Gary Sheffield has no doubt he can still play baseball. “I know I can play,” the Tigers’ departing designated hitter declared Tuesday moments after the Tigers cut him loose. “For whatever reason, these guys don’t think so.
        “I can still hit, I can still run, and I know I can throw better than most people,” the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer said. “Up until I got hurt (in July of 2007) I was leading the team in everything. You don’t go from that to this because of one freak accident.”
        Tigers manager Jim Leyland and team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski both believe Sheffield can still play, too.
        Just not for the Tigers.
        Toronto and Tampa Bay could be the two leading candidates for Sheffield’s services.
        Leyland wanted to get Marcus Thames more playing time and he wanted  to use the DH to occasionally give Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen a break from their duties in the outfield.
        With Sheffield as the full-time DH, Leyland knew he wouldn’t be able to do that.       
        He knew that Sheffield, who barely tolerated the role of DH, would never be happy playing that position part-time.
        And Leyland did not feel comfortable using Sheffield in the outfield.
        When the Tigers failed in their repeated efforts to trade Thames during the offseason, they came to the conclusion that releasing Sheffield was their best option.
        To convince Sheffield to agree to the November 2006 trade, in which the Tigers sent three prospects to the Yankees, they had to agree to add a two-year $28 million extension to Gary’s existing contract. “I don’t think we could have made the deal without that,” Dombrowski said Tuesday.
        The Tigers were the only team willing to offer Sheffield that kind of security.
        Sheffield got off to a great start with the Tigers. But he injured his shoulder in a right field collision with Placido Polanco in July of 2007 and he hasn’t been the same since.
        “I started off having a monster season,” Sheffield recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to take this team to the championship.’ Then I  had that freak injury.”
        “I have no question it would have been very successful if he didn’t have that injury,” Dombrowski said. “We never really had a chance to feel the full benefit of his ability.  After he got hurt, it’s been a struggle for him.”
        “Obviously, DHing wasn’t my thing,” Sheffield said. “I just did it because they asked me to do it.
        “When I was right, I gave ‘em what I had. I gave ‘em what I had when I was hurt, too.”
        Sheffield had been healthy and happy this spring. However, he was hitting only .178.
        Tuesday morning as Sheffield said good-bye to his Tiger teammates, Miguel Cabrera was asked what he thought of the shocking move.
        “No comment,” he said softly.
        With Dontrelle Willis on the disabled list, suffering from what has been diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, the Tigers now have $24 million of this year’s estimated $130 million payroll on the shelf.
        “I don’t make the decisions to eat contracts,” Leyland said. “I manage the team.”