Delmon Young Makes Tigers Debut Tonight

All I can say is that I am beyond shocked. The Detroit Tigers acquired outfielder Delmon Young from the rival Minnesota Twins this afternoon, just hours before the two clubs open a three-game set in Detroit. Young is in the lineup, playing left and batting third, for this evening’s game.

In order to make room on the roster, second baseman Will Rhymes was optioned to Toledo. He had been recalled on Saturday when Carlos Guillen hit the DL.

The move to option Rhymes is probably the path of least resistance for the Tigers. They could have made a move with OF Magglio Ordonez, who has been more than a bit disappointing this year. There was speculation (or hope, anyway) that Maggs could have been DFA’d or perhaps shelved on the DL himself, though no injury is readily apparent. Instead of jettisoning Ordonez, however, the Tigers opted to move Rhymes out.

That part, as unpopular as it will be with many, makes sense to me. Rosters expand in just over two weeks, so it doesn’t make a ton of sense to remove a player from the roster if you don’t have to do so. If nothing else, this trade provides another bat that can (and presumably will) be used in place of Ordonez in the three spot. Maggs is in the lineup tonight as well, batting seventh. That’s probably right where he should be on days that he’s in the order.

The only thing about all this that really scares me is that Ordonez is in the lineup tonight and Boesch is not. If this is because Boesch’s thumb isn’t yet allowing him to start a game in the field, then okay. If this is because there’s a southpaw on the hill, that means that Boesch is going to be platooned and that Ordonez will still get a good number of at bats. I can only hope that Jim Leyland isn’t senile enough to think that would be a good idea.