Okay, so one deal shouldn't define the work of Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski, but in the eyes of most Tigers fans, it probably should.
But I'm having trouble finding some middle ground when it comes to DD and his time with the Tigers. After picking what is left of my brain trying to find it, I gave up and came to the conclusion that he is super-aggressive, or ultra conservative. Problem is, one of those extremes is a result of the other. And it's spelling disaster for the Tigers.
In the past, his aggressive side has negotiated extensions in almost knee-jerk fashion (Nate Robertson, Jeremy Bonderman, Gary Sheffield to name a few) and this past offseason and current regular season have been no different. Brandon Inge quickly resigned this past offseason at the tune of $5.5 million per year for the next 2 seasons. As the season has progressed, Inge's defense and his already horrible offense has regressed. Yet he was penciled into the lineup regularly, until he was finally designated for assignment last week. He and his contract are now playing in Toledo.
But the deal that will resonate fresh in the fans minds is the deal that sent underachieving infielder Scott Sizemore to Oakland for left-handed reliever David Purcey, with the Tigers being his THIRD team this season (traded to Oakland from Toronto earlier this year). The team saw promise in his first few appearances of his time with the Tigers, but has since forgotten how to throw a strike. His wildness and lack of command have fans calling for his removal from the roster. A player who is out of minor league options, it's not as easy as sending him to Toledo. It's either the Tigers roster, or some other franchise (or just some other *place*). Snakebitten fans may have to be resigned to the fact that Dombrowski may ultimately be stubborn enough to hold onto Purcey, thus telling fans that he just doesn't want to admit that he essentially gave away young Scott Sizemore for nothing. Except it may already be too late for that.
Despite Donbrowski's efforts to turn this franchise around after 2003, which I do appreciate, I would be at peace with my favorite team if Mike Ilitch let DD go after this season is over. He isn't under contract after this year, and even if the Tigers manage to make the playoffs, it's time to find someone else to steer us away from his vision, which has been very cloudy as of late. We've seen enough of his act... and at the risk of taking a few steps backwards in the name of progress, it's a necessary evil. I just hope Ilitch sees it the same way.
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