The great Tigers shakeup

May 05, 2008 09:21 pm

— Jim Leyland left the Metrodome Sunday promising to revamp the Tigers lineup. The immediate speculation had former Mankato Masher Curtis Granderson moving from the leadoff spot into the middle of the order.

That wasn't it. Granderson's staying at the top. Gary Sheffield's moved from DH to left field, and Jacque Jones has moved from more-or-less regular LF to unemployed.

The Tigers designed Jones for assignment, which takes him off the active roster and gives Detroit 10 days to dispose of him — trade him, release him, talk him into going to the minors. That last is highly unlikely. Whatever happens, the Tigers remain on the hook for Jones' $16 million salary. That's a lot of money to pay somebody not to play for you.

I can't see the Twins picking up Jones, even at the major league minimum. They are emphatically committed to four outfielders — Young, Gomez, Cuddyer and Kubel — all younger than Jones and all cheaper. I'd prefer Jones to Monroe as the fifth outfielder, but I suspect Ron Gardenhire prefers having a right-handed bat to switch in for Kubel.

The Tigers have made a number of in-season position changes already, far too many for what has been a well-run organization. Since opening day they've had the first baseman and third baseman swap positions and moved the DH to the outfield. I don't know if the Tigers are going to have a full-time DH now; Magglio Ordonez was DHing Monday, and he had the job on Sunday as well. If Ordonez is the new DH, that's effectively a position switch as well, and that's four of the nine regulars playing a new position by the end of the first week of May. Either panic has set in, or the organization didn't really have a grasp on what they were going to get.

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