The Tigers officially welcomed Magglio Ordonez today at Comerica Park. The terms reported in the AP were not discussed, so we’ll assume them to be accurate. One point was clarified and that was the “out clause” is only for the first year.
Some items of note from the presser:
-Boras indicated that the reason the Tigers were successful isn’t because they were offering the longest contract. They were just ahead of other teams in their research. I’m not sure if there were other bidders with extended contracts or not. Boras maybe helping save face for himself and the Tigers. Either way, all sides agreed that the Tigers were proactive in their research. They requested the medical information following the winter meetings. It was evaluated by team physician Dr. Anderson. Dr. Anderson also spoke with Ordonez’s physicians as well as performing the evaluation on Sunday. Ordonez also worked out in California for Tigers’ officials last week.
-The bone marrow edema was downplayed by both sides. It took 3 questions by Lynn Henning before it was mentioned, and even then the shock wave therapy wasn’t discussed.
-Mike Illitch and Ordonez seemed to really make a connection during their visit. Both sides said it was similar to the Pudge meeting last year. It leads me to believe that Illitch wasn’t worried about getting maximum value. He found a player that he liked. This player despite everything else will improve the team if he’s healthy. Illitch did what it took to get him. Value or no value, as a fan you’ve got to love that in an owner. Finally, to take care of that ‘if healthy’ part he has a GM that was able to get protection for the contract.
-Mr. I also brought up the fact that a year ago he made a commitment to Pudge Rodriguez to improve the team and that he felt he had to follow through on it.
-It sounds like Omar Infante was an ambassador for the club. He told Ordonez that the Tigers were a good team and that he should come play there. As the Venezuelan contingent grows in the clubhouse, maybe the Tigers can nab Santana when he becomes free?!
-DeWayne Wise was DFA’d to make room for Ordonez on the 40 man roster.
-Tram is projecting Ordonez to bat cleanup between Pudge and Dmitri Young. No surprise there.
-Ordonez: “I know we can win”
I still think the deal was for too much and too long, but I am excited to see the Tigers lineup in action. I also think Ordonez is right, the Tigers can win. I don’t know if they will, Minnesota is still the favorite. However the gap is closing. Second place could be a three team race and the Tigers should finish above .500 barring injuries.
While Ordonez will be facing pressure to perform well and live up to the terms of his contract, the Tiger under the most pressure this year will be Alan Trammell. Given Illitch’s investment, combined with the Tigers progress last year, he has to deliver a winning team.
Hey Billfer, I just discovered your blog and enjoy what I’ve read. Thanks for the breakdown of the press conference, since I didn’t get to see it. I tend to agree with you that Ordonez’s contract is too long and too expensive, but compared to the years when Ilitch wasn’t signing anyone, it’s nice to see him overpay for a player who could deserve it.
Minny is still the favorite in the Central, sadly enough. Just enough offense and superior pitching to anything the Tigers can throw out there. Detroit will be lucky to finish second and will likely have a heckuva fight for third.
Billfer – sign Santana? Imagine Homer Simpson tilting his head back and drooling ahhhhhh….
I’m hoping Detroit has enough to finish ahead of Cleveland, but that’s a good, young team that’s reloaded. Detroit needs its young guys (Hello, Carlos Pena) to finally put it together.
I want to be positive about this but I think the deal is a disaster unless a lot of the money is in incentives that will be tough to reach. Right now what I’m thinking is that the best that could happen is that Maggs will have a good year and then blow the knee out in August. This contract is going to kill them in years 4 and 5 (maybe earlier). The guy is good but is not a superstar. He’s 31 and coming off a bad injury. His numbers are inflated by US Cellular. He is an All Star OF to be sure, but at most#5 in the league. (Manny, Sheff, Vlad, Ichiro) He got $5 mil more than Vlad, and he is just nowhere near as good. He certainly improves the team in the short run. In the long run he could cripple them ala Easley, Higginson, Palmer etc. I hope (really hope) that I’m wrong, but I can’t say that I am jumping for joy. How Boras gets these deals for a player nobody else wants is beyond me. I suppose he could have held Maggs out until spring in the hopes that a contender would have an OF go down for the year. I still can’t see anybody else committing more than 3-4 years, $30-40 mil on Maggs, even if he never had the knee injury. Is the Detroit premium that high? That he gets more than Guerrero, more than Beltre (who’s 26!!), $20 mil more than Drew (who likely has more upside at this point), $2 mil a year less than Beltran who is 27 and a GG CF? I don’t get it. They didn’t need him this bad. I know Ilitch pushed it but I am disappointed DD didn’t get it done for a lot less. I suppose they think he’ll be a draw and bring in extra $$. I’m not sure it will work out, unless they contend, and I don’t know if the pitching is good enough yet. I suspect not. Someone explain to me why this makes sense. Please.
While I share some of the concerns of many fans about what this deal might mean a few years from now, let’s look at the upside. Mags, in my opinion, was a superstar and still might be. He’s a .307 lifetime hitter and good for 30-35 HR and 100+ RBI if he returns to form. I’m a big Drew fan, but he’s injury prone, too. And I think Beltre is a one-year wonder.
This gives the Tigers some options in the outfield and maybe they can make a trade in mid-season. Some teams might have interest in White, for example, at that point. You have to love Bobby Higginson for all he’s given to the Tigers through losing season, but Mags is a potentially huge upgrade.
If the Tigers can continue to improve, maybe future free agents look at Pudge and Mags and decide to come to Detroit. That’s where this deal might produce its biggest upside in the next year or two.
If Mags can give us two or three solid seasons, I’ll let the chips fall where they may the rest of the way.
Simply put, though, there is finally some reason to feel optimistic. But it’s not all on Mags. Pena has got to blossom. Inge has to repeat his performance of a year ago. The middle relief, the real sore spot last year, must improve. And the starters need to all take another step forward. Reports I’ve read about Johnson are encouraging. If he really has the blister problem put behind him, he could produce like he did in the first half of the season.
I’ve been impressed with Trammell as a manager so far. I think he’ll continue to get better. There are many “ifs” but “if” we can get a majority of them to go our way, this team really could be a contender in the Central. The fact we can even say that so soon after 119 losses is encouraging alone.
Now, if we could only get the farm system to produce, we’d be in great shape.
Keep the faith. The Motor City Kitties might be ready to roar like Tigers again soon!
If Mr. I keeps spending money, his big salary won’t be an issue. Forget the Redwings (easy to do this year) and Keep spending on the Tigs Pizzaman!