Tigers Blogging: In the Shadow of Smoltz

So, well the New York press was busy with A-Rod and Giradi, which apparently means the national press was busy with the Yankees, the Detroit Tigers made a pretty big splash in the free agent market. They've picked up Edgar Rentaria from the Braves for a pair of prospects. Further turning your 2008 Tigers into your 1997 Marlins, I guess. I'm of two minds on this one.

First, I believe that the way the big teams not only get ahead but stay ahead is by building up their farm systems. By spending their money advantage on development. Sinking those funds into what will make them better over the long run instead of burdening themselves with pricey free agent signings or rent a season mercenaries. That's what New York and Boston have done and that's who the Tigers ultimately have to compete against. Making a move for a player that costs you prospects especially ones as promising as the two here (Jurriens, for example was the latest Tigers pitching prospect to make you sit up and take notice last year during the wild card push.) were supposed to be, then, is the wrong move.

On the other hand, the reason you build up that farm system is so you have a chance to win championships. And that means both developing the players to plug into your team but also having the assets to move in order to acquire what you don't have. And what the Tigers had was a glaring hole at shortstop. Last season, Guillen was, if not awful, then at least a liability there. Now, the Tigers have another .300 hitter and can shift Guillen over to first base. That just might be enough for those few more wins needed to make it back to the playoffs next season.

That just might be worth giving up two promising pieces of a future that's not here yet. If there's one thing the Tigers have, it's strong pitching. And if there's another, it's outfielders - Granderson makes Hernadez expendible. So, the Tigers seem to have done the right thing here and made themselves stronger by giving up some useless surplus. That's exactly what you're supposed to do as the window for you to win championships with your team closes.

But, it's just the memory of trading away John Smoltz lingers. He was a local phenom, nearly went to MSU before being drafted (500 something, proving how much of a crapshoot the baseball draft is.), and played for the Tiger's farm team. But, in 1987, probably the last year the Tigers were any good before the last few, he was traded to the Braves, for veteran pitcher Doyle Alexander. Since he pitched amazing down the stretch helping the Tigers to win their division and get into the playoffs it made sense at the time. When they got bounced in the first round, Alexander went into rapid decline over the next few seaons, and Smoltz went on to become the centerpiece of the 14 year Atlanta dynasty, it didn't look so good in retrospect. Detroit, after years of futility needs to be wary of making a similar mistake. Because those temporary gains can be fleeting while building for the future can pay enormous dividends.

Down the line or up the middle. I can't say which is the right move here. But I can say that I like the attitude from the front office. Not sitting pat, not biding their time, they're out to make the improvements they need to make this year's disappointment doesn't last.