Tigers surprisingly dump Gary Sheffield
If you are a playoff-contending team this season in need of a designated hitter, the Detroit Tigers have just released a potential future Hall of Famer for your use: Gary Sheffield.
This is fairly shocking despite Sheff hitting just .178 (8-for-45) this spring because he is guaranteed $14 million this season. It’s also big because Sheffield is just one homer shy of 500 career.
“You’re going to pay him, one way or the other,” said club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski.
Dombrowski said this move means outfielder Marcus Thames will make the team. Thames will likely get a percentage of at-bats as the DH. Manager Jim Leyland can also use Magglio Ordoñez, Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera at DH, which would allow him to have better defensive teams on certain days.
In addition, Detroit acquired 26-year-old outfielder Josh Anderson on Monday from the Atlanta Braves, and Anderson probably becomes a starter now because Guillen has been pretty bad in the outfield this spring. The Tigers’ over/under win total on WagerWeb.com is 82.5.
Sheffield said Leyland told him that he wanted more versatility on the 25-man roster. Sheffield said he still “feels great” physically and would like to play this season. When asked if this is the end of his career, he replied, “It ain’t close.”
He played in 114 games last season, hitting .225 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. He missed portions of the season with a sore right shoulder and strained left oblique.
If no other club claims Sheffield on waivers — and they won’t — he becomes a free agent. At that point, any club can sign him for the minimum salary of $400,000, with the Tigers responsible for the rest of his $14 million Sheffield says he would like to sign on with the hometown Rays, which would be a fantastic, low-risk move for Tampa Bay.
Sheffield still has 25-homer, near-100 RBI potential if he can stay healthy. The only problem with playing for the Rays is that they signed Pat Burrell to be their DH this offseason, and Sheff can’t really play the outfield any more. But he can help an American League team – look for the Angels or Twins to kick the tires on him.
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