The Futon Report

On one hand, you have to feel slightly sorry for Brandon Inge. On the other hand, no matter what he does he’ll make $6 million this year (Exception: if he’s caught in a hotel room with hookers-and-blow) and it’s difficult to empathize with that kind of scrilla influx.

The Tigers now-backup third basemen still wants to play baseball and doesn’t want to ride the pine behind new third baseman Miguel Cabrera, a trade I must say is still the most brilliant move, Santana To The Mets included. I don’t blame him — he’s a baseball player, and he would love nothing else than to man the keystone 150 games a year for some team. But still.

Brandon Inge will not win pennants with any team looking to make him their starting third baseman. And I think he’s finally figured that out, and has agreed to become a “super-utility” player.

Inge came up through the farm system as a catcher-first baseman, meaning he can back up Cabrera, Carlos Guillen at first, and Pudge Rodriguez at catcher. Add in Ramon Santiago as the backup middle infielder, and you only need seven infielders on the roster, perhaps leaving room for an additional pitcher.

Inge has the right mindset on this whole situation. He might have realized that the Tigers will have trouble moving a hit-or-miss defender and a career .241 hitter with $19 million left on his contract over three years. Accepting a smaller role for the benefit of the team will hopefully pay off huge dividends, or KarmaBucks™, for everyone involved.

But if he really wants to play for the Pirates next year … well, that’s his prerogative. Don’t say he wasn’t warned.