Bit Blips

Edgar Renteria is joining one of the majors’ best offenses in Detroit and is coming off a season in which he hit .332. But this year’s Tigers are so loaded offensively that instead of batting second in front of Chipper Jones (1.029 OPS in 2007), Renteria will likely hit in the No. 8 spot in Detroit ahead of Ivan Rodriguez (.714 OPS in ’07). Plus, the ankle injury that sidelined him for part of last season could further depress his declining stolen base totals. Renteria is still a solid player, but temper your expectations.
Cameron Maybin has tremendous power and speed potential, but he would almost certainly benefit from the additional time in the minors he would have received with the Tigers. He was overmatched in a brief call-up at the end of 2007, hitting .143. Keep him on your long-term radar, but don’t expect a great deal of value this season.