Chris Shelton is now a Texas Ranger. The Tigers continued their active winter by dealing Shelton, who was DFA’d last week, for centerfielder Freddy Guzman.
Guzman is a burner who led the PCL with 56 stolen bases last year. He’s about to turn 27 and he’s only amassed 37 big league games in his career, so take that for what it’s worth. He hits for no power, but has some on base skills with a .360 OBP on a .278 batting average in his minor league career.
As for Big Red, here’s hoping the change of scenery will benefit him. If he can recapture that opposite field power, he should do quite well with the Arlington jet stream pushing balls out to right.
Guzman is on the 40 man roster, but the Tigers have some wiggle room following “The Trade” because they had freed up 2 spots.
MLBtraderumors.com has a Willis/Pudge to the mets post up…I give it very little credence, but it has the ever-hypersensitive Met fans terrified, for some reason.
Personally, I think we’re probably good where we are, esp if we can spin Thames or Inge (both of who I like, but might be extra pieces now) for a middle reliever. Maybe to the Brewers for Cordero (or turnbow, who scares me a bit but did have 33 holds last year, or shouse).
And the mets rumor just got killed already. Too bad, I like seeing the met fans in a tizzy. http://blog.mlive.com/tigersinsider/2007/12/dontrelle_to_the_mets_no_thats.html
There is an NL team about 80 miles south of Shea could use a 3B. I’m surprised the Phils haven’t come up in trade rumors involving Inge.
Farewell to Mr. Shelton. We’ll always have April of ’06 to remember.
He’s the first baseman of the future! … just not in Detroit
Good Shelton piece below. Imagine Detroit still had Pena?
http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2007/12/05/rangers-acquire-chris-shelton-from-tigers/
Good luck to Big Red.
He’d fallen far out of favor in Detroit for whatever reason, but he’s still a .300 hitter as a pro (major/minor combined). I always liked him and wish him well.
Cordero signed with the Reds.Why would you think the Brewers would make a deal like that anyway, with Ryan Braun at third base?And with their lineup, the hole they would have filled with Thames in left field is less important than one at closer.
Braun is a train wreck defensively at 3B and the Brewers have already openly discussed the possibility of trying to move him to LF. One rumor has them considering Iguchi at 3B.
The Brewers were trying to trade for Rolen recently, yeah. But I don’t think they have anything we want.
I think something happened in Shelton’s mind. I think he got all full of himself with that big April and started telling the coaches how he was going to do things and tuned them out. That would explain both the hitting nosedive and the way the team soured on him.
The position shift for Braun makes sense,but trading Cordero for Inge&Thames sounds like something Rob Parker would conjure in the hollows of his head.
Good luck in Texas “Red Pop”. I will always remember April 2006 when WDFN said that you were on track to hit 300 home runs “conservatively”.
Billfer, Any guesses on the Active 25 man roster and if Guzman will be on it? Was he actually part of the Rule 5(meaning he HAS to stay on the roster) or just part of a trade as reported with Texas, after the Rule 5 draft?
He could be a great role player for this team as a 4th or 5th OF. I could see him as a valuable late inning defensive replacement for Thames in LF, or this could pave the way for a Thames trade(not that I want that….but I digress), or a perfect pinch runner in a tight pitchers duel late in the game.
Guzman was not part of the Rule 5