Bob Wojnowski

Tigers shouldn't trade Curtis Granderson

I understand the economics around here, and I understand the nature of baseball. The Tigers have some tough decisions this offseason.

But if they're really thinking about trading All-Stars Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, I think they're nuts.

General manager Dave Dombrowski would be creating two huge holes in the pursuit of, well, what? Cost-cutting? Not really, not a lot. Improving the roster? Not short-term, not likely.

Speculation often swirls this time of year, and that's fine. Dombrowski might merely be sniffing for a too-good-to-be-true deal, hoping to fleece the Yankees or Cubs out of top prospects. But if this is part of some new long-term direction by the Tigers, it makes no sense to me.

Owner Mike Ilitch has spent admirably, sometimes recklessly. His hunger to win is indisputable, evidenced by the fateful late-season acquisitions of Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff. Ilitch has signed off on lucrative deals that now hamper the Tigers, but he can't suddenly swing the other way and punch fans in the gut by dealing two of the team's better, younger, more popular players.

I know attendance dropped nearly 25 percent this season, but the Tigers still finished fourth in the American League at more than 2.5 million, solid considering the economy and the sometimes-dreary lineup.

Reasonable deals

Granderson, 28, is a center fielder in his prime, and while he needs to hit better than .249 (and much better than .183 against lefties), he provides power, speed, defense and fan flair. And he's owed a reasonable $23.75 million the next three years.

Jackson, 26, is a right-hander who was superb the first half of the season, not nearly so hot after that. Still, he finished with a 13-9 record and 3.62 ERA, and he has exactly the mix of promise and hard-throwing talent every team craves. He could draw big money as a free agent after next season, but the Tigers knew that when they acquired him. Heck, let him earn it here.

Nobody appreciates young pitching more than Dombrowski, who's building around Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. Why would he even consider trading a strong arm, especially with no obvious replacement, and with a batting order that figures to remain spotty?

If the Tigers truly are interested in a big deal that would save dough, Miguel Cabrera is the guy to shop. Of course, the market is much narrower for a slugging first baseman with a huge contract who had a troubling alcohol-related incident late in the season.

Clearing the books

The Tigers cannot afford to step back next year, and I don't understand why they think they should. Ilitch has not gotten sufficient return on his $115 million payroll investment, true enough, but the salary issue partly will resolve itself after next season, when the fat blessedly starts melting away. Bloated contracts for Nate Robertson ($10 million in 2010), Dontrelle Willis ($12 million) and Jeremy Bonderman ($12.5 million) will be gone. Barring another contract-clause kicker, Magglio Ordonez's $18 million will be gone.

We can second-guess the wisdom of allowing Ordonez to get the necessary at-bats to land another year, sure. But I'm sorry, at a time when the lineup was falling apart, Ordonez hit a blistering .375 the second half, even though his power was way down.

The Tigers and Dombrowski were short-sighted with contracts a few years ago, no doubt. Should they be more prudent this offseason? Yep.

Should they dump popular players in their prime to compensate for past mistakes, which might compound those mistakes? No way.

bob.wojnowski@detnews.com