Trading Places

Jason Michael Barker

Some organizations -- I know I harp on the A's, but it's true -- always seem to make the right decisions. Other organizations -- the Phillies and Pirates come to mind, especially this winter -- always seem to make moves that leave you wondering just what it takes to get a job in the front office.

Another team that usually falls in the latter category is the Tigers. When was the last time Detroit did something that made you sit up and say, "Hey, that's a pretty good move"? OK, maybe it was when the stole two players to be named later from the Mariners for Brian "the Outmaker" Hunter two years ago.

They did nothing to help this reputation last year when they gave up good young players -- Gabe Kapler, Frank Catalanotto and Francisco Cordova -- for Juan Gonzalez, a move that can now be called an unquestionable failure. Kapler looks like the real deal after a very strong second half and Catalanotto hit well enough to deserve a starting job (though he'll likely have to wait until Randy Velarde gets hurt next year to get one), while Gonzalez whined and complained his way to his worst season in the bigs.

At this point it seems unlikely that Gonzalez will return to Detroit, both because he doesn't seem to like it there and because the Tigers themselves have resisted the urge to give him a lucrative contract.

Have they finally turned the corner? It must be difficult for general manager Randy Smith to let Gonzalez walk after giving up so much talent in return. He took a chance in bringing Gonzalez to town, perhaps thinking the team needed a star to draw fans to new Comerica Park or that his team was closer to a play-off spot than they really were. Assuming Gonzalez walks, Smith deserves credit for recognizing this mistake and moving on rather than making a bad situation worse by shelling out big bucks. Of course, he's also extremely fortunate Gonzalez didn't accept the Tigers' huge contract offer this spring.

It doesn't stop there, however. Last week, the Tigers fleeced the normally wise Astros out of Mitch Meluskey, Roger Cedeno and Chris Holt. Yeah, they gave up Brad Ausmus and relievers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz, but Meluskey is better than Ausmus and the Tigers need guys who can get on base, which Cedeno and Meluskey can both do.

At the press conference announcing the deal, GM Smith even mentioned that the team had added "two switch-hitters with high on-base percentages." This is remarkable material coming from a guy who signed Gregg Jefferies.

Then, as a capper to a great week, the Tigers selected 2B Jermaine Clark from the Mariners in Monday's Rule 5 draft. Clark may or may not stick with the team (as a rule 5 draftee, he must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be returned to Seattle), but the fact that they selected him at all shows good judgement on their part. Clark's small frame and lack of "tools" don't win much praise from scouts, but he's hit well at every stop in the minors, draws walks and can get on base.

You might wonder why the Mariners, who could certainly use a guy like Clark at second base next season, didn't protect him by adding him to the 40-man roster, but unfortunately there's no good answer.

Moving away from the Tigers for a moment, another club that always seems to get the short end of trades made an absolute steal of a deal on Thursday. I am of course speaking of the Expos, who robbed the Cardinals of 3B Fernando Tatis. Do we need any more proof that St. Louis' Walt Jocketty winning GM of the Year last year was some sort of horrible aberration?

In exchange for Tatis and reliever Britt Reames, the Expos parted ways with starter Dustin Hermanson and reliever Steve Kline. This is the same Dustin Hermanson who had a 4.77 ERA last season, and whose strikeout to walk ratio has declined each of the past three seasons. Last year he struck out just 94 batters in 198 innings, while allowing 226 hits and 26 homers.

Kline had a solid season in relief last year, but it's not all that difficult to find a left-handed reliever to pitch those kind of innings. Reames is largely inconsequential in my book -- though he's the sort of guy Felipe Alou always seems to have success with in the bullpen.

The key to this deal is of course Tatis, one of the better young third baseman in baseball. Players at the position you might rather have than Tatis? Eric Chavez, Scott Rolen or Esteban Beltre, and even those are debatable. Tatis hits for power and draws walks, and best of all he's signed for three more years at well below the going market rate for a player of his abilities.

After a monster 1999 season -- .298/.404/.553 with 34 homers at age 24 -- Tatis started hot in 2000 but missed two months with (ouch!) a torn muscle in his groin. He slumped badly over the final two months of the year, but still finished at .253/.379/.491, and there's nothing wrong with that sort of production from your third baseman. There's no reason to think that a healthy Tatis won't rebound to the .300/.400/.550 level, and perhaps even higher given the natural improvement curve most players go through.

Do the Expos suddenly have a decent team, or what? Not a post-season team yet, but they're certainly moving in the right direction. On offense they now feature Tatis, Vlad Guerrero and Jose Vidro, with Milton Bradley and Peter Bergeron to get on base in front of them. Hopefully Michael Barrett's bat will return with the permanent move to catcher (as opposed to being jerked back and forth between catcher and third base).

Throw in a young and improving rotation that begins with Carl Pavano, Javier Vazquez and Tony Armas Jr., plus Alou's uncanny ability to throw together an effective bullpen and the return of Ugueth Urbina, and you're looking at what might be a .500 team with a few breaks and a healthy dose of luck.

Wow, hold us back! If Jason Michael Barker gets any nmore giddy about the Expos chances next year we may have to hold him down and inoculate him with a dose of Dr. Bud's pessimism juice.Or you could calm him down by sending soothing emails to jmb@strikethree.com.