Taking Out the Trashburn

photo credit:/blog.prorumors.com

Tigers have finally gotten rid of Ryan Raburn.  Finally.  No more of the "maybe he'll run into one," no more "well he hits well in September," No more no more!  First Inge, no Raburn.  Finally we ridding the garbage.  Enough of this loyalty crap.  Be loyal to guys that stick around AND produce like Jeter.

Anyways, there isn't much to say purely on this.  We all can celebrate never having to see Raburn swing at strike three in the dirt.  It's going to be an amazing season.  The only down side is with him and Inge gone, who will be my new whipping boy?  My early leading candidate is Boesch, but he'll be gone soon too I bet.

The Raburn move comes as no surprise, but there is a bit of Tiger rumblings that do have me interested and that's the Jhonny Peralta trade rumors/Stephen Drew signing.

The Tigers have been in love with Stephen Drew for years.  Not sure why, but it's a fact.  He is an upgrade defensively no doubt.  Peralta defenders will say/always say "Well Jhonny makes every play he gets to."  Too bad he's too fat to get to anything hit that's not within two steps.

Here's what I like.  I like the idea of trading Peralta and upgrading at shortstop.  I think picking up Peralta's option was done for the purpose of making sure they didn't have to find a shortstop and for the possibility of trading him.  The trade rumors come as no surprise to me.

Here's what I don't like.  Stephen Drew and the rumors of getting prospects for Peralta.  Losing ball clubs trade for prospects.  The Tigers would be fools to trade their starting shortstop and get no pieces that will play right away.  Fools.  And Stephen Drew is completely abysmal and then some at the plate. And he's left handed.  This team was awful against lefties a season ago, this would only enhance the problem.  And oh yeah, he sucks against righties too, cuz he straight up can't hit.

I am okay with a shortstop that can field his position at a high level but can't hit.  But when I say can't hit here, I mean hit around .250 give or take.  If you have a shortstop that makes game changing plays then I will live with the bottom end of that scale.  Stephen Drew hit .223 a year ago with the DBacks and A's.  Awful.

What I want from whomever plays shortstop from Detroit, if his name isn't Peralta, is an average in the .260's with good range in the field and can make the big play defensively.  If it's Peralta, he has to hit .275 with power to make up for his lack of range.

But remember guys... RABURN IS GONE!!!!!!!!!! LET'S CELEBRATE