lawrencefrank
12-13-2004, 11:18 PM
ANAHEIM -- The Tigers rumor that never seemed to die at the Winter Meetings gained life Sunday.
Free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria, once considered little more than an emergency option should Detroit miss out on a third baseman, is "definitely, seriously considering" the Tigers after talking with the club on Sunday, agent Jeff Lane told MLB.com. The sudden interest and even more sudden negotiations put a whole new aspect on the club's search for an additional bat to the lineup.
Renteria is currently at home in his native Colombia, but he talked by phone Sunday with assistant general manager Al Avila and All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Meanwhile, his representatives had discussions with Tigers officials at the Winter Meetings.
While Lane cautioned that the talks are still in a preliminary stage and "not close to being a deal," they're an intriguing change of course for someone who was seemingly headed for the Red Sox a day earlier.
But then, the Tigers' interest is something that only gained substance this weekend. Detroit was focused on a free agent third baseman up until a couple days ago, including pursuits of Troy Glaus and Corey Koskie that fell short. Glaus signed with the Diamondbacks earlier this week. On Sunday, Koskie seemed all but headed to the Blue Jays with a reported three-year deal worth as much as $18 million.
Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said they hadn't made as much progress with Koskie as they had with Glaus and center fielder Steve Finley, the latter of whom signed with the Angels on Friday. "We didn't feel comfortable with some of the parameters," Dombrowski said.
Lane would not confirm or deny whether the Tigers made Renteria an offer, while Dombrowski wouldn't confirm whether the Tigers had any interest at all. An industry source with knowledge of the situation said earlier Sunday that while the Tigers hadn't made a formal offer, they let it be known that they'd be willing to deal should Renteria show further interest.
Dombrowski hinted at that type of situation in general during his briefing with reporters Sunday night. "Sometimes you can imply you are going to make an offer," Dombrowski said, "but you don't necessarily make an offer, because maybe it doesn't make any sense for you to make an offer at that time."
The Tigers are one of four teams competing for Renteria, a four-time All-Star who is widely considered the top free agent shortstop. He batted .287 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Cardinals this past season, a year after he hit .330 with 13 homers and a career-best 100 RBIs. He is reportedly considering an offer from the Red Sox and the possibility of re-signing with St. Louis.
A large part of Detroit's appeal for Renteria would come from the group in charge. Renteria became an everyday player at the tender age of 20 for the Florida Marlins, then led by Dombrowski and Avila. He credits Avila for helping him adjust when he came to the United States.
If he came to Detroit, it would be the Tigers left adjusting. They already have an All-Star shortstop in Carlos Guillen, who hit .318 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs this year after coming over from Seattle via trade in January. If Renteria joined the Tigers, Guillen would most likely convert to third base and Brandon Inge would shift to center field.
Im pretty surprised. i thought that he basically signed with Boston but it wasnt official yet. after reading this, it seems like Renteria probably will go to Detroit.
Free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria, once considered little more than an emergency option should Detroit miss out on a third baseman, is "definitely, seriously considering" the Tigers after talking with the club on Sunday, agent Jeff Lane told MLB.com. The sudden interest and even more sudden negotiations put a whole new aspect on the club's search for an additional bat to the lineup.
Renteria is currently at home in his native Colombia, but he talked by phone Sunday with assistant general manager Al Avila and All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Meanwhile, his representatives had discussions with Tigers officials at the Winter Meetings.
While Lane cautioned that the talks are still in a preliminary stage and "not close to being a deal," they're an intriguing change of course for someone who was seemingly headed for the Red Sox a day earlier.
But then, the Tigers' interest is something that only gained substance this weekend. Detroit was focused on a free agent third baseman up until a couple days ago, including pursuits of Troy Glaus and Corey Koskie that fell short. Glaus signed with the Diamondbacks earlier this week. On Sunday, Koskie seemed all but headed to the Blue Jays with a reported three-year deal worth as much as $18 million.
Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said they hadn't made as much progress with Koskie as they had with Glaus and center fielder Steve Finley, the latter of whom signed with the Angels on Friday. "We didn't feel comfortable with some of the parameters," Dombrowski said.
Lane would not confirm or deny whether the Tigers made Renteria an offer, while Dombrowski wouldn't confirm whether the Tigers had any interest at all. An industry source with knowledge of the situation said earlier Sunday that while the Tigers hadn't made a formal offer, they let it be known that they'd be willing to deal should Renteria show further interest.
Dombrowski hinted at that type of situation in general during his briefing with reporters Sunday night. "Sometimes you can imply you are going to make an offer," Dombrowski said, "but you don't necessarily make an offer, because maybe it doesn't make any sense for you to make an offer at that time."
The Tigers are one of four teams competing for Renteria, a four-time All-Star who is widely considered the top free agent shortstop. He batted .287 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Cardinals this past season, a year after he hit .330 with 13 homers and a career-best 100 RBIs. He is reportedly considering an offer from the Red Sox and the possibility of re-signing with St. Louis.
A large part of Detroit's appeal for Renteria would come from the group in charge. Renteria became an everyday player at the tender age of 20 for the Florida Marlins, then led by Dombrowski and Avila. He credits Avila for helping him adjust when he came to the United States.
If he came to Detroit, it would be the Tigers left adjusting. They already have an All-Star shortstop in Carlos Guillen, who hit .318 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs this year after coming over from Seattle via trade in January. If Renteria joined the Tigers, Guillen would most likely convert to third base and Brandon Inge would shift to center field.
Im pretty surprised. i thought that he basically signed with Boston but it wasnt official yet. after reading this, it seems like Renteria probably will go to Detroit.