Buyers or Sellers?

The all star break has passed, and now that the Tigers have decided to act like a major league ballclub, we get to join in the national conversation: do the Tigers buy, trading some of their younger players and prospects for veterans who can play now, or do they sell their veterans to teams willing to give up a premium prospect, even if it will hurt the Tigers 2005 record, and the fruits of the trade may not be apparent until 2007?

One can make a compelling argument for either side. First, buy:

The Tigers need to buy. They have stockpiled enough young pitching talent, and now is the time to use the trump card to get themselves a left-handed hitting bopper. The team has floundered for so long, that if they can even remotely sniff the Wild Card, Dave Dombrowski needs to do everything in his power to ensure the Tigers remain in the race until the end of the season. It generates interest, it shows the fans a commitment to winning, and it builds momentum toward next year. Of course, a fill-in vet won't work, we already have that in Rondell White. To buy means to buy, picking up a player that another team doesn't think it can sign long-term, but a player clearly in the prime of his career. Preferably a corner outfilder with power. If we wanted to go the pitching rout, A. J. Burnett has been talked about. I'd be cool with him, but he doesn't solve the lack of left-handed hitting power. I'm not sure who to add, but I will say buying only works if we take guys who will stay for 4-5 years and remain at the top of their game.

Sell:

Sure, the Tigers have made it back to respectability. There is only one problem. Look at their roster. It is stacked with average players. Up and down their lineup are solid players -- players who are solidly average and really show no signs of breakout. They are what they are, and that is why this team hovers around the .500 mark throughout the season. They need great players, and can only get them by fleecing a desperate team. We have quality major leaguers on the roster: Rondell White, Dimitri Young, Craig Monroe, Jason Johnson, Troy Percival. Each of the named players can attract a top-tier prospect from a team desperate to make the playoffs (can you say Cubs? or Giants?). Use the trade dealine to sell one last time, and the Tigers won't have to worry about being sellers or the cellar for a long time!

Stand pat! What was that, you say? Stand pat? Yeah, let's go with the horses we have, let the season play itself out. By the end of the year, we'll know what type of team we have, and then Dombrowski and his brain trust can use the off-season to make thoughtful trades, and use the increased payroll flexibility (bye bye Bobby) to go get those dynamic players that the team currently lacks. It's a thought. It's not sexy, but it just might be the right approach.

The more I think about it, standing pat is the safest way to go. I just believe that the time for being conservative is over. It's time to be bold, for Dave Dombrowski to pull one out of Kenny Holland's book, and go get that championship. We've waited too long, and the future is now. Do it.