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Tigers' Dombrowski appears ready for another dismantling
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(AP) Granderson is rumored to be on his way out of Detroit.
Even in a time of economic prosperity, the Tigers yoked themselves to a few marquee names; paying severely above cost on each and every last one of them. Even in the face of economic downturn, the organization kept spending and spending, as they narrowed in on what was believed to be a championship lineup.
The championship never materialized, and now the organization is stuck. Losing money from a shortage of ticket sales on one end and a suffering local economy; strapped to aging veterans earning beyond their years on the other.
Just a snippet:
Magglio Ordonez: 5 years/$75 million with a club option for 2010($18 million) & 2011($15 million).Miguel Cabrera: 8 years/$152.3 million. Jeremy Bonderman: 4 years/$38 million. Carlos Guillen: 4 years/$48 million. Dontrelle Willis: 3 years/$29 million. Nate Robertson: 3 years/$21.25 million.*
That goes without mentioning the $14 million that they dished out to Gary Sheffield last year to suffer through one of his most unproductive seasons in the Majors with the Mets.
The solution: sell off the face of the franchise.
The GM Meetings in Chicago left little to be desired in the rumor department. Reports swirled about big name Tigers being placed on the trading block, as the organization tries to recover from a difficult 2009 season.
The fact that they’re merely shopping Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson borders on the obscene. Granderson is not only a fan-favorite in Detroit, but also the kind of player every clubhouse and manager covets for their own team. Not to mention, he is one of the elite defenders in the American League and his offensive numbers are only now showing a glimpse of the production of which he’s capable.
The mind-boggling part about potentially moving Granderson is his relatively low salary in 2010— $#5.5 million. He’s affordable the year the organization needs him to be most, and with significant weight due to come off the books following next season, keeping Granderson in Detroit appears to be less financially damning than the organization may think.
His contract balloons following next season, to $8.25 in 2011, and $10 million in 2012, but the Tigers financial concerns are shortsighted and limited to next year’s payroll. Trading away elite young talent in search of financial stability not only jeopardizes the immediate future of the organization but also causes a rift between the organization and the loyal fan base.
The same questionable decision is being made in regards to dealing away Edwin Jackson. The Tigers acquired Jackson for a song, and he delivered far beyond the organization’s expectations. Armed with a trio of young pitchers that could spearhead Detroit’s rotation for years to come; the organization appears ready to balk at the idea of a solid rotation in favor of limiting their losses in times of economic trouble.
Tell me the last time trading away young talent and pitching was path to successful baseball. Or better yet, tell me when selling off the franchise didn’t leave the fan base bitter and feeling alienated.
It was General Manager Dave Dombrowski who took owner Mike Illitch’s open pocketbook and grossly misspent; now appears the organization and the fans are the one’s who will pay the most severe cost. Dombrowski has seen this before when he was the GM of the Florida Marlins.
At least the Marlins got their World Series Championship before the team was dismantled.
With each stroke of the pen, Dombrowski allowed the Tiger payroll to swell, hoping to deliver the elusive World Series that escaped them in 2006. Now three years later, rather than hold himself accountable, Dombrowski appears ready to clean house of young talent beloved by the city and their teammates—starting with arguably their most popular player.
*Salary figures acquired for several published reports.
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