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Despite Tiger Woes, Bonds Not An Option
John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle addresses the possibility of adding Barry Bonds to a Tigers team with a struggling offense out of the gate. The team is currently 2-9 with a league-low 33 runs scored.
GM Dave Dombrowski responded to concerns raised about the offensive production thus far with his best Alfred E. Neuman impersonation, saying, "What! Me worry?"
"If we hit the same all year, I'd be the most surprised I've ever been in my career," he said. On signing Bonds, Dombrowski replied, "Our everyday lineup is set. It's not even a situation with us."
All this hand wringing over the offense, while understandable, seems misdirected. The real concern has to be the pitching staff. As Shea points out, the starting staff had just one quality start in the team's first nine games. With or without adding the recently DFA'd Kyle Snyder, Detroit should be much more concerned about solidifying its rotation and relief corps. That offense is going to produce. But pinning all hopes on it while neglecting the team's arms could lead to a lot of disappointed fans.
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Who do the Tigers have left in their system for a trade? After all, Pitchers are expensive.
If they have anything left, the A's have plenty of pitching depth right now, even with the injuries they've faced. They have Blanton, obviously, who's pitched very well this year (the 4 era is misleading, as he had a 2.80 era heading into his last inning of work before a few defensive blunders, a rain delay and a crappy relief performance by a rule 5 guy who failed to throw a strike).
They also have decent rotation guys in the minors such as Dallas Braden or Dan Meyer, who, if acquired, could be adequate 5th starters. Dana Eveland might not be available, but Greg Smith might. Lenny DiNardo is probably available, and he's had success as a starter this year and last, but doesn't figure into the A's longterm plans.
Posted by: Zonis | April 13, 2008 at 04:45 PM
This idea that the Tigers cannot use Barry Bonds because their real weakness is the pitching staff is just ridiculous, and it's a total non-sequitor. You guys who are saying that, did you think that someone who says the Tigers should sign Bonds hadn't noticed that the pitching staff was struggling?
Everyone proclaims "The hitting will come around. What they need to do is improve their pitching."
What does one have to do woith the other? If there was a pitcher comparable in quality to Barry Bonds just sitting there waiting to be signed to an incentive-laden free agent contract, well, I would say that the club should pick him up, but guess what. There isn't one! There is, however, a left-handed hitter that gets on base nearly half the time he comes to the plate. The last time I checked, a run scored is worth the same as one prevented.
Sheffield is clearly struggling. He looks done to me, but who knows. All I know is that he does nothing but hit weak choppers and lazy pop-ups, and that he immediately puts a finger splint on when he manages to draw a walk, right before Magglio Ordonez knocks into a double play. Sheffield has admitted to using PEDs and is a world-reknowned malcontent, so why not mix in a better version who also happens to get along well with Jim Leyland. Because the pitching staff is bad? What?
I have been saying this to anyone who would listen before the season started - the Tigers offense is massively overrated. They overachieved bigtime last year, with three standout performances (Polanco, Ordonez, Granderson) that can't be expected to happen again. Their batting average with RISP was also unsustainable. I just don't see where people were getting their ideas that the they were going to score 900-1000 runs. It was an absurd expectation based on a child's concept of reality. These people saw an offense that scored 887 runs last year and then simply added 75-100 to that total. Really smart!
I'll say it again: The fact that Barry Bonds is available and a great fit for the Tigers just doesn't have a single thing to do with the fact that their pitching is struggling. Wake up, people. You're trying to sound smart. What you're saying, in essence, is, "Well, I'm a REAL baseball fan, and a REAL baseball fan understands numbers and probabilities, offense AND defense, and since this offense full of proven old guys is bound to come around, the Tigers need to worry about acquiring pitching. Oh, you homer-happy, poor, naive fans just have no clue!"
Well, there is no all-star-level pitching just sitting there waiting for a contract, and the Tigers have nothing to trade for anyone else's.
Bonds can probably be had for a relatively low baseline guaranteed salary, plus incentives that, if they kick in, will make the man worth signing anyway. The Tigers have absolute crap in left field, and they have an elderly, steroid-implicated walking injury for a DH. Bonds would probably do wonders for this team.
But you're right, they need to improve their pitching. You think the Mets will give them Johan Santana for Brandon Inge and Preston Larrison?
Posted by: Dan L. | April 13, 2008 at 08:38 PM
as an Indians fan, I would love to see the Tigers sign Bonds to watch that internal implosion go even further with him and Sheff.
That would be one for the history books in regards to chemistry killers.
Posted by: czechy1000 | April 13, 2008 at 08:57 PM
screw chemistry. The Giants, now that Bonds is gone, have good chemistry. Look where its gotten them.
Posted by: Zonis | April 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM