Brandon Inge v. Jhonny Peralta: The Debate Goes On...sadly

 “It’s time to turn the page.”

“If the Tigers want to be World Series contenders, they need to get rid of Inge.”

These are just a couple of examples of rants I heard while driving down I-96 the other day. Call me a masochist or someone who just really doesn’t like rap music; I listened to three hours of sports talk radio, while annoyed Tigers fans complained about Brandon Inge. Is he a superstar? No. Is he overpaid? Yeah. Is he the biggest problem with the Tigers? Definitely not.

Brandon Inge has returned to the forefront of Tigers fans ire as news bounced around that he and Johnny Damon were placed on waivers, serving as trade bait for the August 31 trade deadline. (Yes, I am aware that the trade deadline was July 31, but it’s Major League Baseball and Bud Selig, which means everything needs to be way more confusing than necessary.)

Although the complaints have picked up as of late, they never really stopped. Every time, he struck out with one of his patented checked-swings, you would see an angry comment on a news article or hear some guy with his undies in a bunch calling in to a local radio station and screaming at his out-of-date cell phone.

“The guy will never hit over .250. How can we win with that rally killer in the lineup?”

As the 2010 season slowly (and painfully) comes to a close, Tigers fans are looking to 2011 for some hope. Rumors are flying. Fans and amateur analysts (myself included) have thrown around names that can be brought in via free agency or trade to fill holes in the lineup and push the Tigers over the top and into the postseason.

Just to fill you all in, Carl Crawford is already guaranteed to be donning the old English D in April and Stephen Drew is shopping for real estate around Bloomfield (or wherever rich people live near Detroit).

With the trade acquisition of Jhonny Peralta, the latest debate topic is whether the Tigers are done with Brandon Inge. The Tigers have an option on Peralta’s contract (one year, 7 million), while Inge is scheduled to become a free agent after this season. Should the Tigers cut bait with Inge and stick with Peralta? I say no.

Peralta is not a bad player; he does have some upside. Peralta transitioned from shortstop to third base this season with the Cleveland Indians and provides more flexibility on the infield. He hits for decent average and some power, but nothing overwhelming.

I guess I just don’t feel it. Call it one of Leyland’s gut feelings, but I don’t think Peralta is any better of a player than Inge.

The sick part is the numbers aren’t even in my favor. Peralta is a career .260 hitter while Inge’s average is .240. Peralta averages 19 homers a season, while Inge only averages 17 dingers.

Peralta is a solid defender, as in he doesn’t commit a lot of errors, but his range is nowhere near Inge’s. I won’t go into super-nerd numbers because I don’t understand them and an infielder’s range can be broken down with the good ol’ fashioned eye test, but Inge is clearly a better defender than Peralta.

Outside of defense, I think the differences in offensive numbers are moot. Peralta’s batting average has been roughly twenty points higher and each player both had an injury-shortened season where their numbers dipped.

If there is a noticeable difference between the two players, it may be speed. Not that Inge is a burner, but compared to Peralta, he is a pile of dried pine needles.

At this point, it all seems like nitpicking. Is Peralta really a guy that can make the team better in Inge’s place? In my mind, if they are worried about third base, they could do better than both Inge AND Peralta. Whether we like it or not, having a .250 hitter who can play solid defense at third isn’t a problem as long as we only have one hitter going for .250.

Personally, I’m more worried about plugging the hole at second base. Lord knows Carlos Guillen won’t make it through May without a stint on the disabled list. Who are they going to stopgap at catcher while Avila or another prospect develops? (Speaking of people who make me want to rip my hair out; Gerald Laird.) If Bonderman isn’t resigned, who is going to round out the back end of the rotation? Is Brennan Boesch going to return to midseason form or is he really the .120 hitter he has been since the All-Star break. Finally, the icing on the cake can be, do they actually make a run at a game-changing player like Carl Crawford or are Tigers fans just enjoying a cold glass of kool-aid.

After all of those questions are answered, sure, we can worry about third base.