Mariners Interested in Edwin Jackson

by Ian Casselberry on Nov 17, 2009 10:10 AM EST in Detroit Tigers Hot Stove

If the Detroit Tigers are serious about trading pitcher Edwin Jackson, add the Seattle Mariners to the list of teams that would like a shot at getting him.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi (I wonder if they have a desk in which they sit across from each other), the Tigers and M's have been exchanging some names back and forth. However, the talks are reportedly "not all that serious."

But there have been discussions. And within them, Dave Dombrowski is looking for "minimum salary pitching," according to the source for the story. Two of the names suggested by Rosenthal and Morosi are Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley.

When healthy, Morrow has a great arm. But staying healthy has been a problem for him. This season, he pitched in only 26 games for Seattle, sitting down with forearm and shoulder injuries. The Mariners have also tried to figure out what role best suits Morrow. He throws hard enough (98 m.p.h.) to be an excellent late-inning option, and looks like closer material. Yet he might not have an arm suited for pitching multiple games in a row.

So Morrow might be better as a starting pitcher. Yet he might not have the stamina nor pitching repertoire for that role, either. Morrow is mostly a fastball-slider guy, and is trying to add a curveball and/or change-up to his arsenal.

Kelley is solely a reliever, also sporting the same fastball-slider combo, though he doesn't throw as hard as Morrow. But he also fought injury problems this season, missing approximately 50 games with a strained oblique muscle.

But this scenario once again raises the question of how exactly this would make the Tigers better. While Detroit might lack an established closer, bullpen depth is not a weakness in the organization. The Tigers have several young relievers, some of whom might be ready to make meaningful contributions next season. Trading Jackson would leave a hole in their starting rotation that this suggested trade wouldn't fill. Yet if the goal is primarily to reduce payroll (which is the premise fueling all of these rumors), then that would be accomplished.

Rosenthal and Morosi also write that the Mariners are interested in Curtis Granderson, though it wasn't clear whether Seattle had the resources to make that kind of deal happen. The M's already have Franklin Gutierrez in centerfield, however, and a handful of young outfielders who can play in left, so this may just have been an inquiry into what the Tigers are looking for.

That's a question I think we'd all like to know the answer to right now.

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This is the second time I've heard about DD looking for players with league minimum

From Jason Beck:

Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin told the Detroit Free Press last week that he had no contact with the Tigers because they were looking for players who had low salaries and service time.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 10:24 AM EST reply actions

Hmm.

I wouldn’t have been opposed to Jackson for Gamel + a pitching prospect. I guess that can be ruled out now.

by StringTheory on Nov 17, 2009 12:51 PM EST up reply actions

Low salaries and servcie time

Look for that doesn’t mean the Tigers are dumping payroll—it’s just common sense. Despite what Rosenthal seems to think, the one thing the Tigers do not need more of is old, expensive players

by rea on Nov 17, 2009 5:58 PM EST up reply actions

Morrow and Kelley?

Pass!

by Dberg on Nov 17, 2009 10:34 AM EST reply actions

Another thing to keep in mind (not that it'll have any bearing on actual events):

If a trade happens, history suggests it’ll happen quickly. Think about it. The Sheffield and Renteria deals were completed right after the World Series ended. Last year during the Winter Meetings, most of us woke up to the news that not only were the Tigers talking to the Rangers about Gerald Laird, they had already gotten him. The same thing happened with Edwin Jackson a few days later. Even a deal has big as the Cabrera trade only took a matter of hours from “the Tigers have expressed interest” to “done deal.” It just seems to be how DD operates. So if someone gets traded away, we probably won’t have much warning.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 10:49 AM EST reply actions

Morrow intrigues me

But not for Jackson. Ejax already throws hard and could potentially be a closer or a starter himself, and he’s not all that expensive as is. Cheap SP is rare to find, especially because teams will pay top dollar for anyone who can go 6 strong night in and night out.

by KidRick48 on Nov 17, 2009 10:54 AM EST reply actions

Plus, so far EJ hasn't had the injury issues that Morrow has

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

+1

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Nov 17, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions

The Tigers aren’t trying to cut payroll that badly; they can’t be going bankrupt.

Dombrowski is looking for a good deal, but everyone in the rest of the country thinks that he’ll be low balled because of the economy.

by metatron5369 on Nov 17, 2009 11:23 AM EST reply actions

Pretty much

It’s unfortunate too.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Nov 17, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions

It just doesn't make sense

All these deals we keep hearing… not only do they make the Tigers arguably worse (and in some cases much worse), but they really don’t cut payroll. Jackson was 2% of our payroll last year and even assume he gets $5 million from arbitration this year, he’d still only be about that much.

I’m with Big Al in a previous thread… suck it up for 2010 and a lot of money comes off the books. Detroit doesn’t need to make desperate trades to cut payroll.

Motown String Music- SB Nation's Detroit Pistons Blog

by Packey on Nov 17, 2009 11:48 AM EST reply actions

I probably should have said

cut payroll enough to make it worth it

Motown String Music- SB Nation's Detroit Pistons Blog

by Packey on Nov 17, 2009 11:50 AM EST up reply actions

But that's just it...

Detroit isn’t making desperate trades, that’s why nothing’s happened.

DD said nobody was free from being traded, and apparently everyone took it to mean a fire sale. It’s not; he’s looking at refilling the organization with prospects for the next decade. Unfortunately, so is everyone else. Only the Cubs seem to be the right match for a Granderson trade, and nobody knows if they’re serious or not,

Dombrowski gets a lot of flak, but aside from a few gambles he’s made through trades (a sin every GM is guilty of – and the good far outweighs the bad), his only problem has been giving money to career year or aging players.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Jackson and Granderson were on the 25-man roster come Opening Day.

by metatron5369 on Nov 17, 2009 1:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I wouldn't be surprised either

I’m saying these would be desperate trades if they were to happen, which makes it silly to bring up in the first place (ahem, Rosenthal)

And I hope you didn’t think I was giving Dombrowski flak. I think you and I are in 100% agreement on our opinion of him from what you said.

Motown String Music- SB Nation's Detroit Pistons Blog

by Packey on Nov 17, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions

It's kinda like the Pistons last summer...

Joe D. declared everyone on the trade block and it felt like everyone on the team was gonna be traded (by media response. I was a blog frequenter yet). the summer went by and nobody got traded until we made a trade that shall go down in infamy a few games into the season.

Point is, it appears the Tigers are going the same way as the Pistons. If a trade happens that you feel will make the team better, go for it. Otherwise, there is a lot of money coming off the books for the 2011 season.

My Music: Some Sorta Giant
New Song: One Days Work

by madpoopz on Nov 18, 2009 10:17 AM EST up reply actions

Verlander finishes third in Cy Young Voting.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4663979

by peazgrl on Nov 17, 2009 2:14 PM EST reply actions

I can't believe Grienke won.

Someone who actually deserves it? Buh?

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Nov 17, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions

The AL Central

Winners of the past 4 Cy Youngs and the past 4 batting titles

What a crappy division we are :-)

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions

Really?

Wonder if any other division has done that.

by Elfuego51 on Nov 17, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

If only

there was a certain other pitcher who would win the Cy Young 3 years after going on the DL for anxiety disorders . . .
:)

by rea on Nov 17, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

Hee hee.

Ooooh…. he could do it in 2012! And the Mayans would be right!

by NCDee on Nov 17, 2009 9:09 PM EST up reply actions

Tigers vs White Sox

I hate hearing about how the Tigers are pretty much willing to sell their team away and not resign one of their best players in Polanco, while the White Sox are interested in adding many big named players. Looks to me like the Tigers aren’t going to improve at all, while teams in the division are getting stronger. I’m a huge Tigers fan, but so far next season doesn’t look good.

by Djz on Nov 17, 2009 5:46 PM EST reply actions

2011

. . . the Tigers are trying to gear up for a world championship in 2011; next year is a secondary consideration. ;)

by rea on Nov 17, 2009 6:00 PM EST up reply actions

the white sox have made their plays...

With rios and peavy. Other than minor tweaking, they are probably done making moves. The only exception would be in the event someone would be willing to take on konerkos contract.

by rook34 on Nov 17, 2009 6:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

There apparently is a rumor floating about that the White Sox are trying to acquire Adrian Gonzalez

I’m guessing that’s what Djz is referring to (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). However, since it’s yet to emerge on MLB Trade Rumors, I don’t think a lot of people are buying into it.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 6:13 PM EST up reply actions

who would SD ask for?

You would think they got the players they wanted from the Sox in the Peavy trade.

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com

by rock n rye on Nov 17, 2009 7:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

It's Dayn Perry vs. Ken Rosenthal

You mean some national writer isn’t COMPLETELY dismissive of us?

(Link)

Detroit is in contending mode, so the wise play would be to resist the temptation to sell off and instead take calculated risks. Since the AL Central is so winnable (and since the Tigers came within a hairsbreadth of a division title this past season), tweaks at the margins might be enough.

Granted, he says this while campaigning for the Tigers to sign Billy Wagner. I’m not entirely sure how to feel about that, but it’s sure better than Ken Rosenthal’s idiotic trade ideas.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Nov 17, 2009 6:12 PM EST reply actions

Maybe I missed it, but.........

Did DD give any quote since the end of the season indicating the Tigers were going to be actively selling useful players this offseason and mailing it in 2010? I understand the logic of dumping bad contracts, but we were just one game away from the playoffs this year………

by Elfuego51 on Nov 17, 2009 10:15 PM EST reply actions