Could the Tigers go out and acquire free agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero this off season? Well SI.com columnist Joe Sheehan by way of the Detroit News believes that a Guerrero and Detroit could be a good fit together.
Guerrero is seen as an โincreasingly attractive optionโ for the Tigers due to the fact that โthere simply arenโt very many teams looking for a full-time DH, and the ones who might be open to a platoon option โ the Aโs, the Mariners, the Orioles โ canโt be excited about paying star money for a 250-at-bat player.โ
Here is what else Sheehan had to say about Guerreroโฆ
โThe idea that Alex Avila will catch and Victor Martinez will DH has always been a bad one. Avila has yet to hit above Double-A, with no Triple-A experience and a .237/.327/.383 line in the majors and strikeouts in 25 percent of his ABs without the power to match. Martinez is an adequate defensive catcher whose bat is very valuable in that role, as opposed to being a bit above average as a DH. The offensive gap between Avila and Guerrero is much greater than the defensive gap between the two catchers. Guerrero can be part of a solution that allows Martinez to be used properly, Avila to be brought along as his performance warrants, and the Tigers to get maximum production along the way.
โThe Tigers have made a huge push for 2011 and can justify the extra $7-8 million it will take to bring in Guerrero. Itโs not a perfect fit โ the Tigers could really use a lefthanded bat instead โ but it would help their depth, provide day-to-day flexibility and give Guerrero the best chance heโll have at returning to the posteason.โ
With the price tag that the Tigers will be paying Martinez it would seem justifiable for them to bring in another player to take over the DH role enabling Martinez to become more of a full time player behind the plate. Furthermore, since it seems pretty clear that the team is kind of throwing defense out the window this upcoming season the Tigers may as well insert as much fire power into the lineup they can.
Source: Detroit News, SI.com
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