First of all, the Tigersosphere is getting together for a Trade Deadline Live Chat. So far, Bill Ferris from the Detroit Tigers Weblog, Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers, Big Al from The Wayne Fontes Experience, Lee of Tiger Tales, and me of Bless You Boys will be talking trades beginning at 2 p.m. EST right up until the 4 p.m. deadline.
Bill has sent out invites to several other people, so hopefully, some members of the mainstream media will also be available to answer your questions and chat. It'll be like an episode of the Super Friends, starring your favorite Tigers bloggers and writers.
We'll be doing it Cover It Live style, and you'll be able to access the chat here or at either of the other three aforementioned sites. You can also submit questions, comments, or news via Twitter by using the hashtag #TigsTrade. I'll post the chat around 1 p.m. Again, we'll get started at 2 and go until 4.
I think we'll also do an Open Thread for the few hours leading up to the chat. I should've opened another one for you guys last night! I can't believe it got past 500 comments through the night. Again, you guys are amazing.
Okay, let's go prowling:
Thanks to Lynn Henning, we know what the Toronto Blue Jays wanted from the Tigers in exchange for Roy Halladay. J.P. Ricciardi asked for Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and Class A prospect Casey Crosby in a potential deal. And with that, I think it's pretty understandable why Dave Dombrowski said, "Right, I'll get back to you" and went on with the rest of his day.
I understand Ricciardi trying to get everything he can for his best player, and he should ask for other teams' best prospects. But does he really want to make a trade or not? Because it sounds like he's overshooting here. Again, maybe that's fine, because in the end, the Jays can still have Halladay for another year. But if the idea is to get something before you end up getting nothing, then Ricciardi could be making a big mistake by asking for the moon.
I know there's been some healthy disagreement as to whether or not the Tigers should accept those terms. Some of us over-value prospects, while others want to win at all costs. (Just don't bring John Smoltz into the argument, okay? That was 20 years ago.) I feel like you have to win the World Series if you make a deal like this. But is "trading the farm," so to speak, for an elite player worth it?
The Detroit Tigers Weblog puts it in terms of numbers, showing how many more wins Halladay would be worth to this year's Tigers team and virtually assuring a playoff spot. And once they're in the playoffs, who's to say what happens with the rotation Detroit could throw out there? So again, would such a deal be worth the price?
Fire Jim Leyland essentially agrees with Billfer, saying the total value of Porcello, Perry, and Crosby in terms of Wins Above Replacement pretty much equals what Halladay would give them in a season-and-a-half. However, could the Tigers really afford to take on the remaining $20 million+ he's still owed on his contract with their current payroll?
Mack Avenue Tigers asks if hitting coach Lloyd McClendon can realistically be blamed for the Tigers' struggling offense. We all know they're not scoring enough runs. And there are a few players in the lineup that might benefit from some better tutelage. But weren't we told all winter long that the team was going to be sacrificing offense for defense in 2009?
Dombrowski told Jon Paul Morosi (or was it Ken Rosenthal) that getting a third baseman to fill in for Brandon Inge wasn't a trade priority for them. Though with the rumors of Detroit's interest in Marco Scutaro and Freddy Sanchez, it sounded as if such a player was definitely on their shopping list.
The FOXSports.com rumor chasers also talked to an American League scout who thought Seattle's Jarrod Washburn would be "a great fit" for the Tigers, because of the success that left-handers have had at Comerica Park. (Clearly, he wasn't talking about Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis this year.)
However, it doesn't look like the Tigers are in on Washburn. SI.com's Jon Heyman thinks the Yankees have the best shot at getting him, but not if it costs them Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. So does that mean Porcello would be the price for Washburn?