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Should the Tigers cut their losses with Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn?
I hear this question more than any other lately: Why is Jim Leyland playing Ryan Raburn? Or, if it's not that, it's this: Why is Jim Leyland playing Brandon Inge?
It's gotten to the point now when I answer those questions, my first response is, "Don't yell at me...."
Because the answer is obvious. They both have multi-year contracts. The Tigers made an organizational decision that they were going to play Raburn and Inge the next two years during the past off season.
As such, they get a lot more slack than a player on a one-year deal, especially a younger player in the first years of his career and there is no concern about the possibility of salary arbitration and a trip to the minor leagues remains an option.
The Tigers choices with Inge and Raburn are either have them on the team - or release them. So Leyland does what is common protocol in the major leagues, he keeps them in the lineup, at least semi-regularly. It's a decision made easier because the Tigers don't have a ready-made replacement for either player.
Donald Kelly is a 25th man on a club - if that. He is a good athlete who does everything OK except hit, which he does below average for a major league player, especially a third baseman. We've seen over and over that Ramon Santiago is good spurts, but not-so-good when he plays continually. As such, it diminishes his value as a solid major league backup to play him every day.
But knowing that, and that the Tigers owe Inge and Raburn about $7 million for the remainder of this season and 2012, and tolerating it for fans, are two different things. At what point is there no return for Inge and Raburn? In other words, when does it get so bad the Tigers just release one or both.
It's doubtful either would have trade value - even if the Tigers were willing to pick up all their salaries other than the pro-rated major league minimum of $400,000.
The bottom line is the Tigers have a fairly formidable lineup, but Inge and Raburn have often been rally killers. At what point should the Tigers stop waiting for the turnaround from two players they have invested heavily in? Would it be the right move? Or will Inge and Raburn be different players in the second half of the season?
They have a similar decision soon to make on Carlos Guillen, a $12.5 million player this season, who has been injured all year, but is likely to return after the All Star break. He is hitting, by the way, just .179 on rehab assignment to the minor leagues.
It's one of the more pertinent questions facing general manager Dave Dombrowski these days - especially from Tiger fans.
Have the Tigers underachieved?
It's gotten to the point now when I answer those questions, my first response is, "Don't yell at me...."
Because the answer is obvious. They both have multi-year contracts. The Tigers made an organizational decision that they were going to play Raburn and Inge the next two years during the past off season.
As such, they get a lot more slack than a player on a one-year deal, especially a younger player in the first years of his career and there is no concern about the possibility of salary arbitration and a trip to the minor leagues remains an option.
The Tigers choices with Inge and Raburn are either have them on the team - or release them. So Leyland does what is common protocol in the major leagues, he keeps them in the lineup, at least semi-regularly. It's a decision made easier because the Tigers don't have a ready-made replacement for either player.
Donald Kelly is a 25th man on a club - if that. He is a good athlete who does everything OK except hit, which he does below average for a major league player, especially a third baseman. We've seen over and over that Ramon Santiago is good spurts, but not-so-good when he plays continually. As such, it diminishes his value as a solid major league backup to play him every day.
But knowing that, and that the Tigers owe Inge and Raburn about $7 million for the remainder of this season and 2012, and tolerating it for fans, are two different things. At what point is there no return for Inge and Raburn? In other words, when does it get so bad the Tigers just release one or both.
It's doubtful either would have trade value - even if the Tigers were willing to pick up all their salaries other than the pro-rated major league minimum of $400,000.
The bottom line is the Tigers have a fairly formidable lineup, but Inge and Raburn have often been rally killers. At what point should the Tigers stop waiting for the turnaround from two players they have invested heavily in? Would it be the right move? Or will Inge and Raburn be different players in the second half of the season?
They have a similar decision soon to make on Carlos Guillen, a $12.5 million player this season, who has been injured all year, but is likely to return after the All Star break. He is hitting, by the way, just .179 on rehab assignment to the minor leagues.
It's one of the more pertinent questions facing general manager Dave Dombrowski these days - especially from Tiger fans.
Have the Tigers underachieved?
Labels: hA
posted by Pat Caputo at
9:46 AM
6 Comments:
Pat, this situation is analogous to purchasing a stock on the stock market because you thought it was a solid company.
Then the stock goes down and down. But you need to stay put because the stock will rebound but it stays low, well below your purchase price.
Sorry but this happens.
What a prudent investor does is sell the stock and move on.
Finally the voice of reason. Everyone goes on and on about how bad Inge and Rayburn are, and what a dope Leyland is for playing them. But the fact is, there is no one in the minors any better at those positions. If you "cut your losses", you still don't have anyone else to play their positions. Don Kelly isn't the answer, he has a career 0.238 BA and a 0.285 OBP, no better than Inge. The Will Rhymes experiment was a failure (0.221 BA). Santiago is hitting 0.230 with a 0.280 OBP (similar to Inge).
Want to trade for a 2B or 3B? Who are we going to trade for and what will we give up? Most of the people who could be available are also 0.250 hitters with no power. Why bother?
It could be worse. We could have spent $45 million on Chone Figgins, who is now hitting 0.183 with a 0.231 OBP. Wonder how Seattle fans feel about that one.
for Inge, the mono problem has bought him a little more time to prove his poor 1st half was illness related. as long as he can pick it at 3B, he'll remain on the team, but his role will continue to diminish. simply untradable.
When the Tigers acquire another IF, it'll be interesting to see who goes. Santiago seems secure as the backup SS. So it comes down to Raburn or Kelly. I suspect Raburn will either be optioned (if he's got one left) or traded with Tigers eating all of his contract. Won't get anything in return but will free a roster spot. Another team will give him a shot considering his age and performance late last year.
Anonymous,
Good point. I'm not sure these stocks will go up. In the meantime, there is a division there to be won.
Caputo
Anonymous,
Tigers aren't alone in the bad contract game. And Inge and Raburn are small on that scale. So it does make cutting their losses more reasonable. But it's those contracts that get them playing time above performance. Not sure that will go on indefinitely, though.
Caputo
Woody,
I agree with you. I think Inge's illness was an issue, but most Tiger fans don't seem to be viewing it that way and think he is done as an effective player.
Caputo
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