Obviously, all of the speculation about the supposedly inevitable trade of Magglio Ordonez, the highest paid Tiger, this winter, was greatly exaggerated.
        Frankly, I for one never thought it would happen.
        Bottom line: You usually don’t get better, you don’t enhance your chances of climbing out of last place, by trading away one of your best hitters.
        And, as extensive as the Tigers’ needs were this off-season _ new catcher, new shortstop, new closer _ I could never see them solving two, or even all three of those problems, simply by trading Ordonez.
        Baseball just doesn’t work that way.
        For one thing, most teams would have been reluctant to take on Magglio’s contract which calls for him to receive $18 million this season.
        Ordonez also has club options for $18 million in 2010 and $15 million in 2011 which  will automatically kick in, provided he starts 124 games or makes 466 plate appearance this year.
        And, barring injury, he will reach both of those milestones with ease, putting the Tigers on the hook to Magglio for an additional $51 million.
        Ordonez will turn 35 next month. But he batted .317 last season on the heels of his batting title .363 in 2007.
        Since signing with the Tigers since 2005, Ordonez has batted .323 with 81 HRs and 392 RBI.
        Hitters like that are hard to find.