The Tigers have traded prospects Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez for Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria. This should mark the end of any residual rumors about the Tigers trading for Jack Wilson.
This is a better move for the Tigers than trading Jurrjens for Wilson would have been, but the thing with Renteria is that every once in a while he has a year where he hits for a crazy-high batting average and people imagine that he's much better than he actually is. Last year he had one of those seasons. Really, he's probably a slightly above average player, and he'll make $9 million next year, with an $11 million option and a $3 million buyout in 2008. Given Detroit's need for a shortstop (Carlos Guillen can't play there anymore) and the terrible free agent shortstop market this winter (David Eckstein is the only credible starter available), that's decent. Not great, but decent. Renteria's not a great defender and he's getting older, but his bat should be fine for the next couple years.
As for the Braves, they're presumably clearing the way for a pretty good young shortstop - no, not Brent Lillibridge, but Yunel Escobar. Jurrjens is a pretty interesting young pitcher and Hernandez is exactly the sort of player you can imagine turning out well, given that the Braves wanted him and all - he survived his first year of full-season ball as a 19-year-old this year, and was named the fourth-best prospect in the Midwest League. Not a bad trade by either team, but I like it better for the Braves.
Thanks to Greg G.