Fans root for teams that have the confidence to take chances

We are now approaching baseball's non-waiver trade deadline (July 31st). For those unfamiliar with the rules of baseball, this is the last day that teams can trade players without worrying about other teams mucking up their trade. From Aug 1st through 31st, teams can still trade players, but only if that player clears waivers. What does it mean to clear waivers? If I have a player on my team, and I decide to put him on waivers, another team can claim him, and add him to their roster. Of course, they become responsible for the remainder of his contract, so teams typically will not claim someone off waivers unless they feel his contributions match his salary and/or fill a major need for the team.

However, occasionally, a team will claim someone who is put on waivers to prevent that player from being traded to a competitor. Teams may do this even if they don't want to add that player and his salary to their team. It is often a game of chicken, as the team that placed him on waivers may pull him back (you can do this once), or call the claiming team's bluff and let them take on the albatross of a contract (see San Diego 1998 and Randy Myers for an example of this). A team may put in a claim for Ken Griffey, Jr or Jason Giambi, but they'd be crazy to actually go through with adding one of those guys (and their contract) to their team. Teams who are interested in trading players and want to get them through waivers will often place them on waivers with several other players in the organization (some of whom they planned on waiving anyway), and will submit the list to MLB offices late at night or on the weekend, with the hope that the one player they want to clear waivers will manage to sneak through. This gamesmanship is part of being a good GM.

As you can see, it is much more difficult to pick up an important piece to a team's playoff puzzle after July 31st. So, a team must do their homework, assess their chances of making the playoffs as is, evaluate what the incoming player might add to their chances, determine what they are willing to give up to get that player, and then be bold and go out and do it. With only about 60% of the season complete, a team may not have had their full compliment of players, and will be forced to use statistics, scouting, and seat of the pants intuition to make the right decision. Does Dave Dombrowski have what it takes to make the right decisions? I think so, which means that, as badly as I want to see them go for it this year, I will put my trust in him and his braintrust to do what's best for this team's continued development. If that means trading away some valuable parts to fleece a desperate team, do it. Of course, when I say valuable, I mean valuable role player veterans, players who have pretty much peaked and are not going to be better than solid, serviceable players. Jason Johnson, Rondell White, Dmitri Young, Brandon Inge, and even Placido Polanco all fit this category. If you can trade them for even more talented but raw players who will make an impact next year (not 3 years down the road), I am willing to trust DD to make the right decisions.

However, fans (like myself) become passionately attached to teams that demonstrate they'll do anything to bring their fans and city a championship. Certain teams succeed, while others flame out trying to do so. BUT AT LEAST THEY TRY!!! The fan in me is sick of building for the future. I want to see them make a bold trade, add payroll, and go for it. We Tigers fans are desperate for a sniff of the post-season. Anyone who has been watching this team knows it needs more offensive pop, specifically from the left side. Mr. Dombrowski, go get that left-handed hitting power guy NOW! (even Jason Giambi or Junior Griffey).