In a head-scratcher even by Jim Leyland standards, the Tigers released borderline Hall-of-Famer Gary Sheffield on Tuesday, eating $14 million.
Sheffield had 499 home runs and was going to be Detroit's full-time DH.
The reason: a lack of versatility.
Huh?
"We looked at Sheffield as primarily a DH, and we don't look at Marcus (Thames) the same way," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "That's the reason."
Thames has power oozing out of his bat. But he's also a career .241 hitter and .231 against righties.
The Tigers are aging, sure. They say they want flexibility to DH Carlos Guillen, who is rarely seen without ice packs on his knees these days. They would like to have the luxury of pulling Magglio Ordonez out of right field for a DH stint. Maybe even Miguel Cabrera.
Still. This is the reason you eat $14 million? In a town like Detroit, whose economy is suffering beyond belief?
Can't imagine this will go over well with the fan base.
Thames has power oozing out of his bat. But he's also a career .241 hitter and .231 against righties.
The Tigers are aging, sure. They say they want flexibility to DH Carlos Guillen, who is rarely seen without ice packs on his knees these days. They would like to have the luxury of pulling Magglio Ordonez out of right field for a DH stint. Maybe even Miguel Cabrera.
Still. This is the reason you eat $14 million? In a town like Detroit, whose economy is suffering beyond belief?
Can't imagine this will go over well with the fan base.
Wonder if there's a Sheffield Bailout Plan we don't know about.
Fantasy Spin: Sheffield, who's battling shoulder issues, will likely get picked up by someone, as he's just one swing away from the 500 Club. But he's no longer fantasy relevant, save for deep one-league formats. Thames looks to be the main beneficiary of ABs in Detroit, but it's hard to think they'll give him 550-600 ABs with a career .302 OBP. The signing of recent Braves castoff Josh Anderson may factor into the OF mix, but in deeper mixed leagues, Thames becomes an instant pickup. And if you're hurting for power in shallow leagues (10 teams or less), consider him a viable option of 30+ HR who will drain your average, a poor-man's Adam Dunn.
Fantasy Spin: Sheffield, who's battling shoulder issues, will likely get picked up by someone, as he's just one swing away from the 500 Club. But he's no longer fantasy relevant, save for deep one-league formats. Thames looks to be the main beneficiary of ABs in Detroit, but it's hard to think they'll give him 550-600 ABs with a career .302 OBP. The signing of recent Braves castoff Josh Anderson may factor into the OF mix, but in deeper mixed leagues, Thames becomes an instant pickup. And if you're hurting for power in shallow leagues (10 teams or less), consider him a viable option of 30+ HR who will drain your average, a poor-man's Adam Dunn.
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