WOW

I didn't wake up today thinking "I wonder if this is the day Cabrera and Willis will be coming to Detroit?" Instead I'll be going to bed thinking "This was the day Cabrera and Willis came to Detroit!"

The Tigers made some noise today at the winter meetings. They gave up Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabello, and three other minor leaguers for the Marlin's Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.

The deal is sure to attract critics on both sides of the fence. One one hand, the Tigers gave up one of the better backup catchers, and two of the hottest prospects they had. One the other hand, they acquired two young, proven players. Both with all-star potential. Is this a good deal? No.

ITS A GREAT DEAL.

My hats off to GM Dave Dombrowski. I never in my wildest dreams imagined they could pull off a deal for Cabrera, let alone get Willis also. And honestly, they didn't give up that much.

Andrew Miller was their number one pitching prospect. He's touted as a future "best pitcher" in the game. He also lacks command, has an awkward motion, and may take another couple years to develop into a decent player.

Cameron Maybin was touted as the center fielder of the future. Why? Curtis Granderson, who should have won a gold glove, should not be moved out of that position. He has the speed and instinct to command the outfield. He's been acrobatic and awesome. I can think of at least two games last season that he saved with his stellar fielding. I also remember Maybin playing sub par. He won't be ready for another couple years also.

Mike Rabello is one I will miss. I think he did an above average job backing up Pudge. Sure, he had a shaky start hitting, but after that he got rolling just fine. I hope he gets the chance to compete for the starting position in Florida.

What about Inge? I assume he could be traded. With Jacque Jones now in the picture, I can't see him moving to LF. Perhaps it could be a possibility though. If this is the end of Brandon Inge at 3B, I will miss him. His daily highlight real will be missed. Inge is the last remaining Tiger from the losing era. He's a piece of the past, not one we care to remember, but one that reminds us just how far they've come. From 119 losses to a World Series appearance in 2006, this is just the beginning.

So what's next? The bullpen perhaps? Earlier in the day the Tigers acquired Denny Bautista from the Colorda Rockies for Jose Capellan. I think this is a good move. I believe Bautista can be an effective reliever. He's pitching well in the Dominican League.

Even with Bautista, Jones, and Francisco Cruceta, the Tigers may need to grab another bullpen guy. The jury is also still out on Fernando Rodney being able to setup and fill in for closing. Todd Jones also isn't getting any younger. Will he continue to decline, or hold steady?

Whatever happens the rest of the off season, and this may be it for a while, I think the Tigers are in a better position than they were last season. I think they more than solidified their line up. I think they made their starting five legit. I also believe their bullpen is better than it was last year.

Perhaps this year we can say Detroit Tigers, 2008 World Series Champions.