Detroit Tigers: Five Former Players Appear on Hall of Fame Ballot for First Time

Carlos Guillen

Carlos Guillen, who Detroit shrewdly acquired from Seattle 2004 for Juan Gonzalez and Ramon Santiago, spent eight years in the Motor City.

The trade looks all the more lopsided when considering Gonzalez never reached the Major Leagues. Santiago, meanwhile, registered just 58 at-bats in a Mariners uniform before returning to Detroit as Guillen’s backup.

Guillen eclipsed the 5.0 WAR plateau twice, and turned in WAR numbers of 2.0 or higher on five different occasions. From 2004 to 2007, the longtime Tiger averaged 83 runs scored, 77 RBI, 32 doubles, 16 home runs, 12 stolen bases and seven triples per campaign.

Overall, Guillen went to three All-Star games, finished in the top 25 of MVP voting twice and mashed 95 home runs for the Tigers. He also posted a .297 batting average, a .366 on-base percentage and an 18.2 WAR in 817 games with Detroit.

What’s more, the player never struck out more than 93 times in a season with Detroit.

What was perhaps most impressive about Guillen’s time in Detroit was his ability to shift positions. Early on, he made a name as a slugging shortstop. However, the veteran would go on to spend significant time at first base, second base, third base and in left field before retiring.