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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

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