Sure, it hurt when the Tigers sent Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez to the Braves for Edgar Renteria. There was some — i.e., a tad — concern about Jurrjens’ durability and, well, to get a player of Renteria’s caliber at such a vital position you have to part with some value.
We know how that worked out.
In 2007, Edgar Renteria hit .332 with 12 homers and a .390 on-base percentage. The most glaring part of the Failed Renteria Experiment was his .977 fielding percentage; but that tells only half the story. His fielding percentage was virtually .000 on balls he should’ve had. He and Miguel Cabrera and then Carlos Guillen helped give the Tigers one of the most ineffective left-sides of the infield in the majors.
If not for a strong second-half of the year, Renteria would’ve finished nearly 80 points below his ’07 average. (He batted .254 before the All Star Game, .296 after.)
Now he’s the Giants problem — maybe for two years. For Tigers fans, it only felt like two years that Renteria played in Detroit.
Discuss.
Easily the worst move of Dombrowski’s career(and I’m including Willis’s contract extension). The Tigers would have been better off leaving SS vacant than putting Renteria out there. He made me long for the days of Tom Veryzer. My hate for Renteria has reached Ozzie Smith levels.
LikeLike
Truly an abysmal move. I’m not sure what other eight news items can top this one.
The sad thing, of course, is that Double-D pulled the trigger on this move so soon after the season ended he didn’t have an opportunity to survey the potential trade landscape. Of course, he goes out and nabs Cabrera and everyone realizes now he never would’ve made the Renteria trade had he known Big Miggy was coming to town.
As much as a failing starting pitching staff and suspect bullpen, I feel Renteria’s lack of range and ineffective bat hurt the Tigers’ early-season chances last year.
LikeLike