What to make of Magglio and his contract
It's apparent that the Tigers will risk bringing back Magglio Ordonez in 2010. And, no, I can't figure it out, either, even if he had three extra-base hits Monday night (tellingly, two down the right-field line).
But this is what I suspect has happened:
Mike Ilitch, the man who essentially signed Ordonez at the 11th hour in 2005, has said to Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland:
"Don't be afraid of his contract. Play him if you think it's best to put him in the lineup."
It still doesn't make sense, even with that directive. Ordonez is of marginal help in too many games. But with another 90-plus plate appearances set to trigger his $18 million option, the Tigers will simply have to deal with a hitter in 2010 who is then 36 years old and even less likely to have the old-fashioned Ordonez season, which would be a .300-plus batting average and 20 or more home runs.
He now has six home runs. He is batting .273. And after nearly five months of sub-par hitting, during which Ordonez has shown he rarely gets around on the fastball, you're going to pay him $18 million next season, and further complicate your 25-man roster?
This has to be the owner speaking.
I know that the Tigers were absolutely preparing to release Ordonez as his 2009 hitting woes continued. They could not risk bringing him back in 2010 -- there was no defensible argument for doing so.
I thought they had a solid response to a sticky situation when Jim Leyland decided to platoon Ordonez, even if Leyland genuinely pays little heed to contract issues.
But then Leyland began to play Ordonez regularly. And now the team has painted itself into a corner. He is hitting, although not at an $18 million clip, nor is he pulling the fastball the way a legitimate, alley-busting, fence-clearing hitter of Ordonez's vintage must do.
And yet the Tigers are all but declaring that they will take him back in 2010 -- his lack of speed on the bases, his limited defense in right field, and his .273 average and 35 RBIs on Aug. 11 all part of the package.
As mentioned, it was Ilitch who signed a player in February of 2005 when the front office wasn't in favor of a contract so long. It worked out splendidly for four seasons. Now it appears that it's headed into a sixth year, and maybe a seventh, which is an interesting way to spend $18 million at a tough juncture for a team, on the field, and at the cash register.
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What to make of Magglio and his contract
There are only five words to describe this move:
stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid
He's not even half the player he was. He's simply not worth $30+ million over the next two years.
Jimmy Dickens, it's not about getting rid of a guy who may hit closer to his career numbers next year. It's about grossly overpaying a guy who shouldn't even be a full-time player next year!
If the Tigers release him, then Mags will be all right. He's made his money. Some team will sign him and will pay more than he's worth (but not $16 million). It just won't be the Tigers!
Maggs History Shows Why he Should Return
What team in their right mind passes on a player who typically hits .310-.320, 20-30 HR and a hundred RBIs? Magglio Ordonez is in his first season as a Tiger hitter of struggling at the plate. As a Tiger, he has almost always gotten his RBIs with singles and doubles. He has a solid arm, and frankly, it's not a bat that can be replaced by anyone in the system. How loathesome would it be to wake up tomorrow and see the Tigers lineup suddenly look like St. Louis or Seattle or Oakland where there is merely 1 RBI threat?
Surprising to see an "experienced" sports writer advocating getting rid of a player with a long history of success based on one season, especially when the system has zero to fill that gap. It always comes down to money, right? Last I checked, the MLB has no salary cap and neither does Mike Ilitch.
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