Kuzul

Should the Tigers keep Magglio for one more year?

As most Tigers fans know, Detroit is finally free of Magglio Ordóñez’s massive contract.  While Magglio was pretty good at the dish last year, he remained one of the most overpaid players in the game as he cashed in checked from the Tigers that totaled $17,825,976.

I think the Tigers would be happy to pay that kind of money to the 2007 Magglio that played in 157 games and hit .363.  However, the 2010 Magglio played in only 87 games.  That means that Ordóñez pulled in over $205,000 per game.  That is actually pretty tough to comprehend.

Regardless of what he made and how little he played in 2010, Ordóñez remains a favorite amongst Tiger fans.  After all, this is still the same man that came to Detroit and signed a long-term deal when the Tigers were really struggling.  This is still the same man that sent the Tigers to the 2006 World Series with his ALCS-winning home run off of Huston Street.

So, with Magglio emerging as a free agent, what should the Tigers do?  Before we chat it up, here are the facts:

• He turns 37 in January
• During his six seasons in Detroit, he has missed an average of 36 games per season
• He is slowing down and will need to DH more than play right field
• As a Tiger, Magglio’s batting average is .318 and his OPS+ is 118.
• Over the past six years, only five players have a better batting average than Ordonez
• Generally, players do not get better or healthier as they enter their late 30s.

So, what should the Tigers do with Ordóñez?  The simpler answers are to “keep him” or “let him go.”  Personally?  I would be fine with the Tigers keeping Magglio in Detroit on a one-year deal in the neighborhood of $4-7 million.  I am not on board with the Tigers giving Magglio the Derek Jeter treatment where they give him a huge deal just because of who he was.

Over the fall and winter we will see how the Tigers choose to handle this situation.  I hope they keep him around, at least for one more season.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Tigers did pretty much as expected in 2010. Maybe not the way it was expected or with the intangibles (*cough* UMPIRES *cough*). 

Looking ahead to 2011, it is very promising. Millions and millions of dollars are being freed up and we could have a lot of fun these coming months.

This is a preview of the 2011 Offseason tied in with my prediction for it. The format will go as follows…

Page 1: Introduction

Page 2: Payroll Check

Pages 3 – 13: A look at each position and it’s 2011 preview

Page 14: Payroll Check

Pages 15 – 20: Free Agent and Trade possibilities for each position of need

Page 21: 2011 Offseason Predictions and Explanations

Page 22: 2011 Opening Day Predictions

Page 23: Final Payroll Check

Page 24: Conclusion

Begin Slideshow

Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has said the Tigers will be aggressive this offseason. He has already locked up Brandon Inge and will have a deal in place for SS Jhonny Peralta. This will allow Dombrowski to focus on the big bat the Tigers need in their lineup. If I was the GM these are the two moves I would attempt to make this offseason. 

I believe pitching wins, and the Tigers have three of the best young pitchers in baseball. They also have one thing in common; they’re right handed. The Tigers need a lefty, and there just so happens to be a lefty on the market: Cliff Lee. 

I know the chances are remote at best. However, if the Tigers were to offer Lee a front loaded, six-year, $145-150 million deal, he’d listen. Front loading the contract allows the Tigers to have more flexibility as their young players reach arbitration. 

The Tigers rotation would look something like this. Justin Verlander, Cliff Lee, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke (or a young pitcher allowing Coke to return to the ‘pen). They would have without doubt one of the top, if not the top, rotations in all of baseball. 

To address the need of a power bat to hit behind Miguel Cabrera I would look to the trade front. The Milwaukee Brewers have been open about looking to trade slugging first baseman Prince Fielder. Fielder will be a free agent after the 2011 season, so the Tigers would want an extension before agreeing to the deal. 

Who would they send? I would put together a package which would include Andy Oliver, Jay Sborz, Ryan Strieby (or Brennan Boesch) and Ryan Raburn or Casper Wells.

A heavy price? Yes, but well worth it. Field had an off year (32 hrs, 83 RBI and .261 BA), but that would have double the next closest HR total the tigers had, and would have been the leader outside Cabrera for RBI.

For Detroit, Fielder would be the DH, except to give Cabrera a day off. The other thing this could do is enable the Tigers to resign Magglio Ordonez to a reasonable contract (two years, $11-15 million). The Tigers lineup would look like this: (2010 stats in parenthesis)

1. (CF) Austin Jackson (.293, 181 H, 27 SB)

2. (2B) Will Rhymes/Scott Sizemore (.304, 12 doubles, 191 ABs)/(.224, seven doubles, three HR, 43 ABs)

3. (RF) Magglio Ordonez (.303, 12 HR, 59 RBI)

4. (1B) Miguel Cabrera (.328, 38 HR, 126 RBI)

5. (DH) Prince Fielder (.261, 32 HR, 83 RBI)

6. (SS) Jhonny Peralta (.249, 15 HR, 81 RBI)

7. (LF) Ryan Raburn/Brennen Boesch (.280, 15 HR 62 RBI)/(.256, 14 HR, 67 RBI)

8. (3B) Brandon Inge (.247, 13 HR, 70 RBI)

9. (C) Alex Avila (.228, seven HR, 31 RBI).

The pitching rotation would look like this: (Lee and Verlander could be switched)

1. Justin Verlander (18-9, 3.37 ERA, 219 Ks)

2. Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA, 185 Ks)

3. Max Scherzer (12-11, 3.50 ERA, 184 Ks)

4. Rick Porcello (10-12, 4.92 ERA, 84 Ks)

5. Phil Coke (7-5, 3.76 ERA, 53 Ks)*

If Detroit was able to make these moves I believe they would be a front runner for the American League Pennant and would challenge for the World Series Title, not only this year, but for future as well.

*Pitched in the bullpen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

About a month ago, I wrote a prediction for next year’s Detroit Tigers starting lineup. But my how things change. 

The Tigers are still out of the playoff picture, but are currently playing with no distractions and no worries about choking down the stretch. 

Over their last three series with the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers have gone 6-2, dropping the White Sox to nine games back of the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

While some players have dropped off in their performance, others have picked it up and virtually guaranteed starting spots in next year’s team.

Begin Slideshow

See that guy in the picture? That’s outfielder Magglio Ordonez. Do you know why he is sticking his tongue out at you? Because he is not on the field driving in runs. Because the Tigers look more deserving of a berth in a trash heap than in a pennant race.

Anyone out there have any faith that the Tigers are still in a pennant race?

I certainly hope not. If so, I’m sorry to burst your soap bubble, but allow me to disillusion you. The pipe dream you were in has expired, welcome back to reality.

The Tigers are in the midst of yet another late season tumble. Need proof? Look at the standings.

52-53, eight games back of the first place Chicago White Sox. 

Perhaps someone noticed that the Tigers totally took one on the chin from the Sox in the first game of today’s double header.

The Tigers had a very slim chance to regain some ground, and credibility, with a strong showing against the White Sox this week.

That particular pipe dream evaporated after a 12-2 beat down in game one. Game two hardly looks any more promising. The Tigers will send Jeremy Bonderman to the hill, he of the 5.05 earned run average. 

You may remember I wrote back on July 28th to say that essentially the Tigers were dead in the water.

They have done little to impress since then.

They lost the final two games to the Rays since then, followed by dropping two of three in Boston to the Red Sox. 

The Tigers have now compiled a record of 4-14 since the All-Star break. That in no way smells of contention for a division crown.

The Tigers are their own worst enemy. Ordonez, Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen could not have gotten hurt at a worse time. 

Although, Inge has eaten plenty of Tums and is almost back from a broken finger already, it still reeks of too little, too late.

In addition to the injuries, the misdirection of manager Jim Leyland has been a stain on this ballclub, contributing to the two losses in Boston.

It started with the 61-pitch meltdown of closer Jose Valverde in the 6-5 victory on Friday that lead to his unavailability for the remainder of the weekend.

The repercussions from that? Leyland intentionally put the winning run on base in the ninth inning Saturday!

Was anyone surprised when the winning run scored from first on that David Ortiz double?

Finally, Valverde’s burnout meant Robbie Weinhardt was given free reign to literally throw the game away on Sunday.

I’ll slip a footnote in right here. Don Kelly put on a clinic in the outfield on Sunday, gunning down an unsuspecting Adrian Beltre at second, and making a great snow cone catch against the Green Monster late in the game. 

Kelly’s reward for his great play? On the bench for the start of both games of the double header, in favor of Ryan Raburn. 

Please someone step up again and waste your credibility defending Raburn. He still looks like a train wreck in the field, and is only hitting .210 after going hitless in the first game of the double header.

Granted, Kelly is only hitting .197 but his superior defense erases that deficit. 

Raburn’s WAR (win above replacement level player) value is -0.1, where Kelly’s is 0.1. 

So, you might disagree with much of what I say. Oh Dave, this is just the rantings and ravings of an outraged fan. 

You would be right that I am outraged. You should be too. After all, who could be happy with this club right now?

Inge might need the Tums for the calcium to help heal his hand. I need the Tums because watching this team gives me heartburn.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

So long Joel Zumaya, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez.

Hello Ryan Perry, Don Kelly, Scott Sizemore, Danny Worth, Will Rhymes, and Jeff Larish.

The Detroit Tigers are hurting, but the end to the summer of 2010 could set the table for a great run of success for years to come.

Because of this run of injuries, the Tigers will probably not make any significant moves at the trading deadline.  That means prospects like Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver will remain in the organization as opposed to being traded for Dan Haren or Ted Lilly.

In the case of Ordonez, the Tigers will probably not have to pick up his $18 million player option for next season.  This will give the Tigers a lot of shopping money in the offseason. 

Aside from Miguel Cabrera and Johnny Damon, the rest of the Tigers lineup for Sunday’s doubleheader against the Blue Jays featured rookies or players who should still be developing in the minor leagues.

Clearly for the Detroit Tigers, the future is now.

For the rest of 2010, the Tigers will be relying on one of the youngest lineups and pitching staffs in all of baseball.  However, that doesn’t mean the Tigers will be completely devoid of talent.

Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson, and Brennan Boesch are just a few of the young stars who will make the future very bright in Detroit.

Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, Soctt Sizemore, and Danny Worth are all prospects who are supposed to be stars in the making.  Aside from Turner, the rest of the players in this group should get a lot of experience through the end of 2010.

There is no doubt that the loss of those four veterans will severely decrease the Tigers’ odds of making the playoffs.  However, even with them in the lineup, the Tigers were still stuck in a three-team race against opponents who they struggle mightily against.

The Tigers would have definitely had to make a costly move in order to acquire a player that would could have catapulted them into true playoff contention. 

In the long run, these injuries could not have happened at a better time.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If losing Brandon Inge for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand wasn’t enough to rattle the Detroit Tigers, being without Magglio Ordonez’s bat surely is.

Ordonez, who had an ankle sprain to begin with, broke his foot while sliding into home during the Tigers’ 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

It was the Tigers’ eighth loss in their last 10 games, and they are now 2.5 games behind the A.L. Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

The loss of Ordonez will weigh heavy on Jim Leyland’s club. Ordonez is hitting .303 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs this season.

During his post-game interview, Johnny Damon was asked if he thought he needed to flex his veteran-muscle, and step up in Ordonez’s absence.

“We all would like to do more than we do,” Damon told reporters. Damon, who is earning $8 million in his first season with Detroit, could provide the spark the Tigers are looking for.

Last year with the Yankees, Damon drove in 82 runs and hit 24 home runs. He has plenty of pop left in his bat, despite having just 29 RBIs and six home runs in 2010.

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and players are doing their best to dodge reporters’ questions in regards to bringing help to their club, which is another post in itself.

Will the Tigers go after the Chicago Cubs’ veteran pitcher Ted Lilly, or the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Dan Haren?

Will Detroit be in the market for a third baseman, starting pitcher or bullpen help?

Damon said he’s impressed with the youngsters’ contributions thus far, and said “We still have a good team… We’re still in this,” in reference to the team’s post-Ordonez state. He also said that he didn’t want them to feel pressured to produce.

Rookies Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch hit the ground running this season. Jackson leads all A.L. rookies with 106 hits. He is developing as one the best young lead-off men in the majors.

Boesch is the clear front-runner for A.L. Rookie of the Year honors with his .313 batting average, 12 round-trippers and 50 runs driven in.

However, Boesch’s average has taken a nose-dive of late, and dropped over 30 points.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Reputations precede you in pro sports. And they can enslave you.

It’s easy to spoil us—we who don’t play the game. We who merely watch and follow and pound out Tweets and blister athletes in 140 characters or less.

We got used to Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers right fielder. Every late winter/early spring, when the reports of how the Tigers were shaping up started to flitter in from Florida, we’d do a mental evaluation, position-by-position. When we came to Maggs, it was a simple evaluation.

A batting average north of .300, 20 to 30 home runs, threatening 100 RBI, at least.

Next!

There was no need to fret over Ordonez. He was a pure hitter, born to hit .300. He was as reliable as tomorrow’s sunrise.

Someone once said of a natural-born hitter, “He could roll out of bed on Christmas Day and slap a base hit.”

That was Ordonez. He won a batting title with the Tigers in 2007 and followed that with a strong 2008. He has a career BA of .312, and has banged out over 2,000 hits. So why worry about a guy like that?

Turn back the clock 12 months and recall, if you will, what they were saying about Ordonez.

The numbers were shocking in their lack of punch.

One year ago today, Magglio was hitting .274, with a measly three homers and but 24 RBI.

There were some factors. A nagging injury. Some personal matters. A pending contract kicker, based on number of at-bats.

They started calling him a singles hitter, a Punch-and-Judy guy. His power was gone, and so his career must be soon to follow.

Manager Jim Leyland even tried the most desperate of solutions when a hitter stops hitting: the benching.

I’ve never understood how a guy is supposed to work his way out of a slump by sitting in the dugout all day, but that’s just me.

They looked at Ordonez’s age, saw that it was 35, and that only made matters worse.

The words began to be whispered: done; washed up; a has-been.

If you need some perspective, look no further than the great Ted Williams.

You heard me.

Teddy Ballgame. The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. Teddy’s words, by the way.

Williams was 41 years old in 1959 and suffering with a pinched nerve in his neck.

The nagging injury limited Williams to 272 at-bats and—get this—a .254 batting average.

.254?? Ted Williams?

.254 and Ted Williams go together like sardines and ice cream.

He was 41 and it looked over with.

But Williams was determined not to let his last season in the big leagues read .254 next to it.

He got healthy with his neck and came back for one more year.

In 310 AB in 1960, Williams hit .316 and slammed 29 HR—one every 10.7 AB.

He knocked one out at Fenway Park in his final career at-bat, into the teeth of a strong wind.

THEN he retired.

Ordonez is back.

He’s hitting .322, with 10 HR and 49 RBI. That’s .048, seven and 25 better than last year at this time. The ball again explodes from his bat. The swing is back to its uppercut smoothness.

It’s more, well, Ordonez-ish.

Seems like he hasn’t forgotten how to hit, after all.

And his resurgence is a huge reason why the Tigers’ 3-4-5 hitters are among the best in baseball right now.

We should have known better.

Pavarotti doesn’t suddenly start singing out of key. Wolfgang Puck doesn’t forget ingredients. Stephen King doesn’t start writing romances.

Magglio Ordonez is a hitter. It’s what he does. He’s no more washed up, at age 36, than Austin Jackson.

We should have known better.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

David Ortiz may be starting to turn a corner, as he’s hit safely in his last six games and driven in 11 runs over his last nine. Still, it’s a bit early to tell if Big Papi will ultimately prove worth the $12.5 million he’s earning in 2010.

It’s unlikely, for Ortiz hasn’t earned his keep sabermetrically since the 2007 Championship season.

While the Fenway Faithful fight only mildly fight the urge to boo their overpaid, aging slugger, other fan bases around MLB are experiencing quite the opposite sensation:

They aren’t quite sure if they should wholeheartedly cheer their aging, seemingly overpaid, but resurging, stars.

Names like Barry Zito, Carlos Silva, Scott Rolen, and Vernon Wells are on their lips, and they’re shocked to find themselves cheering their once fading heroes.

Here are the top 10 greatest comebacks thus far in 2010.

Begin Slideshow

The rumors of Magglio Ordonez’s death are greatly exaggerated.

Look who’s batting third for the Tigers and hitting over .300 and displaying power and run-producing ability. Just like the good old days.

There were folks who wanted to run Maggs out of town last year, when he was 35 years old and looking every day of that, and then some.

The batting average was pedestrian. But what was most troubling was the power looked to have been cut.

Ordonez was a multimillion-dollar slap hitter for most of 2009, when he battled injuries and some preseason personal strife. He was 35, and the naysayers were out in droves. How quickly these power hitters can go down the tubes, people said while shaking their heads.

Then came September, and suddenly Ordonez was himself again. He was torrid—positively scorching. It was he, not Miguel Cabrera, who put the Tigers on his back as they tried like mad to hold off the hard-charging Minnesota Twins.

Ah, but was this simply one last hurrah for an expiring warrior, or did this portend his resurrection?

So far, the answer appears to be the latter.

Maggs is Maggs again. He’s hitting .310, but the best part is that he’s been plugged back into the power socket: Ordonez has six doubles, four homers, 17 RBI, and a robust slugging average of .517.

So stop writing the eulogies. Put that shovel away.

Yesterday was a milestone day for the Venezuelan.

Ordonez’s single in the fourth inning was the 2,000th hit of his career, making him just the sixth player from Venezuela to reach that number.

“It’s huge because there are only 260 players who have done it in more than 100 years of baseball,” Ordonez said of his accomplishment after the Tigers beat the Twins. “I’m happy for me, my family, my country, and my team.”

The Tigers’ batting order, which seemed moribund after the cashiering of Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco, is now no picnic for opposing pitchers.

It starts with The Kid, leadoff hitter Austin Jackson, who’s a rookie but who is hitting well over .300. The nerve!

Then you have 36-year-old Johnny Damon and his slap-happy left-handed-hitting bat. After a rough start, Damon is another .300-plus guy.

It gets worse.

Third is Ordonez, and then you have to deal with Cabrera. Both guys are clutch and gobble up RBIs like Pac Men.

Sadly, the terror decreases dramatically the lower you go in the order. The Tigers’ top four are Nightmare on Elm Street ; the bottom four are Bambi .

The team’s Jekyll and Hyde, schizophrenic batting order is one reason why the Tigers are leaving men stranded by the bucketful. It’s the worst display since FEMA post-Katrina.

Still, the Tigers might have two 100-plus-RBI men in Ordonez and Cabrera.

Quite a change from last year, when an $18 million bonus due to Ordonez hung in the balance because it was based on plate appearances. Maggs wasn’t getting enough of them, because he, frankly, didn’t deserve them.

That all changed in August and September, when his bat warmed in the season’s dog days.

No one talks about jettisoning Ordonez any longer.

Last year he was an old 35. Now he’s a young 36.

Joe Garagiola called it right when he titled his book.

Baseball is a funny game.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com