Who dey? Who dey keepin' the hot stove warm?

There was some excitement in Tiger Town last week when rumors of Detroit being interested in trading for shortstop Miguel Tejada hit the newspapers and internet. Who would the Tigers give up in such a deal? Should they take on such a player (and his salary)? Would Tejada really make Detroit a better baseball team? Or did they really want to be involved in a multi-team deal to get a different player?

Unfortunately, it appears that the suddenly moody Tejada has swung the other way and decided he would now like to keep playing shortstop at Camden Yards. So the hot stove is running a bit cooler at the moment. But as Billfer pointed out yesterday, January has been a big month for the Tigers over the past two years. So the offseason might not be over yet.

But I'd like to refer Tigers fans to one of the Baltimore Sun articles on Tejada's desire to remain in Baltimore. In a story about Orioles Vice President Jim Duquette informing teams that any potential deal was now off, several of the trades being discussed, along with the players involved, were revealed.

Still, plenty of intriguing names entered the mix. The Philadelphia Phillies offered Bobby Abreu and at least another player; the Chicago Cubs mentioned Mark Prior, Corey Patterson and Rich Hill; the Houston Astros discussed Brad Lidge, Adam Everett and Brandon Backe; and the Detroit Tigers offered Carlos Guillen, as well as a prospect and another major leaguer.

I'm sure the orange-and-black-striped football team 260 miles to the south won't mind me using one of their favorite slogans (and mascots) and applying it to the Detroit Tigers baseball team.

Who dey? Who dey? Who dey? Who dey other players would've been involved in the deal? (My father, along with my many writing instructors, are cringing right now.)

Surely, the minor leaguer would've been Justin Verlander, Curtis Granderson, or Joel Zumaya, the prospects every team seems to be asking for in a deal. Which other major leaguer was Baltimore asking for? Probably not Omar Infante, since Guillen was already in the deal. Brandon Inge? Craig Monroe? Carlos Pena? If Dmitri Young was involved, wouldn't the Sun article have mentioned him?

Can't we have some fun by rolling up in a blanket of rumor and speculation? It could keep us warm until the next puff of Tigers news drifts into the air. Or until spring training begins - whichever comes first.