By Jeff Moss
July 23, 2012
DetroitSportsRag@gmail.com

For seven months now I have been writing on this site that I would be extremely disappointed if pitching prospect Jacob Turner was on the Tigers 40-man roster come August 1, 2012.

I was pissed when Dave Dombrowski failed to acquire Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza for Turner over the winter and I was furious when Detroit’s best pitching prospect came up with a dead arm during Spring Training.

The time to maximize Turner’s trade value was during the Hot Stove League and Dombrowski couldn’t get it done.  But, I remained adamant that at some point during the first few months of 2012, DD would have to pull the trigger and acquire another necessary piece in an effort to win THIS season

And on Monday afternoon the Detroit’s General Manager did just that.  Jacob Turner won’t be a member of the Tigers organization in nine days and yet I still don’t know what to think of the trade with the Miami Marlins as I write this article.

Look, I have made my position on “PROSPECTS!!!!!” known in these confines over the last year.   If it were up to me the Tigers would trade every top-level prospect in their organization for an established, under 27-year old star.

And for every Justin Verlander or Curtis Granderson the team would send away for an established major leaguer under my Great Experiment, you’d have about 10 Kenny Baughs, Matt Wheatlands, Matt Andersons, Rico Brognas, Seth Greisingers, Scott Moores, Mike Drumrights, Justin Thompsons, Cameron Maybins, Andrew Millers, Eric Munsons, Ryan Perrys, Kyle Sleeths, Nate Cornejos, Cade Gaspars, Matt Brunsons, Steve Pegues ……

Do I need to go on or have you vomited out your breakfast yet?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not upset that the Tigers traded Turner or Rob Brantly at all.   What I am worried about is they dealt for a guy in Anibal Sanchez who will be a free-agent in a few months and Dombrowski gave no indication on Monday that signing Sanchez will be a Dontrelle Willis-esque priority.

If you are going to trade your best pitching prospect and a kid who ESPN expert Keith Law labeled tonight as one of the Top 30 prospects in ALL OF BASEBALL, you need to either get a player under team control in return or a no-brainer stud rental like Cole Hamels or Zack Greinke.

But the Tigers didn’t receive either in Monday’s deal.  Instead, they got a #3 or #4 starter who might leave this offseason for nothing and a second baseman they never should have traded in the first place.

The deal obviously makes Detroit a better team in 2012.  Hell, this might be the most talented Tigers team in my lifetime after this trade.  Yes, even more loaded from top to bottom than the ’84 rendition.

But if the 2012 team doesn’t repeat the success of Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris and Rod Allen (joking) and Sanchez walks this winter then Dombrowski just dealt a blue-chip pitching prospect, a decent minor league catcher and another young arm for Omar Infante.

And if that happens I hope someone takes Jacque Jones’ red bat to my skull and bashes it in repeatedly.