Tigers almost land Manny? Detroit trades Ramirez to Atlanta
Written by Greg Piatt, Saturday July 31 2010
Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski appeared before the media about an hour after the trade deadline Saturday.
He seemed disappointed, according to media reports.
The big deal he said would have made “big national headlines” fell through in the final hour before the Saturday’s 4 p.m. trading deadline.
However, he wasn’t angry when he talked to the media.
“Anytime you get close to something (but only close), the wind goes out of your sails if you think you're going to make a deal,” Dombrowski told the media.
“But it was so far out of the blue, I’m not sure ‘disappointed’ is the right word. It’s more like getting the wind knocked out of you.”
And who were the Tigers trying to land and didn’t, leaving Dombrowski dejected?
The Tiger GM wouldn’t say.
The Tigers needed a big bat to make the most of their last 60 games.
One name, which could have produced national headlines, could have been Adam Dunn, but the Detroit press, which interviewed Dombrowski, seemed to think it wasn’t the Washington Nationals slugger.
The consensus among the Detroit media seems that the Tigers were the mystery team in pursuit of Manny Ramirez.
“I thought we had a chance to do something that was probably surprising and big,” Dombrowski said when asked about the trade. “At one time, I thought we would. But it didn’t materialize”
Trade rumors swirled in the last hour about the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder. Ramirez could’ve been landed. The Tigers’ American League Central rival--the Chicago White Sox--were reportedly interested in Ramirez. His acquisition would’ve made big national headlines.
Furthermore, the Dodgers acknowledged they were intrigued by one team’s offer.
But the deal fell apart at some point.
So the Tigers’ only deal of the day was when they sent minor league outfielder Wilkin Ramirez to Atlanta for cash considerations and a player to be named.
The 24-year-old Ramirez went from the starting lineup in the Futures Game to the waiver wire to a new organization in less than three weeks.
He had .230 average between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, hitting 19 home runs and 56 RBI. He also has struck out 144 times in 400 plate appearances.
“He just has not developed to hit the breaking ball on a consistent basis,” Dombrowski said of the prospect, who has been in the Tigers’ system for seven years,
The Tigers designated Ramirez for assignment a few days ago in order to make room on the 40-man roster for Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers only acquisition in the week leading up to the trade deadline.
While the Tigers added Peralta by trading low level pitching prospect Giovanni Soto to Cleveland, Detroit’s A.L. Central rivals didn’t stand pat.
The first place White Sox acquired former Tiger pitcher Edwin Jackson from Arizona for pitchers Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg.
The Minnesota Twins bolstered its bullpen by acquiring the Nationals’ closer Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos and Joe Testa.
While these moves may have bettered their rivals than the Peralta trade bettered Detroit, it doesn’t mean the window is shut for the Tigers.
Detroit could still add a player who passes through waivers, before the waiver trade deadline on Aug. 31.
And ESPN predicts Manny Ramirez will be one of those hitters who clears waivers before the deadline. Could the trade be back on the table? Dombrowski and Tiger fans only hope so.
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