Well, I feel kind of silly for going into full lockdown mode for the MLB trade deadline. As I'm sure you've heard by now, the Detroit Tigers did not make a deal before 4 p.m. EST today. They can still try to put together a trade before August 31, but any player involved will have to clear waivers. Considering how close most of the races are in most every division, I doubt any notable reliever will pass through unclaimed. It's disappointing, but if the going rate for Jon Rauch was Cameron Maybin, Dave Dombrowski had no choice but to pass.
Maybe we'll find out in the next day or two what the Tigers were in on, or what other teams were asking for. In the meantime, I thought you might find this interesting. Barry Svrluga talked to Nationals GM Jim Bowden about not making any moves at the deadline, and gavehis take on why very few big moves were made throughout baseball.
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More on the market in general: "I think last year the market was set. One thing we know, is that we're getting parity in the game. You get down to the trade deadline and small-market clubs do not have to dump payroll anymore. You're not seeing that. You're not seeing prospects being traded except for the Atlanta-Texas game, they're not going anywhere. The Red Sox and the Yankees and all the big market clubs are not trading their prospects."
On Cordero and Rauch: "We like them both a lot. We have a 25-year-old closer that's one of the best in the game. The last 36 appearances, 32 of them he hasn't given up a run. And we have him under control for two more years. The other one is 28 years old, we control him for three more years. Sure they're names. Everybody wants them. But we're not going to trade them unless you're getting pieces that are going to help us win a championship in a few years. They're not free agents. We didn't have to trade anybody."
And then this one should get some discussion going. Bowden was asked about the idea that he asks for too much in deals: "We will always ask for players that would help us win a championship. I am never going to feel bad for asking for players that can help us win. I'm not going to take players that can't help the Washington Nationals win at the big league level. So if they're going to criticize me, I'd much rather have them criticize me for asking for too much than asking for too little."
Bowden explained exactly why I thought Chad Cordero or Jon Rauch would've been ideal for the Tigers to pursue (at the right price, of course). On the other hand, if you have two players a lot of teams want, maybe it tells you those guys are worth holding onto - especially if you're moving into a new ballpark next year.
UPDATE: Buzz on the Burgh has some insight into the negotiations between the Tigers and Pirates for the Jack Wilson deal. I'm not sure what his source is, as I haven't been able to find the same information anywhere else, but I suppose there's no reason to think it's not true.