Sheff and Renteria

Sheffield, Renteria could sit if they don't produce
July 17, 2008

Near the end of his news conference after Sunday's victory, Tigers manager Jim Leyland made one statement that could resonate for the rest of the season.

"The one thing a manager always has is the lineup card," he said. "That's the only trump card you've got. And I'm going to make that perfectly clear. If guys aren't going to play hard -- if they're going to cash in -- I'm going to play other guys. That's the way it is."

Leyland emphasized that he has not seen any lack of effort this season. If anything, he believes some players tried too hard in the face of elevated expectations. He described it as "a little stage fright."

The result was a disappointing first half. Detroit is in third place in the AL Central with a mediocre 47-47 record and must play brilliantly through the end of September to make up a seven-game deficit in the division.

With that challenge before him, Leyland seems prepared to move beyond the twin pillars of a veteran team's mentality: money and pride.

Performance takes precedence at this time of year, and that reality soon could affect the playing time of veterans Gary Sheffield and Edgar Renteria. The two have had distinguished careers in the major leagues, but they are not the players they once were.

Sheffield, 39, has made nine All-Star appearances. Renteria, 32, has made five. But Sheffield is hitting .217, Renteria .254, and they have combined for only 10 home runs this season.

The Tigers have invested so much in the two players -- $23 million this year alone -- that they have little choice but to place their faith in the All-Star break's restorative power.

Leyland already has said that Sheffield will be the designated hitter tonight in Baltimore. Renteria presumably will return to regular duty at shortstop after his mild hamstring strain heals.

Is it possible that one or both will bounce back in the second half? Absolutely. Renteria, after all, batted .358 for Atlanta after the break last year. But if he and Sheffield don't start hitting soon, they likely will play less and less.

Detroit has an $11-million club option on Renteria for next season. If it is declined, he will receive a $3-million buyout and become a free agent.

Sheffield's status is more complex because he is under contract through next season. The club would owe him roughly $20 million if it chose to release him now. (Team president Dave Dombrowski declined to comment when asked about that possibility last weekend.)

Leyland has great admiration and respect for both Sheffield and Renteria -- he managed them with the champion Florida Marlins in 1997 -- but his first loyalty is to the club itself. As Leyland often has said, he uses the lineup he believes will give the Tigers the best chance to win each day.

We saw an example of that philosophy late last season. Shortstop Ramon Santiago, an expert defender, started all three games of a crucial September series against the first-place Cleveland Indians. The move affected two players Leyland holds in high regard: Carlos Guillen moved to first base, and Sean Casey was left out of the lineup.

Already, the Tigers are far enough behind Chicago and Minnesota that almost every series for the rest of the season will be as important as that 2007 trip to Cleveland. Leyland will want to play his best lineup as often as possible, and Sheffield's production must pick up for him to be part of it.

Here's why: When Magglio Ordoñez is the rightfielder and Sheffield is the designated hitter -- as likely will be the case tonight -- Matt Joyce or Marcus Thames will be crowded out of the lineup.

Joyce, a 23-year-old rookie, happens to be the reigning American League player of the week after hammering some clutch home runs. Thames leads the team with 17 homers and is a perpetual power threat.

At least in the near term, there is only one way for the Tigers to justify the absence of Joyce or Thames from the everyday lineup -- and that is if Sheffield produces like he did before injuring his shoulder last year.

A similar principle applies to the Renteria-Santiago question. Santiago has superior fielding range, meaning Renteria needs to compensate with more offensive production. At present, though, Renteria has a lower on-base-plus-slugging percentage than light-hitting Toronto utility infielder Marco Scutaro.

One way or the other, change is coming to the Tigers' lineup. Renteria and Sheffield will decide whether it arrives in the form of performance or personnel.

Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports.

You can't leave players on the roster only because they have a huge contract and cost so much. I'm sorry for Sheffield, but hey, there is just no production coming! It's not a solution to play him day after day even if the club loses millions letting him go. I'd rather have someone DHing who hits the ball and gets some runs in.

Could sit = take a hike