Tigers Release Sheffield, One HR Shy of 500

[missionhockey21]

Another case of Dombrowski giving a contract extension way too soon. Both him and Willis exhibited question marks prior to coming to the Tigers but Dombrowski pulled the trigger on both contracts.

I have to think Sheffield has something left in the tank if he can stay healthy and be used selectively. One thing I do know is that it can't sit easy with him that he was released so Marcus Thames could play. Thames is useful for his pop, but its not like he is a superstar prospect that needed the old man to get out of the way.

Gary Sheffield had just one season remaining on his contract when the Tigers sent three pitching prospects to the Yankees to acquire him in November of 2006, so they immediately handed him a two-year, $28 million extension. At the time Sheffield was coming off a season in which he played just 39 games because of a wrist injury and he turned 38 years old a week after the trade, but the Tigers still took the plunge.

Detroit released Sheffield on Tuesday morning, choosing to eat the remaining $14 million on his contract after two seasons filled with injuries and mediocre production. Sheffield missed 77 of a possible 324 games during two years in Detroit, and when healthy hit just .247 with a .354 on-base percentage and .433 slugging percentage for a .787 OPS that was 136 points below his career mark before joining the Tigers.

Sheffield proved to be an oft-injured shell of his former self and the Tigers ended up paying $39 million for 247 games of a middling designated hitter, which is why he's now looking for work despite being owed $14 million and sitting one home run shy of joining the 500 Club. General manager Dave Dombrowski explained the decision by noting that the Tigers considered Sheffield a sunk cost and prefer Marcus Thames:

"We were going to pay him one way or another. We think it makes us a better club at this point. It was a situation, when we were looking at our roster, that it would be hard to keep both Marcus Thames and Sheffield. We believe Marcus can be a very productive hitter for us."

Dombrowski is correct in that Sheffield and Thames are relatively similar players, but the notion that Thames represents an upgrade over even a broken-down Sheffield is questionable at best. While Sheffield was hitting .247/.354/.433 for the Tigers during the past two years, Thames was hitting .241/.286/.508. Thames certainly offers more power, but his awful on-base percentage makes him anything but a strong regular.

Beyond that, over the past two seasons Sheffield posted his .787 OPS while playing against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers, while Thames posted his similar .794 OPS while facing primarily southpaws in a platoon role. If used as an everyday player Thames has the power to smack 30-plus homers and drive in plenty of runs, but he'll also be among the league leaders in outs made and won't top an .800 OPS.

Sheffield may indeed be done as a productive regular and it's tough to really blame any team for choosing to cut bait on a mercurial, oft-injured 40-year-old who's shown clearly diminished skills, but it's also tough to make a compelling case for the Tigers being any better for releasing Sheffield and handing his job to a 32-year-old career platoon player with a .302 on-base percentage.

As for Sheffield, expect him to land on his feet with a part-time role somewhere that gives him a chance to pad his Hall of Fame-caliber resume while perhaps platooning against left-handers much like Thames has in Detroit for the past five years. Playing just a few times per week would give him a better chance of avoiding injuries and if healthy in that role Sheffield is a good bet for a higher OPS than Thames in 2009.

Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

[Saber]

I think he'll latch on somewhere to get to 500, then retire. He's done.

[catman]

He still offers a team a decent bat at the DH spot. He should find a place to play if he's willing to accept a "market" offer -- one with a low base and lots of incentives.
Maybe Texas could be a destination?

[love_that_reefer]

I think Texas has too many DH types. Maybe Oakland could use him and Cust as OF/DH? Maybe a return to the Marlins?