Magglio---What's Left In The Tank?

Magglio Ordonez- RF Detroit Tigers

During the 2010 season, on a perfect Southeast Michigan July evening, Tigers' 3B coach Gene LaMont waved home veteran RF Magglio Ordonez as the Tigers were looking to remain relevant in the AL Central race. The Tigers had crested in early July at 48-37 alone in 1st place. A slump had ensued and the Tigers were teetering less than a month after leading the division pack. Little did anyone know that a devastating blow to the Tigers’ playoff chances was about to be struck.....Ordonez would injure his ankle on the slide and a visit to the operating room followed. Hello Third Place. 81-81.

Magglio Ordonez was enjoying a resurgent season in 2010 prior to his injury. The '09 campaign had been undone by a variety of factors not the least of which was a family medical issue. His power was sapped and only a late season surge saved his final numbers from looking more like the non-legendary Craig Monroe instead of a longtime reliable producer like Ordonez. The '10 season saw him raise his ISO (Isolated Power) from a very pedestrian .118 in '09 to a much more acceptable .170, his K-rate fell, and his BB-rate spiked back up very close to the walk rate he had during his MVP runner-up 2007 season in the Motor City. Ordonez was looking once again like the perfect lineup mate in front of Miguel Cabrera. Then the broken ankle struck. After the season the Tigers declined the option Ordonez' contract that would have paid him $15M, a very sensible move.

However the Tigers resigned Ordonez in the off-season to a more friendly (in their eyes anyhow) one-yearr/$10M deal. So that begs the question....what's left in Magglio's tank? Will the Tigers reap the benefits of his return? Or will they be blowing $10M on a 37-yr right fielder coming off a busted ankle who didn't move like a gazelle before the injury?

Ordonez is a purported off-season workout-a-holic typically training at the Miami Hurricanes facility in Florida. Its unlikely he has left much on the table when it comes to working his back into shape after the ankle surgery. Keep in mind the Tigers signed Victor Martinez to ostensibly man the DH slot and with Carlos Guillen also around, it doesn't appear a lot of DH at-bats will fall Magglio's way. He'll be in RF absorbing the daily running required on his aging legs and repaired ankle. The Tigers are also looking to be a rather OBP-challenged outfit. Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta are two proven OBP dead-spots. Ryan Raburn will be getting at-bats versus right-handed pitching on a regular basis so he may not be a sure thing OBP-wise. Austin Jackson has a lot of people believing he'll be hard pressed to duplicate his .345 OBP. The word "proven" and the name "Alex Avila" don't often bump together in the same sentence yet either. So if OBP has to come from somewhere to give Miguel Cabrera and Martinez some RBI-opportunities then it may have to come from Ordonez. ZIPS projects him to post a .355 OBP. Fangraphs has the Bill James projection at a healthier .374. If Ordonez can post the latter and keep his ISO up like the '10 campaign then the Tigers have probably made a wise investment and Ordonez will be fine in the three-hole.

Facts are however that Ordonez only had a half-season of decent production in '09 and could only stay on the field for a half-season in '10. The Tigers need Ordonez in their lineup and productive for at least 140 games this year. Can he provide that? The toll of all the years in MLB will have to be paid someday. The Tigers need Ordonez to delay that final payment another season if they're go to have a division winning offense this season. Ordonez has shown the ability (albeit in 84 games) to come back from a disappointing season with better production. His off-season work may put him back in the Tigers' lineup without having missed a beat after the surgery. The bet here is that Ordonez will post a solid season in Detroit even if it ends up being his last in a Tigers' uniform. Predicted Final Line: .309/.368/.480 in 145 games.