Would Juan Pierre Be a Fit with the Detroit Tigers?

Full disclosure: I have always loved Juan Pierre. I always traded for him on video games. I always try to get him in fantasy leagues.

There is a small rumor out there that the Dodgers are shopping Pierre and his awful contract (two years/ $18M). They are said to be willing to accept a bad contract starter in return.

Well, guess what team is just full of bad contract starting pitchers? That’s right—the Detroit Tigers.

Would you be happy taking on Pierre and parting with Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson, or Jeremy Bonderman?

Pierre is a terrific speed guy and plays a pretty good left field. With Marcus Thames now gone and Curtis Granderson looking more like a middle-bottom of the order type of guy, Pierre could really fit in in Detroit.

The bummers about Pierre:

* Not much pop in that bat. He has 13 career home runs in 5,533 at-bats.

* 2009 was his best season in five years. He had a .374 OBP in 2004, and his numbers since then have been in the .326-.331 range up until 2009. If the .326 Juan Pierre came to Detroit, that would be bad news.

* He steals a lot, but he’s also caught a lot. Pierre has led the NL in times being caught five times.

That being said, I’d be happy to have Pierre in Detroit.

The other bummer here is that the starters mentioned going to the Dodgers are all in the last year of their deals, and it sure would be nice to get all of that money off the books for good.

Would Juan Pierre be a good fit for the Tigers?