Tigers' Trades Were A Team Effort

Manager Jim Leyland and his staff played a role in the acquisitions of right-handers Doug Fister and David Pauley from Seattle the day before the trade deadline.

Oftentimes the manager and his staff only have peripheral input because they don't know the players involved.

"A lot of times you're talking about a National League or minor league guy we can't really comment on," Leyland said. "This one was an interesting one.

"We huddled and talked about it, and (general manager Dave Dombrowski) asked our opinions, and it was kind of neat because we know the guy a little bit."

Dombrowski had a long list of starting pitching candidates he was looking at as the month of July wound down.

"Our list of guys we were looking at started at 24," Dombrowski said. "We talked about all different categories of pitchers."

The Fister/Pauley deal apparently cooled off a time or two before it was expanded and completed.

"Seattle wasn't looking to move this guy (Fister)," Dombrowski said. "I thought the deal was dead a couple of days ago. But we liked him and they were looking for multiple players. It picked up a couple of days ago. This isn't the first deal I've ever made that didn't look like it was going to happen."

"I can't even imagine what he goes through," Leyland said of his general manager. "He's relentless. He's tireless when it comes to stuff like this, and he's not afraid. That's a pretty good combination.

"I know he's working. He's probably working right now to make sure he covers all his tracks."

Detroit sent left-hander Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, minor league third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named to Seattle for Fister and Pauley.

"We gave up a lot," Dombrowski said. "We knew we gave up a lot. That was the cost of acquisition of a starting pitcher."

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