Put a fork in Da Meat Hook?

[racosun]

Dmitri Young finally hit the DL (again) yesterday. The idea of him going back to the DL was bandied about a week or so ago by Jim Leyland, as it seemed DY hadn't recovered from his injured quad. Now that he has proven that he's still hobbled, is this the end for DY in a Tigers uniform?

I ask because he never really seemed like a favorite of Leyland's right from the start. When he was hired, one of the first things Jim was asked about was the logjam at first base, with incumbant Shelton, plus Carlos Pena and Young. He said Dmitri needed to lose a lot of weight and accept that he might be the permanent DH, or play some LF. Carlos Pena then went out and did everything possible to make sure Dmitri was the back-up at first base, and that he (Pena) was on his way out of town. Before Dmitri originally went down with the quad injury, it was obvious that he wasn't seeing the ball all that well. He had a shady season last year, and his clubhouse behavior was called into question by Gibby. Then add in his recent off-field troubles with an ex-girlfriend, and one could reasonably wonder if this is the end of the line in Motown for Da Meat Hook. While at one of the recent Cincy games, DY was booed quite loudly by a packed CoPa house, and to be honest I was one of the boo-birds. He looks absolutely terrible at the plate, like he's not even trying.

Anybody else think he'll be gone for good?

[Gee Walker]

On the radio last night, Jim Price and Dan Dickerson were talking about Dmitri needing to "start spring training over again" No 2-game rehab this time. So the DL trip may end up being a way to give him a couple of months to get his act together, or if he doesn't, to make his exit from the team in October, still on the DL.

Hannahan has a good overall line (BA .282, OBP .391, SLG .412). LOTS of strikeouts, unfortunately (40 in 131 AB). He's been around for a while, making progress slowly through the minors. He can't be worse than DYo at the plate.

Does anyone know what other skills Hannahan has? Is he a good 3Bman, or plays it because someone on the team has to?

[riverfrontier]

I think his situation could go either way. If they want to get anything for him through a trade, they'll have to let him get up to speed and get some playing time to (ahem) 'showcase his skills.' If they pawn him off for contract relief, or give him his release outright, why not fill his roster spot with Josh Phelps?

[racosun]

I'd have to say there is no possible way to trade Dmitri Young, especially at this point in his career. If we were to trade him, we'd have to accept a low-level prospect and eat a large chunk of his contract. That's probably not a good move to make, considering Dmitri used to be a heckuva hitter not too long ago and the team could really use that bat right now, not in three or four years. Like Gee Walker said above, we might see him riding the DL for a few months, possibly the rest of the year, then part ways from there. When he's healthy and in a proper baseball mentality, he's a switch-hitting power-hitter who hits for a good average, something any team could use. I believe he could be a darn good asset to this team if or when he returns to form, but then again he could finally be washed up and be a financial drain on the payroll, ala Higgy. Either way, it's an interesting situation to watch.

[riverfrontier]

OK. Leyland wants a new team. Dmitri doesn't fit. Too fat. Too disruptive (an assumption which is speculative.) 2003 aside, he doesn't strike out 5 times per 4 at bats like the greenhorns do. You can trade a guy like that. If the Tigers can eat a bowl of Damian Easley without milk or sugar, then Dmitri Young is an aspirin pill.

[moldyoldie]

Someone please refresh my memory. Where does Dmitri rank on the team payroll; is he behind Maggs, Pudge, and Rogers; or just Maggs?

Is this Hannahan's first shot in the bigs? It seems I first heard his name as a prospect several years ago; I didn't realize he was still in the organization.

[Rennie Stennett]

2005 Salaries:

Bobby Higginson $8,850,000.00
Ivan Rodriguez $8,000,000.00
Dmitri Young $8,000,000.00
Magglio Ordonez $7,200,000.00
Troy Percival $5,906,183.00
Carlos Guillen $4,000,000.00
Jason Johnson $4,000,000.00
Rondell White $3,250,000.00
Carlos Pena $2,575,000.00
Brandon Inge $1,350,000.00
Vance Wilson $760,000.00
Mike Maroth $405,000.00
Jeremy Bonderman $400,000.00
Craig Monroe $400,000.00
Omar Infante $355,000.00
Nate Robertson $355,000.00
Wilfredo Ledezma $335,000.00
Matt Ginter $333,000.00
Jason Smith $325,000.00
Franklyn German $321,000.00
Nook Logan $320,000.00
Fernando Rodney $318,500.00

[Rennie Stennett]

2006 Salary:

1. Magglio Ordonez 16,200,000
2. Ivan Rodriguez 10,616,410
3. Kenny Rogers 8,000,000
4. Dmitri Young 8,000,000
5. Troy Percival 6,000,000
6. Todd Jones 5,809,159
7. Carlos Guillen 5,000,000
8. Placido Polanco 4,600,000
9. Brandon Inge 3,000,000
10. Craig Monroe 2,800,000
11. Mike Maroth 2,300,000
12. Jeremy Bonderman 2,300,000
13. Jamie Walker 1,250,000
14. Justin Verlander 980,000
15. Vance Wilson 750,000
16. Nate Robertson 402,500
17. Fernando Rodney 385,000
18. Omar Infante 385,000
19. Bobby Seay 375,000
20. Ramon Santiago 375,000
21. Chris Shelton 365,000
22. Jason Grilli 350,000
23. Marcus Thames 342,000
24. Curtis Granderson 335,000
25. Craig Dingman 330,000
26. Joel Zumaya 327,000
Total Team Salary: 82,302,069

1. NY Yankees 198,662,180
2. Boston 120,100,524
3. LA Angels 103,625,333
4. Chicago Sox 102,875,667
5. NY Mets 100,901,085
6. LA Dodgers 99,176,950
7. Chicago Cubs 94,841,166
8. Atlanta 92,461,852
9. Houston 92,101,503
10. San Francisco 90,862,064
11. Seattle 87,924,500
12. Philadelphia 87,148,333
13. Detroit 82,302,069

[racosun]

Thanks for posting the salary figures. Very interesting.

Maggs is getting a ton of money, but is trying his best to earn it. He looks much better in the outfield this season, looks a lot quicker. His bat is back to where we expected it to be. Dmitri makes way too much, maybe one of the bad moves DD has made with the team. I'm not exactly sure about this, but I think Dmitri is in his last year of that huge contract. If so, I could almost guarantee that he won't be back in '07. Percy's contract is large, but is covered by insurance. We got good deals on Polanco and Guillen, but Inge is making too much. It's not a crazy salary like Higginson, Easley, or DY, but still too much for my tastes. We should have scooped up on Hank Blalock when we had the chance. Now his value is sky high again, and it'll take alot more to get him (perhaps too much). Total payroll isn't very bad, considering our place in the standings compared to every other team ahead of us. Poor Yankees. LOL! It wouldn't surprise me to see King George try to replace Cashman with DD some day.

[skeletor]

Thanks for posting the salary figures. Very interesting.

Maggs is getting a ton of money, but is trying his best to earn it. He looks much better in the outfield this season, looks a lot quicker. His bat is back to where we expected it to be. Dmitri makes way too much, maybe one of the bad moves DD has made with the team. I'm not exactly sure about this, but I think Dmitri is in his last year of that huge contract. If so, I could almost guarantee that he won't be back in '07. Percy's contract is large, but is covered by insurance. We got good deals on Polanco and Guillen, but Inge is making too much. It's not a crazy salary like Higginson, Easley, or DY, but still too much for my tastes. We should have scooped up on Hank Blalock when we had the chance. Now his value is sky high again, and it'll take alot more to get him (perhaps too much). Total payroll isn't very bad, considering our place in the standings compared to every other team ahead of us. Poor Yankees. LOL! It wouldn't surprise me to see King George try to replace Cashman with DD some day.

heck, even some of the lowest paid Tigers, are pulling in over 300K
per year..If I could bring home 300k a year, before taxes, I would be
one HAPPY camper..(sigh) ..I concur that Dmitri was a bad deal, but
at the time, the club didn't have much..and he filled a void..of being
a decent player..but I think his skills are fading, attitude needs to be
rebooted..and I get the feeling that he's in Leyland's doghouse..and
will probably be gone..sooner, if he doesn't start hitting with authority
when he returns from the DL..if not, he'll be gone at the end of the
season..Inge is over payed..and is at best, a super sub..not a starter

I still think both Rogers and Jones, also are over payed..(age )
but if they can deliver..well, it'll be worth ..it..for the 1st year of
their pacts..whether or not, they continue to do well, or father time
catches up with them..and the skills go total bye-bye, remains to be
seen...

No way DD will consent to working with Poppa George, and the bronx
zoo...DD does not like to be micro managed..by the likes of Steinbrenner
and George could offer FAR more than his current salary w/Tigers
One only needs to look back at the woes that CASHMAN has had
with George, and George's revolving dooe of former GM's..before
Cashman arrived..DD would have probably ended up with Boston, had
he not been commited to finishing the job with the Tigers, and then
Epstein was rehired as GM for the RedSox...
:eek:

[tigers527]

I don't even think we need this thread to realize "da meathook" is gone. I am usually responsive to the Tiger threads...but for DY the writings on the wall. It is a shame too, that .293 20+ 93 line in 2003 is worth at least 20 pts. higher on all stats, on a normal team.

Goodbye DY I will miss your tubby booty, but how about the Tigers get much fewer Tubby fellows in general for the future.

I would love to see the Tigers with a team of speedsters, or at least PLUS defenders in the OF. Perhaps, going so far as to make a play for Torii Hunter, for some of our minor league talent? Granderson LF Hunter CF Ordonez RF.

[racosun]

Goodbye DY I will miss your tubby booty, but how about the Tigers get much fewer Tubby fellows in general for the future.

I would love to see the Tigers with a team of speedsters, or at least PLUS defenders in the OF. Perhaps, going so far as to make a play for Torii Hunter, for some of our minor league talent? Granderson LF Hunter CF Ordonez RF.

Come on, we love our "tubby fellows" in Motown. :clapping

How good would Cecil Fielder have been without the extra girth? And what about Zumaya? He says his power comes from him "throwing" his belly at home plate. Da Meat Choke has always been portly, and it hasn't affected his hitting as much as one would think. I think what's been hampering Dmitri isn't his huge booty, but the huge loot he gets. Big contracts ruin many a good hitter. Was Higgy still "hungry" to keep working hard once he got his dollars? Nope. Same with Young. These guys work hard to get the big dollars, and once they get them they think they're on Easy Street. That's when we see them go down with hammy injuries, or quad injuries. Those ailments come about from not putting in enough proper work.

Hunter in CF would be great, as long as we don't grossly overpay to get him. I wouldn't want to trade for him this season, but wait until he hits the market this winter. That way we could use Granderson or Monroe as trade bait to fix a different hole in the roster. We could sign Hunter to a three or four year deal, just long enough for Cameron Maybin to get some seasoning and work his way through the ranks. I agree that we need to add the "speed" aspect to our game. Our running game has been terrible this season, at least as far as swiping bases is concerned.

[KCGHOST]

When you look at Young's stat sheet, 2003 sticks out like a sore thumb. The classic case of "which of these things does not belong". If a guy is going to to miss 40-60 games a season he needs to make a lot less than $8M or produce at a much higher level.