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Since Willie and Omar are not hearing me and my idea on my Mets, I thought I would focus on thte Tigers.
Idea #1 - Put Gary Sheffield on the DL
He obviously isn’t “right”. And this whole idea of him just sitting on the bench doing nothing, while taking up a roster spot, doesn’t make sense. Give him a couple of weeks to focus on getting healthy. If, in fact, he can get healthy.
I’ll discuss who should take his roster spot below.
Idea #2 - Move Miguel Cabrera to left field, sort of. Make Cabrera a left fielder/DH/first baseman
The first change is one I’ve been advocating for a few weeks, with a slight twist. This would offer the Tigers flexibility in the lineup to do some of the other things I am about to advocate. More importantly, it would get him off of first base most of the time, where he is horrible. First base might need to be his long-term position, but spend next offseason working out the kinks before installing him there full-time.
He has experience in the outfield, so left field should be a relatively easy transition. Cabrera hasn’t looked good at any position, left field seems as good a place as any for him to make an a$$ of himself. Mostly I’d like to see him DHing, with a spot start at first base, here and there.
I’m fully aware that you can’t pay a guy what the Tigers are paying Cabrera, at his age, then make him a designated hitter. But I’m talking about righting a sinking ship here; drastic times call for drastic measures. And it would just be for this year.
Idea #3 - Play Guillen at first base almost full-time, with a day or two a week at DH
While he wasn’t very good at first base when he started the season there, I think he can quickly develop into at least an average first sacker defensively. Besides, he can’t be worse there than he is at third. It might also help rejuvenate him at the plate.
Idea #4 - Start Brandon Inge at third base
We need to improve defensively. This team has been killing itself with poor fundamentals and a severe lack of athleticism. Brandon Inge helps to remedy both of those problems.
Much of the time it looks like the Tigers are playing little league out there. Last night was a perfect case in point: In the seventh inning, the inning in which Arizona scored their winning run, the Tigers twice gave them extra outs. And both misplays were by Carlos Guillen at third base.
Idea #5 - Give Ramon Santiago more time at shortstop
Edgar Renteria hasn’t hit for weeks. Santiago is hitting .344. Renteria is old and slow. Santiago is youngish and quick. It’s the same problem that I talked about in the previous idea - Santiago makes us better defensively and provides an upgrade athletically.
Play Sanitago against almost all right-handers, and Renteria against left-handers, plus some right-handers. Let’s make this position an open competition and see what happens.
Idea #6 - Reconfigure the playing time amongst the rest of the bench players a little
Joyce and Thames would be part of the left field/DH rotation, so they would both be playing about the same amount that they are now. But with Inge playing everyday there would be some room opened up for Ryan Rayburn to play a lot more.
Rayburn could back up Inge at third, sub for Granderson in center against left-handers, occasionally spell Polanco at second, become a part of the left field rotation, and play right field when Magglio is either DHing or getting a day off.
Rayburn was a nice spark last season. Let’s see if getting him in the lineup two or three times a week would help ignite this team in 2008.
Idea #7 - Promote Max St. Pierre or Dusty Ryan
This move would account for the roster spot opened up by putting Sheff on the DL.
St. Pierre and Ryan are catchers, which the team would need with their current backup catcher, Inge, now playing third base full-time in this scenario. Both of them are tearing it up in Double-A, Erie. Pick which one is more ready and promote them (my guess is St. Pierre, but only because I’ve heard more about him than I have Ryan).
Not only should one of them be promoted, but they should play once they get to the big leagues. Pudge has been below-average-to-bad this year, and while that was to be expected I don’t know if anyone would have projected him to be quite this bad.
Idea #8 - Don’t replace Galarraga with Dontrelle Willis
Everything I’ve seen has been saying that when Willis gets off the DL he is going to replace Galarraga in the rotation. My question is: Why? Galarraga has been the Tigers most consistent starting pitcher this year.
When Willis gets back he should replace either Robertson or Rogers, probably Robertson. They both should get another start before Willis gets back; I’d like to see them pitch their next outing as if they’re auditioning for jobs.
Idea #9 - Adjust the lineup
One of the first things you should do when your team isn’t scoring runs is to adjust the lineup. Yet, despite some minor tweaks, Leyland hasn’t played with middle of the order, which simply hasn’t been producing like it should.
The change is fairly simple: Either move Cabrera to third in the order, or bat him cleanup and move Ordonez to the third spot.
I doubt they’ll move Ordonez, and they probably shouldn’t, so I think the first option should be batting Cabrera third.
New lineup:
1. Granderson (CF)
2. Polanco (2B)
3. Cabrera (LF/DH/1B)
4. Ordonez (RF)
5. Guillen (1B/DH) - he always hits better when he’s in the fifth or sixth spot in the lineup.
6. Joyce/Thames (LF/DH)
7. Rodriguez/St. Pierre, or Ryan (C)
8. Renteria/Santiago (SS)
9. Inge (3B)
You can always mix and match the bottom four spots of the lineup, depending on the matchups. This would also have every position player being used on a regular basis. Rayburn is the only player not involved in a platoon, and he would be getting a lot of time subbing at second, third, and in all of the outfield spots.
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