MLB Trade Rumors has published its list of the top 50 free agents this off season and their potential landing spots in 2012. The ONLY potential target for Detroit listed by the website is Los Angeles second baseman Jamey Carroll.
If you are a Tiger fan, I think you should be excited about Carroll as a potential fit in Detroit. He's a low risk player who is consistent, experienced and easily expendable if it doesn't work out. The biggest fear for many is that Mike Illitch whips out his checkbook and makes another mistake and hamstrings the club for 3 or 4 years like the disastrous Dontrelle Willis extension. Carroll shouldn't be an issue in that regard, he's a consistent player with a great on base percentage (.359), which means there may actually be runners on the bases when Cabrerra comes to bat in 2012. Carroll fits perfectly in the two spot for Jim Leyland and even though he is 37 he could lead off if Austin Jackson can't figure out what happened to his bat.
Carroll is a mid level type free agent who should only command around $3 million on the free agent market. While not a huge splash in free agency, this is the type of move that could elevate Detroit's offense and defense without mortgaging the future of the franchise.
