Tigers to focus on right field at Winter Meetings

Tigers to focus on right field at Winter Meetings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 11/29/10 10:00 PM EST

DETROIT -- The Tigers have been the most aggressive team in the opening month of baseball's offseason. But just because they filled their two most pressing needs before baseball's Winter Meetings, that doesn't mean they're going to spend next week riding Space Mountain at Disney World instead of working the lobbies at the Swan and Dolphin Resort down the street in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Tigers still have needs to fill, from another bat to at least another bullpen arm, and they still have the payroll space to do it. And as team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski suggested last week upon announcing their deal with Victor Martinez, they'll have a plan.

"We've actually made four signings this wintertime, so I think what we'll probably do next week is sit back [and analyze]," Dombrowski said.

It isn't expected to be a wide-ranging plan, but it's expected to go through agent Scott Boras' path at some point next week.

The Tigers filled their need for a big bat to protect Miguel Cabrera when they signed Martinez, but they didn't necessarily fill out their lineup. While Martinez can simultaneously serve as the club's primary designated hitter and its second catcher, complementing the left-handed-hitting youngster Alex Avila, he doesn't take up space in the outfield corners.

When asked if the Tigers could look for another bat, that's where Dombrowski ended up in his rundown.

"We're in a spot where Victor is the DH," Dombrowski said. "We have Austin Jackson in center, and we think Ryan Raburn will step up in left. You are only talking about one other spot."

If it's right field specifically -- Raburn has played all three outfield spots, but mostly left -- it's not a particularly deep market, and it doesn't include speedy left fielder Carl Crawford. The free-agent market for right fielders starts with the unique face of Jayson Werth, continues to the familiar face of Magglio Ordonez, then takes a steep drop.

Both Werth and Ordonez are represented by Boras, who uses the Winter Meetings as a public stage better than any agent in the industry. But beyond Boras' following, there's an order to how he conducts business, especially when he has multiple players who can fill the same need. His top-tier signings usually enhance the market for the guys who are the next on the list, and he's expected to do the same with Werth, Adrian Beltre and Ordonez.

What that means for the Tigers is that they could talk with Boras about Werth next week and not miss out on Ordonez. Between owner Mike Ilitch's willingness to spend, Dombrowski's thoroughness in exploring possibilities and Boras' eagerness to work with Ilitch, it would not be a surprise if the Tigers checked about Werth.

The downside for the Tigers, especially if they don't go in on Werth, is that if a reunion with Ordonez is going to happen, it won't be a quick one. If Detroit's looking to wrap up its lineup tweaks quickly, that could leave Dombrowski with some decisions to make next week, including whether to take a serious look at the trade market.

If the Tigers are going to be aggressive at the Winter Meetings, right field is by far their most likely need to fill doing it. But next week will also likely show just how serious the Tigers are about further bullpen upgrades, whether they move now for a left-handed reliever or wait until after the holidays.

It's an intriguing question, especially given the way lefties have gone on the market. The past couple offseasons have seen the Tigers show a little interest in free-agent arms in January and February, but eventually decide to stay put. Those options have included lefties in the past, as relievers hoping for multiyear deals eventually settled on one-year contracts.

This market could be different on both sides. Added among the usual lefties on the market is J.C. Romero, who drew limited interest from the Tigers a few years ago and reportedly has drawn some interest this winter. If Detroit is going to pursue a lefty for a long-term deal, Romero would seem to be among the likely candidates. However, Dombrowski has been noncommittal at best recently about the need for lefty relief, citing the ability of Joaquin Benoit and Joel Zumaya to retire right- and left-handed hitters alike.

Likewise, Dombrowski has pointed out that the Tigers are pretty well set in their rotation, certainly their front four guys. Still, it wouldn't be a shock if they used part of the Winter Meetings to look into some low-risk, high-reward options for Spring Training invites to push Armando Galarraga and compete for the fifth spot.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Sooo why not just go after Crawford anyway and if we get him put Raburn in right?

I also still want Crawford, but not at the 6 or 8 year contract I heard he wants.

Hmmm. Is Dunn still available? Three good power bats couldn't hurt? haha

Adam Dunn is still a FA

Dunn is now a White Sox for 4 years.

Tigers have more work to do at Meetings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 12/03/10 12:00 AM EST

DETROIT -- The Tigers have been baseball's most aggressive team so far this offseason, and considering they can head to baseball's Winter Meetings with their most pressing needs filled, their aggressiveness paid off. Now comes the rest of their offseason, which probably won't unfold at such a rapid pace.

The Tigers have swung major trades at each of the last three Winter Meetings, whether they were expected to be active (like last year) or not (like the two years before that). But rarely have the Tigers headed into the Meetings with so much having already been done. They had traded for Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones and re-signed Kenny Rogers by this time in 2007, but still found room for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.

This year, the Victor Martinez signing allowed the Tigers to add a middle-of-the-order hitter while still keeping right field open for Magglio Ordonez, whom Detroit would no doubt love to have back. But with Scott Boras as his agent and several other teams holding interest, he probably won't sign until after the bigger-name free-agent outfielders -- Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth -- sign. Detroit could get into the Werth discussions, but there's a line for that.

Then there's the relief market, which doesn't tend to fall in line after the top name signs like at other positions.

So while the Tigers come into the Meetings with their most buzz in years, there's a chance they could be quieter than they have in a while. Or they could surprise baseball once again.

Club needs

Right fielder: General manager Dave Dombrowski pretty much pegged it as the lone spot where the Tigers can make one more offensive addition now that Martinez is the DH and Ryan Raburn is set to get more time in left field. Detroit doesn't absolutely have to make a move here, and it could end up platooning sophomores Brennan Boesch and Casper Wells. But the Tigers have kept in touch with Boras about a possible return for Ordonez, Detroit's right fielder for the past six years. Boras also represents Werth, and it wouldn't be surprising if Detroit at least inquired about him. Either of them would fit Detroit's desire for another right-handed hitter.

Lefty reliever: Contrary to popular belief, Dombrowski's recent comments suggest the Tigers don't have to make a move here, even with Phil Coke moving to the rotation. They have Daniel Schlereth coming off a solid stretch run, plus Brad Thomas in a longer role, and as Dombrowski pointed out, Joaquin Benoit, Jose Valverde and Joel Zumaya have pitches that work against lefties and righties alike. That said, the lefty-relief market always includes some late bargains like Joe Beimel and Will Ohman, and the Tigers could end up with a low-risk signing, for depth if nothing less. They could send out feelers on this at the Winter Meetings.

Starting pitching: Dombrowski says the rotation is pretty much set, but with the up-and-down nature of Armando Galarraga's 2010 season and Andy Oliver's inexperience, it wouldn't be a surprise if Detroit made some Minor League deals with Spring Training invitations to give a little push for the fifth spot. The Tigers have been open to bringing back Jeremy Bonderman on a low-risk offer, but Bonderman should have better options elsewhere.

Catching depth: Yes, Martinez will complement Alex Avila behind the plate, which is what made him so valuable. After that, though, the next backstop on the depth chart is Max St. Pierre. Look for the Tigers to sign a veteran catcher to a Minor League deal, much like they did with Dane Sardinha and Robinzon Diaz in recent years. He might not make it to the big leagues, but he'll give the Tigers some much-needed insurance if Avila or Martinez end up injured.

Who they can or need to trade

OF Boesch: By no means do the Tigers need to trade Boesch coming off his stellar first half to last season, but if they actually signed a right fielder to a long-term commitment, it would put Boesch's role in serious question, for 2011 and beyond. Remember, they dealt Matt Joyce after his impressive rookie campaign two years ago and put Carlos Guillen in left field.

LHP Oliver: Oliver and fellow 2009 draftee Jacob Turner are the first names other teams bring up in trade talks, but word is the Tigers have no intention of dealing them. They would almost certainly have to part with at least one of them in any megadeal, but that isn't likely.

Top prospects

RHPs Jacob Turner, Chance Ruffin and Brayan Villarreal; LHPs Oliver, Casey Crosby and Drew Smyly; OFs Daniel Fields and Avisail Garcia; 3B Nick Castellanos.

Other than Oliver, the strength of the Tigers' prospects are in the lower ranks. Villarreal could be an intriguing prospect in a deal once clubs are turned down on Turner and Oliver, but the Tigers don't appear to be the business of dealing many prospects anymore.

Big contracts they might unload

None. Guillen's $13 million salary weighs heavy on the payroll, but he's a productive bat and a fit at second base, if and when he's healthy.

Arbitration-eligible

RHPs Zumaya and Galarraga; OF Raburn.

Non-tendered players

RHP Zach Miner.

Payroll summation

Out of the $60 million or so the Tigers shed from their payroll this fall in expiring contracts, they've gained back about $29 million in deals with Benoit, Martinez, Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta. They can add one more contract, maybe even a big one, and still go to camp with a lower payroll than last year.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Werth is now a National for 7 years, making $126M.
Horrible signing on Washington's part.

gdennis59 wrote:

Werth is now a National for 7 years, making $126M.
Horrible signing on Washington's part.

I agree, too many years and for a non-contending team, wow. Sure messes up the amt teams have to offer guys like Mags.

With Werth gone, Boras, Tigers talk Magglio
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 7:07 PM

The Tigers had barely arrived here at baseball's Winter Meetings on Sunday when the Jayson Werth signing made waves through the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort. It could have a major effect on what the Tigers do here once business begins in earnest on Monday.

That includes a potential reunion with Magglio Ordonez, which now looks more viable than ever. The Tigers' best shot at an offensive upgrade might well be a return of their former batting champion.

"I certainly know we'll be talking," agent Scott Boras said of the Tigers and Ordonez.

Boras made the comment after the Nationals announced their seven-year deal with Werth, whom Boras also represents. Washington reportedly outbid other interested teams by offering a longer contract at an average of $18 million per season.

The Tigers have been viewed around baseball as among the most interested teams in Werth. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski, however, said they weren't in the bidding.

"We were not involved," Dombrowski told MLB.com in an email Sunday.

Boras told MLB.com that he talked with Dombrowski quite a bit this week, on Ordonez and other topics. He said they agreed that they would continue their conversations here. It's worth noting that Boras also represents reliever Zach Miner, whom the Tigers designated for assignment last week but whom the Tigers would be interested in bringing back.

Tigers still looking at lefties, talk on Mahay
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on December 6, 2010 at 12:07 PM

Tigers people were out working the lobby at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Monday morning. That's a normal thing for them at the start of the Winter Meetings as they try to gauge teams and see where there might be fits.

For now, the buzz is still the Jayson Werth deal and how it might affect the rest of these meetings, especially the top of the outfield market. The Tigers obviously fit into that, but they're still keeping their eyes on other things, too, including lefty relief. They had some discussion on longtime lefty specialist Ron Mahay, currently a free agent, but nothing seems to have progressed just yet. There's an impression that lefty relief isn't a pressing priority at this point.

Mahay turns 40 years old next year. He went 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA for the Twins last year, allowing 33 hits over 34 innings with 25 strikeouts. Left-handed hitters batted just .219 against him: 14-for-64 with 12 strikeouts.

Last Updated: December 06. 2010 1:22PM
Lynn Henning
Jayson Werth's deal is ridiculous; Tigers were smart to pass

Lake Buena Vista, Fla.— Happily for the Tigers' reputation, they didn't make news Sunday as teams checked into the Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel for this week's Winter Meetings.

Headlines instead belonged to the Washington Nationals. And to Jayson Werth.

And this wasn't the kind of news anyone really wanted to hear, at least this side of Jayson Werth, his agent Scott Boras, and a seemingly delusional Nationals front office.

It was preposterous to the point of being disgusting that Washington handed an outfielder, soon to be 32, a seven-year contract worth $126 million.

Those of us who have long defended player salaries as being the very product of a free-market system that should ideally be left alone are having major conscience examinations today.

This was borderline sick. And what it will do to the Tigers and to the rest of baseball as these meetings, and the off-season market, evolve was the kind of talk that rattled a hotel lobby and team suites galore as the meetings kicked off.

The Tigers were at least interested in Werth. They knew his asking price would be heavy but something half-sane: perhaps five years, $80 million, minimum. It might go to six years and $100 million, at least as an initial demand from Boras and Werth.

Most clubs viewed Werth's price to be in that $80-$100 million range, with $100 million being the rough estimate for what it would take to sign the other outfielder and free-agent Cadillac who is available, Carl Crawford.

Landscape changes

Now the entire landscape has blown up, courtesy of a Nationals team that offered about one-third of Werth's paycheck for one of the top power hitters in all of baseball and a player they owned through the past season, Adam Dunn.

Dunn wanted to sign with Washington. But, after fooling around and losing him to free agency and to the White Sox, the Nationals panicked and handed over a contract to Werth that should be some fun for the Nationals to digest as Werth moves deeper into his 30s but not deep enough to finish off a salary schedule that will cease when he's closer to 40.

Abruptly, the market has changed. Crawford just became more expensive, maybe just expensive enough to once and for all knock out a Tigers team that would have loved going head-to-head with the Los Angeles Angels and Yankees in a bid to add Crawford's bat, speed and defense to Comerica Park's territories.

The Tigers, though, must see Werth's deal — and Crawford's eventual loss of speed — as traps they will have been wise to sidestep.

It looks as if they will now discuss seriously bringing back Magglio Ordonez for another year. It's contingent on his fractured ankle — which required surgery a month after it was broken — being sound, and his asking price being something the team can at least defend when Ordonez is a few weeks from turning 37.

But the chances of everything working out are reasonable as the Tigers try to add another dependable, 12-volt bat to the middle of manager Jim Leyland's lineup.

Trade possibilities

What can't be ruled out this week is a trade. And a trade could affect the Tigers' infield as much as an outfield that ranks as their most likely point of attack.

The Tigers' Dave Dombrowski might be the most aggressive GM in baseball. You can quarrel with his decisions — the second-guess is half the fun of following baseball — but he and the Tigers tend to identify their needs immediately and move instantly to boost their roster.

They did it with Joaquin Benoit, a right-hand reliever whom the Tigers paid generously ($16.5 million — or $109.5 million less than Werth will draw), and they did it again in signing Victor Martinez for what now appears to have been the low discount price of $50 million for four years.

They still need a bat, at least one. And if this week they added Ordonez, and swung a trade for an upgrade in the infield, no one in baseball would be surprised, all because Dombrowski's reputation was cemented long ago.

Would he trade one of his hotshot young pitchers, Jacob Turner or Andy Oliver, as part of a deal for a slicker outfielder, second baseman, or even as part of a package for an upgrade at shortstop or third base?

Probably, with Oliver the prospect most likely to change addresses.

Something dramatic will yet shake down from the Tigers' suite, at least if Winter Meetings history is any clue.

But be glad, very glad, for fiscal sense and for the Tigers' stead that it didn't already happen. A reckless contract is no way to make news.

lynn.henning@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101206/OPINION03/12060379/Jayson-Werth’s-deal-is-ridiculous--Tigers-were-smart-to-pass#ixzz17MhzLYPo

I don't think they'll make a deal involving either Oliver or Turner in the winter meetings. Maybe when the season starts, closer to the trade deadline.

Should probably sign Magglio to a contract with a lot of incentives since we don't know how healthy he'll stay.