via media.scout.com

The list of moves I present will not make the Tigers a great team overnight, but it will begin the process of transforming the lineup and pitching staff. The changes I present may seem pale to others, but given the magnitude of the work involved to make things happen, I believe these to actually be very bold. Hopefully you'll see improvements both in the quality of the starting rotation and bullpen along with minimal downgrades in the lineup and a general upgrading of the defense with more team speed being provided on a day-to-day basis with little payroll fluctuation, making my idea's, I believe, feasible.

Anyways, please enjoy and I look forward to feedback and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. I'm always glad to explain my reasonings.

1) My first fix would be to TRY bring in someone who can keep things lose, a joker in the clubhouse who can and will pull pranks and just do stupid things to keep guys loose. This team 'feels' too tight, like they're trying too hard. I don't know who that guy is, but he certainly doesn't need to be anyone special, for us (the Twins) its Mike Redmond, our backup catcher who everyone loves. I'm not a big believer in that whole team chemistry thing, I think mostly its an overblown pile of smoldering dog poo, but to a certain extent it can help - especially when things are going wrong. It may not be possible, but if a small move can be made to obtain a role player whos personality can lighten the atmosphere, I'm all for it.

2a) I'd release Kenny Rogers and  Todd Jones. I know thats pretty much the common consensus, but its an easy call to make. Its not that they're bad pitchers, but this team needs an infusion of youth in the worst way. No better place to start than the pair of 40 year olds.

2b) Sign Jon Garland as a free agent. He wont be cheap at 3 years, 14 million per, but he's a capable innings eater who's been there before and knows his way around the AL Central.

2c) Replace Chuck Hernandez. Usually a manager gets to choose who he wants to have on his staff, and I'm sure this is a fight Dave Dombrowski doesn't want to have, but the guy just isn't getting it done and this is a results oriented business. I don't believe as so many do that the pitching mess is somehow his fault, but his job is to get it right and he hasn't.

2d) Trade Gary Sheffield in the offseason and package him with Joel Zumaya (Fernando Rodney if you can, but I doubt it). I know Sheffield has 14 million remaining and I'm aware of what a huge talent Zumaya is, but unless you really think you can fix him - its time to cut bait and get as good of a return as possible. Offer to eat 10 million of Sheffield's contract and try and ship him to the A's for starting pitching prospect James Simmons, and reliever Joey Devine (or Andrew Cardigan if you're willing to look for a bit more long-term upside). The A's have frequently been willing to take on reclamation projects, and both Sheffield and Zumaya fit that billing. If the dollar figure is right, and they can get back a huge talent like Zoom, they just might bite.

If the new pitching coach really believes he can help Zumaya, then hold him and just try and deal Sheffield for Simmons while eating most, if not all of the contract.

The 2009 staff;

SP1 - Justin Verlander (0.6m)
SP2 - Jon Garland (14.0m)
SP3 - Armando Galarraga (0.4m)
SP4 - Jeremy Bonderman (12.5m)
SP5-  Spring training battle between Nate Robertson (7.0m) and Dontrelle Willis (10.0m) with the loser moving to long relief.

LR1 - Willis/Robertson
MU - Fossum (~0.5m)
MR1 - Lopez (~0.7m)
MR2 - Miner (~0.75m)
MR 3 - Seay (~0.95m)
SU - Rodney (~2.4m)
CL - Devine (0.4m) / Zumaya (~1.70m)

Total ~50.2m

4) Trade Marcus Thames to the Devil Rays for pitching prospect Jeff Niemann and outfielder Sergio Pedroza. Neimann is a low ceiling guy, but he's pretty much ready to go and frankly, he's about #582 on the Rays list of young, quality, MLB ready arms. Its embarrassing how much pitching talent they have. Seriously, they're rotation could have 5 or 6 ace quality pitchers by the end of next year. Thats vomit inducing to think of. Kazmir, Garza, Shields, Price, Wade, McGee. Sweet Jesus. Toss in Jeremy Hellickson and this is just absurd. Lord help the Yankees because they're going to need it, along with the rest of the AL.

5a) Let Edgar Renteria walk and pay out his 3 million buyout.

5b) Target Orlando Cabrera and Rafael Furcal as they hit the market. They'll each command big salaries as quality shortstops do, but they're young enough and talented enough to be worth it. I'd probably focus on Cabrera, he isn't as talented, but he's proven he can hit in the AL, and is what the team really needs - a very good glove. Furcal probably has more raw talent and is a pure spark plug, but he's also injury prone and hasn't proven he can hit in the AL, something that's becoming more and more obvious is a hurdle for guys make the jump to the junior circuit. Expect Cabrera to run you three years and 10-12 million per.

The Lineup and positions;

1 - Granderson - CF / LH (3.5m)
2 - Polanco - 2B / RH (4.6m)
3 - M. Cabrera - 1B / RH (15.0m)
4 - Ordonez - RF / RH (18.0m)
5 - Guillen 3B / SH (10.0m)
6 - Joyce - DH / LH (0.4m)
7 - Inge - C / RH (6.3m)
8- Thomas - LF / LH (0.4m)
9 - Cabrera - SS / RH (~11.0m)

BN1 - Raburn - INF / RH (0.4m)
BN2 - Sardinha - C / RH (0.4m)
BN3 - Larish - INF /  LH (0.4m)
BN4 - Clevlan - OF / RH (0.4m)

Total 70.8m + 13.0m (Sheffield's contract & Renteria's buyout) = 83.8m

Grand total: 134.0m