There's been a real boomerang quality to most of the trade rumors involving the Detroit Tigers this offseason.  Jack Wilson?  Here he comes.  Catch him.  Throw him back into the trade winds.  Wait, here he comes again.  Julio Lugo?  Tossed away, came back, tossed again.

And now, Gerald Laird seems to be circling back for another run of Tigers-related rumors.  The Freep's Jon Paul Morosi says Detroit has "maintained contact" with the Texas Rangers about making a deal for their log-jammed catcher.  Despite not having young starting pitching to spare, perhaps the Tigers are one of the only teams currently showing interest in a trade for Laird.

That's what Evan Grant seems to think at the Dallas Morning News:

The Tigers seem to have the most ardent interest in Gerald Laird of any team on the market. The Rangers seem to be in more of a cost-cutting mode. Trading Laird to Detroit for a minor leaguer might save the Rangers almost $3 million. The Rangers probably wouldn't get the top prospect they want (please don't mention Rick Porcello's name), but they could save some money and create more time for Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate (if they don't trade one of the duo). Not to mention that in order to build a self-sustaining minor league system, you've got to have lots of depth.

(via MLB Trade Rumors)

Is this the baseball equivalent of finally getting a date after asking over and over and over, only to finally get that yes when nothing better's available?  Has a combination of wearing the Rangers down and being one of the only teams calling (Grant says the Reds are also interested in Laird) made the Tigers a front-runner for a deal?

Maybe those winds sending the boomerang back are more of the whistling wind variety, the kind that blows tumbleweeds through ghost towns. 

How about other catchers?  Morosi noted in the same article that the Tigers still like Arizona's Miguel Montero (boomerang), but haven't found a good match with the Diamondbacks for a possible trade.  In another report, Morosi talked to someone who said Detroit also likes Gregg Zaun.  Hey, me too.

Okay, we know the Detroit Tigers don't want Edgar Renteria to be their shortstop.  The team wouldn't even offer him arbitration, even though the San Francisco Giants' rumored interest in Renteria likely means he would've passed on it.  We now also know, thanks to Jon Paul Morosi, that Detroit is no longer interested in making a deal with the San Diego Padres for Khalil Greene.  And Morosi thinks the $6.5 million Greene is owed next season might be a big reason for that. 

Yet the Tigers are still apparently circling around Pittsburgh's Jack Wilson.  (Though Blake wonders if his $7.25 million salary for next season is now considered too pricey, as well.)  Morosi reported yesterday (before the Greene news, it should perhaps be noted) that the Tigers and Pirates are in "ongoing" talks about a trade. 

Our SB Nation broham Bucs Dugout wonders if Detroit's minor league system has the sort of prospects that the Pirates are looking for.  But one of their commentors pointed to Jennifer Langosch's mailbag at MLB.com, in which she suggested several players the Tigers might be offering in a deal:

There is young depth at short in Detroit's system. The Tigers might be willing to part with Brent Dlugach since he's probably the organization's No. 3 shortstop right now. Trying to pry away the organization's No. 2 shortstop prospect -- Danny Worth -- would likely require the Pirates to offer more than just Wilson. But it is a possibility.

The Tigers have plenty of Minor League outfielders that they could offer, including Brent Clevlen, who the Pirates have shown interest in before, and Matt Joyce, a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder. But really, the Pirates already seem pretty set in terms of young outfield prospects.

As for pitching prospects that Detroit possibly would be willing to offer, Luis Marte, a young power arm, and Guillermo Moscoso were names that came up in discussions I had with someone in Detroit.

After all the pitching Detroit gave up last offseason, the idea of giving up more in a trade for a one-to-two-year stopgap might make some cringe.  But it's also difficult to imagine the Tigers getting Wilson without sending over a young arm in return. 

Meanwhile, Baseball Prospectus's John Perrotto says the Dodgers are cool on dealing for Wilson now.  (Hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors)  But the Baltimore Orioles may have taken their place in the competition for making a deal.  However, Bucs Dugout wonders if the O's want to give up prospects at this point.  (Baltimore might be saving its younguns for a potential Jake Peavy deal, too.) 

So Pittsburgh might be facing a one-team market for Wilson.  Does that help the Tigers' chances of getting him or lessen the Pirates' willingness to to deal him?

"Who's Your Tiger?" wasn't just a marketing slogan; it was an ice-breaker among fans.  When the Detroit Tigers rolled it out for the 2006 season, the timing seemed perfect, as many more people began following the team and its success became watercooler chatter. 

But these things never last.  Gotta keep it fresh and exciting.  Alas, "Who's Your Tiger?" has been retired, and the Tigers will unveil a new slogan for the 2009 season.  What will it be?  The Tigers aren't saying yet.  But they give a hint at the team's official MLBlog:

The new slogan, is not a "stand-alone" slogan or question. It's more of a statement--about the history and relationship the Tigers have with the City of Detroit.

At several points last season, I found myself wondering if the Tigers were going to revamp their campaign.  (Maybe because it was incessant during commercial breaks, to the point where it just became audio wallpaper.)  And evidently, this has been under discussion for quite some time.

But three years is a good run for something like this.  And even if it's no longer the "official" slogan for the Tigers, I imagine "Who's Your Tiger?" will live on among fans.  Or we'll come up with different ways to express our admiration and support for Curtis Granderson, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and other fan favorites. 

Of course, we can't put up a post like this and not solicit suggestions for new Tigers marketing slogans in the comments.  Maybe we can put one of 'em on a BYB Gear t-shirt next season.

(Hat tip to Billfer)

I've said my piece on the Save Tiger Stadium effort before, and would certainly like to see it succeed.  But I was thinking some rather hopeless thoughts upon reading that the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy had been given yet more time (after yesterday's deadline) to submit its renovation plans to the city of Detroit. 

But I don't think I could express my feelings on the matter any better than ShysterBall did earlier today, so I'll cede the floor to Craig:

The Conservancy has now blown through approximately 1,384 deadlines. Each time they claim to be just about there, only to fall short and thus requiring a new deadline. If it weren't for the massive amounts of Ernie Harwell-inspired goodwill, its efforts would have long ago failed and ceased. Good for Ernie, who is a bigger hero to me than Alan Trammell ever was, but I believe that the failure of the Conservancy would have been for the best.

[snip]

Look, if I ran the world the Tigers would still be playing in a lovingly restored cathedral to baseball on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. That ship sailed long ago, however, and what has happened to Tiger Stadium in the past nine years has been nothing short of an atrocity. If any of the Conservancy's members had a loved one who was so abused, they would have called the cops. If my Uncle Harry had required the level of life support the Conservancy has demanded, we would have pulled the plug long before we did. I loved Tiger Stadium like I have loved no other building, but it's time to lop off the final bit that remains standing and begin remembering it for what it was rather than gawk at it with pity as we speed by on I-75.

It's been almost 10 years.  I don't want to read any more stories from visiting writers expressing disbelief and dismay over the old ballpark being left to rot.  And soon, we'll have a generation of Tigers fans that won't even remember that the team played someplace besides Comerica Park.  I know this opinion won't make me popular with some people, but isn't it long past time to let go?

By the way, if you didn't know already, ShysterBall has moved to The Hardball Times site, which is the baseball equivalent of "you stuck your chocolate in my peanut butter, you got your peanut butter on my chocolate."  Two great tastes that taste great together.  

Did anyone else see this article about A.J. Hinch in Sunday's Detroit Free Press and briefly think - even for a second - that the Tigers were looking at him to play catcher next season? 

No?  That was just me?  Okay, I'm reading too many Hot Stove rumors.  Or bad ones, anyway.  With the Winter Meetings coming up, hopefully the good stuff is on the way.  Just some action would be nice.

And if you're thinking, "A.J. who?" he was a catcher on the abysmal 2003 team.  You might remember them from such horrifying memories as "The Team That Lost 119 Games."  Or you don't remember at all because recall of that year has been scrubbed from your brain.  If that's the case, good for you. 

Brandon Inge and Matt Walbeck actually caught the majority of innings for the Tigers in 2003, however, so even if you did watch, but still don't remember Hinch (who batted .203/.247/.392), it's understandable.

Our Thanksgiving holiday was extended a bit here at BYB, so pardon us while we catch up on some of the pertinent news over the next couple of posts.  Could this be the last time I get to use this Edgar Renteria photo?  I've grown kind of attached to it, you know.

The Detroit Tigers, however, would no longer like to be attached to Renteria, and cut the cord with him for good yesterday by declining to offer him arbitration.  And in doing so, they lose out on any draft picks (two, to be exact) that would've been received as compensation for Renteria's Type A free agent status.

Smart move?  Well...

There was obviously a risk in offering Renteria arbitration, in that he might pownce on a one-year contract in which he'd likely be awarded something in the $9 million range (the salary he was paid last season).  If the Tigers were interested in paying Renteria that much - or interested in him being their shortstop again, for that matter - they might have just picked up his contract option.  (Although not picking up the option would've saved Detroit at least $2 million, regardless.)  And we wouldn't have ever had to deal with the words "Julio Lugo."

As Billfer points out, such a risk could've been lessened by releasing (or trading) Renteria during the spring if the Tigers decided they didn't want him.  But really, why go through all that trouble if Renteria wasn't actually wanted in the first place?  Would the draft pick compensation have been worth the hassle?  Perhaps, but possibly bringing two starting shortstops to Lakeland in February seems excessive.

But if Renteria has more lucrative offers on the table (such as the rumored two-year deal from the Giants), he more than likely would pass on arbitration with the Tigers, take the bigger contract elsewhere, and Detroit would have themselves a couple of draft picks to stockpile the farm system with.  Winner, winner, turkey dinner. 

A more troubling possibility was brought up by Lee (and echoed by Big Al), who wonders if the Tigers didn't even flirt with paying Renteria $9 million because they can't afford it.  Otherwise, why not at least offer a contract when the team hasn't found a replacement at shortstop yet?  But maybe Dave Dombrowski is confident he'll get someone who's at least a defensive upgrade, and would therefore prefer to spend that money on that player (or on, say, the bullpen).  Maybe. 

The most vexing thing about this whole situation, of course, is that this now means that Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez were traded for one sub-par season from Renteria.  A starting pitcher who surely could've helped the Tigers last season and for years to come (though I wonder if Armando Galarraga negates that loss), and a center fielder who could've instead been traded for pitching help were both squandered.  Dombrowski took a huge risk, and when the end result wasn't a World Series championship, it blew up right in his face.

Maybe that's made him gun-shy on taking any risk at all this winter.

Can we finally lay these Julio Lugo rumors to rest?  According to the Boston Herald, the deal created in the minds of sportswriters might be dead:

Industry sources report that momentum for such a swap has slowed.  The possibility of a deal is now considered remote.

No word as to what may have killed whatever momentum the trade presumably had.  The headline of the Herald article says the Tigers lost interest in making such a deal, but the rest of the article doesn't detail why.  Was there any attempt by either side to complicate the deal with additional players or contract provisions?  

The idea of a challenge trade with Lugo's remaining $18 million of salary going to Detroit for either Dontrelle Willis's $22 million or Nate Robertson's $17 million seemed intriguing, as it would allow the Tigers and Red Sox to shed unwanted contracts.  But ultimately, neither team would seem to benefit in such an exchange. 

Could the Tigers get a better shortstop (at a cheaper price) than Lugo?  Could the Red Sox get a better starting pitcher than Willis or Robertson?  With the answer such an obvious yes for both sides, why make such a trade, if for no other reason than Dave Dombrowski and Theo Epstein said they made a deal this winter?

So what's next?  San Diego says they don't anticipate trading Khalil Greene now, though perhaps Kevin Towers is just waiting for the shortstop market to clear up.  There's also talk the Tigers could now be interested in Orlando Cabrera, though he doesn't seem to fit the short-term criteria they're looking for.

We've been reading for months about the Detroit Tigers holding back on spending big money on player contracts this off-season.  And for the most part, I think everyone's on board with that in Tiger Town.  The team seems to have enough stars, but needs some role players - some "glue guys" - to help it run more smoothly.

So there won't be a Francisco Rodriguez in the Tigers' future.  Okay, we get that.  No Rafael Furcal, no CC Sabathia, no Brian Fuentes, or Adam Dunn, either.  Fine, we understand.

But if Detroit is going to let Edgar Renteria go, the reasonable expectation (unless the intent is to blatantly dump salary from the payroll) is to get someone better.  Even if the improvement is only on the defensive side.  This is why many fans are fine with the Tigers starting Ramon Santiago at shortstop next season.  And it's why so many turned up their noses at the idea of trading for Julio Lugo.  (We might not have to worry about that anymore, however.)

For all the fretting over getting Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh, at least the numbers say his glove is better.  And he'll give you some offense.

But now, Jon Paul Morosi is reporting that the Tigers are thinking of signing Alex Cora, and pairing him with Santiago next year.  Really?  Alex Cora?  Another Red Sox cast-off?  Should we expect to see Mike Greenwell in left field next season?

Seriously, has it really come to this?  Is the free agent cupboard that bare?  Is the trade market that dry?  Are the extremes of the available shortstops so wide apart that the alternative to signing a potential superstar like Furcal is picking up a slap-hitting journeyman who wouldn't beat out Lugo or Jed Lowrie?

Cora hit .270/.371/.349 with no home runs and nine RBIs, in 179 plate appearances last season.  His defensive range is far below the league average.  This is what the Tigers are thinking of playing at shortstop next season?  And apparently, he'd play quite a bit, because Dave Dombrowski has already made it clear that he doesn't see Santiago as an everyday player. 

You've got to be kidding.  And I'm going to tell myself that Dombrowski is actually kidding with this.  That this is his smart-ass way of responding to all the squawking about trading for Jack Wilson.  "Oh yeah?  You don't think Wilson's any good?  Let me show you how bad it could be.  I got your shortstop right here!"

Or perhaps the Tigers' intentions have been misinterpreted, and they see Cora as the utility infielder he actually is, and like him as someone who could back up at shortstop, second base, and third base.  That might be the most logical assumption to make.  It was Morosi who speculated that Cora could be paired with Santiago as the shortstop tandem. 

Let's hope that's what's really happening here.  Otherwise, if that's how little the Tigers are going to spend on shortstop, they'd better shell out some cash for that bullpen.  Or something's going on financially that we just don't know about.

I meant to write this post after the season ended, but after briefly getting over Tigers-related burnout, hangover, or whatever you want to call it, the off-season began and there hasn't really been a slow period.  (At least for me.)  With Thankgiving here, however, and a long holiday to unwind, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank each of you who takes the time to stop over and read BYB each day.

Even more so, I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed to the community we've been building over the last couple of years.  Comments, e-mails, Facebook and Twitter notes, and most importantly, participation in the GameThreads has made writing for BYB a really enjoyable experience, regardless of how the Tigers played this past season. 

That sense of camaraderie, of shared joy and pain, is what I hoped for when I took over this blog back in the spring of 2007, and I just hope that you've been having as much fun as I am.

I have a few different things I'd like to try next season, hoping to make BYB run a bit more smoothly and consistently, but we'll get to that when it matters.  One idea I had for the winter was to maybe try and have five-question interviews with various regulars here and post one or two each week.  I thought it might be a fun way to get to know each other, outside of our comments and rants.  What would you think of that?

Of course, I'd love to hear any suggestions you have to offer.  This is your site.  Without you guys, I'd just be talking to a wall.  (And don't forget, you have a voice in the FanPosts and FanShots, as well, if there's anything you'd like to post to the BYB community at-large.)

But for now, when we're supposed to remind ourselves of what to be thankful for, I just want to express my appreciation for your participation and support.  It's been awesome. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.  And give yourselves a hand.

It's that time of year when we say what we're thankful for, and Dan Levy of the awesome On the DL podcast invited me to chat for a few minutes about what I'm thankful for in sports. 

Strangely enough, I don't think the Detroit Tigers came up once in my conversation with Dan and his co-host, Nick Tarnowski.  Though maybe that shouldn't be a surprise since it was such a disappointing baseball season in Detroit. 

But we talked a bit about those Honolulu Blue-clad gridiron heroes, the Detroit Lions, and since I'm in Ann Arbor, we also discussed the coaching performances of Rich Rodriguez and John Beilein at the University of Michigan.  You might be surprised which of them I'm thankful for. 

The whole show includes five interviews with bloggers such as AJ Daulerio of Deadspin and Dan Steinberg of DC Sports Bog, which you can download here.  (What am I doing among those guys?  Good question.)  Or you can choose among the individual interviews, as Dan created separate downloads for each of them.  Mine can be found here.

Thanks to Dan for inviting me on the show, which was a very pleasant surprise in my inbox yesterday.  On the DL is one of my favorite podcasts, and if you haven't listened to it yet, give it a shot.  Dan and Nick talk to personalities from all throughout sports media and the blogosphere, and have some great conversations about the inner workings of the media and the sports world at-large.