Weekend Roundup
Quick shot as I try to solidify my spring training trip in mid-March.
- Johnny Damon… still not a Tiger. Its hard to believe anyone who is throwing out numbers since there are so many sources. Buster Olney’s take reminds me of the movie “Thirteen Days“… essentially Scott Boras is asking for a one and two year deal so he can save face by rejecting the two year deal. Who knows. A full write-up will take place if and when Damon signs.
- I wonder how Magglio Ordonez feels about his agent adding another corner outfielder to the team. Magglio has another giant option year for 2011 that vests with a set amount of plate appearances. From their recent history, Detroit will honor the option if Magglio earns it. But you can’t see the team allowing Maggs to slump for the first half of 2010 before they limit his at-bats for someone more productive.
- If Damon does sign a one year deal, Detroit will have great trade value to contending teams for both Adam Everett and Damon. Based on how some of the younger talent further develops in 2010, this could be an interesting year at the trade deadline.
- Furthering that point, the Tigers currently have 7 players looking at unrestricted free agency in 2011: Gerald Laird, Brandon Inge, Nate Robertson, Jeremy Bonderman, Adam Everett, Bobby Seay, and what remains of Dontrelle Willis. Based on 2009′s strategic off-season moves of arbitration vs testing free agency, there will be a lot of front office evaluations going on. Inge and Bonderman, coming off injured seasons (or multiple injured seasons), you wonder if there is enough time for either player to make their case early in the year for an extension. Both will probably take pay cuts in 2011, and whether they want to continue their careers in Detroit might be based on what they’re willing to sign early in the year.
- While many are pointing to ‘everybody wins’ (or as Ray Ratto put it, nobody wins because there was nothing to win) in the Tim Lincecum / SF Giants deal, the CLEAR winner is the Giants. They get the best pitcher in the national league for two more years at less then $12million / year. As much as I love Justin Verlander, he might not be the best pitcher in the AL Central over the next two years (Zack Greinke… and possibly Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle). Of course the Giants still have the corpse of Barry Zito on their payroll for another four years, so maybe its a bittersweet victory.