Tiger Fans

For the first time ever, I’m in danger of losing my annual bet with Rob over whether the Tigers will finish with a better record than the Yankees.  While that does trouble me to some extent, I am getting a kick out of Tiger fans, particularly MTB, trying to decide if they should trade some prospect to get another bat in the lineup such as Alfonso Soriano or Bobby Abreu.  It seems they’re so out of practice on this, they forget that they don’t want to give up anyone useful.  They’ve been sellers (or at least tried to be sellers) for so long, the thought of giving up someone talented is throwing them for a loop.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying Detroit should give up Verlander or Zumaya in order to get one of these guys.  But to listen to Tiger fans, they think the Phillies or Nationals would take Craig Monroe (or Da-Meathead Young) and Nate Robertson in exchange for Soriano or Abreu.  They’re forgetting that these teams wouldn’t want Meathead, Monroe is an average outfielder, and Robertson is probably a 3rd or 4th starter, which isn’t anything to get excited about.  Hell, I’d like to trade Jaret Wright for Scott Kazmir and Carl Crawford, but the problem is that Tampa wouldn’t want to do that.  Same thing goes here.  Sorry Tiger fans, but somebody good is going to have to go, and the reality is you may be giving them up for a 2 month rental, as Detroit is not exactly where a power hitter is going to want to sign a long term deal.

And don’t go telling me Wil Ledezma has value.  He doesn’t.  People saw him get rocked last year, and he’s getting lit again this year.  Heck, he’s walked 8 guys in 11 innings, something I could do.  He’s a throw in on a trade, not a key part, and that’s only if you can find someone watched him get his ass kicked from Detroit to Toledo.

By the way, is anyone concerned that Verlander is on pace to throw 200 innings, not counting the possibility of the playoffs?  Did you guys not see what’s happened to Kerry Wood?  Plus, Verlander doesn’t have the build of a Wood or Clemens.  He’s built more like Mark Prior.  If you’re going to keep using him like this, you better win this year, as the arm problems probably aren’t far off.