The best division in baseball just got a whole lot better. After negotiations broke down with Anaheim, the Tigers stepped up as baseball’s only team thus far willing to deal homegrown elite prospects to acquire proven talent. Make no mistake, elite is precisely the type of prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin are. They will most likely both be great in Florida, and I commend Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski for having the nerve to deal them. I like this trade for both teams a lot, but it clearly makes the Tigers 1b to the Boston’s 1a in the American League.

Trades like this show you the importance of drafting well, and proves just how critical having a solid farm system is. I’m sure a lot of White Sox fans are going to be mad that Kenny couldn’t find a way to reel in Miguel Cabrera, but, truth be told, the Sox never had a chance. They just haven’t drafted well enough in recent years (and by recent, I mean in my lifetime), and couldn’t but together a package anywhere near what Detroit offered. You can’t acquire a stud like Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis when you don’t have quality young players, and that’s what the Sox need at this point.

If it were up to me, the Sox would be in rebuilding mode instead of trying to reload. I actually think the Sox will be pretty good next year, but it’s hard to get excited about the future of the organization with so many young studs in the AL Central. Detroit has four in Zumaya, Granderson, Verlander, and now Cabrera. Cleveland has plenty with Carmona and Sizemore to go along with a nucleus that is about to hit its prime. Even Kansas City looks good for the future with Alex Gordon, Billiam Butler, and Luke Hochevar. Minnesota is probably better off then any team in the majors with Liriano, Mauer, Morneau, a staple of good young pitchers, and now adding the game’s top hitting prospect, perhaps, in Delmon Young.

The bad thing is that I actually like what Kenny has done thus far a whole lot, it just might not matter. Orlando Cabrera will seem like Cal Ripken to us Sox fans who have seen Uribe for the past four seasons, and I like the additions of Linebrink (no matter what the haters say) and especially Carlos Quentin. Quentin was regarded as top a top 35 prospect in 04 and 05, and had a pretty solid rookie year in 2006. Injuries derailed him last year, and that’s why the Sox were able to get him at a discounted price. At 25 years old, Quentin gives the Sox a third good young player who has proved at least a little in the majors, joining John Danks, and Josh Fields.

Still, it’s hard to feel good as a White Sox fan right now. Their division is smitten (yeah I said it) young talent, and it seems as if the Sox don’t have a long term plan drawn up yet. Really, there isn’t much you can do without good prospects either way, so maybe Kenny was stuck in the first place. Even if he did sell off all the veterans, he would have been selling low after everyone underperformed last year. The White Sox will be better in 2007, but things won’t get any easier after that.

Also, to my brothas’ who spend their college years in East Lansing: how do all the Tigers fans feel about this deal? It always hurts when big-time homegrown prospects are traded, so I’ll assume some Tigers fans don’t consider this a complete slam dunk.

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Also on the Network: √ You Can't Spell Gillaspie Without "Gasp!" [El Lefty Malo] √ Eagles Vs. Rams [Depressed Fan] √ Yanks Rally Behind Ponson [Depressed Fan] √ Captains, Westhoff and Revenge [Green Pinstripes] √ Yanks Avoid No-No; Fall To Mariners [Green Pinstripes] √ So That's Why Betemit Is On The Team [Depressed Fan] √ Friday Notes [El Lefty Malo] √ A Statistical Look At The AL MVP Race [Depressed Fan]

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