The Tigers continue to spend, although not on free agents. Today they announced two more additions to their scouting staff. Detroit named Miguel Garcia as Director of Venezuelan Operations/Central American Scouting and Tom Moore as the club?s Assistant Director of International and Professional Scouting.
You may remember that earlier in the month the Tigers announced the hiring of 4 scouts and Manny Crespo as Director of Latin American Operations.
Garcia and Moore assume similar positions to those they held with the Boston Red Sox. Garcia left the Red Sox earlier this year when they lost their Venezuelan facility. As for long time Tiger scout/employee Ramon Pena, he was promoted to the nebulous position of Special Assistant to the General Manager. Curiously, while Garcia and Moore have been added to the Tigers front office listing on the web page, Crespo isn’t.
Once again, I’ll say the Tigers are doing some things right this offseason. While it won’t help the team this season, investing in amateur scouting will hopefully bear fruit in the coming seasons. The Tigers difficulty in signing free agents without grossly overpaying highlights the need for homegrown talent. These hirings are at least a step in the right direction. Unfortunately that’s little consolation for fans heading into 2006.
The thing about this offseason is that there aren’t any quality free agents out there that is worth the risk and large contract that is sure to accompany. I read somewhere that Millwood and his agent $cott Bora$ aren’t going to consider any offers until Burnett signs with someone. Millwood is the only pitcher on the FA market that I really think the Tigers should consider seriously pursuing, but I just know that the high price Boras is going to get for him is something the Tigers can’t and shouldn’t afford.
I have told an Indians fan friend of mine for a while now that the Tigers signing Millwood would follow an all-too-familiar pattern: Boras client, check. Waits too long, check. Asking for too much money, check. Asking for a couple too many years, check. The only thing that doesn’t fit the pattern is a lack of injury history (or anticipated injury nexus, as with the aging catcher Rodriguez) with Millwood, as opposed to Pudge & Magglio. But if we get to mid-January and Millwood hasn’t signed yet, and we haven’t picked up a starting pitcher somewhere along the way in the off-season to that point… It’s a slippery slope from there. And probably at least a year too much and at least a couple of mil per year too much, to boot.
Peace people
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