The prize of the offseason.

Where They Are Coming From

The Tigers were unable to follow up their World Series appearance in 2006 with a playoff berth in 2007. With the maturation of the Indians into the division winner (and certainly expecting to compete for that honor again), and the perennial Yankees and Red Sox in the East, the team would need some extra push to expect to make the playoffs in 2008. Fortunately with Mike Ilitch as the owner, the money was there to go after veterans rather than take a slow-building path.

Offensively, the Tigers have quite a few legitimate stars already. They had a few spots that the Tigers could improve – and they were. Pitching was certainly the team’s weakness in 2007. The starters finished with a 62-50 record, which doesn’t seem too bad until you figure that Justin Verlander finished with those same 12 wins above .500. The bullpen was inconsistent, which one should expect when the face of the Tigers’ pen, their closer, was Todd Jones.

Players Added

The first addition of the offseason was Edgar Renteria of the Braves. A two-time Gold Glover and one of the most solid offensive shortstops in the game, he allows them to move the fragile Carlos Guillen, once a solid shortstop, to first base. He will only be about average as an offensive first baseman, but a substantial upgrade to Sean Casey.

The Tigers acquired Denny Bautista from the Rockies for Jose Capellan, a flyballing reliever. Bautista has four wins and a 6.93 ERA in 35 games over four years, so one has to wonder who thought this would be a trade worth making, although Capellan has done little to impress as well.

Then, we get to the big trade, the blockbuster of the offseason. In one swoop, the Tigers acquired a perennial MVP candidate and a one-time Cy Young runner-up. Taking over at third base for the Tigers this year is Miguel Cabrera, who is coming off a season where he hit .320 with 34 home runs, 119 RBI, and 91 runs in 588 at-bats. Keep in mind that all of that occurred in the National League, in one of the best pitchers’ parks in the league, and with a mediocre lineup surrounding him. Now, he gets a better ballpark, a more hitter-friendly league, and an excellent lineup surrounding him. It will be a shock if Cabrera is not amongst the top three in MVP voting when the season is over.

Joining Cabrera in “the trade” is Dontrelle Willis, a 26-year-old former 20-game winner who has already logged over 1,000 innings in the Major Leagues. Last year was by far his worst, and by reuniting with Ivan Rodriquez, going to a team with veteran leadership, and importantly being a contender, if there ever was a contender for a bounce-back season, it would be him.

Lastly, the Tigers added Jacque Jones to the outfield, picking him off the Cubbies. Jones is coming off a difficult season that saw him hit .285 with 5 home runs, 66 RBI, and 52 runs scored in 453 at-bats. Jones had posted three straight seasons of 20+ homers prior to last year, however, and the Tigers are counting on him returning to that level.

Players Lost

The minor league system took a hit with the trades the Tigers made. First, Jair Jurrjens, the best young arm in the system, and Gorkys Hernandez left for Atlanta in the Edgar Renteria deal. Jurrjens was 3-1 in seven starts with a 4.70 ERA in the majors and a 3.20 ERA in Double-A. The 21-year-old Jurrjens will likely have a chance at the rotation in Spring Training. Hernandez has potential but Curtis Granderson in Detroit blocked him, so a move was always in the cards.

What hurt the Tigers the most are the losses in the other trade, the one netting the Tigers Willis and Cabrera. Cameron Maybin is arguably one of the best outfield prospects in the game, and he will be the everyday center fielder for the Marlins. Andrew Miller was a 2006 first round selection, sixth overall, and he will immediately join the Marlins’ rotation, likely the No. 3 or No. 4 spot. Miller struggled in the majors in 2007 – 5-5, 5.63 ERA – but he is a much better prospect than those numbers indicate. Backup catcher Mike Rabelo is likely to be the starting catcher in Florida, and he should easily pass the 168 at-bats he received in 2007. Pitcher Burke Badenhop is most likely at best a middle reliever. Eulogio de la Cruz is a hard thrower who has the potential to develop into a setup man or even closer. Lastly, Dallas Trahern is a 22-year-old sinkerball pitcher who may be starting in the major leagues faster than his stats may indicate.

Moves Still To Come

The acquisition of Cabrera has certainly displeased Brandon Inge, and he will not be happy as a backup third baseman and second catcher. The Tigers are likely to accommodate his desires to leave, and they are likely to look for bullpen arms for him. Other than that, this team is set.

What to Watch in Spring Training

Is Inge still around? If so, how disgruntled is he, what is his role going to be, and is it having a negative impact on the team?

How does the bullpen look? Joel Zumaya is on the shelf, again, with a return expected in May or June, so the team will need to determine who is the setup man to Jones. Is Fernando Rodney up for the job this time around? If not Rodney, then who could step up?

Can the Tigers fix Willis? Sure, numbers before April matter not, but if Willis looks significantly improved, that does matter. If the Tigers can turn him around, this trade goes from being very good for the Tigers to an amazing steal. Willis is still plenty young enough to turn things around and he showed too much potential to simply fall apart.