There are reports that the Tigers are amongst those interested in free agent lefty Kenny Rogers. You probably remember Rogers. He's the guy that went nuts on some media types, especially those with television cameras, in Arlington last year.
That got him suspended. However, Rogers appealed the suspension providing himself with an opportunity to get an All-Star Game nod. Rogers refusal to remove himself from the American League squad cost the Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman a chance to play in his first All-Star Game and before the home crowd at Comerica Park.
Rogers, of course, was booed by the locals in attendance when he came into the Mid-Summer Classic and he promptly allowed the National League back into the contest. For closure, Rogers also had another run-in with the media during his brief appearance at the police station. That's the Kenny Rogers the Tigers are now debating.
Like every other free agent move for the Tigers the question is one of acceptable risk. At what amount is Rogers worth adding to the ballclub? I'm not sure I know where I would draw that line in the sand, but it's probably an amount Rogers wouldn't embrace.
In trolling the internet for other rumors, I find Carl Pavano is supposedly ready to bolt the Big Apple. (I'd love to provide links to these things, but they are from newspapers that require subscriptions.) The Tigers, who pursued the righthander last winter, are amongst those the New York media are speculating might be Pavano's destination.
I have trouble believing the Tigers would be willing to part with anything that might tempt King George to move Pavano. The Yanks pitching staff wasn't all that in 2005, I can't see them moving a potential upgrade on the mound.
1 comment:
On one hand, I like the idea of bringing in a veteran presence to this pitching staff. On the other, I'm not sure the guy who pushes TV cameras out of his face is that guy.
And maybe this doesn't matter as much as I think, because good pitching is good pitching. But I think the Tigers have enough lefties in their rotation with Robertson and Maroth.
Rogers seems like a good Plan D or E to me. Maybe if no one else has signed him by January, and he's willing to sign a lower-dollar deal.
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