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Wow.
Marlins sending Cabrera, Willis to Tigers
Ken Rosenthal
FOXSports.com
The Marlins and Tigers have made the first blockbuster splash of the Winter Meetings.
Florida and Detroit have reached a preliminary agreement that will send star third baseman Miguel Cabrera and left-hander Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for a package of young players headlined by outfielder Cameron Maybin and left-hander Andrew Miller, according to major-league sources.
Detroit will also send four prospects to the Marlins as part of the deal. Catcher Mike Rabelo and Class AAA right-hander Dallas Trahern were mentioned as possible players Tuesday morning, according to sources.
The deal immediately raises questions about the future of current Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge. Inge is set to make $6.3 million this season, $6.3 million in 2009 and $6.6 million in 2010. The acquisition of Cabrera and Willis will add close to $20 million to the Tigers' payroll.
The Tigers already feature two veteran left-handed starters, Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson, which made Miller available in a deal for Willis.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7525396
Wow.
If I'm a Detroit fan, I'm sad to see a package that good go, but would be exstatic that the team I root for is committed to winning. Cabrera and Willis should keep the Tigers in the top-3 all year. Shoudl propel them over the Indians as well, so long as Bonderman and Willis can perform well.
Good point. Both Bondo and Willis have very good stuff but both have struggled last couple seasons. If they each can pitch solid, the Tigers should be very, very good.
Marlins will win the series within 3 years. So much young talent added to an already young and very talented team.
I don't know how much you can bank on Willis right now. He's a talent, but he was pretty awful last year and his after all-star splits have been pretty awful his entire career.
Willis is a question mark, but he'll likely be the fourth guy in the rotation. If he's the fourth best pitcher on the staff, then the Tigers hopefully can allow him to just get through any struggles he may have. Two things that may help him are that 1) a lot of AL hitters won't be used to his unique pitching wind up and may have problems hitting him, and 2) Comerica Park's big dimension are pitcher friendly at least as it pertains to keeping the ball in the park. Still a lot of questions whether he can pitch better than the last two seasons, but hopefully for the Tigers and Tiger fans he does.
Anytime team would take a Bonderman/Willis backend of the rotation. Verlander gives you an ace, Rodgers will eat up innings and if either Bonderman or Willis prove to be anything more than a 3rd starter, then the Tigers will be just fine with that lineup.
At 43, I don't think you can count on Rogers eating up innings any more. He might still get up around 200, but it's far from a sure thing.
I dunno, he should be pretty fresh considering how little he pitched last season. I think he will be OK.
Rogers' age is a bit of an issue. But recovering from last season's injury is more of an issue. He's a soft tosser that relies on location so it's not like he's a 43 year old that relies on a 95 mph fastball.
Before last season and his injury:
2006: 17-8 record, 33 starts, 204 innings
2005: 14-8 record, 30 starts, 195 innings
2004: 18-9 record, 35 starts, 211 innings
2003: 13-8 record, 31 starts, 195 innings
2002: 13-8 record, 33 starts, 210 innings
You can't just site his age and think he can't do what he's done 5 of the last 6 years. If he's healthy, he'll likely be pretty good for the Tigers.
Except the list of non-knuckleballers that were still eating innings at 43 is slim.
And injuries are more likely to occur and become harder to bounce back from.
He may well eat innings again, but pity the tigers if they are counting on him to do so (which I doubt they are).
We saw one recently in Jamie Moyer in 2005. He's done it the last two years at the ages of 44 and 45 (199 innings last season).
You can try to discredit Kenny Rogers. Fact is, at any age, the health of starting pitching is an issue with most major league clubs. It can be just as likely that a 25 year old pitching stud get injured as it will be Rogers next season.
And, I don't think they're counting on Rogers. While not the greatest pitching rotation, at least Willis gives the Tigers four other solid (none spectacular except for Verlander) pitchers to get their 30-35 starts. There are plenty of above average clubs that don't even have three solid starting pitchers.
Yes, it's possibly that a 25 year old can get injured. But not "just as likely" as a 43 year old.
Probability is not reality. Rogers can have a 50% chance of getting injured versus a 25 year old pitcher having a 5% chance of getting injured, and reality can still end up being Rogers staying healthy and the 25 year old kid getting injured.
Probability, conjecture, predictions ... all nice to talk about. None really determine what actually will happen.
When we're speculating, all we have is probabilities.
It's possible that Inge could have a better year next year than Miguel Cabrera.
That's the point.
Kenny Rogers could absolutely pitch 200 innings next year.
Impossible
yeah Cabrera>>>>>Inge
good move for tigers... 24 and 25 year old studs for prospects. i'd do that every day and twice on sunday. although d-train is a question mark.
Are you kidding me?
Tigers have the best lineup in baseball. Pudge might be hitting 9th. Are you kidding me!?!?
With the illegal performance-enhancing drugs available today, 43 is not as "old" as it used to be.
Good move for both clubs...
Tigers get instant contention with Cabrera at 3B and Willis in the rotation. They gave up a of a prospect in Maybin, but already have Granderson.
And the Marlins....
Get the OF of their dreams in Cameron Maybin, a front-end starter in their rotation (who is better than overhyped Willis IMO), a decent Catcher, and a slew of young arms to add to their farm.
It's POSSIBLE that fatty will hurt himself in the first game and not play all year. Not very probable at all - but possible. Look at the point I was arguing. It really had nothing to do with Cabrera vs. Inge. I was just saying that the probability of Rogers still being an innings eater is not something that can be counted on.
Are you kidding me?
tigers really need relief pitching... they were weak before now they don't even have zumaya for awhile.
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