In 2006, an injury-plagued infielder with very good offensive numbers and a solid defensive reputation retained his starting job in Detroit:
Guillen went on to have a very good 2006 and solidified the team's defense up the middle. It turns out that his exceptional performance that season was either an aberration or his peak, as his skills markably declined until it was deemed that he should be replaced by Edgar Renteria prior to the 2008 season--a parallel shift at best. Still, heading into 2006 he was regarded to be an above average shortstop on all fronts and played as such.
Enter 2009. The Renteria trade was a disaster, he was a defensive liability and had little offensive impact. Guillen's shift to third, All-Star nod notwithstanding, weakend the left side defense so badly that our sub-par pitching blew up like a Nuclear Bomb. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Answer:
Yes, the defensive wizard Adam Everett, brought on to restore the promise that defense wins championships. While Everett is a light hitter, to say the least, he brings a defensive presence that the team has lacked since 2006 when they led the American League in team defense (not a coincidence that they went to the World Series, I might add). This move is a tremendous upgrade over Edgar Renteria and will go a long way towards avoiding a repeat of 2008.
The Breakdown: (I am removing Continuity for Upgrade. "Upgrade" judges which player is a bigger upgrade over the previous year. In this case, Guillen 2005 vs. Guillen 2006 and Renteria 2008 vs. Everett 2009)
Offense: Guillen 2006
Defense: Everett 2009
Upgrade: Everett 2009
While Guillen 2006 was the overall better player to have on the team, Everett 2009 will help the team improve over 2008 more than Guillen 2006 helped the team improve over 2005. His addition will have a major impact on the team this year and I look forward to seeing him in action. And if he's a bust or gets hurt? There's always Ramon Santiago!
