Could the Tigers Shoulder Adam Everett at Shortstop?

by Ian Casselberry on Nov 21, 2008 3:45 PM EST in News Comment 8 comments

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal has a suggestion for the Detroit Tigers' shortstop opening:

Free-agent shortstop Adam Everett could be a low-cost option for several clubs; the Tigers, in particular, would make sense. Tigers third-base coach Gene Lamont knows Everett from their days together with the Astros, and the Tigers are strong enough offensively to carry a light-hitting shortstop.

I had much the same thought about Everett as this past season was ending. The words "best defensive shortstop in baseball" often seem to be attached to his name. But I don't know if that will apply to him after he fought a shoulder injury all year. (I believe it was Billfer who talked me out of this, via IM.)

See if this excerpt from a May story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reminds you of anyone on the Tigers' roster:

Everett has had two cortisone shots for his strained right shoulder, and the second one helped. He tested his arm before the game and made several strong throws.

Well, we know what Everett and Gary Sheffield could talk about in the clubhouse.

Everett would bring a great glove to Detroit (even if he had trouble making some throws), and he'd come cheaply (he made $2.8 million this year). But he wouldn't help the Tigers much with his bat. He hit .213/.278/.323 this past season, with one home run and 20 RBIs in 150 plate appearances. We could presume that Brandon Inge wouldn't be hitting ninth with Everett in the lineup.

But this seems like another player with whom you wonder why his former team wouldn't want to keep him, if his skills were in such demand. Don't the Twins want to upgrade over Everett? Why could that be?

And if Detroit was to sign a light-hitting shortstop with a good glove, why not just play Ramon Santiago? Yet the Tigers just aren't that into him.

So what do you think? Could the Tigers do better? (At least Cesar Izturis would give them some speed, stealing 24 bases this year.) And if not, would Everett be around to sign later on?

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Re: Santiago

My g.f. makes the point (this was w.r.t. the proposed Lugo trade) that while <insert name of “proven” light-hitting SS> might be a bad hitter, he is unlikely to be as bad as Santiago could be. He did fine last year, in a limited number of at bats, but he could struggle to slug his weight. Everett will probably be approximately the same amount of bad hitter that he was last year. Though I’ve heard his defense may have eroded somewhat, to only slightly better than average.

Me, I’m all for trying Santiago out, because DD thinks that we’ve got the position filled by 2010, and I’d rather see what he can do than sign another guy who’ll probably just be marginally better.

I suppose my real question is, who will the Twins be playing at SS? If it’s a solid prospect they want to give some time to, then I can maybe understand signing Everett. If they’re just signing some dude, then…maybe not.

by cherub_daemon on Nov 21, 2008 4:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Twins

I think they’re looking at Orlando Cabrera.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Nov 21, 2008 4:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Look

Let’s just fast forward to next May. We all know we’re going to hate the guy we have playing shortstop. Either Ramon will be exposed (and believe me, he will be), or we’ll have some crappy veteran like Lugo, Izturis, Everett, et al. This team has too many holes to pay a ton of money for a shortstop, at least this year (maybe next year after Sheff comes off the books).

So if we accept the premise that our shortstop will suck, it behooves the Tigers to pay their shortstop as little as possible and/or get good defense from him, and/or get rid of another liability in acquiring their shortstop.

There is sometime to be said for Julio Lugo if the Tigers can make Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis go away, plus he’s got some speed and was once not terrible. There is something to be said for Everett, the left side of the infield would be a friggin black hole, but then again, so would the bottom of the lineup.

What I’d like to see the Tigers do is go after Chin-lung Hu of the Dodgers super hard. The Dodgers are trying to resign Furcal, and in general don’t like young guys. Hu is supposedly a defensive wizard who has enough bat to carry the glove. Perhaps a deal structured about Dontrelle, with the Tigers giving money, could be made?

by ThaWalrus9 on Nov 21, 2008 6:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nice find

Looked at Hu’s minor league numbers, and they look reasonable, but he played AAA ball in the PCL, which can make it tough to judge raw numbers. They do look kinda sorta reasonable compared to the league, and he’s never been really too old for the league he’s in.

How did he happen to cross your radar, Walrus?

by cherub_daemon on Nov 21, 2008 7:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He was Baseball Prospectus' #32 best prospect coming into the season

Here’s what they had to say about him:

“Hu has astonished scouts for years with his defensive prowess. He’s a natural shortstop with the perfect combination of fundamentals and flashiness abetted by some of the quickest hands around. In 2007, he finally showed some life at the plate after adopting an Ichiro-like step in the bucket and an aggressive, contact-oriented approach that resulted in gap power that paid off with 40 doubles and 14 home runs. Hu is blocked for one more year by Rafael Furcal, but the Dodgers won’t lose a shred of value when Hu takes over the following season.”

Obviously, the Dodgers are looking to resign Furcal, which shows you how much they value him.

by ThaWalrus9 on Nov 22, 2008 2:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Eeek!

It seems as if we are looking in ever direction except forward.

Did Santiago do something to personally offend DD and Leyland?

-s

by seanheyboer on Nov 21, 2008 9:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Santiago

He did a nice job for us last year. I don’t get it either. IMO, he’s good enough at least for a year. Save the money for pitching.

by densogirl on Nov 22, 2008 8:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

big fan of ramon 'the savior' santiago

Even if my nickname just isn’t catching on in the media. He deserves a shot as teh regular every day guy, especially as it seem none of the proposed names are much of a real upgrade.

by ahtrap on Nov 22, 2008 10:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs