Could this be the year that the Tigers land Luke Scott?
Written by Greg Piatt, Wednesday July 28 2010
Just look at the last several games and it is proof that the Detroit Tigers are in desperate need of another bat.
Even before one-third of the Tigers’ starting lineup was laid out in a span of five days last week, Detroit had a hard time scoring runs on the road.
Now after being no-hit on Monday by the Rays’ Matt Garza and stranding 11 in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss with Tampa Bay, the Tigers will need to make a move for a bat by Saturday’s trade deadline to tread water until the one or two of their three injured starters return to the lineup.
Detroit’s injured starters include:
- Third baseman Brandon Inge fractured his hand last week when hit by a pitch. Inge is expected to be out for four to six weeks, but could be back sooner, according to some reports.
- Right fielder Magglio Ordonez broke his ankle while sliding into home plate. Maggs is expected to be gone six to eight weeks.
- Infielder Carlos Guillen strained his right calf and was placed on the 15-day disabled list, but is expected to be back in two weeks, according to news reports.
The Tigers had an interest in Boston’s Mike Lowell, but that interest has weakened over the last day or two because Inge might be back sooner than expected.
So the Tigers could hold off on Lowell until the August waiver period, when the status of Inge and maybe Ordonez will be clearer.
But Detroit shouldn’t stand pat, especially on Ordonez, who won’t vest a $15 million option for next season because of his injury.
“We’re not conceding,” Tiger GM David Dombrowski told Fox Sports Tuesday about Detroit’s intention to stay in the A.L Central race.
In order to do that, the Tigers need an outfield/DH type to fill Ordonez’s void and would be under contract for at least next year and hopefully beyond.
Trade rumors since the 2007 Winter Meetings have had Luke Scott coming to Detroit. For the past three trade deadlines Tiger fans have thought that Detroit would trade for Baltimore’s Scott.
But in past years, the Orioles have asked a high price for Scott, who in one trade rumor was coming to Detroit in the 2007 Winter Meetings for Marcus Thames.
Tiger fans have wanted Scott, known to be a streaky hitter, patrolling left field for years.
This might be the year Dave Dombrowski could land Scott, who appears to be on one of his streaks since coming off the disabled list a couple of weeks ago.
He could be had much cheaper than the Nationals Adam Dunn, who the Tigers are rumored to be interested in. His trade worth this year should be what the Tigers traded last year to Baltimore for Aubrey Huff—a mid-range minor league relief pitcher with a lot of upside.
The Nationals are asking a high price Dunn and Dombrowski has told the media he will not deplete their farm system at a time when they are dealing with so many needs.
But Dombrowski added Detroit continues to explore trades.
Could the left-handed hitting Scott, who has a .292 average with 17 home runs and 41 RBI this season, be one of them? He is under club control until 2012 and would fit with the Tigers plans of obtaining controllable players with affordable contracts.
Over the last few days, trade rumors had Scott, who is one of the Orioles’ tradable players, going to Tampa Bay, but the Orioles have been mum on which of their players might leave. Dombrowski is usually mum, too.
Could this be the year the Tigers catch Scott by the tail?
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