(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Dave Dombrowski may have one more chance to land the type of bat his team desperately needs. Sources have informed ESPN's Buster Olney that the White Sox have made it known they are willing to move veterans Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, and Scott Linebrink.
The safe deals to bring Aubrey Huff and pitcher Jarrod Washburn to Detroit have not paid the kind of dividends Dombrowski sought. Huff has just three hits since joining the Tigers. Washburn has just one win and gave up six runs before retiring a Tampa Bay hitter on Monday.
While the pitching outside of Washburn has remained solid, the Tigers' offense has continued its inconsistent production. With just hours remaining before the Aug. 31 deadline to add to a postseason eligible player, the Tigers would do well to add Jermaine Dye to help solidify that playoff spot.
To date, Dye has hit .267 with 25 home runs and 72 RBI. An offensively challenged team can not afford to not investigate an opportunity to add a proven run producer. Dye brings championship experience, as he was a key contributor to the White Sox 2004 World Series Championship team.
The Tigers corner outfield spots have been a revolving door all season. Jermaine Dye would solve that problem as well. Even at 35, he remains an underrated defender.
Teams generally don't trade away a productive player within the division, but that should be of little consequence to a team that has admitted defeat with its announcement of available players.
Acquiring Jermaine Dye would automatically trigger a $12 million option for next year. The prorated cost of Dye's $11.5 million dollar contract would be well worth the cost to secure a division title and chance at a deep postseason run, but the committment of another year may be more than the Tigers are willing to accept.
Even if the Tigers can't or aren't willing to acquire Dye, he may be able to play an important role in the Tigers' march toward the playoffs. Chicago has a chance to help out the Tigers by beating second place Minnesota. Adding Dye would allow the Tigers to focus more on winning their way in, rather than surviving a division race as the last team standing.
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