SPORTS

Best, worst moves of Dave Dombrowski's tenure

Tony Paul, The Detroit News

THE 10 BEST MOVES

1. Trading for Miguel Cabrera, December 2007: This will go down as one of the great steals in baseball history. The Tigers didn't even have to do much negotiating. They started conversations with the Marlins, the Marlins requested six prospects, and the Tigers said "yes." It was a stunningly small price to pay for arguably the best hitter in franchise history.

2. Trading for Max Scherzer and Austin Jackson, December 2009: This was a three-team gem that, initially, helped all three clubs. The Tigers, Yankees (Curtis Granderson) and Diamondbacks (Ian Kennedy) all were in the postseason in 2011. But only the Tigers made it in 2012, 2013 and 2014, to some degree on the strength of the contributions of Scherzer's arm and Jackson's bat.

3. Signing Pudge Rodriguez, Feburary 2004: Another move that will go down in franchise history, and maybe even someday lead to a Pudge statue beyond the brick wall in left-center field. Rodriguez was in the sunset of his career in Detroit, but his leaving the World Series-champion Marlins for an awful Tigers team gave the club some key cred.

4. Signing Magglio Ordonez, February 2005: That Rodriguez signing (four years, $40M) certainly opened eyes of other free agents, many whom wouldn't take calls from the Tigers when they were in their prolonged stretch of awfulness. Ordonez left the White Sox for a five-year, $85 million deal with the Tigers, with whom he resurrected his career.

5. Signing Victor Martinez, November 2010: The Tigers front office was torn — should they sign Martinez or Adam Dunn? They chose Martinez, at four years and $50 million, and the White Sox got the consolation prize. Even though Martinez missed an entire season to injury, his deal proved a better bargain than four healthy years of Dunn.

6. Trading for David Price, July 2014: In a move that stunned the baseball world, the Tigers picked up an ace in Price from the Rays, though the price was steep, costing them Austin Jackson (to the Mariners) and Drew Smyly and Willy Adames (to the Rays). It was worth it, as Price pitched a gem on the last day of the regular season to win the Tigers their fourth consecutive AL Central title.

7. Trading Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler, November 2013: This was a shocker. Nobody thought Dombrowski would be able to unload Fielder, not coming off that abysmal postseason performance and $168 million left on his deal. But the Tigers found a taker in the Rangers and got a more athletic Kinsler at a savings of $76 million.

8. Trading for Doug Fister, July 2011: This wasn't seen as a major splash at the time, as most folks didn't know much about Doug Fister, traded from the Mariners. The Tigers gave up prospects — one of which, Charlie Furbush, remains a staple in Seattle's bullpen — but Detroit got an 8-1/1.79 ERA from Fister the rest of 2011, and then two more great seasons before he was dealt to Washington.

9. Trading for Carlos Guillen, January 2004: The Mariners decided to sign veteran Rich Aurilia, so they traded their switch-hitting shortstop, Guillen, who would go on to be the Tigers MVP in 2006. Adding insult to injury, Aurilia lasted half a season in Seattle, the Mariners got Ramon Santiago for Guillen, and Santiago eventually returned to the Tigers for nothing.

10. Trading for Yoenis Cespedes, December 2015: This one could work out so well for Detroit, if Cespedes re-signs after being traded this deadline. For Rick Porcello, who was on the last year of his deal, the Tigers not only for Cespedes, but bullpen savior Alex Wilson, and three more pitching prospects — when you consider the two they get for spinning Cespedes to the Mets. It helps Detroit's cause, of course, that Porcello has had a really rotten year in Boston after signing a four-year extension.

THE 10 WORST MOVES

1. Trading Doug Fister, December 2013: This one didn't make sense the day it happened, and makes less sense now. Trading Fister wasn't the issue, but getting so little in return from the Nationals was bizarre. Denard Span, Drew Storen or Anthony Rendon — any one of them would've been a fine return for Fister. But Dombrowski settled for three spare parts.

2. Not making Jhonny Peralta a qualifying offer, November 2013: Nobody expected Peralta to get paid so handsomely last offseason. The Cardinals, though, gave a convicted juicer $53 million over four years. But the Tigers misread the market, balking at a qualifying offer that cost them a pick.

3. Trading Omar Infante for Jacque Jones, November 2007: The Tigers hoped they had found their lead-off hitter in Jones from the Cubs for the small price of a utility infielder. But Jones was so awful in Detroit, he was released by May — and was out of baseball the next year — while Infante became an All-Star. Getting Infante back five years later eased the sting.

4. Signing Troy Percival, November 2004: This was a big move at the time, landing a four-time All-Star closer for two years and $12 million. But he wasn't the same guy who dominated for the Angels and not long into 2005 he was done with an arm injury. He never pitched in 2006.

5. Signing Fernando Vina, December 2003: Here was some bad luck for the Tigers, who signed the Gold Glove second baseman to a two-year, $6 million contract only to watch him play less than half a season because of a series of serious leg injuries.

6. Signing Jason Johnson, December 2003: This was considered a big move, signing a somewhat-established starting pitcher. Johnson got a two-year, $7 million deal and was really bad his two seasons, going 16-28 with a 4.82 ERA. If there was a bright spot, at least he never missed a start.

7. Signing Craig Paquette, December 2001: This was one of the first notable moves in Dombrowski's tenure with the Tigers, signing the slugging third baseman to a two-year, $4.75 million deal. But after a two-year span in which he hit 30 home runs and drove in 125 for the Cardinals, he had four homers and 20 RBIs for the Tigers before being released in April 2003.

8. Trading for Jarrod Washburn, July 2009: This one was a total bust, acquiring Washburn, a veteran starter, from the Mariners for prospects. A lot of teams wanted Washburn, who was off to a hot start, and the Tigers got him. He made eight starts and was rocked for 12 homers, and hasn't pitched since.

9. Signing Joe Nathan, December 2013: Nathan tormented the Tigers as the longtime Twins closer, then seemingly did the same to Tigers fans in a little more than one season with the Tigers after signing a two-year $20 million contract. Nathan saved 35 games in 2014, but struggled with inconsistency (4.81 ERA), and was temporarily demoted from the closer's role. He pitched one game this season before suffering an elbow injury to end his season.

10. Signing Jose Mesa, December 2006: That this went wrong wasn't too much of a surprise, considering Mesa was a 40-year-old closer who was past his prime. Still, the Tigers took a one-year, $2.5 million flier he could help set up Todd Jones, but he had little left, got shellacked the first weeks of the season, and was cut in June.