Tigers Feeling Buyer’s Remorse?
By Mike McClary in Featured, Fungoes | 2 comments
The other day I sent an instant message to Ian Casselberry asking if, perchance, the Tigers may be feeling some buyer’s remorse regarding the Miguel Cabrera trade.
I admitted to Ian that it’s way early but that doesn’t mean that panic is not setting in everywhere around Comerica Park — but never at Fungo HQ!
So, I’m lobbing it out there: Are the Tigers wondering what they signed themselves up for over the next seven years?
Maybe.
Fast-forward to this afternoon and the latest installment of Jayson Stark’s Rumblings and Grumblings on ESPN.com. This time he reviews the off-season trades and the Tigers’ deals are getting anything but passing grades.
6. Braves-Tigers (RHP Jair Jurrjens and OF Gorkys Hernandez for Edgar Renteria): “At this point, Atlanta has won that deal,” said one scout. “Jurrjens [4-2, 2.84] has been their most consistent starter.”
Ouch.
And if you think that’s a harsh assessment, get a load of this:
9. Tigers-Marlins (Miguel Cabrera and LHP Dontrelle Willis for LHP Andrew Miller, OF Cameron Maybin, C Mike Rabelo, RHP Burke Badenhop, RHP Eulogia De La Cruz and RHP Dallas Trahern): We won’t be able to judge Florida’s half of this deal until about 2010. And Willis has been a mess. But the surprise is that Cabrera has been: (a) an offensive disappointment, (b) such a defensive disaster at third base that he had to be shifted to first within three weeks, and (c) so lackadaisical that players on other teams are privately questioning whether he flicked on his cruise-control switch after signing an eight-year, $153.3-million contract this spring. “I expected him to come in there and be superman,” said one scout. “He’s been anything but that.”
Ugly stuff.
Ready for more? Each week Stark touches base with big-league scouts on what they are seeing and hearing. It sure looks like no one likes what they see from Cabrera.
“For $150 million, you’d like to at least see him run a ball out. I watched him for a week, and I think there was one ball all week where he tried to extend himself. That was a double-play ball, and he was still like 4.8 [seconds] getting down the line. On a routine ground ball, he’s 5.2, maybe 5.1. It’s ridiculous to even pull the clock out.”
So, is it too soon to call this trade a blunder? Of course it is. And it would be a lot worse if, say, Cameron Maybin were tearing up the National League.
But you have to wonder if the Tigers brass is wishing they could take a mulligan…if not on the mega-deal with the Marlins, then at least on the month of April.
What do you think?
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Dan Schonberg | May 8, 2008 | Reply
We would have been better with Jair pitching, Gorkys in our system, and Inge as the poor hitting everyday SS.
Doug | May 9, 2008 | Reply
The reason this is troubling is that they probably wouldn’t have traded for Renteria if they’d known Cabrera would come later in the winter. If, as everyone says, the Cabrera deal was a shock to Dombrowski then I’m cool with everything. If, however, he knew Cabrera was a possibility, then shame on him for trading one of the top pitching prospects for an offensive shortstop whose range is only slightly better than the previous SS while knowing he was going to diminish the defense on the left side of the infield by bringing in someone like Cabrera.
Re: Cabrera’s new contract/lousy production.
No kidding!?! Most folks, when they sign that new contract, don’t produce the way they had in their walk year (see Brandon Inge last year, Magglio Ordonez his first year here). Throw in the change of leagues and new pitchers and what you’re seeing shouldn’t be totally unexpected. And, let’s not forget, the guy is not 25 yet and his work ethic has been questioned in the past. He’s gotten by thus far on sheer talent. Is he putting the time in with preparation to combat the change in pitching styles? I doubt it.