The Market For Magglio

Perhaps the worst-kept secret of the Detroit Tigers' off-season will turn out to be an interest in trading Magglio Ordonez.  No one directly associated with the team has hinted at such a move (and rightly so), but many reporters and observers seem to think it's something the Tigers are going to do.  Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, in particular, has been flying this flag for months.

If the Tigers' payroll figures to be about the same ($134 million) as it was this year, which Dave Dombrowski asserted at baseball's GM meetings yesterday, then it certainly stands to reason that trading Ordonez is really the only way to free up a significant portion of payroll (he'll be paid $18 million next season) while also offering value to any team with a reliever, catcher, or shortstop to spare.

Sure enough, there's some rumbling in the baseball blogosphere as to where Maggs' curly locks might flow next season.  Let the blockquotes begin.

MetsBlog.com:

...assuming the Mets look to left field as a way to upgrade the offense, if they are unable to sign Manny Ramirez, or trade for Matt Holliday, or sign a less-expensive free agent, ordonez could be a decent option, considering players like Raul Ibanez and Adam Dunn will likely sign a three-year deal anyway…i’m not sure magglio makes a whole lot of sense, given the history of his knees, the National League, etc., but he is an option worth keeping an eye on, though i would probably prefer dunn in this scenario...

River Avenue Blues:

I’d say pass on Ordoñez.  He doesn’t incrementally add much to the Yankee roster that the team couldn’t add by re-signing Abreu.  Plus, he’s going to cost, at least for 2009, significantly more than Bobby, and the Tigers will ask for something beyond fiscal relief in a trade.  If the Yankees are interested in Ordoñez, they may as well just stick with Abreu for less money, and they wouldn’t have to give up prospects to boot.

Talking Chop:

A guy like Ordonez would probably be a good fit for the Braves.  He's an average left fielder with good pop in his bat, and he's a right-handed hitter which fits well into our heavily left-handed lineup.  Mags is also a controlled hitter, who takes a fair number of walks and keeps his strikeouts down.

The contract is a pretty big one, but we have the money to spend this year, and a contract like his that goes down the next two years, when other player's contracts likely increase, will fit well into our payroll for the next few years.

Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer also mentions Ordonez as a possible fit for the Phillies if they lose Pat Burrell to free agency.  And if you haven't read it already, The Spot Starters made the case for trading Maggs to Tampa Bay (though Blake's obviously looking at this from a Tigers-centered viewpoint).

So would you be more surprised if the Tigers did or didn't trade The Big Tilde this winter?  Are there any other teams you see as a good match?  (If not for the fact that they're looking for a left-handed bat, I think the Cubs would actually be a nice fit.)  What sort of return do you imagine Detroit could yield from trading arguably their best hitter?  The floor is yours.