LAS VEGAS -- Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said this afternoon that he has received inquiries about designated hitter Gary Sheffield.
"I've had a call on him from a club or two," Dombrowski said. "But there's nothing that's close to being a trade." The Texas Rangers are one of those clubs, and there was a rumor that the Tampa Bay Rays might have been the other.
Texas spoke with the Tigers about Gary Sheffield with their designated hitter, Milton Bradley, heading out as a free agent, according to FOXSports.com.
But Texas general manager Jon Daniels is only interested in Sheffield, who has 499 career homers at age 40, if the Tigers are willing to pick up the vast majority of his $14 million contract for 2009.
But it makes no sense to give away Sheffield, who hit 14 of 19 homers after the All-Star break and could push 30 homers in the upcoming season. He also knocked in 39 of his 57 RBIs after the break.
"This is really going to be the first time in awhile he hasn't spent on offseason rehabbing because of surgery," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday. "He didn't have to get anything cut this offseason, and our trainers think he's going to be really good.
"Obviously, you lose it a little bit at that age. But he hit balls awful hard the second half there, and hit quite a few home runs."
Dombrowski said: "I think he can still hit. He likes to play and he wants to play and wants to go out and perform well. When he gets his 500th home run and it's off his mind, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes out and has a real good year. I still think he's a quality hitter."