Tigers trade for Sheffield

[Burn531]

The Yankees and Tigers have agreed on a Gary Sheffield trade, SI.com has learned.

In return, the Yankees will acquire highly touted right-hander Humberto Sanchez and Class A pitchers Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett, according to a Tigers source.

The Tigers will extend Sheffield's contract for two years beyond the one year and $13 million remaining.

Sheffield reunites with manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski, who were all a part of the 1997 world champion Florida Marlins.

Detroit's current starting outfield has Craig Monroe in left, Curtis Granderson in center and Magglio Ordonez in right. Sheffield could play a corner spot with the AL champions or see time at designated hitter.

Sheffield, who turns 38 on Nov. 18, wants to play three more seasons. He topped 34 homers and 120 RBIs in each of his first two seasons with the Yankees but missed most of 2006 with a wrist injury from an April collision with Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand. When Sheffield returned in late September, the Yankees shifted him to first base.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/10/sheffield.tigers/index.html

:tu I like this deal a lot. Adds depth and a bigger bat in the lineup.

[JMarkJohns]

Solid move. One more veteran starting pitcher and reliever and they are set.

[dknights411]

Is this a cost-cuttin move by the Yankees, or did Sheff say something stupid?

[Marklar MM]

Is this a cost-cuttin move by the Yankees, or did Sheff say something stupid?

The Yankees picked up his option, but had no intention of keeping him. They wanted to trade him, which is what they did.

The Tigers were looking for a run producer for the middle of the lineup, and Sheffield can do just that. Now they will look for a lefty reliever if they cannot re-sign Walker.

[T-Pain]

The Yankees and Tigers have agreed on a Gary Sheffield trade, SI.com has learned.

In return, the Yankees will acquire highly touted right-hander Humberto Sanchez and Class A pitchers Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett, according to a Tigers source.

The Tigers will extend Sheffield's contract for two years beyond the one year and $13 million remaining.

Sheffield reunites with manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski, who were all a part of the 1997 world champion Florida Marlins.

Detroit's current starting outfield has Craig Monroe in left, Curtis Granderson in center and Magglio Ordonez in right. Sheffield could play a corner spot with the AL champions or see time at designated hitter.

Sheffield, who turns 38 on Nov. 18, wants to play three more seasons. He topped 34 homers and 120 RBIs in each of his first two seasons with the Yankees but missed most of 2006 with a wrist injury from an April collision with Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand. When Sheffield returned in late September, the Yankees shifted him to first base.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/10/sheffield.tigers/index.html

:tu I like this deal a lot. Adds depth and a bigger bat in the lineup.

Kevin Whelan is from Kerrville. He was a stud in football for Tivy as a RB. I remember watchin him play when they played Fredericksburg in his senior year in 2002.

[jochhejaam]

Is this a cost-cuttin move by the Yankees, or did Sheff say something stupid?
If the Yankees hadn't picked up Sheffield's option, he would have been a free agent. They picked up his option, but only for the purpose of trading him (I guess MM already stated this). That pissed Gary off.

Very good move by the Tigers!

[ABDENOUR POWER]

The move is pretty chancy, but it has potential to be huge.

[jochhejaam]

Here are his career stats for anyone that's interested.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=2113

[JamStone]

Humberto Sanchez was a prized pitching prospect but had a little injury this season, elbow or wrist or something. I can't remember. Kevin Whelan is supposed to be a projected closer in the majors, but was considered expendable because he's basically the same age as Zumaya. I never heard of that Claggett pitcher.

I think Sanchez was groomed by the Tigers to be a major trading chip all along. He skyrocketted in trade value with the year he had. But, I don't think the Tigers were that high on him anyway. With the young arms in the starting rotation they already had with Bonderman, Verlander, and now Andy Miller, along with the plethora of other young arms, a guy like Sanchez was of more value for other teams.

That's not to say it was the perfect scenerio for the Tigers. They are giving up youth for a 38 year old guy. But, Gary Sheffield is still Gary Sheffield. The Yankees were smart picking up his option and trading him. They knew all along they were going to, and they knew all along that there would be plenty of suitors, primarily from American League clubs, for a guy like Sheffield, especially after the success of guys like Frank Thomas and Jim Thome this past season. That way, the Yankees got something in return for him.

Just his mere presence in the Tigers line-up makes it better. If they slot him in the clean-up position and put Guillen and Ordonez around him, all three get to see better pitches. Guillen and Ordonez probably get even better numbers. That's a good thing.

Tigers still need a lead-off hitter with a good OBP and speed and a left-handed relief pitcher. The also need to figure out what to do with first base.

But, Sheffield definitely addresses the need for a big power bat who will force pitchers to pitch to the other bats in the line-up.

[jochhejaam]

He didn't come cheap:

The 23-year-old Sanchez was a combined 10-6 with a 2.53 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 123 innings with Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie this year. He is a hard thrower and was mentioned in trade speculation last summer before hurting an elbow.

Whelan, 22, was 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 27 saves for Class A Lakeland. Claggett, 22, was 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA and 14 saves for Class A West Michigan.

"We gave up a lot," Dombrowski said. "I winced."

[Zunni]

Doyle Alexander was one of the best late season rentals ever, yielding the AL East flag in '87...but he came at the cost of John Smoltz. At least Shef is signed for 3 years. Glad the need for another big bat is met, now on to getting a leadoff hitter who doesn't strike out so damn much.

[Vizzini]

This is not another Smoltz deal. The Tigers farm system and their develpoment of young pitchers sucked back then, Smoltz is a Hall of Famer b/c the Braves knew what they were doing when it came to pitchers (see Tom Glavine). I, at first didn't like the deal, but I have warmed to it b/c you can have only so many starting pitchers, Sanchez was hurt last year, and was almost traded for Soriano, and the Tigers still have Jordan Tata, Jair Jurgens, and Andrew Miller, plus they should get Mike Maroth back. The Tigers needed a big bat, and got that in Sheffield, which could also lead to a left handed hitting Sean Casey resigning, b/c the Tigers will have their power hitters in Sheff, Magglio, Guillen and Monroe, and Casey is a much better option at first then Chris Shelton. I hope Sheffiled can stay injury free for the next few years, if that happens, he should be good for .285, 30hrs and 100rbis.

[DarkReign]

I just dont like the guy. But he obviously has alot of respect for DD and Leyland, so maybe this will work out.

I hear he is clubhouse cancer. We'll see I guess.

For Sanchez? Ouch...

[Marklar MM]

I just dont like the guy. But he obviously has alot of respect for DD and Leyland, so maybe this will work out.

I hear he is clubhouse cancer. We'll see I guess.

For Sanchez? Ouch...

The kid is what, 25. I really don't think he was going to crack the rotation anytime soon. If anything, he would have been a reliever. Plus, he has a recent history of nagging arm injury.

[Marklar MM]

I hear he is clubhouse cancer. We'll see I guess.




Just keep him happy and you are set.

[JamStone]

Any player could be a team cancer if the team isn't doing well. But, it's all perception and it's all media hype. And, that doesn't always mean it hurts the team. Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent hated each other and were both team cancers, but in 2002, they went all the way to the World Series.

It depends on the player, the organization, the manager, the players around him. If Sheffield is comfortable and the Tigers are playing well, I don't see much of a problem. And, at least Sheffield respects and likes Leyland and Dombrowski.

Plus, he got his extention for two years, so his contract or money should not be an issue. He'll probably bat clean-up or maybe even in the 3-hole, so he can't get upset over that. The only thing he could have a gripe over is not playing the field. But, he came here knowing he was going to be the primary DH. So, he knows what to expect.

Humberto Sanchez was one of the Tigers' best pitching prospect, but you always had a feeling that he was tradeable. He has starting pitching make-up. He's a starting pitcher. With Bonderman and Verlander, he likely wasn't going to get his chance with the Tigers. So, when he had a solid season last year, he became a better trading chip. I would have rather seen him used to get a younger star. But, I understand why he was used to trade for Sheffield. Whelan is the one I'd regret trading more so than Sanchez.

[2centsworth]

Sheff sucked in the clutch. Yanks need young arms. Good move by my Yanks!

[JamStone]

Everyone in the Yankees line-up except for Derek Jeter sucked in the clutch this past post-season. Even Abreu after game 1. Only other half-way decent hitter in the clutch was Posada and a few of his hits came when the series was all but decided.

But, yeah, good deal for the Yankees since they didn't want Sheffield to come back anyway. They just didn't want him going to Boston or Toronto. They got some good, young arms.

Tigers gave up a lot, but they got what they wanted, a big bat in the middle of the line-up.

Good trade for both teams.

[ducks]

this is a good move
tigers needed a guy who had been to the big dance before

[Marklar MM]

this is a good move
tigers needed a guy who had been to the big dance before

Not really. They needed someone that could actually hit the ball in the middle of the lineup.

[samikeyp]

I think Detroit gave up too much but I really hope it works out for them.

[Marklar MM]

I think Detroit gave up too much but I really hope it works out for them.

They gave up their strongest asset...pitching. They still have Tata and Jair Jurrjens, although Tata struggled for the Tigers.
Jurrjens was 9-3 with a 2.69 era, 112 strikeouts and 31 walks in A and AA ball, but he was much better in A.
They have Burke Badenhop in A ball that went 14-3 with a 2.84 era and 124 strikeouts and 33 walks.

[jochhejaam]

Does this move make Marcus Thames more expendable as trade bait? I think it does.

[JamStone]

I'm not an expert in MLB contracts and arbitration stuff, but isn't Marcus Thames a free agent?

[JamStone]

They gave up their strongest asset...pitching. They still have Tata and Jair Jurrjens, although Tata struggled for the Tigers.
Jurrjens was 9-3 with a 2.69 era, 112 strikeouts and 31 walks in A and AA ball, but he was much better in A.
They have Burke Badenhop in A ball that went 14-3 with a 2.84 era and 124 strikeouts and 33 walks.


They still have Jordan Tata, Jair Jurjjens, Chad Durbin, Kyle Sleeth (I don't believe it's necessarily over with him just yet), AND Andy Miller, as well as other arms we don't even know about yet. And, with Dombrowski's eye for pitching, who's to say there aren't other gems in the farm system that will pan out? Remember, Joel Zumaya wasn't even that high of a draft pick. I think he was something like an 11th or 13th round pick. I could be mistaken, but my point is that he wasn't a sure-fire top of the line pitching prospect when he was drafted. Then all of a sudden he's throwing 102 mph regularly. You can't have 10 hot pitching prospects and bring them all up to the majors at once. And, if you sit on them, sooner or later, they get too old and lose value. Especially when you're where the Tigers hope they are at, you have to give up some of it to find missing pieces. I don't think the Tigers were ever really that high on Sanchez. And, Whelan was expendable because of Zumaya.

I wasn't in love with the trade for Sheffield, but I'm not disappointed either. They may have given too much, but they still have plenty of arms in the farm system, and the current major league roster needed a feared bat like Sheffield. Sure, there are still several other needs, but I like the tradein that it was a proactive move to help the line-up, which was a deficiency in the World Series.

[Duff McCartney]

I'm glad the Yanks traded Sheffield. For me one of the most important things the Yankees need to do is send their old timers packing and cut some salary. I would rather they send Abreu packing for some prospects or some pitching.

I'd like them to sign Zito for 4 years and Foulke for two years.

[jochhejaam]

I'm not an expert in MLB contracts and arbitration stuff, but isn't Marcus Thames a free agent?
Not sure myself, but I don't think he is. Here's the Tigers players that have declared for free agency:
Detroit Tigers (4): Sean Casey, 1b; Troy Percival, rhp; Matt Stairs, of; Jamie Walker, lhp.


(and the other 165 players that have declared)
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6121288