Sorry for the bad Canadian political pun, but I had to get a Tory pun in with the arrival of Torii Hunter to Motown; the NDP shop rats in Windsor will be cool with this Torii. Heck, one could christen NDP boss Thomas Mulcair as Tory-hunter.
If I were looking to spend money upgrading the Tiger roster, I'd look at a second baseman, but Hunter is a good catch. He fills a gaping hole at the two spot in the lineup, is a Gold-Glove caliber outfielder and a good clubhouse guy to boot.
The problem now becomes dealing with a backlog of good outfielders. Andy Dirks winds up getting penciled in in left, assuming Hunter gets right, and the projected platoon of Garcia and Berry gets demoted. Garcia might get sent to AAA for seasoning while Berry becomes the fourth outfielder/pinch hitter/pinch runner. Nick Castellanos gets some serious seasoning at AA or AAA and gets groomed to either take over for Hunter (or for Cabrera at third and make Cabrera and Fielder do a 1b-DH time-share post-Martinez) mid-decade or be trade bait for a top-caliber pitcher.
Brandon Boesch looks even more of a loose part that might be part of a trade to net an upgrade at second base. With the emergence of Dirks and the arrival of Hunter, along with the return of Victor Martinez to the DH slot, there isn't any good spot for Boesch to fit. He'd be a good fourth outfielder and pinch hitter/DH for someone, and some package of Boesch and a young pitcher (e.g. Porcello, Villareal) might pry loose a top 2B prospect or a fifth starter if Sanchez gets too good an offer elsewhere.
Just as we get a steady dose of highs in the 30s, the Hot Stove League provides some warmth.
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