Injury To Magglio Ordonez Could Be Detroit’s Gain

If Magglio Ordonez starts 135 games this season his contract option for 2011 will vest, at a salary of $15 million. No one in Detroit, other than Magglio Ordonez, wants that to happen. Ordonez will be 37 next season and at this point in his career simply isn’t a good enough player to justify that kind of compensation. Despite a mild bounceback campaign thus far, players at Ordonez’s level (OPS of .885, bad defense) can be had for a third of the price, which is something that matters (or should) in Detroit.

Until a week ago it looked like the Tigers were resigned to their fate. They’d made Ordonez their starting RF, penciling him into the lineup in 52 of their first 54 games. However, Ordonez has experienced soreness in his left oblique, and has not appeared in a game since June 6. He hasn’t been put on the DL yet, but it also isn’t clear when he’ll return.

This injury is essentially the team’s only hope of getting out of the rest of the contract. In a similar situation last season, when the Tigers were trying to avoid this year’s $18 million dollar option from vesting, the Tigers made a half-hearted attempt at benching Ordonez, only to have a threatened player’s union grievance put the matter to rest. Without a clear baseball reason to bench him, the team would likely be defeated in a hearing and be forced to pay Ordonez. In short, with a .300 average and 8 home runs, Ordonez isn’t bad enough to bench, but isn’t good enough to justify his salary.

The Tigers completed their 60th game on Friday night and Ordonez has still started all but seven of them. At the moment, Ordonez is still on pace to play in 143 games and make his $15 million dollar pay day. (The contract also vests with 540 plate appearances, which won’t be an issue unless the Tigers do odd things like inserting Ordonez into the second inning of every game.) With each missed day however Ordonez loses another bit of breathing room. Given his advanced age, it isn’t as if another nagging injury is unlikely. Moreover, if the Tigers are out of it in September, they may be able to justify benching Ordonez in favor of a younger player. Because everyone involved went through the same scenario last season, you can bet everyone involved knows the stakes.