Tigers Trade Rumors

"Given the opportunity to decide, outfielder Jacque Jones' first choice might be to join the Marlins. That's what Jones, who the Tigers designated for assignment last week, told an associate. For now, Jones has no control over his next destination. The Tigers have until Friday to trade or release him. Either way, they are on the hook for what's left of his $5.5 million salary (about $4.05 million). Any team that acquires him would make the Tigers pay much of the remaining money."

"Leyland has great respect for Bonds and his abilities. Would Leyland be amenable to having Bonds with the Tigers if Sheffield finds the bat does not return?"

"There has been enough discouragement to have prompted a couple loose references to retirement. Sheffield was brushing aside those words during this past weekend's series against the Angels."

"While Dombrowski simplified things by saying, "We just haven't played good baseball," the blogosphere is loaded with commentary about what he ought to do, and one prevailing suggestion is hiring Barry Bonds - the talk escalated when designated hitter Gary Sheffield missed time with a torn tendon in his left ring finger."

"Zach Miner and Yorman Bazardo got opportunities Thursday night, and the results were disastrous in a 12-6 Tigers loss to Boston. Miner and Bazardo have become top candidates to go, along with Jason Grilli. But no one in the bullpen seems completely safe, except for closer Todd Jones, setup man Denny Bautista and lefty Bobby Seay. Remember, changes are coming. At least two of the right-handers will have to go, if the Tigers go back to a 12-man staff and also add a second lefty. It could be that three go, if they add Francisco Cruceta to the big-league roster. Or maybe even four, if Fernando Rodney can come back from his right-shoulder trouble."

"But the race that might interest them the most is in the A.L. Central. Or, at least, that’s the one that Chad Cordero might need to monitor. The word is, Detroit is tracking the Nats reliever in case their bullpen falters them in the first half of the season."

"Tyler Yates, the Atlanta right-hander whom the Tigers have scouted this spring, pitched a scoreless inning for the Braves on Tuesday."

"If all goes well, after earning the $153.3 million the extension reportedly is worth, Cabrera might still be in his prime. His earning power is virtually limitless, but for now, he simply is shrugging his shoulders and saying, "What contract? I've not signed anything.""

"Dontrelle Willis gave him a hug. Other teammates shook his hand. And as he replied to text messages from friends who had heard the news, Miguel Cabrera wore the look of a man whose big payday had arrived."

"The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera reached a preliminary agreement Saturday on an eight-year, $153.3-million contract extension, espndesportes.com reported, citing an anonymous source."

"When asked if the deal would be for a relief pitcher, Leyland said it would. The names to which the Tigers have been most frequently linked in the last week are Michael Wuertz of the Cubs and Jorge Sosa of the Mets."

"There is one piece of information which both Detroit Tigers president Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland agree on -- Dombrowski's phone will ring more often in the next few days with trade offers concerning a relief pitcher."

"That the Tigers, desperate for a pitcher at the back end of their bullpen, are trying to have serious discussions with Oakland about closer Huston Street. But so far, the A's have not even decided if they want to trade Street. And if they do, they're likely to ask more than the Tigers have to offer."

"With Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya out for undetermined lengths of time, the Tigers have continued trade talks with clubs that have surplus relief pitching. Chicago Cubs right-hander Michael Wuertz has emerged as one of the Tigers' targets. Wuertz, 29, appeared in 73 games last year, with a 2-3 record and 3.48 ERA. The Cubs have considered adding another right-handed hitter, and they are believed to have some interest in Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames. The San Francisco Giants have also asked about Inge."

"The Tigers and third baseman Miguel Cabrera are continuing to talk about a long-term contract that would keep the talented third baseman in Detroit for the next several years."

"It remains entirely possible that Brandon Inge will begin the season as the Tigers' No. 2 catcher. With Inge as the No. 2 catcher, the Tigers would have room on the 25-man roster for infielder-outfielder Ryan Raburn."

"I can understand if the Tigers are weary of reading about, talking about, or otherwise dealing with the Brandon Inge trade issue. I suspect the only person more fatigued by all the clatter is Inge himself. "

"Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal, an authority on trade talks and issues, reported late Sunday that the Dodgers are seeking to trade for a low-salary player to help fill their infield gaps instead of high-salary players such as the Tigers' Brandon Inge."

"Bill Lajoies presence at Joker Marchant Stadium Sunday raised eyebrows for two reasons. One, the former Tiger general manager now works for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have had some interest in Brandon Inge (who not so coincidentally was playing third base Sunday)."

"Veteran Jeff Cirillo (Providence High of Burbank), a free agent, remains unsigned. Meanwhile, there are at least three experienced third basemen - Philadelphia's Wes Helms, Detroit's Brandon Inge and the Chicago White Sox's Joe Crede - whose clubs are known to be either actively looking to unload them or at least open to the possibility."

"Minaya ruled out pursuing Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, who are still looking for work...But he did not dismiss the possibility of a trade. “We’ve already identified teams with outfield situations that have surpluses, and we’ll keep an eye on those,” Minaya said. He did not elaborate on who those teams are, but the Tigers, the Cubs, the Rangers and the Pirates would qualify. The Pirates have Xavier Nady, whom the Mets traded to Pittsburgh in 2006 as part of the deal for pitcher Oliver Pérez."

"One day after Brandon Inge reiterated that he doesn't want to return to catching, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he has no plans for Inge to play the position in the coming days -- a development that could have near- and long-term effects on the team's roster."

"Tigers reliever Denny Bautista said his agent, Diego Bentz, was due to arrive in Lakeland on Monday. Bentz also represents Cabrera. Team officials have said they would like to sign Cabrera to a long-term contract before the season."

"Contrary to a published report, the Dodgers don't appear to be interested in Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers, in part because of the $19.1 million he is owed over the next three seasons."

"In his cogent words, Inge summed up, once again, why he still hopes to be traded to a team that might play him regularly at third base. The position he held for much of the past four seasons no longer is an option with Miguel Cabrera in the Tigers lineup."

"Perhaps the Detroit Tigers will be able to trade Brandon Inge this spring. The Los Angeles Dodgers have contacted the Tigers about Inge, and while talks do not seem to have progressed far, a baseball official familiar with the situation said the Dodgers remain interested in making a deal. "

"The Tigers are still trying to trade Brandon Inge. Here is my advice -- totally unsolicited and surely unwanted: Don't try too hard."

"Leyland said backup catcher Vance Wilson 's slow recovery from arm surgery will not change Inge's trade status. Inge, who was knocked out of his starting third-base job when Cabrera came to Detroit, is working out at catcher, where he played in his early years with Detroit. Inge, however, wants to play third base regularly, and the Tigers are trying to satisfy him with a trade. "

"Manager Jim Leyland likes how third baseman Miguel Cabrera is working hard on his conditioning. But the question remains how long Cabrera will be working for the Tigers."

"In all the decades of writing about, and following, Detroit's professional sports scene, never have I seen a personnel issue as complex as the Brandon Inge-Tigers episode. It is the lone low note of an ebullient spring training camp. The situation is not likely to improve until Inge is traded. "

"Yes, Kenny Rogers believes this might be the final season of his pitching career. No, this is not the first spring he has had that thought."

"Is this his last spring as a Tiger? Unlike Brandon Inge, Pudge Rodriguez did not lose his starting job over the winter. In fact, as another example of time flying, he's headed into his fifth season as the Tigers' catcher. "

"Pudge Rodriguez could be entering his final season with the Tigers, but he made clear Friday that he's not entering his final year in the majors."

"Like Brandon Inge, the possible backup catcher who soon might be traded, Rodriguez would rather not talk about his future. Unlike Inge, he can look forward to a promising 2008 Tigers season that definitely includes him."

"Ask now or forever hold your peace. Following the initial workout of spring training on Friday, the Tigers conducted the first, the last, the one, the only media session that they plan to hold on the Brandon Inge situation. You know, the will-he-or-won't-he-be-traded situation. "

"After the workout, Inge and Leyland held a joint news conference to discuss Inge's status. Leyland made clear how much he liked Inge and how much he would like him to get an everyday job, which the Tigers now couldn't offer him."

"On the first day of the first spring training camp that Brandon Inge had hoped not to be a part of, the small group of Detroit Tiger fans leaning on the Tigertown railing cheered him on."

"Promptly addressing the biggest unresolved issue of the Tigers' offseason, manager Jim Leyland said there's a 'strong possibility' Brandon Inge still will get traded. But Leyland is not going to let it become a matter that detracts from or undermines the preparation of his team for the upcoming season. "

"Inge has let it be known, firmly, that he wants to play third base every day in the big leagues. If he can't in Detroit, he prefers to play elsewhere. While the case can be made that he will soften his stance when he gets to camp and buys into a super-sub role -- including as a backup to starting catcher Pudge Rodriguez -- the Tigers can't be sure his heart will be in any such job status."

"The Tigers will want Inge to return as their starting catcher, given that Pudge Rodriguez is almost certainly into his final season in Detroit. Inge will continue to want to play third base -- here, anywhere. Will there be a market for him? Probably not, unless Inge hits up a storm in 2008 as a super-sub, which figures to be his role. Will Inge press for a trade -- firmly and unconditionally?"

"Among a few hundred issues of interest about to take shape at Tigers spring training will be the matter of Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers and Cabrera's agent, Fernando Cuza, are expected to sit down as early as March to begin discussing Cabrera's long-term plans, which the Tigers hope will include Detroit. "

"Though it is possible that a trade could materialize between now and Opening Day, it appears that Inge will be a Tiger in 2008. And he has greeted that likelihood with mixed emotions."

"'First and foremost, I hope everyone out there knows I don't want to go anywhere,' Inge said. He does want to play every day, and given the situation (no everyday job available), he still does want to be traded. The Tigers still want to trade him, if only because they do not want to pay a $6.2 million salary in 2008 to a part-time player. "

"If I were Dave Dombrowski, I wouldn't try too hard to trade Brandon Inge. I'd give it some fancy lip service, as in: 'Gee, we tried, the iron was hot in a couple of places, but we just couldn't find a taker.'"

"The Tigers have initiated talks with centerfielder Curtis Granderson on a long-term contract extension, according to one person with knowledge of the discussions."

"Inge stiffed the trio he knew had been waiting hours for him. He never accommodated a single, warranted question about his feelings toward the Tigers and 2008. Does he still insist on being traded, as he made clear to the Tigers front office after Miguel Cabrera was acquired from the Marlins last month? "

"The Detroit Tigers are not done negotiating with third baseman Miguel Cabrera, even though Cabrera signed a one-year, $11.3 million deal Friday. The Tigers remain hopeful of reaching a multiyear agreement with Cabrera, who otherwise could become a free agent after the 2009 season."

"The Tigers love Cabrera and will do what they can to sign him long-term. (He's two seasons away from free agency now.) I'm confident that they would make him a six-year offer for a little more than $100 million. But there's a big gap between those figures and a 10-year deal in the $200 million range. There is little doubt that his free agency years will be valued at more than $20 million each"