Tiger Geist

Buster Olney chronicles about Tampa’s woes with getting help — Carl Crawford might be done for the season, and Boston is blocking them from waiver claims for other outfielders (notably Brian Giles so far).  If you claim someone at this point, the other team can just let you have the player — and you’re stuck with their contract (notably, an article here by Olney in 2000 on the Yankees / Jose Canseco deal).

Could, in some way, shape or form, Detroit work with Tampa for Sheffield, pray that Boston claims him, and just let them keep him?  That clears room for any other player on the team that feels like hitting over .230, and frees Detroit completely of next year’s contract of $14million.  Is there any chance this could happen?

I recognize that the answer to this is Mr Garrison’s “NO, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!  YOU GO TO HELL!  YOU GO TO HELL AND YOU DIE!”.  Why?  Because Gary Sheffield isn’t very good.  But a motivated Gary Sheffield may be decent, and maybe playing in Boston or Tampa would re-motivate him.

But a man can dream.  A man can dream of a world where a $14million dollar DH who can’t hit or field and has attitude problems can somehow be desirable to a low-income baseball team in Tampa Bay that needs outfield help for a pennant race.