Tigers load up with Cabrera and Willis

NASHVILLE - The reaction around baseball to the Tigers obtaining Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for six prospects, including lefthander Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin?

"Outstanding deal," said Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi. "They went out and made an aggressive move to help their ball club."

"They are two very talented young players," said Yankee manager (and former Florida skipper) Joe Girardi on XM radio. "Obviously, the upside is very big.

"When I think about Miguel Cabrera, I was so impressed. What he was able to do at 22 years old was mind-boggling to me, especially the type of hitter that he is. And he's not just a power hitter.

"He's a complete player. I always marveled at how well he knew the game, and how he was willing to teach the game - even though he was a young player - to other young players.

"And Dontrelle Willis has been one of the better lefthanders in the National League for four or five years now."

With the deal, which won't be official until today, the Tigers have created an uber-lineup that features seven All-Stars. Cabrera is a third baseman by trade, but there's the possibility he could be flopped with Carlos Guillen, a converted shortstop who has moved to first base. Much depends on whether the Tigers deal incumbent third baseman Brandon Inge.

If Inge stays, Cabrera will be the Tigers' left fielder, though there are some who believe he is too heavy-legged to play either outfield or third base long-term. Cabrera played left in Florida when the Marlins had Mike Lowell, but the consensus among scouts is that Cabrera might be best suited for first base.

If Inge stays, Jim Leyland's lineup will look something like this: CF Curtis Granderson, 2B Placido Polanco, DH Gary Sheffield, RF Magglio Ordonez, LF Cabrera, 1B Guillen, SS Edgar Renteria, C Pudge Rodriguez, and 3B Inge. Newly acquired Jacque Jones is for now a fourth outfielder.

Inge, 30, has three years at $19.1 million remaining on his contract and should be easy to trade; there are several teams in need of a third baseman. The Tigers would likely be seeking a relief pitcher in return.

The Detroit rotation, meanwhile, now has three lefthanders - Willis, Nate Robertson, and Kenny Rogers - to go with righthanders Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander.

It was surprising to some to see Miller traded. Miller, 22, was the top pick in the 2006 amateur draft, throws in the upper 90s, and at 6 feet 6 inches is reminiscent of Randy Johnson. Maybin, 20, a center fielder who was taken in the first round of the 2005 draft, hit just .143 in 24 games last September.

Also going to Florida are catcher Mike Rabelo, 28, who was Rodriguez's backup and hit .256 in 51 games last season, and 23-year-old righthander Eulogio De La Cruz, who can throw 100 m.p.h. The other two players in the deal are righthanders Burke Badenhop, 24, and Dallas Trahern, 22.

The 25-year-old Willis, who made $6.45 million last season, will have to resurrect his prominent career and prove he can be an effective starter in the American League. After finishing as runner-up in the 2005 Cy Young voting to Chris Carpenter with a 22-10 record, Willis has gone 22-27 over the last two seasons.

Cabrera, at 24, is already a four-time All-Star who hit .320 with 34 homers and 119 RBIs last season. He has a .313 career average, but the concern with him is his weight. Last season, Cabrera played at 255 pounds but he has been working on reducing his body fat this offseason.

All of this is bad news for the Indians, who see Detroit as their biggest rival. Asked about the deal, Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro said, "We fully anticipated Detroit to field a contending team, and they have."

Rolen block

It appears the Brewers have pulled out of the Scott Rolen hunt, as the Cardinals are not willing to pick up part of the remaining three years at $36 million on Rolen's deal. The Brewers were going to send pitcher Chris Capuano, but with no salary help, the deal has died. The Giants and Rangers have expressed interest in Rolen. There have been some talks about Texas sending Hank Blalock and Kevin Millwood for Rolen and Chris Duncan . . . Free agent Andruw Jones has been offered two years at $32 million by the Dodgers, but that might not get it done, as Jones is seeking five years . . . Japanese free agent Kaisuke Fukodome is drawing interest from a few teams, including the Cubs. The money is starting to get very high, in the five-year range at $10 million-$11 million per.

Talking too much

Orioles general manager Andy MacPhail is still asking a high price for shortstop Miguel Tejada, which has made him unattractive to a few teams who were interested in him . . . Former Sox infielder Tim Naehring has been hired by the Yankees in their minor league system . . . Dick Williams will have an Oakland cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. That's what he suggested to Hall officials, and that's what the Hall felt was best. Williams won two world championships with the A's . . . The Yankees will likely go after Dan Haren, but the A's aren't crazy about Melky Cabrera.

Asking for Alex

Ricciardi said he wasn't close to making any deals last night, though teams have been asking about Alex Rios. Ricciardi wants Tim Lincecum for him, but the Giants won't do it. The Giants have also asked about third baseman Troy Glaus . . . Outfielder Steve Finley is here trying to peddle himself to teams . . . One of the true head-scratchers is Jose Guillen agreeing to a three-year, $36 million deal with the Royals. There didn't seem to be any competition for him, and some feel his name could surface in the George Mitchell report.