Potential Acquisitions

I won't be making regular posts over the next week or so since I'm currently on vacation in Florida. However, I would like to write a bit about the Tigers. With my limited resources, here goes.......

Judging from the nature of my posts over the past few months, I'm sure it has become apparent that my favorite topic to write about is the Tigers. Today I'll take a look at some of the players that GM Dave Dombrowski could/should be looking to acquire before the trade deadline.

Since the Tigers are loaded in all areas of pitching, I'll bypass the Dontrelle Willis talk and speculate about filling offensive needs with a position player. Left Field and First Base are really the only two positions that the Tigers could add without significantly affecting the make-up of the offense. Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames are currently sharing time in Left. Thames could play DH or LF with whoever the Tigers acquire. Monroe will likely be involved in a trade or sent to the bench in the event that the Tigers do acquire a LF. The same goes for 1B. Chris Shelton can play 1B or DH along in the event the Tigers acquire a 1B. Regardless of what the Tigers do, a move will undoubtedly spell the end of everyday-play for Monroe.

My hope is that the Tigers look at what the player can bring offensively rather than targeting a 1B or LF specifically. The lineup is good at times and dreadful at other times. The offense is often stifled by a low On Base Percentage (OBP) at various spots in the lineup. The offense also suffers from an overwhelming lack of speed. The Tigers don't manufacture runs as often as most teams would like. They don't steal bases or move from first to third on a regular basis. As a result, the perfect addition would be a player that has a high OBP with above-average speed.

With that in mind, these are the players that Dombrowski should be looking into come the trade deadline. I've also included what the potential lineup would be if each player was acquired.

1). Carl Crawford

Assuming all deals are equal, Crawford would easily be my number once choice. He is one of the most devastating players in MLB. He's the premier base stealer in the league. He can hit for power and average. Crawford is also one of the younger stars in the league which would mean a long career wearing the Old English "D". The problem is that Tampa Bay will undoubtedly demand too much in return for Crawford. They would probably accept nothing less than Humberto Sanchez, Joel Zumaya, and Jordan Tata. That is a deal that Dave Dombrowski nor I have any interest in.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carl Crawford
3). Carlos Guillen
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

2). Bobby Abreu

Abreu is more or less an older Crawford. Crawford is faster but Abreu has more power. The only difference would be the amount of years each player would spend in Detroit. Abreu would be looking at 4 or 5 while Crawford would be 10+. Phillies' GM Pat Gillick said a few weeks back that they were not trading Abreu because they were still in the Wild Card hunt. Look for Gillick to change his mind considering how woeful Philadelphia has been. A deal including Humberto Sanchez, Craig Monroe and Kevin Whelan could very well bring Abreu to Detroit. A deal for Abreu would likely come far more affordable for Dombrowski than a deal for Crawford.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Bobby Abreu
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

3). Alfonso Soriano

Soriano is an interesting player. I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that want to see him in a Detroit uniform. I wouldn't be against it but he is exactly the opposite of what the Tigers need right now. His OBP is way too low. He is a right handed hitter which is something the Tigers already have in abundance. On top of all that, Soriano is a free agent at the end of the year which would mean the Tigers could be trading premium players to rent a player for a few months. To me, that's a one-way ticket to a disaster.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Alfonso Soriano
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco


4). Sean Casey

I think Casey would be a perfect fit in Detroit assuming Tampa Bay and Philly ask for too much in return for Crawford and Abreu. Casey is a lefty with a knack for getting on base. He's been a .300 hitter his entire career and would provide a difficult out in the middle of the Tigers lineup. More importantly, the asking price for Casey would be nowhere near that of Abreu, Crawford or Soriano. In fact, the Tigers could probably acquire Casey without parting with Humberto Sanchez. Casey might just be the best value to be had.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Sean Casey
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

5). Luis Gonzalez

The days for Gonzo to be in a Tigers uniform have unfortunately passed. The Tigers had Gonzo just before he became a superstar. Now, he's on the down side of his career. I would much rather have Casey than Gonzo at this point.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Luis Gonzalez
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

6). Shawn Green

Green has been far too inconsistent over his career. Again, I would rather have Casey's reliable bat over Green.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Shawn Green
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

7). Chipper Jones

The Braves won't trade Chipper. He is the face of a franchise that has made more playoff appearances over the last 15 years than any other team. The fact that the Braves are starting to play better ball will convince ownership that they have a chance at the Wild Card. However, Jones would be the perfect fit in Detroit. He can play LF. He bats left. He hits for power and has a high OPS and OBP. Unfortunately, despite Chipper's age, the Braves would likely demand a ransom for his services.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Chipper Jones
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco

8). Garrett Anderson

If the Angels want to give Anderson away, we'll take him. He has never had the best OBP but he's an excellent hitter that would provide firepower in the middle of the Tigers lineup.

1). Curtis Granderson
2). Carlos Guillen
3). Garrett Anderson
4). Magglio Ordonez
5). Marcus Thames
6). Pudge Rodriguez
7). Chris Shelton
8). Brandon Inge
9). Placido Polanco