Adam Everett to be DFA, showing Tigers want to improve

I've always hoped the best for Adam Everett. He seems like a really nice guy. He plays the shortstop position with intelligence to make plays look routine that otherwise might take effort.

But as everyone knows, he just can't hit.

At all.

Eventually even the best glove is overwhelmed by the total lack of a bat, and two months into the season he has a value worse than a replacement player.

Everett left the Tigers with little discretion. They needed to go out and get that replacement player as an upgrade. Fortunately the option seems to be a bit better than replacement.

Danny Worth, welcome back to the big leagues. Effective, Tuesday, anyway, when Everett is officially designated for assignment.

The Tigers' shortstop splits are among the worst in the American League -- and yes, that includes Ramon Santiago, who has an OPS of just .615 at the position, which by the way was almost 150 points higher than Everett's.

As a team the Tigers rank 11th in wOBA if that's your stat, or 12th in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage and 13th in slugging average if you want something a bit more traditional.

Despite a poor two weeks or so of baseball, Detroit finds itself still just 3.5 games behind AL Central first place Minnesota with nearly two-thirds of the season to go. Now is as good as any time to make an upgrade. I'm glad to see the Tigers did it.

Tom Gage has reaction from Everett and Jim Leyland:

"We just didn't see anything happening (offensively) with Adam," said manager Jim Leyland.

"I think Worth is going to be a good one for a long time," said Everett. "I wish him the best."

Worth hit a .333 average/obp/slugging line in 25 plate appearances with Detroit earlier this season. He also fielded well at second base. And he was optioned to Toledo simply because Carlos Guillen was coming off the disabled list. In other words, it was a great experience for Worth during his first stop in Detroit and he should be coming back with some confidence.

But don't expect miracles. As hyped of a prospect as Worth was, he never hit well in the minors. Even this season his line is .287 / .330 / .354. In other words, nothing to write home about.

Still I do like this decision. It became impossible to defend Everett's playing time as bad as he did with the opportunity. Worth, in some combination with Santiago, is an upgrade. Not a great one, but an upgrade.

As well this lets Detroit's front office get plenty of time to evaluate Worth before the offseason, when the Tigers find themselves with some available cash. Will they need to spend some of that on shortstop, either through the weak free-agent market or through a possible trade? Or will Worth be the answer?

They have to know. And they get better immediately just by asking the question.

Cutting ties with Willis last week and designating Everett this week shows the Tigers are not going to settle for weak performances. As a fan, you have to applaud that.

Gerald Laird, however, might want to start evaluating his ability to sublease.