We've been reading for months about the Detroit Tigers holding back on spending big money on player contracts this off-season.  And for the most part, I think everyone's on board with that in Tiger Town.  The team seems to have enough stars, but needs some role players - some "glue guys" - to help it run more smoothly.

So there won't be a Francisco Rodriguez in the Tigers' future.  Okay, we get that.  No Rafael Furcal, no CC Sabathia, no Brian Fuentes, or Adam Dunn, either.  Fine, we understand.

But if Detroit is going to let Edgar Renteria go, the reasonable expectation (unless the intent is to blatantly dump salary from the payroll) is to get someone better.  Even if the improvement is only on the defensive side.  This is why many fans are fine with the Tigers starting Ramon Santiago at shortstop next season.  And it's why so many turned up their noses at the idea of trading for Julio Lugo.  (We might not have to worry about that anymore, however.)

For all the fretting over getting Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh, at least the numbers say his glove is better.  And he'll give you some offense.

But now, Jon Paul Morosi is reporting that the Tigers are thinking of signing Alex Cora, and pairing him with Santiago next year.  Really?  Alex Cora?  Another Red Sox cast-off?  Should we expect to see Mike Greenwell in left field next season?

Seriously, has it really come to this?  Is the free agent cupboard that bare?  Is the trade market that dry?  Are the extremes of the available shortstops so wide apart that the alternative to signing a potential superstar like Furcal is picking up a slap-hitting journeyman who wouldn't beat out Lugo or Jed Lowrie?

Cora hit .270/.371/.349 with no home runs and nine RBIs, in 179 plate appearances last season.  His defensive range is far below the league average.  This is what the Tigers are thinking of playing at shortstop next season?  And apparently, he'd play quite a bit, because Dave Dombrowski has already made it clear that he doesn't see Santiago as an everyday player. 

You've got to be kidding.  And I'm going to tell myself that Dombrowski is actually kidding with this.  That this is his smart-ass way of responding to all the squawking about trading for Jack Wilson.  "Oh yeah?  You don't think Wilson's any good?  Let me show you how bad it could be.  I got your shortstop right here!"

Or perhaps the Tigers' intentions have been misinterpreted, and they see Cora as the utility infielder he actually is, and like him as someone who could back up at shortstop, second base, and third base.  That might be the most logical assumption to make.  It was Morosi who speculated that Cora could be paired with Santiago as the shortstop tandem. 

Let's hope that's what's really happening here.  Otherwise, if that's how little the Tigers are going to spend on shortstop, they'd better shell out some cash for that bullpen.  Or something's going on financially that we just don't know about.