Two days left until the trade deadline, and the course for the rest of the Tigers' season seems more uncertain than ever.
To this point, Dave Dombrowski hasn't made any indication whatsoever that the Tigers might sell off anybody, and apart from a report earlier in the week from USA Today's Bob Nightengale that the team had explored the possibility of acquiring Mike Leake from the Cincinnati Reds, and a vague hinting of interest in Miami reliever Steve Cishek, there's been little activity of note regarding this team buying at the deadline.
It almost makes you wonder if Dombrowski has even decided which way he's going.
A report this morning from the Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough claims that the Royals inquired about Price last week, but were rebuffed by Dombrowski because he wasn't ready to deal. The Reds were, so they were instead the recipients of minor-league pitcher Cody Reed, damn-near-major-league-ready starter John Lamb, and major-league reliever-and-potential-starter Brandon Finnegan, in exchange for Johnny Cueto.
Less than a half-season at most of Price starting against the Tigers wouldn't have been worth that?
That same report also claims that acquiring Cole Hamels wouldn't have fit the Royals' financial model, that being long-term commitment to expensive star players, meaning Price would have likely walked after this season anyway, meaning the long-term consequences would be nil.
And yet, here this team sits, knowing it's best shot at restocking for the future or attempting any kind of "rebuilding on-the-fly" rests on the trade value of Price and fellow free-agent-to-be Yoenis Cespedes. All indications seem to be that Price has no interest in staying around Detroit beyond this year, regardless of where he finishes this season, while Cespedes has indicated that he'd like to re-sign here in the offseason, even if he gets traded away. As such, any deal made at the deadline does little to effect the odds of bringing back either or both in the offseason, so with a team so for out of contention, clearly it would seem prudent to consider that option. And make no mistake, teams are knocking on the door for both, but Dombrowski isn't taking any visitors.
It's been rare in Dombrowski's tenure as GM here that the Tigers have been sellers, a stark contrast to the Florida Marlins days of "win the Series, blow it all up, do it again." But that was a different team, and an owner with far less invested in his team. Mike Illitch is nothing if not the polar opposite of Jeffrey Loria. Nobody can doubt his strong emotional ties to the organization and the city they play in, and the fact that he'll shell out whatever money necessary to keep his team a contender and to win that elusive World Series ring, if he thinks he's got a fighting chance. But at this point, is it sustainable? Illitch is 86, and most of the day-to-day operation has been turned over to his son Chris, who might just be readying to sell the team in the not-too-distant future, and regardless, it's hard to see anyone else keeping up the near-$200 million payrolls of seasons past.
Once again this Detroit team appears to be at a crossroads; cash in the big tickets and set themselves up for the future, or go all-in and make another run, future be damned.
Is it possible to attempt both? Maybe. But there's only one man who might know the answer to that one, and he's not saying.
If he even knows for himself.
