Detroit Tigers 2009 Wish List: Part 2

Continuing on with the Tigers rebuilding plan (Yes We Can!), we run down the shopping list at shortstop:

Shortstop
The Tigers thought they had shored up this position with last year's acquisition of Edgar Renteria, but that obviously has not been the case. Renteria had an even worse year than his numbers would indicate, given that he played his best baseball after the Tigers were well out of the divisional race. But every cloud has a silver lining, and the silver lining here is that the Renteria debacle has reminded Dave Dombrowski of the paramount importance of having a good defensive shortstop. Renteria's lack of range dragged down the entire defense and crippled the Tigers' pitching staff. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Renteria was the sole reason for the embarrassing 2008 season, but he was certainly a key contributor. Renteria was an antiquated player with declining skills who could not perform the duties of a Major League shortstop in this era of baseball. As the power hitting phase of the late 90's has subsided, shortstop has returned to a position where speed and defense are most important. Hopefully, the Tigers brass will remember this as the begin the search for their 2009 shortstop.

In House:
Ramon Santiago is a very interesting player for this team. He showed a much improved stroke this season, posting a .282 batting average and, even more impressively, a career-high .460 slugging percentage in limited duty. Santagio has terrific range short and a solid throwing arm. He has become much more consistent offensively over the past couple of years. Santiago is not going to win any individual awards, but he is just the kind of grinder that the Tigers were missing this season. He plays good defense, holds his own at the plate, and can occasionally provide a bit of speed of the basepaths. If given that chance to play every day, I think Santiago could post a line somewhere in the neighborhood of .275 BA, 85 R, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 8 SB at the plate, but most importantly, he would shore up the Tigers' defense up the middle. Santiago has been a backup for most of his career, but is definitely a viable option for the Tigers, and just might be exactly what they need.
The Tigers do have prospects at shortstop, Cale Iorg, Michael Hollimon, and Danny Worth to name a few. It would be fantastic if any of these guys could step up and grab the position, but I just don't see it happening.

On the Market:
There is one name available that stands out above all others: Rafael Furcal. Great range, cannon arm, blazing speed....creaky back. If not for the Renteria disaster last year, I might recommend taking a shot at Furcal, but at this point I really don't think that it is worth the risk. I wouldn't be completely opposed to this move, I just think that Mike Illitch's money could be better spent elsewhere. Beyond Furcal, there aren't really any exciting options on the free agent market. Cesar Izturis or Adam Everett could stabilize the defense, but neither player provides any upside at the plate.

Let's Make a Deal:
I'm going to be honest here, there is not a deal out there for the Tigers. There just aren't enough prospects in the system for the Tigers to pry a starting shortstop away from any other team. The Tigers can't reach here, they need to let their system reload.

Pie in the Sky:
Cale Iorg earns the job in spring training and turns into the second coming of Troy Tulowtizki.

Down to Earth:
Tigers stand pat and start Ramon Santiago at shortstop.

Final Word:
I think sticking with Santiago is the right choice in this situation.

On Deck: Left Field