Sheffield cut by Tigers

The Tigers released Gary Sheffield. This is a big surprise to those covering the Tigers.

Sheffield said he was told by manager Jim Leyland and president/general manager Dave Dombrowski that the team wanted to go with a more versatile lineup. The Tigers did not envision Sheffield playing any position other than designated hitter.

The Tigers will owe Sheffield his guaranteed $14 million salary for this year. If he clears waivers, he'll be free to sign with any team he chooses.

Sheffield, who has 499 career home runs and is on the verge of becoming just the 25th player in history to record 500, said that he was surprised by the move and that he didn't consider it a possibility.

"I never really thought about it, to be honest with you," Sheffield said.

Sheffield spent the last two seasons with the Tigers, batting a combined .247 with 44 home runs and 132 RBIs in 247 games, primarily as a designated hitter. He played in just 114 games last season, missing time because of a sore right shoulder and a strained oblique.

With numbers like those over the past couple of seasons the Tigers must've seen the end of the road coming for their slugger. At $14M this year, that's a ton of money for a guy who struggles to stay healthy. It's not exactly a shock that in this money-saving time in sports a team might cut an aging veteran. The question becomes: who brings in Sheffield after he clears waivers? Nobody but the Yankees can afford to price tag, and New York already owns the ailing Hideki Matsui. There's no way you take on two injury-risk types, especially when you're trying to win a title.

Fantasy Impact: Sheffield is better left for the waiver wire in a fantasy league right now. Let him go and watch to see if he lands with another MLB team. His addition to any lineup will likely steal time from a part-time player or a young up-and-comer, so Sheffield could theoretically hurt the owner than drafts him twice by diminishing his own player and that of another. Stay away for now.

A note on Sheffield's legacy: While some consider him a sure-fire Hall of Famer, and Sheffield's numbers look great on paper, the steroid era and his connection to Barry Bounds should surely diminish Sheffield's chances.