Odds and Ends

Boesch had 9 at-bats since I made the post below. He managed 1 hit and 4 strikeouts. For the month, Boesch is hitting .140 with a ghastly .183 on-base percentage.

Earlier this month, the Tigers considered sending him down to the minors, and they were praised for letting him fight through the slump. The folks that want him in the minors, cite Porcello and Scherzer as examples of players who benefited greatly from the short stint in Toledo. The folks that want him to stay in the D say the Tigers are too thin and need every bat possible.

The fact of the matter is this... Boesch is too valuable to keep in Detroit. The move to Toledo may cripple his confidence but is it any worse than a .140 batting average? Toledo doesn't have many games remaining. The Tigers need to move on this now. Get the kid down in Triple-A - away from the spotlight. After the initial disappointment wears off, perhaps he'll rediscover his swing. If not, bring him up after the Triple-A season ends, as a utility player. Maybe he'll get hot at the end of the month and make a run for Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

Besides, there's another lefty outfielder who may be catching heat as we speak - Andy Dirks. He's an 8th round pick from 2008, but he's slowly picked up steam. Dirks moved up from AA a few weeks ago, and - in 13 games with the Mud Hens - is hitting .346 with 11 RBIs. Maybe he's got the goods too. Who knows? The Tigers don't have much to lose since they're out of the race.

Inge-ured

In other news, Brandon Inge's days as a Tiger may be numbered. The Tigers may trade him to the Braves or Cardinals. This would be a great move for the Tigers since they may actually get something for nothing. To replace Inge, the Tigers would likely move Peralta to 3rd and Danny Worth to SS. Worth isn't quite the homerun threat as Inge, but he also strikes out less - Inge Ks roughly 25% of the time vs 12% for Worth. So, the Tigers lose a bit of power with this move, but they improve defensively. And they'll also receive a player or players from the Braves or Cards. An Inge-rental for 6 weeks wouldn't command a huge bounty, but it may yield bullpen help or perhaps a decent prospect.

Peralta's Millions

A brief update on the Tigers financial situation for next season. Last week, I posted that the Tigers have $55M committed in salary next season. That remains true. If, however, they wish to retain Jhonny Peralta, he'd be due $7M. So, the Tigers are more likely looking at $62M in salaries before they go shopping to bolster their catcher, outfield, and SS (or 3B) positions.