Gary Sheffield is owned in more than a third of Yahoo fantasy leagues, but as of Tuesday morning, he’s looking for another major league gig. Paul offers his analysis and gets reaction from Sheffield’s SFB owner.
by Paul Gammons
Detroit cut Gary Sheffield Tuesday morning, a surprising move not only because he was expected to be the team’s designated hitter, but also because the cash-strapped Tigers are on the hook for his $14 million guaranteed salary this season.
The move suggests Detroit has serious concerns about 40-year-old Sheffield’s ability to play regularly, never mind in the outfield. Sheffield complained quite a bit last season when the Tigers labeled him strictly as a DH, but in Sheffield’s recent comments to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, he said he was resigned to serving in that role. Still, one can speculate that Sheffield’s continued grumbling behind the scenes may have contributed to his release.
Yet it does show the Tigers have faith in their lineup. So much so that basically dropping Sheffield for Marcus Thames won’t be much of a setback, thanks to guys like Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and Curtis Granderson. Personally, I’d rather have a guy who’s hit 499 career home runs, especially if I’m already forking out a big 14-spot for him.
Speaking of cash, the Sheffield development perpetuates the theory posed by ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons and others that Detroit, like many other clubs, could face a major budget crunch this season. The Detroit Free Press reported last week that Tigers season ticket sales have dropped more than 50% from this time last year, down to about 15,000. To have any chance of getting the fans back in the seats, winning right away is imperative, which also makes the Sheffield release that much more surprising, since for all his flaws, the guy knows how to win.
“Chamiqua is extremely disappointed that the Detroit Tigers would be so shortsighted as to release Shef, one home run shy of the 500 mark,” said Chamiqua GM Barney, who owns Sheffield this year. “We can only assume that Rick Wagoner, now free from destroying the American automobile industry, is advising Tigers management. Wagoner or Matt Millen.
“However, we look forward to Shef signing on with the Marlins and taking his anger out on a few south Florida baseballs,” Barney added speculatively. “The Man will not keep Shef down.”
For Barney and Sheffield’s other fantasy owners, clearly no drastic action is necessary. While it may take him some time to hook on with another club, probably in the AL, I think there’s a high probability that Sheffield will do so, and will in turn quickly contribute make a contribution to fantasy teams.
Regarding the Tigers, if there’s little hope in Detroit by July 1, don’t be surprised if the team eagerly seeks to shed players and their salaries. I think it’s highly unlikely Miguel Cabrera would be dealt as some have suggested, but there’s no question in my mind that high-priced veterans like Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman would be shopped to the highest (or any) bidder that comes calling, even if it means eating some of their salaries to save the bottom line. This could sharply increase (or decrease) the value of those players around midseason.
Paul Gammons, a columnist for PaulGammons.com, knows it’s wrong to fantasize about a bulldozer rampage, but it sure does look like fun.
