looks like Cabrera is not going to resign with the Twins as they have traded for JJ Hardy

I wouldn't mind going after Cabrera but I am sure he would probably be double what the Great Adam Everett will get.

The current crop of shortstops is very weak, but even so a 35-year-old one with an OPS of .705 is not on my wish list.

He can handle the bat awfully well though. Hes a quality defender and a winner. I'll take his age, hes going to hit you near .285, thats an upgrade. Hes a veteran who knows how to make plays when he needs to.

My idea of "handling the bat" means doing things with it that create runs. A guy with a .700 OPS isn't accomplishing that very well.

A number of people on this board seem to equate the ability to make contact or avoid striking out with the ability to HIT. They are not the same thing. Polanco doesn't strike out much. For that matter, neither does Adam Everett or Gerald Laird. But that sure doesn't make them good hitters. All of them make tons of outs relative to a guy like, say, Adam Dunn or Ryan Howard, who strike out like crazy but nevertheless make far fewer outs than the wimpy "contact" guys, and create far more runs.

I'm resigned to the fact that we won't have a decent-hitting shortstop next year. But I'm still hoping for something better than Orlando Cabrera.

Yeah he is far from great, but I would say he is better than anything we got now. I say try for someone else, and let him be a final option.

Orlando Cabrera will be too expensive for Detroit. His salary will probably be twice the amount Dombrowski is willing to spend.

Well you cant just sit here and say that if they arent hitting .300 and winning gold gloves, then they arent good enough.

Orlando Cabrera is an above average shortstop. Hes a winner. And I'll take a .285 average over a .230 average a few more walks.

So you'd rather have Everett over Cabrera?

No. Cabrera is a weak Major Leaguer, but Everett has no business being in the Bigs. So if those are the options, I'll take Cabrera. But it's an ugly choice, kind of like having to pick between Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

I never implied that Zero!! I never said Orlando wasn't an overall upgrade over Everett. It's all about money and Cabrera is too rich for the Tigers payroll this winter.

Until I read otherwise that shows Tigers brass shopping for better mid-tier players, then I will assume what Dombrowski stated at the end of the season about not engaging in significant players purchases this winter to be correct.

In normal off-seasons, Cabrera would not be considered significant. But because the FA shortstop pool is not stocked this winter, that will help Orlando's agent negotiate a better contract for him. It's all about supply and demand sometimes.