Dontrelle Willis

If nothing, this was a sign of trust in Dontrelle Willis and Jeremy Bonderman.

Because what the Tigers did on Tuesday—dealing left-hander Nate Robertson to the Florida Marlins for left-hander Jay Voss—was nothing short of a release.

Did anyone really think otherwise?

The Tigers are paying $9.6 million of his $10-million salary this year and are virtually giving the payroll-sensitive Marlins the left-handed starter that they desperately needed.  

What I’m Reading

• Tune in tonight at 7 for our unnecessarily extended sappy special, “Not Officially, But Close: The John Smoltz Retirement Story.” Sounds like a romantic-comedy.

When you commit $64 million dollars to three pitchers over the span of two years, there are certain expectations that need to be met.

Take a look at the San Francisco Giants. Their three headed monster of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Barry Zito are making $54.05 million collectively in 2009 and 2010. Last year they won a combined 39 games in 98 starts and struck out 586 batters in 635 innings pitched. Those numbers are produced by, what some regard, the best top end rotation in the league.

by Caesar Cliffius

Dontrelle Willis had one of the most promising baseball careers of anyone in MLB when he was the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2003.

He helped lead the Florida Marlins to their second World Series Championship in 10 years. He was 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA and averaged eight strikeouts every nine innings. He also threw two shutouts in his rookie year.

Originally published 5/19/09 at www.jelletlambie.wordpress.com

Dontrelle Willis needed this.

He needed to step onto that mound at Comerica Park and feel the evening sun shine upon him, the clouds in retreat, the swirling winds at bay. He needed to kick his right leg high into the air and bring his left arm across his body in perfect plane as the baseball left his fingertips with a sizzle. He needed this, and so did we.

Dontrelle Willis isn’t back. Let’s get that straight right out of the box.

The demons aren’t gone. Some of the dragons still lie in wait.

Willis’s career is a house of cards, still.

So when you exhale after every hopeful outing, turn your head and blow in the opposite direction, just in case.

Last night, at Comerica Park, Willis won himself a baseball game.

Brilliantly.

His first win in the big leagues since 2007.

A masterpiece. Not just for him. For anyone.

While most of Detroit's eyes were on the Red Wings-Blackhawks Western Conference Finals game, there was another significant event within a mile of Joe Louis Arena.

A moment many Tiger fans thought they would never see occurred Tuesday night when Dontrelle Willis picked up his first win in a Detroit uniform, shutting out the Texas Rangers through 6-1/3 innings in their 4-0 victory.

In the current economic slump, only the New York Yankees seem to be unfazed by it. A very cavalier off season for the Yankees saw them heap nine-figure contracts upon Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia. Throw in another 80+ million dollars for A.J. Burnett, plus the bloated contracts of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, and the Yankees, again, will wear the crown for largest payroll in Major League Baseball.