Lynn Henning of the Detroit News looks at the Tigers’ offseason situation this morning. The Tigers need help in the bullpen and at shortstop and catcher. They don’t have the payroll room to support this shopping list, so a trade of Magglio Ordonez may be necessary.
Ordonez, 35 in January, hit .317/.376/.494 in 623 plate appearances this year. Assuming 457 plate appearances in 2009, Ordonez is owed $51MM over the next three seasons ($17MM per year on average). That’s about market value. Henning says the Tigers could trade Ordonez mainly for salary relief, or eat money to get better players in return. My guess at possible suitors: the Rays, Reds, and Phillies.
Henning figures that money, as opposed to lost draft picks, might make it difficult for the Tigers to wade into the free agent market to fill their needs.
