropped after his worst big-league season. Willis, 25, is scheduled to become a free agent after 2009.

“If we make a long-term deal now, Detroit’s risk is that he’s got to pitch well, and our risk is if he pitches really well – because after (2008) he’s only one year from free agency,” Sosnick said.

“If we did something this year, and the team showed confidence in him, then hopefully at the end of the contract they will feel like it was a bargain.”

Willis, who is among Detroit’s seven arbitration-eligible players, is likely to earn a $7.5-million base salary in 2008. He went 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA for the Florida Marlins this past season but led the National League with 35 starts.

Willis has thrown more than 200 innings in the last three seasons. Justin Verlander was the only Tiger starter to top 200 innings in 2007.

Jeremy Bonderman signed a four-year, $38-million contract extension with Detroit last off-season. He was two years away from free agency then – as Willis is now.

The appeal in signing Willis to a long-term contract is the same as it was with Bonderman: He could sign a four-year deal that would expire before his 30th birthday, a rare effect of Willis’ youth and experience.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071212/SPORTS02/71212004/1048/SPORTS&theme=TIGERSOFF

As long as we didn't pay way too much, I'd be ok with it. Think of the bidding war that would go on him if he was a free agent. I think we'd be smart to lock him up for a few extra years. If he doesn't play up to the contract and we don't want him anymore, someone will trade for him thinking he can recapture the magic.

Apparently they're both big Pistons fans?? Are you guys sure I'm not dreaming?

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/SPORTS02/312060009/1050

Beats being a fan of the Heat, lol.

MARLINS SEND DOWN MAYBIN (8:42 p.m. ET)
Cameron Maybin will start the season in the minors for the Florida Marlins.

One of baseball's top prospects and a centerpiece of the trade that sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit in December, the 20-year-old Maybin was optioned to Double-A Carolina on Monday after going 0-for-5 during Florida's 10-10 tie with the Houston Astros in 10 innings.

Maybin went hitless in his final 18 at-bats, finishing the spring with a .190 batting average, three homers and eight RBIs.

"We still see him as the center fielder of the future. It's not going to be Opening Day," general manager Larry Beinfest said. "He needs to get some additional at-bats in the minor leagues, then hopefully he'll be our center fielder for a long time."
-- The Associated Press

Thank god, for his own sake. Being stuck in the majors for that organization right away would have definitely been death to his chances of being a superstar.