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Were the Tigers about to trade for Manny Ramirez?

The Tigers added no players at the trade deadline, unless you count the trade for Jhonny Peralta a few days before it. This was really not a big surprise, given the state of the team and the desire not to give up star prospects for rental players.

But then we got some interesting news. GM Dave Dombrowski told the press he had a big, headline-making, season-changing move up his sleeve that he was inches away from getting done. He just didn't.

"I thought we had a chance to do something that was probably surprising and big," he said. "At one time, I thought we would. But it didn't materialize."

"Anytime you get close to something (but only close), the wind goes out of your sails if you think you're going to make a deal," Dombrowski said. "But it was so far out of the blue, I'm not sure 'disappointed' is the right word. It's more like getting the wind knocked out of you."


Names? He's not sharing.

Speculation is that the Tigers were the mystery team in on the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez.

Tom Gage of the Detroit News wrote:

(I)t's also too bad the Tigers didn't make it because, for their sake, it could have been their best shot to make the most of their last 60 games.

They need a bat. Manny, if he was the one involved, would have been a bat.

Plus it also would have been an admirably bold move at a time when such a move was needed.

It's clear the Tigers were ready and willing. And they thought they were about to make it.

But whoever it was got away.

One thing you can say about Dombrowski: he loves to make a big splash, he never names names, and you never really know what he's going to do.

Another thing you can say: His midseason trades haven't seemed to work out great in the past few years.

Currently on the disabled list, Manny Ramirez has a .409 OBP and .516 slugging average. However his contract would have expired after this season. And who's to say he wouldn't have been back on the DL by the end of this season after likely coming at a high price? So I guess I'm glad nothing came of it ... if that was the deal.

But hey, the July trade deadline may have passed without an addition, but that doesn't mean the window is shut. The Tigers could still add a player who passes through waivers, just as they did with Aubrey Huff last year. But hopefully, if they do, it works out much better.