Leland And Dombrowski Extensions: Why Now?
The Tigers decision to extend the contracts of Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland today is ridiculous to me. What bothers me more than the extension is the timing. Why on God's green Earth would you announce this decision the day before a big three game series against the Indians in Cleveland. The same Indians the Tigers lead by four games atop the Central Division. If the Tigers hang on and win the division then you extend them. Does anyone think the extension or lack of extension would make a difference on winning the division? I still believe Leyland is an average manager and should not be extended now.
I guess if the Tigers do blow the division you can still fire Leyland and only eat one year of salary, since his extension is just through 2012. Dombrowski though is extended until the end of the 2015 season. I would hate to see him rewarded for one playoff appearance in nine seasons.
Yes, the organization is much better since he took over, but here is evidence of Dombrowski work on personnel decisions and I will let you be the judge.
FIRST DRAFT PICKS
2002 Scott Moore SS
2003 Kyle Sleeth RHP
2004 Justin Verlander
2005 Cameron Maybin
2006 Andrew Miller
2007 Rick Porcello
2008 Ryan Perry
2009 Jacob Turner
2010 Nick Castellanos
Obviously his first two selections did not work out. The Verlander pick speaks for itself. Maybin and Miller are in the major leagues, and got the Tigers Miguel Cabrera. Porcello seems to be a good pick, while Ryan Perry is still a work in progress. Jacob Turner may be a star... I think it's fair to say that his first picks every year would probably get a B grade
Here is a list of every significant trade Dombrowski has made since April of 2002.
2002
March 23 Acquired C Matt Walbeck and INF Damian Jackson from the Padres for C Javier Cardona and OF Rich Gomez
May 16 Acquired INF Chris Truby from the Expos for INF Jose Macias
July 6 Acquired RHP Franklyn German, INF Carlos Pena and a player to be named (RHP Jeremy Bonderman) from the Athletics for RHP Jeff Weaver
November 15 Acquired OF Gene Kingsale from the Padres for C Michael Rivera
November 25 Acquired LHP Adrian Burnside and two players to be named (RHP Roberto Novoa and INF Kody Kirkland) from the Pirates for INF Randall Simon
2003
January 11 Acquired RHP Gary Knotts and LHPs Rob Henkel and Nate Robertson from the Marlins for RHP Jerrod Fuell and LHP Mark Redman
March 27 Acquired RHP Chris Spurling from the Braves for LHP Matt Coenen
May 27 Acquired OF Alex Sanchez from the Brewers for LHP Chad Petty and OF Noochie Varner
July 13 Acquired OF Ben Petrick from the Rockies for RHP Adam Bernero
2004
January 8 Acquired INF Carlos Guillen from the Mariners for INFs Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez
April 1 Acquired LHP Steve Colyer and cash considerations from the Dodgers for OF Cody Ross
2005
January 6 Acquired C Vance Wilson from the Mets for INF Anderson Hernandez
February 9 Acquired RHP Kyle Farnsworth and cash considerations from the Cubs for RHP Roberto Novoa, INF Scott Moore and OF Bo Flowers
June 8 Acquired INF Placido Polanco from the Phillies for RHP Ugueth Urbina and INF Ramon Martinez
July 31 Acquired RHPs Roman Colon and Zach Miner from the Braves for RHP Kyle Farnsworth
2006
July 31 Acquired INF Sean Casey from the Pirates for RHP Brian Rogers
August 20 Acquired INF Neifi Perez from the Cubs for C Chris Robinson
November 10 Acquired OF Gary Sheffield from the Yankees for RHPs Anthony Claggett, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan
2007
June 20 Acquired LHP Macay McBride from the Braves for LHP Wilfredo Ledezma
August 23 Acquired a player to be named (LHP Clay Rapada) from the Cubs for OF Craig Monroe
October 29 Acquired INF Edgar Renteria from the Braves for RHP Jair Jurrjens and OF Gorkys Hernandez
November 12 Acquired OF Jacque Jones from the Cubs for INF Omar Infante
December 5 Acquired LHP Dontrelle Willis and INF Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins for RHPs Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and
Dallas Trahern, LHP Andrew Miller, C Mike Rabelo and OF Cameron Maybin
December 5 Acquired OF Freddy Guzman from the Rangers for INF Chris Shelton
2008
February 4 Acquired RHP Armando Galarraga from the Rangers for OF Michael Hernandez
April 30 Acquired RHP Zach Simons from the Rockies for RHP Jason Grilli
July 30 Acquired RHP Kyle Farnsworth from the Yankees for C Ivan Rodriguez
December 8 Acquired C Gerald Laird from the Rangers for RHPs Carlos Melo and Guillermo Moscoso
December 11 Acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the Rays for OF Matt Joyce
2009
July 31 Acquired LHP Jarrod Washburn from the Mariners for LHPs Luke French and Mauricio Robles
August 17 Acquired INF/OF Aubrey Huff from the Orioles for RHP Brett Jacobson
December 9 Acquired RHP Ian Kennedy, LHP Phil Coke and OF Austin Jackson from the Yankees for OF Curtis Granderson
December 9 Acquired RHP Max Scherzer and LHP Daniel Schlereth from the Diamondbacks for RHPs Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy
December 21 acquired cash considerations from the Padres for C Dusty Ryan
2010
March 30 Acquired LHP Jay Voss from the Marlins for LHP Nate Robertson
June 1 Acquired RHP Billy Buckner from the Diamondbacks for LHP Dontrelle Willis
July 28 Acquired INF Jhonny Peralta from the Indians for LHP Giovanni Soto
2011
January 24 Acquired RHP Kevin Eichhorn and LHP Ryan Robowski from the Diamondbacks for RHP Armando Galarraga
May Acquired LHP David Purcey from the Athletics for 2B Scott Sizemore
July 27 Acquired 3B Wilson Betemit from Kansas City for prospects Antonio Cruz and Julio Rodriguez
July 31 Acquired RHP's Doug Fister and David Pauley for LHP Charlie Furbush,OF Casper Wells,prospect Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later
There have been major mistakes like the Renteria for Jurgens and a minor one in giving up Cody Ross for Steve Colyer, but Dombrowksi has overall done a very good job in trades including getting Placido Polanco for a machete wielding lunatic and acquiring Carlos Guillen for a bag of balls.
Where Dombrowski has failed the most in my mind is the development of position players through the farm system. I believe an organization should be able to develop more major league position players other than Granderson, Inge Joyce, Boesch, Sizemore, Hanahan, Avila, Wells, and Dirks. He also has overpaid for copious amounts of free agents and given extensions for absurd money to people like Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson.
The bottom line is winning. I believe Dombrowski has not done enough of that in almost a decade to warrant a four year extension. As with the Leyland extension the major question is why now?
-Stoney