Detroit Tigers: Eyebrow-Raising Transactions #10-1

10. Alex Sanchez

Sanchez was an unhappy player who seemed to doom his own fate in professional baseball. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, taken off of waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers, and eventually signed by the Detroit Tigers in 2003. During Spring Training in 2005, the Tigers released him only for Tampa Bay to pick him back up.

This brief summary of his time in the MLB seems innocuous; however, it was anything but. He was the first player to be suspended by the MLB policy for abusing performance enhancing drugs. He lost over $30,000 in the process.

Along with troubles with the drug policy, Sanchez had issues with his performance and attitude. Despite being found guilty of using PEDs, he hit only 4 home runs in over 1300 at-bats. His attitude in the clubhouses in Milwaukee and Tampa Bay were major reasons why he was traded. In 2003, with the Tigers, he led the league in caught stealing, which of course helped the Tigers achieve the horrible record during that year.

The only good thing is that the Tigers did not pay him much.

Next: Smart Managing for a Weak Batter

8. Juan Gonzalez

In a three-for-six deal, the Tigers made an odd mistake with “future Hall of Famer” Juan Gonzalez. Yes, the Tigers traded six players for three. They sent three pitchers, an outfielder, a catcher, and an infielder in exchange for Gonzalez, a catcher, and relief pitcher. In the long run, the Tigers and the Rangers ended up with a relatively equal trade because Gonzalez did not pan out to be the player the Tigers expected him to be.

One of the pitchers, Francisco Cordero ended up in two All-Star Games after leaving the Tigers. Gabe Kapler played for several more years and improved his batting average after leaving Detroit. Gonzalez only stayed in Detroit for one season, playing in 115 games in 2000. He did hit 22 home runs, but after leaving the Tigers, he hit 35 home runs for the Cleveland Indians. He did draw fans into the newly opened Comerica Park, but he certainly did not live up to the expectations of the Detroit front office.

Next: Trading an Average Player for a Subpar Player

7. Luis Salazar

In 1989, Sparky Anderson was still managing the Tigers and he appreciated the work of Luis Salazar. He was even quoted as saying: “I never thought we’d (1988 Detroit Tigers) get this much out of him (Luis Salazar). We wouldn’t even be a .500 club without him.” With the gracious appreciation that Salazar received from Anderson, it was odd when the Tigers decided to trade him for utility man Mike Brumley during spring training of 1989.

In 1988, Salazar batted .270/.305/.690. In 1989, Brumley batted .198/.251/.506. The Tigers traded Salazar, who finished the season with a low, but positive WAR for a player who finished the season with a negative WAR. The trade did not make sense and it still doesn’t. The only good thing about the trade was that Brumley left Detroit in 1990 in exchange for Larry Sheets, who also only last one year, but finished batting .261/.308/.710. It was all just ugly.

Next: How to Anger Two Teams

6. Rocky Colavito

Tigers fans were not the only fans to shake their heads and raise their eyebrows with this trade. The fans of the Cleveland Indians were upset that their favorite player was sent to their rivals to the north. Long after the trade, Colavito was still upset about being sent away from a team that felt like home.

Once he was added to the lineup, he hit between Kaline and Norm Cash. The trio was known as “Murders Row” and they were only stopped by the Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris lineup in 1961. He played in Detroit for four seasons, but was quietly traded in the fall of 1963 for two pitchers and an infielder. Jerry Lumpe, Dave Wickersham, and Ed Rakow did not perform to the same ability as Colavito. Rumor has it that Colavito was sent away to open up a spot for Willie Horton – this is the “nice” rumor. The other rumor is that Colavito was sent away because he wanted too much money, supposedly $1000 more than Kaline made – this is the “not-so-nice” rumor.

He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in the 1964 season, then he made it back to Cleveland in 1965. But, the Tigers lost out on one of the most consistent hitters in the history of the game.

Next: There Goes One Hall-of-Famer

5. Heinie Manush

Manush played for the Tigers for five years in the 1920s. While many of the memories surrounding Manush are long gone, the story of his trade has been recorded for posterity. Manush became a Hall of Fame player, but not with the Tigers. At the time that Manush played with the Tigers, the Rookie of the Year award did not exist, but with his performance in 1923 could have earned him the award.

His teammates in his first few years included Tigers icons like Ty Cobb and Bobby Veach. So, he was able to learn from the best in the business. Unfortunately, after five seasons, Manush was traded away after Cobb left and Manush did not like the new Tigers manager, George Moriarty. Manush’s 1927 season with Detroit was one of his worst. He and another player were sent to the St. Louis Browns for three players who were not especially memorable.

Manush then improved to a Hall of Fame career. He had a handful of seasons with an OPS above .900. He hit 110 home runs, during the Dead Ball Era. He also earned a few batting titles for hits, doubles, and triples. This was a mistaken trade by the Tigers, who should have done everything they could to retain Manush to make him a Tiger for life.

4. Billy Pierce

If you travel to U.S. Cellular Field, you will see #19 in the list of retired numbers. That number belonged to pitcher Billy Pierce who was one of the best pitchers to throw for the White Sox. He began his career with the Detroit Tigers, but was traded in 1948 to the Sox for catcher Aaron Robinson. Once Pierce left the Tigers, he went on to attend seven All-Star Games. He finished in third for the Cy Young Award near the end of his career and he earned several MVP votes throughout his career.

He led the league in several statistics while in Chicago, but his best season was in 1955 when he earned 1.97 ERA, 2.83 FIP, and 1.099 WHIP. Anderson was an average player who hit .244/.390/.765 with Detroit. Meh.

One of the saddest aspects of the trade was that Pierce was from Highland Park, Michigan. He could have been a favorite son with ties to Michigan if the Tigers decided to keep him.

Next: Firing a Manager with a Winning Record

3. Billy Martin

Sometimes, bad transactions involve managers. In this case, the managerial transaction that involved Billy Martin was one that should not have happened. Martin is best known as one of the New York Yankees who spent his time with Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto, and the rest of the gang. But, eventually, after his baseball playing antics were over, he became a top manager with a bit of a temper.

The Tigers ended up firing Billy Martin in 1973 after he told reporters that his pitchers were throwing illegal pitches. Even though the Tigers had three successful seasons with Martin, they could not take his brazen behavior. This was too bad. After Martin left Detroit, he managed the Texas Rangers, then returned to the New York Yankees where he led them to the AL Pennant in 1976 and to the World Series in 1977. In 1976, the Tigers were 74-87 and in 1977, they were 74-88. In each season, they finished more than 20 games behind their former manager’s team, the Yankees.

Next: A Bitter Trade That Should Not Have Happened

2. Travis Fryman

This trade was conducted at the wrong time and with the wrong player. He played with the Tigers from 1990 to 1997, earning four trips to the All-Star Game and a Silver Slugger award. Then 1998 rolled around and all of the sudden Fryman was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he never played with them. In exchange for Fryman, the Tigers received Matt Drews, Gabe Alvarez, and Joe Randa.

Just a few weeks after his trade to Arizona, he was sent to the Cleveland Indians, where he finished his career.  He did not want to leave Detroit; he wanted to be a lifer. But, that was not in the cards for Fryman.

When he was traded to the Indians, they were one of the top teams in baseball. He flourished there hitting 28 home runs in his first year and earning some nods for the MVP award. He played in four post-season tournaments with the Indians, but not one with the Tigers. He retired an Indian and remained with the team as a minor league coach.

He was a top player, but did not get the credit he deserved because of the bad trade that still leaves a bitter taste.

Next: There Goes Another Hall-of-Famer

#1: John Smoltz

In 1985, the Detroit Tigers drafted a little known pitcher from Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan. He then played for one full season and a partial with the Tigers minor league system. In Lakeland, he had a 3.56 ERA and 1.219 WHIP. Then, mid-way through the 1987 season, the Tigers traded him to Atlanta. He quickly moved through their minor league system and made his major league debut in 1988. The rest of his time with the Atlanta Braves is legendary, so legendary that he now a member of the Hall of Fame.

The 1987 trade was for a pitcher named Doyle Alexander. At the time, the trade seemed to make sense. He was a veteran pitcher with solid statistics and he filled a role for three years in Detroit. He even received an invitation to the All-Star Game in 1988. Alexander was added to the Tigers rotation to help them make their way to the postseason in 1987. He did deliver, even though the team lost to the Minnesota Twins and their ace Jack Morris.

On the flipside, Smoltz won the MVP award in 1992 and the World Series championship in 1995. He pitched in 25 post-season series. Alexander pitched in four series. Who would have known that Smoltz would be one of the best pitchers of the 1990s alongside his teammates, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine? All three became Hall of Fame members within one year of each other. All three were enshrined in their first year on the ballot.

Next: Questionable Player Transactions #20-11

Even though General Manager Bill Lajoie did make several good moves when he took care of the Tigers, this was not one of his finest. It is frequently ranked as one of the worst moves any baseball team has ever made. Hindsight sure can be 20-20.