I don't like this at all, especially if Humberto gets involved. I added JD Drew's name to the thread because I think makes a lot more sense after he surprisingly opted out of his deal with the Dodgers yesterday.

Sheffield is too similar to Maggs IMO.

Drew is younger, a better outfielder, probably cheaper, a lefty bat, and could be signed without giving up a talent like Sanchez.

Not that I'm questioning Dombrowski or anything...but I'd rather sign Drew and move Maggs to DH.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/116312101182610.xml&coll=1


Tigers may be close to landing Sheffield

Friday, November 10, 2006
By Danny Knobler

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have a new hitting coach. They may also be closing in on getting a new hitter.

Outfielder Gary Sheffield, a nine-time All-Star who won a world championship with Tigers manager Jim Leyland in Florida, has been the subject of serious trade talks this week between the Tigers and the New York Yankees. One baseball official suggested Thursday that a deal could happen soon, but other officials said the Yankees were talking to several teams and would prefer to send Sheffield to the National League.

It's not clear what the Tigers would need to give up to acquire Sheffield, but the Yankees' needs include a utility infielder (the Tigers could offer Omar Infante or Ramon Santiago) and starting pitching (the Tigers could offer Humberto Sanchez or Jordan Tata).

The Yankees picked up Sheffield's 2007 contract option this week, but they have a glut of outfielders and are determined to trade him. Sheffield is due $13 million, but $4.5 million of that is deferred without interest.

Sheffield turns 38 this month and is coming off a season shortened by a left wrist injury, but he would fill the Tigers' biggest off-season need, as a feared middle-of-the-order hitter. In the three years before 2006, Sheffield averaged 36 home runs and 125 RBIs per season.

Sheffield has spent the last few weeks complaining about the Yankees, and suggesting that he could make trouble for a team that traded for him without offering him a contract extension. But Sheffield has great respect for Leyland, and it's possible the Tiger manager could control him.

"I think Sheff's going to be fine,'' Yankee Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson told reporters Thursday. "He can still play. He's a Hall of Famer. He's going to help somebody. I think Sheffield will have a hell of a year for somebody.''

Leyland and other Tiger officials wouldn't comment about the Tigers' chances of getting Sheffield, but Leyland was pleased to complete his 2007 coaching staff by making Lloyd McClendon the new hitting coach and promoting Jeff Jones from Triple-A Toledo to replace McClendon as the bullpen coach.

Don Slaught, the Tigers hitting coach in 2006, resigned after the season in order to spend more time with his family.

McClendon, who was Pittsburgh's hitting coach for four years before becoming the Pirates manager, said Thursday that hitting is "something I consider my passion.''

"My philosophy is two-fold,'' McClendon said. "First, hitting is very individual, and you need to treat each person as an individual. Second, the quality of the work (a hitter) does is more important than the quantity.''

Jones has been in the Tiger organization since 1989, including three previous stints as bullpen coach, under former managers Sparky Anderson, Larry Parrish and Luis Pujols.

Shortstop Carlos Guillen was an overwhelming choice as the Tiger of the Year, in voting by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Guillen led the Tigers with a .320 average, then batted .362 in the postseason.

"I can't tell you how impressed I was with him,'' Leyland said. "It's an honor to manage guys like that.''

Guillen led the American League with 28 errors, and it's possible that the Tigers could try to acquire a shortstop and move Guillen to first base.

So Drew won't have trouble finding work. Here are some teams that may well have interest, in no particular order.

1. Detroit Tigers
On paper, Drew fits their needs perfectly. The Tigers must become more left-handed, they must increase their on-base percentage, they must have more patient at-bats (He ranked 40th among all major-league hitters in pitches per plate appearance, at 3.97; that's more than all but two Detroit hitters, Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge, who tended to see more PPA in part because they struck out a lot).

Boras Corporation clients usually enjoy favored-nation status with two or three specific teams at all times, and Detroit happens to be one of those.

Here's the X-factor: Tigers Manager Jim Leyland is an influential voice in the organization (and rightly so), and if he were to canvass opinion from some of his old friends in St. Louis -- where Drew last played 100 games in 2003, before being dealt to Atlanta -- then he might vote "no." We'll see.

Sheffield a Tiger.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/10/sheffield.tigers/index.html


The Yankees and Tigers have agreed on a Gary Sheffield trade, SI.com has learned. In return, the Yankees will acquire highly touted right-hander Humberto Sanchez and Class A pitchers Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett, according to a Tigers source.

The Tigers will extend Sheffield's contract for two years beyond the one year and $13 million remaining.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Does anyone know his stat line for his best year

I would have rather had Bonds.

We got the wrong BALCO customer.

Anybody remember how Sheffield admitted that he used to tank games when he was with the Brewers because he was mad at the organization?

This is from his wiki page, lol:


On November 3, 2004, Sheffield's agent was contacted by a self-described minister, Derrick Mosley, who claimed that he had video of Sheffield's wife, gospel singer DeLeon Richards-Sheffield, having sex with singer R. Kelly and that he would destroy the tape for $20,000. The agent contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sheffield supported his wife and said he was well aware of a long-term relationship between his wife and "a well-known professional singer over 10 years ago". On November 14, 2005, Mosley was convicted of extortion and wire fraud for the blackmail attempt.

Does anyone know his stat line for his best year

It's debatable which year was his best, but I would say 96 with the Dodgers.
33 doubles, 42 HR, 118 R, 120 RBI, 142 BB vs 66 SO, .314 BA, .465 OBP, 1.089 OPS.
2005, his last full season, was a .291 BA w 34 HR, over 100 R and 120 RBI.

Do I like the move? Not really. The injury concern and clubhouse concern doesn't excite me. He's a DH and nothing more for sure. He can draw a walk and hit. That's good. He legitimizes the middle of the lineup when healthy. He was traded for 3 guys we wouldn't see for a couple years, if at all. Heck, Sanchez has injury concerns as well.

If we extend Sheff for 2 more years, it's a lock that he'll hit his 500th in a Tiger uniform. That will be big. He has postseason experience and everything.

So, I don't love the move but I don't loathe it either. Better than banking on someone that hasn't hit more than 20 HR in a season as our power hitter.

He's a habanero at times, but he's been one of his generations best hitters and there is no reason to think he won't have an OBP around .350 with 25 homers for the length of the deal. Its exactly the guy we needed in this lineup, and while you can never have enough pitching, we had enough pitching.

I certainly think that he'll produce when healthy. I wish he was a lefty but as long as he can produce I'm not going to lose sleep over what side of the plate he bats on (literally, not the inuendo), but I wish at least one of the guys we traded would have been a crappy throw in and not one of the 5-7 prospects I was excited about.

i dont know why people arent alot happier. i like this move alot. another big bat, and even better, a patient hitter.

our lineup is going to be sick next year...

granderson
palanco
sheffield
mags
guilen
pudge
monroe
inge
first base?

or something like that. i wouldnt be too surprised to see monroe move up in the order, too. his second half last year was fantastic.

i would have rather got someone younger, but assuming he stays healthy this is great. i'd have also liked someone who would play right everyday (letting mags dh fulltime). we'll see how that plays out, whether they split rf 50-50 or what.

im not too down on dumping sanchez. i think those injuries were a real red flag, and im sure miller passed him anyway, so its not like he wasnt expendable.

I like the move. He's a heck of a DH. Instead of playing .250 hitters there (Thames, etc) we have a .300-.350 hitter with 30 HR's. I'd like to see us try and land Ramiraz now. Move Inge to SS (where he can use his range), and Guillen to 1B. We gave up a few minor leaguers, but you never know if they are going to pan out anyway.

Gary's swing is MADE for Comerica Park. That Rocket low line drive he hits is going to make alot of doubles for him, Which will set up Mags and Gullien big time.

I fucking love this trade.

I dont know why most of you arent happier. Given I am not at all familiar with Sanchez, but Shef is a proven and very intimidating hitter. If the Cubs got him for any minor league pitcher, or Prior or Wood at that, Id be happy. Yall should cheer up.

I feel a bit better about it now that I see they re-signed him and his contract should not be a problem and after hearing Leyland gush about him.

Maybe the Shef trade is the Tiger's Sheed trade?

The Tigers gave up a good but broken down SP (who was at the peak of his trade value) and 2 very good CP to be.

Sheff will have a huge impact and he is strictly playing DH and some RF.

I still think the Tigers need to pick up a 1st baseman, maybe LaRoche in Atlanta. I still think the OF D is pretty crappy all the way around.

Tigers couldnt stand still. They still have 7 legit starters for next season Bondy, Rogers, Verlander, Miner, Robertson, Maroth and Ledzema (sp). If Miller blows up this spring, he could make the team too. That doesnt include Tata and Jurriens who are not that far from being ready.

I could see the Tigers trading one of their mainly LH pitching SP Maroth, Robertson, Ledzema for someone.

I'm not too excited about trading for a 38 year old dh.

I don't like this move all that much.

The Tigers massively overpaid, both in terms of prospects and money. Sheffield is 38, coming off of an wrist injury year and we traded 3 solid pitching prospects. Not to mention, we gave him the 2 year extension instead of having the Yankees do it.

And since Sheffield is primarily going to DH, it means that we are going to be stuck with Maggs in the outfield for atleast another 3 years. He is already close to being a liability in the field, I don't want to know what he will look like 2-3 years from now.

I will be pissed if this is our only major move though. We still need a big time 1B (I wish Texas would trade us Texeria), or a great 3B/SS (Tejada?) to move guillen to 1B.

I expect another big move.

No way we don't make another move... the bloods in the water and the sharks in the tank.
Next move is a lefty with pop.
The bonus was the playoff experience for these young kids... they'll be ready to roll next time (but don't overlook the ChiSox).

We need to find out about Maybin (sp) & Miller.

Maybin is supposed to be another year away. I doubt he sees more than a couple games next year. I'm hoping Miller gets some extensive bullpen work this year (maybe alternating games with Zumaya on back to back nights with setup situations), that way when Zumaya is ready to replace Jones we'd have a great setup guy too. Or maybe he'll become a starter, who knows.

Unless it the plan goes terribly awry, I think they want Miller to be a starter. The only reason he was in the pen this year was because he had it written into his contract that he'd get a guaranteed callup. He'll be starting at high a or aa this year I assume and they'll go from there.

Yeah, Maybin's definitely 1+ year away. They purposely kept him at low A all this year even though he probably could of survived a promotion because they don't want to rush him. I'm guessing mid-2008.

I actually think this trade means we don't do much more. I think they try to bring back Casey and Walker and they call it good.
Now that they added a big bat (but right-handed) they need that lefty bat that Casey provides but it's not as pressing to have the power now that it's here in the form of Sheff. If they don't bring Casey back, you're probably looking at Aubrey Huff at best.
And I would be shocked if they added any significant pitching. I would probably like it, but I would be shocked nonetheless.

Sheffield to wear No. 3; yep, that's Trammell's number

Gary Sheffield will wear the No. 3 jersey with the Tigers this season, taking over the number worn by longtime star Alan Trammell, the Tigers confirmed to the Free Press Saturday.

No Tiger has worn No. 3 since Trammell, who wore it as a player and manager. Trammell retired from playing in 1996 and was fired as manager after the 2005 season.

The Tigers have already added Sheffield's number to their roster on the team Web site.

Trammell doesn't seem to mind.

"Gary Sheffield is an excellent player, and I think he was a great acquisition by the Tigers," Trammell told Booth Newspapers. "If he wants to wear my number, I'm honored."

Sheffield was traded from the Yankees to the Tigers on Nov. 10 for three pitching prospects.

Sheffield wore No. 11 with the New York Yankees, but asked to wear No. 3 with the Tigers. The Tigers contacted Trammell and received his blessing.

The Tigers have retired six numbers -- 2 for Charlie Gehringer, 5 for Hank Greenberg, 6 for Al Kaline, 16 for Hal Newhouser, 23 for Willie Horton and 42 for Jackie Robinson.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/SPORTS02/611190583/1050