Written by Baqqs on 5:17 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a move that will transform the team’s roster and expectations, the Tigers on Tuesday agreed to a trade with the Florida Marlins that will bring third baseman Miguel Cabrera and left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to Detroit, in exchange for a package of six prospects headlined by outfielder Cameron Maybin and left-hander Andrew Miller.
Until Monday night, many in the industry believed Detroit would not trade Maybin under any circumstances and would be very reluctant to deal Miller. But in a whirlwind 24-hour span, the Tigers agreed to part with both of them in return for two players who immediately make them one of the favorites to win the World Series next year.
According to one club official with knowledge of the negotiations, Detroit has tentatively agreed to include catcher Mike Rabelo and right-handed pitchers Dallas Trahern, Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop in the deal.
Team officials postponed a briefing with the local media, scheduled for 6:10 p.m., a sign that they were in the midst of serious negotiations. Shortly after that, the Free Press reported that a deal between the Marlins and Tigers had been completed.
The club also considered trading for Oakland right-hander Dan Haren and Baltimore left-hander Erik Bedard. By late afternoon on Monday, though, it was clear that the team’s first preference was to acquire Cabrera and Willis in a monumental swap.
Cabrera, 24, and Willis, 25, are both due to become free agents after the 2009 season. It’s not clear whether Detroit has made plans to pursue contract extensions with them.
The deal was remarkable in both its magnitude and unexpected nature. One night before the trade, Detroit club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said he was “very happy” with his team’s everyday lineup. Then he added Cabrera, the most formidable young hitter in baseball since Albert Pujols.
On Monday, manager Jim Leyland pointed out that the Tigers did not arrive in Nashville with a glaring weakness, but added, “By having conversations with people, who knows if something will pop up?”
As a result of the deal, Detroit is now willing to move third baseman Brandon Inge, outfielder Marcus Thames and right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin, in order to free up money in the Tigers’ payroll.
Inge, who will be displaced at third base by Cabrera, is owed $19.1 million over the next three seasons, and Detroit may need to absorb some of that salary in order to trade him. Durbin and Thames were due to receive raises in arbitration.
The Tigers entered the week without needing to upgrade their offense, but could not resist the opportunity to land Cabrera – especially since the team’s front office has a long history with him.
Detroit assistant general manager Al Avila signed Cabrera out of Venezuela during his tenure as an executive with the Marlins, and Cabrera is a personal friend of Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen.
He also happens to be one of the best hitters in baseball. He batted .320 with 34 home runs and 119 RBIs for the Marlins this year. According to Retrosheet.org, the player with the most comparable stats through age 24 is longtime home run king Hank Aaron.
Cabrera batted almost exclusively third and fourth for Florida this season. He provides the Tigers with yet another middle-of-the-order presence, to go along with Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Guillen, who batted third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, for most of the 2007 season.
Cabrera, like Sheffield, Ordonez, and new shortstop Edgar Renteria, is a right-handed hitter.
Kenny Rogers re-signed with the Tigers last week, which seemed to eliminate their need for another veteran starter. But Detroit’s interest in Willis rekindled, and a deal became possible once the club retreated from its former stance that Maybin and Miller –considered integral to the Tigers’ future as recently as Monday night – were untouchable in trade talks.
The arrival of Willis gives the Tigers one of the best rotations in baseball. Detroit’s starting staff will now include three left-handed pitchers – Willis, Rogers, and Nate Robertson – along with right-handers Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman.
In addition to Maybin and Miller, the Tigers surrendered two prospects – Trahern and De La Cruz – who were among the organization’s ten best in preliminary rankings by Baseball America.
