robb parker's moles are saying its a bidding war for gagne with cleveland and detroit in the lead.

also, slightly off topic, but i think monroe is more or less done here. isnt he a FA at the end of the year? with maybin projected to be here the year after next, he's probably out of our price range to resign, especially with thames being more than capable.

i would not include miller in any trade. thats for sure.

Miller must stay. He's pitched incredibly well mainly dealing his fastball. His breaking ball is almost there to a point where he can use it a lot, and once he learns to command all three pitches = our best pitcher up there with Verlander.

Miller and Maybin shouldn't be traded. There isn't anything we will get for them that is worth what they will give us in the future. Unless someone wants to trade us a young all-star, which I doubt.

Ok, well, we know Dombrowski has gone on the record multiple times saying Miller and Maybin aren't avaiable, period. Remember, he wouldn't do Maybin straight up for Alfonso Soriano.

I think at one point in time he said they would only be available if someone made an offer that blew his socks off. Dombrowski is good enough at what he does that blowing his socks off would probably require, from the Rangers, Gagne, Texiera, Milwood and either John Mayberry Jr. or Kasey Kiker.

Seriously guys, Dombrowski knows what it takes. The one criticism is that he's possibly too patient with some guys, but that keeps him from making massive errors. Look at what he's already built. He's not going to throw away a couple of the big keys to sustaining this success for a washed up one-time All-Star or even a once was, could still be dominant closer.

By the way, in regards to Craig Monroe I do think it's possible he could be done here. It all depends on percieved value. Does the management group think his value for the remainder of the season is difference making? If not, is there someone out there willing to part with a mid-level prospect with a good shot of making a bigger difference down the road?

Don't think teams are jumping up and down to get a .230 hitter just because he has a knack for RBI every now and then.

I hope Monroe goes. I hope Gagne comes here. Millers upside is unlimited. You can't trade him cuz of that, imo.

I wasn't worrying that Dombrowski would make a deal involving those guys, I was just stating my opinion on them.

And I was agreeing with ya. The important person is DD and we can all feel comfortable that he won't let either go, unless its a blockbuster helluva deal.

Jul 23 Bill Ladson, of Nationals.MLB.com, reports the Washington Nationals are believed to have an interest in acquiring Detroit Tigers P Jair Jurrjens, and they could be dangling CL Chad Cordero as bait.

Cordero would be sweet. I'm not minor league snob, so I couldn't say whether Jair should be held onto or not. Also, what's the contract status on Cordero?

Hold onto Jair for more than Cordero.

I'd do Jurrgens for Cordero in a second. Jurrgens has been alright but he doesn't have overpowering stuff and probably isn't a frontline guy if he makes it. I'd be shocked if they did that deal though.

Yeah, the things I've heard about Jair is he doesn't have the stuff that Verlander, Bonderman, Miller or even Porcello has. I've heard he's more of an end of the rotation pitcher in terms of "stuff" he has. We really don't need that with Nate, Minor and Durbin that can all be your 5th starter.

I'd much rather have a very good closer here. With our starting rotation and offense, we should be leading a vast majority of games going into the 7th inning. If we can shut the door on teams in the late innings I'm not sure any team can beat us 4 games in a series.

FYI, Jair blew goats in the game he was scouted at.

Giffy is intrigued.

Outside of Maybin or Miller, I couldn't care less about who we trade to upgrade our roster.

At some point, which seems to be now, you can have too many starting pitchers so losing a few prospects doesn't hurt right now. Plus a guy like Cordero, Lidge, or Gagne can be brought back next year as the closer since TJ is a FA after this season and upgrading isn't a bad idea. I know Zoom is the logical next closer but considering he has missed a lot of time I would assume he wouldn't take that job until 09, since the team doesn't know if he can fill that role.

Bottom line is Detroit is a hot destination in terms of winning and getting paid so we can afford to deal prospects and not have to worry about being depleted since we can dip into the free agent market and re-stock.

I think Cordero would be the best option, he seems like he could adapt to being a set up man or closer, whereas the other guys want to close and may not excel in other roles. Which is also true of Jones, if you rip the closer job from him, they may as well trade him because he can't do anything else.

My hopes are we add a solid utility player to replace Perez which wouldn't be costly, another left handed or power bat like Stairs which would be cheap, and a veteran for the pen.

I have a feeling that KC and STL may be where we get a player or two since they both owe us a player to be named it would be less costly to facilitate a trade if we just added to previous deals.

I would do Jair for Cordero. If we get Porcello signed, in a few years we should have a stellar 1-4. As was mentioned, we can add another SP to the rotation through FA if Nate, Durbin, or whomever isn't getting it done in the starting role.

I don't know if Washington does that, though.

Is Cordero really that good?

His numbers don't look all that impressive to me (1.3 WHIP and 6 blown saves). And considering the fact that he plays in a pitchers park in a weak hitting league, I am not so sure he is as big of an upgrade as people think.

The Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees are both interested, but Eric Gagne has the right to veto a deal with either team. He would most certainly do that unless given the closer's role or unless the full value of his contract ($11 million) is guaranteed. The Tigers won't bump Todd Jones and the Yankees aren't about to bump Mariano Rivera. Gagne stays and the Rangers spend August and September trying to work out a multi-year extension. -- Dallas Morning News

I pray to gawd this is just beat writer buffoonery.

In-fucking-deed.

If we wouldn't bump Jones for Gagne we're fucking stupid.

Apparently Cleveland is trying to land Contreras from the Sox. Am I the only one hoping that the deal gets done?

Contreras last 10 starts:

1-8, 55 R, 53 ER, 7.95 ERA

NICE!

I just hope that Cleveland doesn't get a frontline closer before we do (if we do at all).

That could decide the division.

Brewers picked up Scott Linebrink. He would have been perfect.

FARNS!!!

Who did we get for him last time, anyways?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07262007/sports/yankees/kyle_has_eye_of_tigers_yankees_george_king.htm


KYLE HAS EYE OF TIGERS

By GEORGE KING

July 26, 2007 -- KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In what only can be described as a strange twist, the Tigers have an interest in taking Kyle Farnsworth off the Yankees' hands.

According to multiple sources, the Tigers are looking to make a deal that would bring Farnsworth back to the team he pitched 46 games for in 2005. Ideally, the Tigers would like to add Texas closer Eric Gagne but he likely will balk at a deal that sends him to a team where he can't close.

Tigers scout Dick Egan was at last night's Yankees' 7-1 win over the Royals in which Farnsworth didn't pitch in. What the Yankees would get back depends on how much money the Tigers want to pay on Farnsworth's salary.

Farnsworth, who is making $5.25 million this year and $5.5 million next season, is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA.

Brewers picked up Scott Linebrink. He would have been perfect.


They gave up a lot.

Lol. Oh Jeebus.

FARNS!!!

Who did we get for him last time, anyways?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07262007/sports/yankees/kyle_has_eye_of_tigers_yankees_george_king.htm

Well, Calon is already gone so we can't swap him back. We could send them Minor back for him (even though the original deal was with Atlanta).

I just heard Gammons on ESPN Radio and he thinks the biggest piece at the trade deadline that nobody is talking about is Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen.

He mentioned two teams that Izzy makes the most sense for.

I'm sure you can guess who they are.

Hopefully with Leyland's relationship with LaRussa, we might have an edge.

Apparently Cleveland is trying to land Contreras from the Sox. Am I the only one hoping that the deal gets done?

Contreras last 10 starts:

1-8, 55 R, 53 ER, 7.95 ERA

NICE!

Lol, I remember Contreras was on a complete tear too until he ran into the Yankees last year.

I just heard Gammons on ESPN Radio and he thinks the biggest piece at the trade deadline that nobody is talking about is Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen.

He mentioned two teams that Izzy makes the most sense for.

I'm sure you can guess who they are.

Hopefully with Leyland's relationship with LaRussa, we might have an edge.\

Yeah, Tigers and Indians. He also said he thought the biggest move would be a player coming back from the DL (IE Zumaya, Pedro, etc).

With the trade deadline five days away, some Rockies prospects are getting the once-over. The Detroit Tigers have sent scouts to Colorado Springs to look at Triple-A first baseman Joe Koshansky and third baseman Ian Stewart.
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_6465082

It doesn't do anything to address our bullpen needs (unless Fuentes is included in the deal too) but Stewart would be a nice pickup.

Tigers interested in shortstop Barmes
July 28, 2007

FREE PRESS STAFF

Relief pitching is the Tigers’ most obvious need, but not their only one.

Three big-league executives said Saturday that Detroit officials have intensified their search for a reserve shortstop who would provide insurance in the event of an injury to Carlos Guillen.

The Tigers, on Saturday, had a scout watching Clint Barmes, who lost his job as the Colorado shortstop to standout rookie Troy Tulowitzki. Barmes is now batting over .300 for the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs.

Why would the Tigers need a shortstop? Well, Omar Infante, the club’s only active reserve with experience at the position, has made two errors in seven games at shortstop — the same number he committed in 42 games at his other positions combined. Neifi Perez, currently suspended for a positive amphetamines test, has an uncertain future.

Meanwhile, injuries have decimated Detroit’s minor league depth. Ramon Santiago, an expert defender who started at shortstop in Game 1 of last year’s World Series, is out at Triple-A Toledo with a broken finger. Other prospects at the position — Brent Dlugach and Tony Giarratano — are likely out for the season.

Read our full analysis of the Tigers trade deadline in Sunday's Free Press.

If the past week hasn't proven that we need to add a piece to the bullpen, I'm not sure what would. Zumaya coming back will be nice if he pitches like he used to, but even he was suseptible to the long ball at times. Meanwhile, a great Rodney is also difficult to rely on.

yea, outside of a couple weeks last month, the pen has been brutal. todd jones has been todd jones, but our setup men have been the real problem.

On the trade front, baseball officials said today that the Tigers aren't serious players for either Eric Gagne or Octavio Dotel, the two most prominent relievers still on the market. The Yankees, Mets and Red Sox are all interested in Gagne, but the Rangers could also keep him. As for Dotel, it appears that the Dodgers, Indians and Mariners are the most interested teams. Meanwhile, Houston is now telling teams that Chad Qualls won't be traded.


The Tigers are also after a reliever, but they're not willing to give up much, knowing that Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney are coming back. All rumors involving the Tigers seem to be centered on Kyle Farnsworth, but they've also looked at Rauch, and asked about Jason Isringhausen and Al Reyes.

I heard this morning that Farnsworth got into a fight with Jorge Posada.

Is this old news or did it just happen?

No wonder they're trying to move Farns, I hope he's not back on the sauce again.

Most Tigers insiders say we have no interest in Kyle. Hopefully it's smoke screen for a better move.

James (PA): Where do you think Dotel is going?

Steve Phillips: (12:15 PM ET ) He could end up in Detroit, Cleveland, New York (Mets or Yankees), Seattle, or Los Angeles (Dodgers). He is a hot commodity and I expect him to be very good down the stretch. If I had to bet, I would bet on the Dodgers.

One name to keep in mind is Jack Wilson. His future with Pittsburgh is in doubt after the Pirates acquired Cesar Izturis from the Chicago Cubs, even though Wilson is in the first season of a three-year, $20.2-million contract.

Plenty of signs point to a potential fit between Detroit and Pittsburgh:

• Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski is a longtime friend of Pirates GM Dave Littlefield, and the two worked on a deal for Sean Casey at this time last year.

• Leyland scouted games in Pittsburgh while working for the Cardinals, so he has watched Wilson play.

• And, most important, Wilson passes the defense-first test.

At nearly $7m a season, that's a big price tag for Wilson. That would all but assure that Guillen moves to 1B, I would think.

Two things to note I read today:

1) Dotel hasn't had a save chance in a week and a half, so scouts haven't been able to see him play much lately.


2) Gange has 3.5 mil in closer incentives this year with Texas. If he doesn't close for a new team then he'll likely forfiet that, which is a big reason why he doesn't want to be moved unless he's a closer. You might be able to get him to setup (at least until Zumaya comes back when you could bench Jones) temporarily.

Jack Wilson, SS from Pittsburgh?

Yeah, with Raburn, Infante, and extremely lackluster pitching lately, an extremely average (if that) shortstop is exactly what we need.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070731/SPORTS02/70730066/1050

:emo kid:

Well, I heard the Mets like Omar. Maybe we can get some RP for him?

Interesting. I haven't heard much from this guy but remember the solid year he had in 2004. I knid of assumed he played near that level all the time, only to do some research and find out he sucks. A career .976 fielding percentage is nice, but what does that do for him? Put him in for Guillen late in games we lead by 5 runs to avoid Guillen tossing a lead away with an error? It's strictly lead preservation - this guy won't add runs.
It does appear he has patience at that plate though. over 1,150 walks and hits (combined) vs. about 450 strikeouts. To be fair, he hits for a higher % than Neifi in spite of playing with no other offensive threats around him.

Still, never encouraging to trade for a guy who has beening hitting in the 8 spot for the freaking Pirates. Better only be for a PTBNL, since Wilson is useless to them now that they have Izturis, and since he makes over $5 million per year.

Best possible sign to come out of this = Neifi is done.

How the hell do you stand pat with a bullpen like ours?

I know Zoom and Darth Rodney are apparently coming back, but last I heard, Zoom still wasn't throwing breaking balls (which will be the biggest test for his finger) and Rodney is Fernando Rodney.

Is Joe Dumars calling the shots for the Tigers too?

Apparently Dombrowski needs a couple more years for talent to develop before all the studs in our organization are considered truly marketable. Until then, our farm system is simply Miller and Maybin in the minds of other teams. Guys like Hernandez, Jurrens, etc. need to make a real name for themselves.

Prolly a dumb question here but what does someone like Mags get us in terms of pitching? Or what does Shef get us? Mags and Casey? or something.

I'm really thinking we should trade some of our offense for pitching help, but Mags and X doesn't get us much, forget it.

Thanks I'm never good on these trade things.

No way in hell we trade Maggs. DD would never do that.

back to reallity, i dont have a huge problem with standing pat.

i think this gagne trade is all sizzle and no substance. im definitly down with the people questioning his actual ability at this point. yea, he's got nice numbers, but im not exactly changing the channel when they bring him in and we need a run.

honestly, we really are fine. and as we all know the deadline isnt the deadline. for the ind of trade we'd actually consider making right now we could probably sneak the guy through the wire. based on how much $$ we gave casey, i think dombroski puts alot into chemistry. our bullpen will be strong when we get healthy, and as i've often stated, im fine with todd jones as our closer. high character and pretty effective. thats good enough if its our weakest link, which it will be when we get healthy.

No way in hell we trade Maggs. DD would never do that.

Why? Our offense is powerful and our pitching is lacking. Will our pitching improve that much next year from our youngsters?

I'm not saying we should trade Mags just kind of wondering what he might bring in return as far as pitching help.

It's difficult to say our pitching is lacking when, aside from Jamie Walker, we haven't lost anyone from last year - when pitching was our strength. Injuries have been a major issue and it has pushed guys - from starters to bullpen - to limits they weren't prepared for. Seriously, how many pitchers have been used this year? The correct answer would be 23. That's a revolving door, nearly double what we would ideally have (the same 12 guys all season). If we could have had the top 12 going all year - even when they weren't going well but at least healthy - we would be much better off right now. I know that's a pipe dream, but you would think we could get by with only a handful of call-ups.

The Tigers asked Houston about shortstop Eric Bruntlett, and made two separate offers -- first Jason Grilli, and then pitching prospect Dallas Trahern -- in an attempt to acquire Triple-A shortstop Clint Barmes from Colorado.


Dombrowski said he made an offer for Kansas City closer Octavio Dotel. Royals GM Dayton Moore, however, opted to accept Atlanta's bid of right-hander Kyle Davies.

Moore's background in the Braves organization appeared to be a factor in the decision.

"It became a real simple situation," Dombrowski said. "They knew that player. Dayton Moore used to be with the Atlanta organization, so he had the advantage of knowing he personally liked some guys. We were prepared to give up a quality player -- talent-wise, we think, who might have been better (than Davies). That's why it takes two to make a deal.

"Dayton Moore, in conversations I've had with him during this period, has been as straightforward as you can be."
I guess talent isn't the only thing that teams are looking for when they are making a deal, as both KC and Colorado passed on up offers where they get the better player.

Tigers, Pirates still talking Wilson trade
Posted by Scott Warheit August 02, 2007 07:44AM
The non-waiver trade deadline may be over, but that does not mean no trades will be made before the end of the season. If a player clears through waivers, he can be traded, and Pittsburgh shortstop Jack Wilson has such a big contract, he likely will go through waivers without a problem. Which is why the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports the Tigers are still talking trade with the Pirates.

August 2, Pittsburgh Post Gazette: The sides failed to close by Major League Baseball's 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline for non-waiver trades, but players still can be moved and added to a postseason roster by Aug. 31, so long as they clear waivers. Because Wilson is owed $14.5 million for the two seasons after this one, it is highly likely he would clear.

How close was the deal to being done?

One source intimately familiar with the matter said that a deal was virtually done Tuesday and that the Pirates would receive two of Detroit's top six prospects, including an unnamed pitcher ready to join the major-league staff. But the sides haggled on how much of Wilson's contract the Pirates would pick up, the source added, and the delay was on.

Wilson told the Gazette he was excited about possibly joining the Tigers (joining his former teammate and friend Sean Casey) and that he's hearing he may still end up in Detroit.
August 1, Pittsburgh Post Gazette: "I didn't really sleep last night, thinking something was going to happen," Wilson said. "And then, to keep hearing about it right up to the deadline ... but there's nothing so far, so I've got to go out there and play."

Does he think it is done?

"That's not what I'm hearing."

Wilson made it no secret that he would welcome a deal to Detroit, a World Series contender once again. And he said he would have no problem playing a reserve role or switching to second base.

"It would excite anybody, a chance like that," Wilson said. "Obviously, I signed on here to be a Pirate, and that's something I hold dear. But when your name is being discussed to go to a contender, you can't help but be a little excited."


It's great that this can still be done but I'm not sure this really helps us all that much

One source intimately familiar with the matter said that a deal was virtually done Tuesday and that the Pirates would receive two of Detroit's top six prospects, including an unnamed pitcher ready to join the major-league staff. But the sides haggled on how much of Wilson's contract the Pirates would pick up, the source added, and the delay was on.

2 of our Top 6 prospects? For Jack Wilson?

I don't get why we are giving away 2 of our best prospects for a guy that should be had for free.

Word, that is fucking ridiculous. WTF?

I don't believe it.

I guess making sure Neifi doesn't come back is worth two prospects.

Would the minor leaguer that is ready to join the rotation be Tata? I hope not, hopefully it's Vasquez.

Unless the Pirates are going to pay at least 50% of his salary (unlikely) I don't get this at all. Giving up good prospects and taking on a bad contract to fill a position other than our #1 or #2 need seems like a problem.

From Granderson's blog on ESPN:


The trade deadline, as you are all aware, has just passed. For some it was a very exciting day and for others it was a very uneventful day. For the Tigers we didn't make any trades, and I think that speaks highly of the confidence our organization has in our current team and situation. We are currently missing a couple guys due to injury (Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney) and will hopefully get them back soon to our bullpen. We don't have them now, but with the current bullpen and starting rotation, we should still be able to make another run at getting back to the playoffs again. Our offense is another thing our organization has a lot of confidence in as well. There were some talks about getting another utility player, but with Ryan Raburn and Omar Infante both able to step in and play a number of positions, we are pretty much set. So with all the rumors that were mentioned and passed, we now can get ready to focus on August and September.

What a fine mouth piece he is.

WTF?? (the parts in red)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07215/806618-63.stm


Wilson deal still on table

A trade of Jack Wilson to Detroit continued to seem viable yesterday, even though the non-waiver trading deadline passed Tuesday. The deal could be made through waivers. It's almost a certainty the Tigers would claim the shortstop off waivers, then a deal could be worked out.

As of late yesterday afternoon, it did not appear Wilson had been put on waivers.

A report from Detroit indicated the Pirates and Tigers had completed a Wilson trade early this week in which the Tigers would have picked up all of Wilson's remaining contract money -- in excess of $14 million.

"We had a deal," a source said.

The Pirates would have received Dallas Trahern or Jair Jurrjens -- both 21-year-old right-handed pitchers -- and a mid-level position player prospect. That deal apparently collapsed when the Pirates asked for a major-league player, perhaps outfielder Craig Monroe.

Fuck that, it's insane. It really doesn't make any sense at all.

That's rediculous. Is he that good (never seen him play)? If i'm trading that many prospects and a major league player I better be getting a very good major league player back. Not just a part time player that may or may not be good enough to push Guillen to 1B next year.

WTF is Dombrowski thinking?

Just looked up his stats. He's a career .264 hitter (.259 this year), with 48 HR's and 30 SB's in 7 years of full time playing. He has a career fielding % of .977 which is barely better than Guillen and Infante.


Wow.

I emailed that to Mike Valenti. Hopefully he asks their insider about the deal.

you gotta e-mail Karsch not Valenti...Jason Beck is on the big show not the inferno

you gotta e-mail Karsch not Valenti...Jason Beck is on the big show not the inferno
what's Karsch's email?

I sent it to sporstinferno@gmail.com so I would think their replacement would still get it.

EDIT - I just sent the message to the studio.

Doug is reading it right now BTW, but he gave me no credit for sending him the info.

If they could sneak him through waivers, one guy that could be a nice role player addition (a la Sean Casey last year) would be Mike Lamb from Houston.

Lamb plays 3B/1B and despite hitting at or above .300 the last two years for the Astros (with a little pop) he can't seem to get ABs there.

He's be good insurance for Inge at 3B and some spot starts at 1B, he'd add another good lefty bat, too.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6390/career;_ylt=AsxKGR_fyx8XJWJmAG6ume6FCLcF

I have him on my fantasy team as a backup. he has been hitting pretty good for a role player.

Wilson waives no-trade
Aug 3 - Jack Wilson told the Pirates he will accept a trade to any of the six teams named in his limited trade clause, including the Tigers, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Pirates and the Tigers are discussing a trade that would send the shortstop to Detroit. But Wilson first has to clear waivers.
Because he is still $14.25 million over the next two years, Wilson is likely to clear waivers, paving the way for a trade. Before the deadline, the Pirates had discussions with the Tigers, but ran out of time to determine how much of the shortstop's salary each team would pay.

If we give up much, I will be very upset.

I'll take Infante over Wilson.

I'll take Infante over Wilson.

Wilson is basically a better Nefe. He'd be a great FA signing, but not worth trading prospects IMO.

What exactly does Wilson do better than Infante at 1,127,645,384,394x the cost?

His defense is very good. Infante's is about the level of Guillen's. Wilson is the SS equivelent of Sean Casey basically, with less hitting.

Career stats


Jack Wilson
AB 3,614
HR 49
RBI 312
K 444
SB 30
CS 23 (57% successful)
AVG .265
OBP .306
SLG .369
OPS .675
Fielding % .977



Omar Infante
AB 1,572
HR 32
RBI 151
K 303
SB 34
CS 14 (71% successful)
AVG .253
OBP .297
SLG .385
OPS .681
Fielding % .973

Wilson has had 3,614 ABs to Infante's 1,572 ABs. If you pro-rate Infante to 3,614 ABs, his stats look like this:


Omar Infante, pro-rated to match Wilson's ABs
AB 3,614
HR 73
RBI 347
K 697
SB 78
CS 32 (71% successful)
AVG .253
OBP .297
SLG .385
OPS .681
Fielding % .973


So Infante is superior in several categories, strikes out more, and is comparable to equal in the rest of the categories.

Add in that he is doing this in a larger ballpark, and can play 2B, 3B, SS and OF while Wilson only plays SS, then I fail to see why this move is worth $14m and two players.

I agree. Like I said I'd like to have him (as a signing, not trade) as a Nefe replacement, but that's it. He's just a defensive replacement type of player.

You all know there are times when I like to give players the benefit of the doubt. His salary is ridiculous, but I would so much rather see him here for two years than to think of who they might bring in to replace Neifi otherwise.

Plus, I think he might improve given the chance to hit in a good offense. His average is much better than Inge and Monroe are going to produce. That's always a plus in my book.

Raburn as Neifi replacement is fine, fuck a Wilson. Infante can play the infield well enough.

You all know there are times when I like to give players the benefit of the doubt. His salary is ridiculous, but I would so much rather see him here for two years than to think of who they might bring in to replace Neifi otherwise.

Plus, I think he might improve given the chance to hit in a good offense. His average is much better than Inge and Monroe are going to produce. That's always a plus in my book.

The only problem is that he wouldn't replace either. If Wilson was here, it would not effect Monroe or Inge at all. Basically you have to compare Wilson VS Casey (with Guillen at 1B), or VS another SS/1B that you'd sign in the offseason.

I do agree his hitting might improve with our bats around him, but you have to compare him to other FA SS/1B options going forward.

Does anyone else think that acquiring Wilson would be a signal that Sheffield's injury is more severe than we all know?

Wilson to SS, Guillen to DH, Sheffield out to pasture

I sure hope not.

I don't think that it signals anything to do with Sheff. If it was Sheff, it would be a much bigger bat.
Remember, Leyland LOVES teams that has mulktiple backups at every position. Remember that Raburn can play 2B or 3B, but not SS. That's why they need Jack. I'm guessing Leyland envisions a situation in which Infante, Raburn and Wilson are all playing - it's a scray situation, butr I promise it happens at least once if he ends up here.

Does anyone else think that acquiring Wilson would be a signal that Sheffield's injury is more severe than we all know?

Wilson to SS, Guillen to DH, Sheffield out to pasture

I sure hope not.

I think a Wilson move signals that they won't spend big money on a 1B next year (not sure if there are any available then). Guillen would move to 1B for sure, Casey may or may not return as a backup. I would guess that with the amount Wilson makes, and the number of players rumored to be moved...that they feel he's an every day SS. If he's simply a backup, why on earth would you trade that much for him? They have to think he will be an every day player or the move is even more rediculous.

I don't think this has anything to do with Sheff really.

Sheff is supposedly available for PH duty and could be back in the lineup tomorrow, so you're probably right.

I actually saw him grab a bat last night, so he may have been available even sooner.

I'm betting that regardless of the long term effects (the whole surgery debate), that Sheff would finish the season here. Even if he had to rehab and miss games here and there. I think he'd wait to retire until the offseason if surgery was the only option.

So, with that in mind, I think they can wait to address replacing him until the offseason, even if the worse case senario presented itself.

I'm fairly certain Sheff wouldn't retire after this year. I think he loves the game and competition enough that even if he had surgery, the idea would be to return. I'm guessing he wants 500 HR pretty bad. He's 22 away right now, so it's not happening this season. A run at 3,000 hits isn't likely, since he's 500 away. He would have to play another 3 season after this season. I'm not saying it's impossible, just improbable.

He said about a week ago that if surgery was required that he'd just retire rather than have it. That's why I said I think he'd gutt it out the rest of the way before retiring if he had to do that.

Oh, I missed that quote and I find it discouraging.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2007/08/sheffield_should_return_in_day.html

.977 vs .973 fielding percentage? Is it really that big of a difference that he would be a huge defensive replacement.

Over Infante, no. Over Guillen? Yes. Guillen's fielding percentage at short the past 2 seasons are .956 and .950. If the team is looking at making a move in the future to remove Guillen from that position, they need to have someone in place to take over SS. Whether it's Infante or Wilson that takes over the position, it leaves them without a backup. Now they have one.

There is a rumor floating that the Tigers have traded Jack Hannahan to the A's. No word on who is coming back.

There is a rumor floating that the Tigers have traded Jack Hannahan to the A's. No word on who is coming back.

They were talking during one of the games this weekend that the A's have two good young SS's. Could it be one of them? Aparently their starter and Chavez are out right now, but when they come back the current SS would be the odd man out. I forgot his name, but his defense was very good from what I saw.

There is a rumor floating that the Tigers have traded Jack Hannahan to the A's. No word on who is coming back.


http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/SPORTS02/70813033/1050


Tigers to acquire minor-league outfielder Perry from Oakland

August 13, 2007
BY JON PAUL MOROSI
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The Tigers have agreed to deal infielder Jack Hannahan to the Oakland A’s in exchange for outfielder Jason Perry, in a trade of minor leaguers who were not on the clubs’ respective 40-man rosters.

The deal had not been announced as of 2 p.m. today.

Hannahan is expected to join Oakland’s big-league roster and fly to the West Coast with the A’s after the series between Detroit and Oakland concludes tonight at Comerica Park.

Perry, who will turn 27 this week, has batted .268 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs in 78 games at Triple-A Sacramento this season. Perry, a left-handed hitter, has fared much better this year against right-handers (.288) than left-handers (.208).

Perry is an adequate defender with some power who will add depth at Triple-A. He’s not expected to play in the majors for Detroit this season, but could receive an invitation to big-league spring training in 2008.

Hannahan, a left-handed hitter, batted .295 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 101 games at Toledo this year. He appeared in three big-league games with the Tigers last season, and went 0-for-9.

Is this the end of C Mo after this year? I thought so anyway, but this probably seals the deal with Maggs/Granderson/Thames here and Rayburn/Maybin and this guy in the mix.

Murphy is the guy I was talking about. Their normal SS is on the 15 day DL (Bobby Crosby).

Murphy started out slow but batted .275 so far this month with a .329 OBP. That's better than Inge, Omar, Thames, Pudge and Rabelo. i'm not saying he's better than all those guys, but he's got some decent numbers for a 24 year old and he only has 3 errors combined at 2B, SS and 3B.

Jack Wilson has officially cleared waivers, and it is believed that there is a deal in the works with Detroit that could happen soon, despite the fact Detroit is saying no talks have taken place. So my guess is that Maybin will replace Monroe because he may be part of the deal, then when Wilson joins the team either Maybin, will go back down or somebody else will like Rayburn depending on how well Maybin plays.

Bringing Maybin up now starts his major league service time, though. If this was a short term fix, I think they would have just called up Timo Perez. I really think that they think of this as a long term, if not permanent, promotion.

As far as the Wilson trade goes, they'd have to shed 2 players off the current 40-man to bring Wilson back and promote Maybin, which is why I thought Monroe & Grilli might work.

Didn't they want Jair or some other pitcher for Wilson? At this point I wouldn't send them Jair. I'd send them Vasquez and Monroe though.

Fuck. I wouldn't even do a trade for Wilson.

Fuck. I wouldn't even do a trade for Wilson.

You wouldn't rather have Wilson than C Mo?

I would, but I'm not giving up anything good. Guillen is hobling out there and needs to stop playing SS. Omar doesn't field the position well. I'd rather see something better than Wilson, but after the trade deadline I can't see any better options.

As we have discussed for a couple of weeks now, Wilson is owed something like $14m on his contract.

I'd love to stay away from that if possible, especially if it limits DD in free agency after this season.

You wouldn't rather have Wilson than C Mo?

I would, but I'm not giving up anything good. Guillen is hobling out there and needs to stop playing SS. Omar doesn't field the position well. I'd rather see something better than Wilson, but after the trade deadline I can't see any better options.

Omar Vizquel cleared waivers. I would much rather go after him if we can.

There is no way in hell that we should give up any prospects for Wilson unless the Pirates are paying for 70% of his salary and even then I wouldn't be happy.

As we have discussed for a couple of weeks now, Wilson is owed something like $14m on his contract.

I'd love to stay away from that if possible, especially if it limits DD in free agency after this season.
I agree, if it does limit him. If the money is not a factor then I'd rather have the insurance.

Even if it is a factor, I still might want him (but not giving up much). I've been watching Carlos the last couple nights and he is really hobbling. There are a lot of balls up the middle he can't get to. He had prime stealing oportunities that he could not take as well. It's not even his throwing errors that are the problem. He's banged up. And you can't really rest him much without an everyday SS to play.

Next year I am guessing we don't make a lot of moves anyway. Monroe and Casey will be gone, we'll pick up Pudge's option and we'll have either an infield position to fill (SS or 1B depending on where the put Guillen) or LF (if Thames moves to 1B exclusively). That's it. I'm sure they'll grab some bull pen help too, but they will probably use Zumaya as the closer and Rodney as the setup man. Kenny might retire, but they could fill that with Miller and grab a Toledo guy as their 5th starter (or a vet FA). It won't be a big money guy with Bondo/Verlander/Miller taking up as much money as they will (with extensions).

You're really looking at trying to add 1 big bat to replace Casey and shuffle those positions I mentioned.

Omar Vizquel cleared waivers. I would much rather go after him if we can.

There is no way in hell that we should give up any prospects for Wilson unless the Pirates are paying for 70% of his salary and even then I wouldn't be happy.

If there is a better option, by all means. I'm just saying we do need a SS pretty badly right now. Playing Carlos there risks further damage and we cannot lose his bat and win it all IMO.

The cheaper the option the better (provided they can play better than Nefe).

Vizquel Claimed Off Waivers, Pulled Back

On August 16th, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark mentioned that Omar Vizquel, among many others, had cleared waivers. Stark's colleague Buster Olney heard differently, however. According to Olney, Vizquel was indeed claimed but no deal was reached and he was withdrawn. Olney believes the Tigers may have made the claim, or perhaps the Indians as a block.

Vizquel still doesn't strike out much, but his batting average dipped to .245 this year. He could've helped a contender though. I'm not sure whether the Elias Bureau will rate him a Type A or B free agent after this year, as he was solid in 2006.

Here's a look at the updated Players Who Have Cleared Waivers post; Jack Wilson is out there for whoever missed out on Vizquel.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/08/vizquel-claimed.html

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/SPORTS02/70813033/1050
The Tigers have agreed to deal infielder Jack Hannahan to the Oakland A’s in exchange for outfielder Jason Perry, in a trade of minor leaguers who were not on the clubs’ respective 40-man rosters.


By the way, Jack Hannahan has been playing 3B every day for the A's since 8/14/07 with Eric Chavez on the DL.

He doesn't appear to be doing that bad of a job, either (better than Brandon Inge).

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7774/gamelog;_ylt=AgkdvSqVzRzkqar71V8sd_WFCLcF

More on Hannahan...

http://www.startribune.com/507/story/1393380.html


Maybe former Gopher Jack Hannahan, now boasting an 11-game hitting streak (12-for-38), could have been the answer to the Twins' lack of punch at third base. He had the game-winning hit for the Oakland A's in an 11-inning, 5-4 victory over Toronto on Wednesday. But one has to wonder if the Detroit Tigers would have traded him to the Twins while the teams are battling for a wild-card position.