This post is inspired by the rumors we have heard surrounding the Tigers targeting such game changers as Jack Wilson and Gerald Laird.

The 2008 season exposed several holes that many of us did not see heading into the season and they do not need to be revisited here. It is worth noting that based on the results of this past season the team seems to be targeting upgrades at SS, catcher and relief pitching (in that order) with an eye on contending in '09.

As a fan it is always encouraging to see a team trying to compete every year but I am concerned that some of the proposed moves out there won't make a big enough difference in our '09 campaign and could set us back in '10.

First priority seems to be SS. I don't know if Ramon Santiago once kicked DD's dog or something but the teams commitment to having anyone but Santiago as the opening day starter is baffling to me. My first thought on Santiago is that the combo of him and Inge on the left side of the infield will provide a distinct improvement in team defense from Renteria and Gullien. Second, while it was a small sample of at-bats, he did hit .280 and he did walk more than he struck out (for the first time in his career). If he can even hit .250 and walk more than he strikes out next year I feel like that is good enough for a likely number 8 or 9 hitter.

I know DD is convinced Santiago will not hold together for a whole year so the best alternative I have heard is Jack Wilson. But Wilson to me is not enough of an improvement to make it worth it to me. He makes 6 million more a year than Santiago, is coming off a year in which he missed half the season with injury and there are rumors that his range has gone down. He hits .269 for his career, has never had more than 12 hrs or 62 RBI's in a year and has twice as many strikeouts as he walks.

Whether or not we truly get an improvement here for '09 is not what truly concerns me though. The Pirates already scared off the Dodgers with their asking price for Wilson and my concern is that the Tigers might give up someone that could contribute in 2010. That year is significant because DD continues to say that Cale Lorg is a future star and could be ready in 2010. So if Jack Wilson (or sub any other rumored name) is not the answer in 2010 and we lose someone how could contribute then in order to upgrade for '09 is it worth it? I say no.

Then their is catcher. Clearly the sample we have on Dusty Ryan is too small to be able to judge what he can realistically contribute but as a fan I would rather see him and Dane Sardinha platoon next year then see the team throw away money on a Gerald Laird or Matt Trainor. At least if they do make a move like that I would expect the person they get to contribute in 2010. But, I would rather avoid sending away a prospect and give the shot to someone in-house. If Ryan or Sardinha prove themselves capable then we will have them in the fold for 2010 and ready to go. If not we can still shop for someone in the '09 off-season.

The point of all this is that I can see this team being in a better position to compete in 2010 than in 2009 and I would hate to jeopardize that to improve our chances this year. Looking ahead to 2010 we could have a rotation that looks like this: Verlander, Galarraga, Bondo, Porcello and Willis. Assuming Verlander bounces back, Galarraga continues to improve and Bondo can hold himself together we could have a nice rotation. Add Porcello in and that could be a strong front 4 of the rotation. Willis is under contract so we are stuck there. As far as relief pitching goes, our last draft was so focused on relief that I would hope 2 or 3 of these guys can contribute by 2010.

Now consider that if Lorg is ready we will have SS covered. Shef will be gone and I would like to see Gullien moved to DH. In 2008 we had payroll above 130 million. We are losing the contracts of Rogers, Jones, Renteria, Pudge, Farnsworth and Shef by 2010. If we avoid needless spending in '09 we could have enough money saved to make a run at a quality LF (if we don't see Joyce as an option), 3b (for everyone that hates Inge) or a starter if needed.

It seems to me that at this moment we are in much better shape to compete in 2010 than in 2009. If we go in house to fill our needs at catcher and SS I think we can still be competitive in '09 if our pitching improves. Looking ahead to 2010 we may have in house answer's to some of our pitching problems. We also may have an in house answer to our SS need. If we save money in 2009 and with Shef's contract gone we may also be able to be bigger players in free agency to fill any other potential needs. All added up I hope DD considers our chances in 2010 when making deals regarding 2009.