Wow!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=4029706

Strange timing, should have done it last year.

I'm sure that he's going to have a lot to say to the media (if not now, someday).

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have released nine-time All-Star Gary Sheffield, who is one home run away from 500 for his career.

Detroit parted ways with the designated hitter Tuesday after a disappointing stay with the Tigers. The team was hopeful the 40-year-old Sheffield would be a powerful presence at the plate in the final season of the $28 million, two-year contract extension it gave him after acquiring him from the New York Yankees for prospects.

But he failed to deliver in large part because he often was injured.

The move comes a day after the Tigers acquired outfielder Josh Anderson from Atlanta, forcing the team to make some tough decisions about its roster a week ahead of opening the season in Toronto.

Sheffield hit .178 in 18 games this spring.

Why would they release him now?

Does this mean that the new guy we traded for is our starting left fielder and Guillen is our DH? If that's the case, I think our defense is tops in the league...

I'm quite surprised.

Was he overpaid? Of course, but he can draw walks and we have nothing to lose by carrying him.

Thames full time DH now, I would presume.

The team was hopeful the 40-year-old Sheffield would be a powerful presence at the plate in the final season of the $28 million, two-year contract extension it gave him after acquiring him from the New York Yankees for prospects.

But he failed to deliver in large part because he often was injured.

He failed? DD failed.

He failed? DD failed.


Yup.

At least Humberto Sanchez hasn't done shit.

DD has failed all over the place.

How many "good" contract extensions has he made? (no-brainers not included)

How many "good" contract extensions has he made?


Granderson's was a mega bargain.

Guillen's was good.

Bonderman's was fairly priced coming off a year in which he had 200K's.

Not Roberston's, not Inge's, not Willis'.

This move isn't to make room for Anderson. He was going to make the team regardless.

I think now what they do is keep Jeff Larish.

New Lineup

CF- Granderson
2B- Polanco
RF- Ordonez
1B- Cabrera
LF- Guillen
DH- Thames
C- Laird
3B- Inge
SS- Everett

Bench- Anderson, Santiago, Larish, Treanor

Looks like they came to the realization that they had too many DHs.

Maybe this move was made to make room for Dusty Ryan.

All GM's make bad moves, guys. It's part of the business.

Brian Cashman has handed out plenty of awful contracts in New York (Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Kevin Brown, Kyle Farnsworth, Jorge Posada's recent extension), yet he's regarded as one of the better GM's in the game.

Look at the Angels for instance, they paid Gary Matthews Jr. 5 yrs/$50 million two years ago and he's now their 5th outfielder.

Theo Epstein overpaid Julio Lugo & J.D. Drew and gave a terrible extension to Mike Lowell.

Ned Colletti signed Jason Schmidt, Hiroki Kuroda, Andruw Jones and traded for Juan Pierre's awful contract.


It happens.

All interesting points, Wil. But you should realize that most people at WTF don't like to look at the positive things that GMs, coaches and players do. Why do you think the NHL forum is so empty?

Jon Paul Morosi...



LAKELAND, Fla. — The Tigers released designated hitter Gary Sheffield this morning, a startling development since the team had already guaranteed him $14 million this season. It's the second-highest amount owed to a released player in club history, behind Damion Easley's $14.3 million in 2003.

“You’re going to pay him, one way or the other,” said club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski.

The decision is surprising from a historical perspective, because Sheffield’s next home run will be the 500th of his career.

“It’s one of those things where you move on, you know?” Sheffield said, remaining remarkably composed as he discussed the move. “I was surprised. I thought I was getting ready for the season. I never thought that I wasn’t going to be playing with the Detroit Tigers this year. It’s probably a blessing.”

Dombrowski confirmed that the decision means outfielder Marcus Thames will make the team. Thames will likely get a percentage of at-bats as the DH. “Marcus is a good player, a threat,” Dombrowski said. “He’s a streaky hitter at times. When he’s hot, he’s real hot. I think he’ll be a big plus for us.”

Manager Jim Leyland can also use Magglio Ordoñez, Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera at DH, which would allow him to have better defensive teams on certain days.

Sheffield signed a two-year, $28-million contract extension with the Tigers after being acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees after the 2006 season. He was one of the team's top hitters for the first half of that initial season in Detroit, but he has struggled to produce since sustaining a shoulder injury in July 2007.

Dombrowski lamented that injury this morning, saying, “We never really had a good chance to get the full feel of his abilities because of the injuries.”

Sheffield, who hit .178 (8-for-45) this spring, said Leyland told him that he wanted more versatility on the 25-man roster. Sheffield said he still “feels great” physically and would like to play this season. When asked if this is the end of his career, he replied, “It ain’t close.”

Once he clears waivers, Sheffield will be able to sign with another team. He said he’d give preference to the Tampa Bay Rays, who play close to his home.

This place was a giant love fest that year the Tigers went to the World Series. Let's not pretend like we just like to bag on people. DD has been shit the last two years making terrible moves all over the place, trading away the small amount of good arm talent for terribly over-priced hitters none of whom can play the field and half of whom can't hit the ball without breaking their shoulders anymore.

The extensions that he gave that he didn't need to give are my biggest problem with him.

This place was a giant love fest that year the Tigers went to the World Series. Let's not pretend like we just like to bag on people. DD has been shit the last two years making terrible moves all over the place, trading away the small amount of good arm talent for terribly over-priced hitters none of whom can play the field and half of whom can't hit the ball without breaking their shoulders anymore.

You're right, but once things go a little south, people love to start bashing right away. I'm guilty of getting annoyed with certain moves made by some of our GMs, but I think a lot of us miss the big picture a lot of the time. DD made some poor decisions in the last couple of years, but don't forget all the the good decisions he has made as well. Some poor decisions don't mean you ingore all of the good ones. The Tigers were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball for 15 years and he's changed that mentality around. Last year was awful, but hopefully he can get things back on the right track this year. And I wouldn't even say last year was all of his fault.

How long until we hear the name 'Barry Bonds'?

Dombrowski & Leyland are two of the best things that has happened to this town, baseball wise, in my entire lifetime (1988).

After growing up watching so many other guys fail (Phil Garner, Luis Pujols, Alan Trammell, Buddy Bell...etc) and of course Randy Smith, I'm not about to let a few bad moves turn sour my opinions of these guys.

I said this in another thread, but this opens up space for Guillen and Ordonez to get some DH time as well. Anderson can step in for them and play the outfield, Thames likely isn't going to get much outfield time because of his defense. This can save some wear and tear on our big bats roaming the outfield, and get them into the lineup on days they'd normally be getting rest.

Dombrowski & Leyland are two of the best things that has happened to this town, baseball wise, in my entire lifetime (1988).

After growing up watching so many other guys fail (Phil Garner, Luis Pujols, Alan Trammell, Buddy Bell...etc) and of course Randy Smith, I'm not about to let a few bad moves turn sour my opinions of these guys.


That's all Illich and $. Sorry to ruin your dreams.

You're not sorry.

You're not sorry.

Yeah, I'd punch the kid in his crank if I saw him, but it makes me seem like a nicer internet guy to say that.

All interesting points, Wil. But you should realize that most people at WTF don't like to look at the positive things that GMs, coaches and players do. Why do you think the NHL forum is so empty?

If I got the games, I'd be in there to harass as many peeps as possible.

I like the move, but Thames better produce.

How long until we hear the name 'Barry Bonds'?

It's possible, with the Leyland connection.

I wouldn't mind it at all, but do DD and Leyland want to risk their future on him?

The steroid issue/stigma has somewhat been diffused while he's been "away".

I'm surprised but not shocked. They must have thought he was going to have another year batting closer to .250 than .300.

I'm not sure it has a big impact on the season anyway. yes, we went through stretches of bad offense, but the Tiger's success this year will be based on the pitching. They have a good enough offense (Sheff or no Sheff) to win if the pitching is good.

I have a random question........

If we "hypothetically" signed Barry Bonds would you bat him in front of Cabrera or behind Cabrera and why?

Towards the bottom of the order because he's not that good anymore.

Is he really any better than Thames at this point?

Sheffield might have trouble finding work
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | Feedback (http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/mailbagESPN?event_id=6999) | Print Entry (http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4030415&type=blogEntry)
You would assume that someone who has a baseball card that looks like Gary Sheffield's would have more job opportunities. The slugger has 499 career homers, 2,615 hits and 1,633 RBIs, and even in what was an off year for him in 2008, he mashed 19 homers in 418 at-bats.
And when Sheffield was asked by a reporter in Lakeland, Fla., on Tuesday morning about whether he intended to retire, he responded: "It ain't close." As in, he is sure he can play.
But even after he clears waivers, as expected, and even though any interested suitor would have to pay him only a minimum salary of $400,000, he might have few offers -- if any.
"He has definitely lost bat speed," said one talent evaluator who saw him this spring. "He's missing pitches that he would've crushed just a couple of years ago."
It hurts Sheffield, too, that he is now perceived to be best-suited as a designated hitter. "He has to be an AL guy now," a general manager said on Tuesday morning. "He can't play in the outfield on a regular basis anymore."
Sheffield indicated to reporters that his preference would be to play with the Rays, but Tampa Bay already has invested in a right-handed-hitting DH type, in Pat Burrell.
The Red Sox are locked in at DH and left field with David Ortiz and Jason Bay. The Yankees will have no interest, after the acrimonious split between the team and Sheffield a couple of years ago. Billy Butler might get a lot of DH at-bats for the Royals, and he's having a great spring. The Mariners already have a DH/corner outfield veteran in Ken Griffey Jr. The Indians are committed to Travis Hafner at DH, and the White Sox have Jim Thome, at a time when they're trying to get younger. Sources indicate that the Jays and the Rangers and the Athletics will likely pass. The Twins are already coping with a glut of outfielders and designated hitters, as are the Angels, who will have difficulty finding enough playing time for Gary Matthews Jr. at designated hitter or in the outfield.
The Orioles might conceivably have some at-bats for Sheffield, but keep in mind that this is a team that is trying to get younger and decided to not bring back Kevin Millar.
Sheffield's reputation as a tempestuous clubhouse entity is not going to help him in his job search, either. The perception of the slugger is that if he's not happy -- about his playing time, about how he's being handled -- he will become intent on being a distraction.
He is not in a position to do that anymore if he wants to continue his career. At age 40, Sheffield is no longer an elite player, and his next team will not feel obligated to try to make it work with him because of his contract.
The fact that he's one home run away from 500 might make him a draw for some team. Some team could sign him, creating an opportunity for him to reach that benchmark, generating interest at a time when a lot of teams are struggling to sell tickets.
But there is another slugger close to Sheffield in age and accomplishment, someone who might be able to hammer left-handed pitching. But that player -- Frank Thomas -- is still without a job. Numbers on the back of a baseball card don't always translate into employment.

He might have to sit and wait for one of those guys to get hurt.

re: Bonds

We should have enough 'affense' on the team without adding a total douche nozzle like Bonds.

re: Bonds

We should have enough 'affense' on the team without adding a total douche nozzle like Bonds.

LOVE IT!

Is he really any better than Thames at this point?

From a pure power stand point, probably not.

What makes Barry Bonds, Adam Dunn, and even Gary Sheffield for that matter, a better player than Thames is that those three guys can draw walks and will have an .OBP near or over 400. (Bonds OBP was almost .500 his last season)

Marcus Thames will be lucky to have an OBP over 300. In 2006 he had a .333 OBP while playing some-what fulltime DH, but we'll see...

But all those guys hit in the 3-5 spots, right?

Thames was hitting 7th or 8th with crappy hitters behind him. Wouldn't his numbers be better if he had protection like Bonds, Sheff and Dunn have had?

Left handed power would be nice in Comerica.

^Hm, true.

Remember what Abreu did in the HRD?

But all those guys hit in the 3-5 spots, right?

Thames was hitting 7th or 8th with crappy hitters behind him. Wouldn't his numbers be better if he had protection like Bonds, Sheff and Dunn have had?


If he's hitting behind Guillen, Cabrera or Ordonez (which he will be), then it will probably make his RBI numbers alot higher (80+ if he's for sure going to be an everyday DH), but it probably won't his improve his overall ability to get on base. He's still an impatient hitter who likes to swing at junk, strikes out alot, and doesn't draw many walks.

But none of this is new. Thames has always been a low average, high slugging percentage type of player. Rod Allen said last year "Thames is in scoring position when he goes up to bat." He's going to have a ton of RBI opportunities since teams will be pitching around Guillen or Ordonez to pitch to Thames instead.

Plus, this is pretty much the first time ever he's been a starter coming out of spring training. Now that he's finally gotten this starting opportunity, we'll see what he's capable of playing day-to-day.

He averages a HR per 11 or 12 AB's, if he gets 500 AB, 50 HR's are realistic.

Adam Dunn, the last 5 years has hit 46, 40, 40, 40 and 40 HR's despite never hitting over .266. That's the type of stuff we'll see from Thames.

On being released, Shef said "Its probably a blessing"

I think Bonds (at least in the shape he was his last game, haven't seen him since...) is much, much, much, much, much, much, much better than Thames.

Can he play 1st or right? Cuz the flexibility of not having a full-time DHer is nice.

Mags can DH if he gets dinged, CG can, Cabs can, etc. It'd suck if we're paying a bunch of dough to a guy that can just walk to the plate.

Can he play 1st or right? Cuz the flexibility of not having a full-time DHer is nice.

Mags can DH if he gets dinged, CG can, Cabs can, etc. It'd suck if we're paying a bunch of dough to a guy that can just walk to the plate.
I think if you got his bat, at his age, you wouldn't want him in the field.

You'd be paying him to hit.

So if Cabs gets dinged a lil bit, could Barry play 1st for a week or 2 while Cabs heals and DHes? If not, I dont think he'd be a good sign.

So if Cabs gets dinged a lil bit, could Barry play 1st for a week or 2 while Cabs heals and DHes? If not, I dont think he'd be a good sign.
Yeah, I think he'd strictly be a DH and maybe a couple games in the outfield. No way he learns first at this point in his career.

I have to think he's done at this point though. Isn't he going to jail or something? Is that all done with?

I think he'll still get his peepee whacked by the bailiff, but after the judge threw out a big part of the prosecutions evidence and won't force the trainer to testify (at least the last judge said he wouldn't have to), I think he's going to get away pretty clean.

Nice Cheech & Chong reference.

I think his trial has been delayed again.

We used to play that album in High School over and over and laugh over and over. Good stuff back then.

Dusty Baker, the old neighbor, is going to meet with Sheff.

If Cinci signs him, are we still on the hook for ALL of his contract? Or the lil bit that Cince would pay him, if they do sign him, would be subtracted from what we pay him?

Since MLB contracts are guaranteed, if he gets another deal, he'll be double dipping, I believe.

Since MLB contracts are guaranteed, if he gets another deal, he'll be double dipping, I believe.


Kind of like Starbury?

Doesn't he get his full paycheck from the Knicks, plus the pro-rated vets minimum from the Celtics?

I think Marbury might have given the Knicks a break = to the amount he's getting from the Celts just to get his release.

The New York Mets (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=nym) will sign outfielder Gary Sheffield (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2113), a baseball source told ESPN 1050 New York's Andrew Marchand.
Sheffield, nine-time All-Star who was released Tuesday by the Detroit Tigers (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=det). held a private workout Thursday for several teams interested in signing him, including the Mets. Following the workout, the team had been working on determining whether it could find enough at-bats for Sheffield to make signing him make sense.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=4029706

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D:

wat is that i don't even...

SAMSON FOR ROY!!!!

Another great new member. Finally, some contributors.

He he... gotta luv this late shit.... he he he.