Detroit Tigers 2009 Wish List: Part 3

Another edition of the Tigers' wish list for 2009:

Left Field
Gary Sheffield, Jacque Jones, Marcus Thames, Clete Thomas, Matt Joyce...The Tigs tried quite a few options in left field in 2008, but no player really took ownership of the position. The one trait that was overlooked in most of these players was defense. Curtis Granderson is a great centerfielder; he is fantastic at covering up the mistakes of his corner outfielders, but he can't cover up for both sides. Magglio Ordonez is serviceable as a rightfielder, but having Granderson to his right certainly cuts down on Ordonez's defensive responsibilities. Since Ordonez probably isn't going anywhere soon (quick note: I do not advocate trading him this winter), the Tigers need a leftfielder who is not a liability in the cavernous confines of Comerica Park. A gold glove is certainly not a prerequisite, but Manny Ramirez-like defense isn't going to cut it. Much like shortstop, the Tigers should eschew the glamour stats in their search for a leftfielder and instead look for a solid all-around player.

In House:
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Tigers already have quite a few options available in left field. First off, Gary Sheffield is not one of those options. At this point in his career, Sheff is simply not capable of playing anywhere in the outfield. Quite frankly, I don't believe he is capable of doing anything at the major league level. This is not likely to happen, but I would like to see Dave Dombrowski bite the financial bullet and just cut Sheffield loose. At this point, his presence is going to hurt the team more than it will help it, both in the clubhouse and on the field. As for the more likely in-house options, Marcus Thames is a name that tends to come up pretty often, but as much as people want to give Thames the opportunity to prove himself, I believe he has already proven exactly what kind of player he is. Thames has great power, but is not consistent enough at the plate or in the field to be an everyday player. I would love to see the Tigers ship Thames to the National League, where he would be perfect as a source of power off the bench. The Padres come to mind as a perfect partner, with their deep bullpen and lack of power hitting. I think the ideal result for both parties would be for the Tigers to send Thames to the Padres for a reliever, maybe Cla Meredith or Clay Hensley, but regardless of whether Thames can be traded, I do not see him as a viable option in left. Perhaps the most intriguing in-house option is Carlos Guillen. There has been talk of Guillen moving out to left field, with Sheffield staying at DH. I have already stated by views about Mr. Sheffield, so no need to rehash that. Needless to say, I think that Guillen would be a much better option at DH. Truth be told, I think that Guillen would be a devastating force as a designated hitter. DHing would preserve Guillen's knees and maybe even allow him to flash a bit of speed on the basepaths. As a hitter, Carlos is perfectly suited for Comerica Park, but as a defender, Guillen has become a liability and a move to leftfield would only amplify Guillen's struggles. Beyond those veteran options, there are a few youngsters that have shown some real promise for Detroit. The oldest of the young guns is Ryan Raburn. He has proven himself to be a solid major leaguer, but he has been so effective as a utilityman that I would be hesitant to move him out of that role. Matt Joyce showed prodigious power after a mid-summer call-up, doing his best Magglio Ordonez impression while patrolling right field. With Ordonez cemented into the lineup, Joyce moved over to left on many nights, showing decent skills in the outfield and continuing to showcase his pop at the plate. Clete Thomas, another youngster, came out of nowhere to make the team out of Spring Training and filled in admirably for Granderson in centerfield, so admirably in fact, that he gained some additional playing time in left as the season went on. Thomas plays great defense and is a scrappy hitter with a little bit of speed. All told, there are plenty of in-house options to fill the void in left field, but no player has really separated himself from the pack at this point.

On the Market:
Obviously, Manny Ramirez is the star of the 2009 free agent class, but he is not a fit for the Tigers, nor are the Tigers a fit for him. Adam Dunn, the next biggest name in left, is an even worse fit for the Tigers. Moving on down the list, there are even more slugging leftfielders that aren't exactly famous for flashing the leather. Pat Burrell, Luis Gonzalez and Wily Mo Pena are not viable options here. The only available player that really entices me is Juan Rivera. The odd man out in a crowded Angels outfield, Rivera will almost certainly be testing the waters in free agency. Like Thames, Rivera has never proved himself over an entire season, but in the two seasons in which he played more than 125 games, he posted OPS's of .829 and .887, respectively, the highest of his career. Rivera has some power, but is more of a gap-to-gap hitter, perfect for the capacious outfield of Comerica Park. A solid defender and a good contact hitter, Rivera would be a perfect fit for the Tigers.

Let's Make a Deal:
Similar to the situation at shortstop, there aren't a whole lot of options on the trade market, given the Tigers' depleted farm system. But one player that I would like to see the Tigers make a run at is Endy Chavez. The Mets might be willing to move him, with the late-season emergence of Daniel Murphy, and Chavez would bring some much needed speed to the Tigers lineup, as well as terrific defense in left field. Although I am not in a hurry to see this particular player traded, Zach Miner could be enough to pry Chavez away from the Mets. Along the same lines, Juan Pierre could be on his way out of Los Angeles if the Dodgers are able to re-sign Manny, but he would likely command a higher price than the Tiger would be willing to pay (rightfully so). Overall, a trade here is not likely, but if it does happen, Chavez would be a great fit.

Pie in the Sky:
Clete Thomas turns in a Dustin Pedroia-like season and becomes the glue guy that the Tigers need in left. The Tigers trade Marcus Thames to the Padres for a reliever named Cla(y).

Down to Earth:
The Tigers refuse to part with Gary Sheffield and move Carlos Guillen out to left field, platooning him with Thames and Sheffield between the leftifeld and DH roles.

Final Word:
I would love to see either Thomas or Joyce take this job and run with it, but I think the safer bet would be to go after Rivera in free agency. There is a strong possibility that Rivera will be a forgotten man this winter, lost in a good crop of big name free agent outfielders. This should help the Tigers to get him a a fair price and lock him in long-term. Given their depth with the youngsters in the outfield, I think trading Thames would be a great complement to signing Rivera.

On Deck: The Rotation