ADAM EVERETT NEWS

12/08/08 10:02 PM EST
Tigers agree to terms with Everett
One-year deal with defense-first shortstop done pending physical

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAS VEGAS -- Hours after the Tigers filled their catching vacancy by making a trade with the Rangers to acquire Gerald Laird, they were wasting little time going down the list of their other needs. Detroit agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent Adam Everett, pending a physical slated for Tuesday.

Contrary to previous reports, that physical did not take place Monday. However, it is not expected to be an impediment, despite Everett's shoulder injury from last year. Everett is in town, as are Tigers team physicians and head athletic trainer Kevin Rand for the Winter Meetings. Barring a medical issue, Everett will shore up the left side of the Tigers infield in 2009.

Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski did not confirm the agreement Monday evening, reportedly worth $1 million plus incentives, but confirmed the interest in Everett, whom they worked out last Thursday to check on his health.

Everett, who will turn 32 in February, hit .213 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in just 48 games of an injury-plagued 2008 season for the Twins. His .967 fielding percentage was his lowest mark since he became a full-time shortstop with the Astros in '03. Part of his struggles stemmed from an injured throwing shoulder, which has now completely healed.

The Tigers believe that, when healthy, he's a strong defensive shortstop who furthers their effort to shore up their infield defense alongside third baseman Brandon Inge, who returns to his natural position. The combined range of the two should be a significant upgrade, helping a Tigers pitching staff that struggled last year with unearned runs.

The deal also ends the long-running saga between the Tigers and Pirates for Jack Wilson and negotiations that led to a premature signing story last week. A Major League source said the Pirates' demands for top-level prospects in a return package for Wilson became more of an obstacle than Wilson's contract, which includes a $7.25 million salary for 2009 and either an $8.4 million club option or a $600,000 buyout for 2010.

A deal with Pittsburgh would have made Wilson the everyday shortstop. With Everett about to be added instead, it wasn't immediately clear whether he'll assume the everyday role or if the Tigers would work in some level of playing time for Ramon Santiago, whose defense has made him a valued asset as a utility infielder. Santiago was a consideration to at least share the shortstop job as Detroit entered its offseason, but the Tigers' concern about his ability to stand up to the wear and tear of a Major League season has kept them from viewing him as a regular.

"I feel comfortable with Santiago as a shortstop," manager Jim Leyland said Monday. "It's just how much and how many games. I think that's the key. Depending on who we acquire, that would have some impact on it."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/15/08 11:36 AM EST
Tigers sign Everett to one-year deal
Infielder could shore up defense, will earn $1 million plus incentives

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

The formality of a physical has been completed, and shortstop Adam Everett is officially a member of the Tigers.

The Tigers announced Monday that they have signed Everett to a one-year contract believed to be worth $1 million plus incentives.

"We are pleased to add Adam Everett to the Tigers organization," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a release. "Improving our defense was a priority for our club this winter and we feel Adam is one of the top defensive shortstops in the game."

The issue with the 31-year-old Everett last season with the Twins was his health. He hit .213 with two homers and 20 RBIs in just 48 games, as he was limited by a right shoulder strain and right shoulder tendinitis. The shoulder is believed to have healed, and Everett impressed club officials at a workout at the team's Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla., earlier this month. He took a physical in Detroit last week.

It is the Tigers' belief that a healthy Everett will help shore up their infield defense, which was an area of concern last season. Brandon Inge is returning to his natural position at third, and the range Everett and Inge possess could benefit the Tigers' pitching staff.

Everett is a veteran of eight big league seasons with the Astros (2001-07) and Twins (2008). He has compiled a .976 fielding percentage at shortstop during his career. A first-round selection by the Red Sox in 1998, he has hit .246 in 697 games in the Majors.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

JON PAUL MOROSI'S BLOG
Everett signs with Tigers for $1M, will get most of the starts

By JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • December 15, 2008

The Tigers this morning formally announced their one-year contract with free agent shortstop Adam Everett. The deal is worth $1 million plus incentives.

Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a teleconference with reporters that Everett will likely get “the majority of starts at shortstop” next year. Detroit has also retained Ramon Santiago, a good defensive shortstop, for $825,000.

Team officials placed a clear premium on defense at the position. Everett’s career batting average is .246. Santiago’s is .238.

Dombrowski described Everett as “one of the premier defensive shortstops in the game.”

Everett, 31, is already familiar with Michigan. His wife, Jennifer, was born in Birmingham, and he has spent past Christmases with her family in the area.

“I’m very, very excited about being in the organization,” Everett said. “I really didn’t even consider too many other teams when I got the offer from the Tigers.”

Everett played in only 48 games this season with the Minnesota Twins because of the shoulder issues but said he is healthy now. He batted .213 with two home runs and 20 RBIs.

Everett became an everyday shortstop with the Houston Astros in 2003, when current Tigers coach Gene Lamont was a member of Houston’s coaching staff.

New Tigers shortstop Everett: Detroit is 'best fit'
by Steve Kornacki
Monday December 15, 2008, 4:38 PM

DETROIT -- Gone is the left side of the Detroit Tigers infield where balls hit into the hole generally turned into base hits, and where slow rollers became infield singles.

The Detroit Tigers on Monday announced the finalization of an agreement reached last week with free agent shortstop Adam Everett. The one-year contract for the eight-year veteran is for about $1 million with incentives.

"This was, for me, the best fit to play every day and win," said Everett, adding that he was looking forward to playing with third baseman Brandon Inge, second baseman Placido Polanco, first baseman Miguel Cabrera and "a defense that starts with Curtis Granderson in center field."

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Everett "will get the majority of our starts at shortstop," adding that utility infielder Ramon Santiago also will see time there.

Everett, 31, is considered a strong fielder with limited power but valued hitting skills. Together with Inge, moved from catcher to third base in the final month of the season, he buttons down what had been a mediocre side of the infield with Edgar Renteria at shortstop and Carlos Guillen at third.

"We've really been focused on improving our defense, and that starts with putting Brandon back at third, where he is one of the best in the league" Dombrowski said. "When you add Adam, that gives us one of the best left-side infields in the game. Adam is one of the premier shortstops in the game."

Everett had a range factor of 5.09 last year with Minnesota despite playing with a bad shoulder and getting into only 48 games. The only major league shortstop who played more than 40 games and had a higher range factor rating was Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki at 5.22. Range factor adds assists and putouts and divides them by games played.

For added comparison, Cesar Izturis of the St. Louis Cardinals, who recently signed with the Baltimore Orioles, led all major league shortstops who played two-thirds of all games with a 4.85 range factor and Renteria was at 4.31.

Everett went on the disabled list twice in 2008 with a strained throwing shoulder and tendinitis in his right shoulder. Dombrowski was pleased with a Dec. 4 workout Everett had in Lakeland for Tigers bench coach Gene Lamont and head athletic trainer Kevin Rand. He passed the team physical last week.

Everett said he has felt 100 percent since September, and has worked to maintain his shoulder strength and throwing motion this offseason. He was at his best in 2006, making only seven errors in 149 games with a .990 fielding percentage for Houston.

Adding Everett and catcher Gerald Laird, obtained at the winter meetings in Las Vegas last week for two minor league pitchers, upgrades the defense at two of the most important positions.

"We're much better defensively," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm very tickled about adding Adam. We're thrilled to get a great defensive shortstop who can also hit-and-run, bunt, and handle the bat well."

Everett hit .213 in 127 at-bats in 2008 for Minnesota after spending seven seasons with the Houston Astros. He made $2.8 million last year, and is a career .246 hitter with single-season highs of 11 home runs (2005) and 59 RBIs (2006).

"I feel like I've always been able to handle the bat and help my team win," Everett said. "I've been hurt the last couple years -- there's no secret there -- and I haven't been able to show everything I can do there offensively.

"I knew the Tigers were looking to improve their defense at shortstop, so it seems like a great fit. Once I got an offer from them, I didn't really talk to anyone else."

Everett said it's a plus that his wife, Jennifer, was born in Birmingham and still has family in suburban Detroit. He also was sold on the Tigers' coaching staff, having played for the Astros when Lamont was on the staff there, and termed Leyland a "Hall of Fame manager."

New Tiger Adam Everett has ties to Detroit area

BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • December 16, 2008

Betty Thaxton has known Adam Everett since he was a star baseball player at Harrison High School in Atlanta. He was dating her granddaughter, Jennifer, and Thaxton remembers being impressed by his talent and politeness.

Adam and Jennifer are now married with two children. Everett is a big-league shortstop, and Thaxton says proudly that he has not lost any of the good manners he had as a boy.

Thaxton, a longtime Michigan resident who lives in Sterling Heights, has always wanted to see Everett play for the Tigers. Her wish came true Monday, when the team announced that Everett had signed a one-year contract worth $1 million.

"This is such a wonderful thing," Thaxton said by telephone on Monday afternoon. "We've always hoped the day would come that he would play on the Tigers' team. We're thrilled about it.

"I know he will be so good for them. I really do."

The Tigers hope she is right. Club officials have said repeatedly this off-season that they want to field a better defensive team in 2009 than they did in 2008. Everett, 31, should help them do that.

Although a severe case of shoulder tendinitis limited Everett to 48 games last season, Dave Dombrowski described him as "one of the premier defensive shortstops in the game." Everett and Brandon Inge, who will return to third base next year, should cover much more ground than did Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cabrera during the Tigers' slow start last season.

"The left side of the infield becomes different from a defensive perspective," said Dombrowski, the Tigers' team president and general manager. "He's just what we need for our ballclub."

Dombrowski said in a Monday teleconference that Everett will likely get "the majority of starts at shortstop" next year. Ramon Santiago, a good defender, has returned as the backup on a one-year, $825,000 contract.

Everett had sensed for some time that the Tigers would be a good fit for him. His friends Mike Maroth and Brian Moehler spoke highly of their time in Detroit. Third base coach Gene Lamont was on Houston's coaching staff when Everett broke into the big leagues. Everett also praised Jim Leyland, saying, "When you get the chance to play for a Hall of Fame manager, you take that."

And thanks to the Thaxton family, he already is familiar with the area. Jennifer was born in Birmingham, and Everett said Michigan is "like a second home" to him. In fact, Everett has spent several Christmases here.

"I'm very, very excited about being in the organization," Everett said Monday. "I really didn't even consider too many other teams when I got the offer from the Tigers."

Everett signed for considerably less than the $2.8 million he earned in Minnesota last season. He seems to care more about the opportunity in Detroit than the money, after batting .213 in 2008.

"I've always been able to handle the bat, to do things to help the team win; but the last couple years I've been hurt," said Everett, who broke a bone in his leg during the 2007 season. "I haven't had a chance to show people what I can do."

He should get that opportunity in 2009 -- with plenty of extended family in the stands.

"It's always been one of our hopes," Betty Thaxton said. "This is such wonderful news."

Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports

Everett prefers grass to turf
Tigers shortstop happy to play at Comerica Park

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/11/09 3:00 PM ET
DETROIT -- Adam Everett isn't going to try to hide it: He just doesn't enjoy baseball on artificial surfaces. Fortunately for him, that won't be a problem again for a while, but it didn't mean a flawless game on the natural surface of Comerica Park on Saturday, either.

Though he concedes that the left ankle he sprained a little more than two weeks ago still bothers him a bit, the bigger problem at the start of the year was the surface at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

His first game with the Tigers at Comerica Park looked a lot more comfortable, but his second game saw him make his second error of the week, which opened the door for the Rangers to pull ahead in the fifth inning with a pair of unearned runs.

The problems Everett had in Toronto had to do with reading the hops on the turf. Because the surface had lively areas and dead zones, not to mention numerous seams, he had to be ready for the ball to do some unpredictable things. He ended up with a fielding error on Opening Night.

"It's nice to be on the natural surface, it really is," Everett said Saturday morning. "It's just that there's some predictability to it, and that's what makes it nice."

Everett's miscue wasn't about the surface, but trying to get the ball out of his glove. After fielding Michael Young's ground ball with two outs in the fifth, he couldn't get a grip on the ball to fire to second base quickly enough to get the forceout on speedy Elvis Andrus. That extended the inning for Josh Hamilton's two-run single.

Everett downplayed any effect his sprained ankle might be having on his game. He suffered the injury in the next-to-last week of Spring Training, but returned to the lineup a few days later and has had the ankle wrapped ever since.

"The sprained ankle's going to take a little while [to recover], but it's fine," Everett said.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers' Adam Everett is tops in crucial stat
He gets RBI with man on 3rd, fewer than 2 out

BY JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • May 13, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS -- Shortstop Adam Everett usually hits ninth, but he has been as good as anyone on the Tigers at the most crucial RBI situation: a runner on third with fewer than two out.

Entering Tuesday, according to records kept by the Free Press, Everett was 4-for-5 at driving in a runner from third with fewer than two out and the difference in the game three runs or fewer.

"It's something I take a lot of pride in," Everett said. "If there's one thing I can do and somewhat have control over, it's driving in a guy from third with fewer than two outs."

It's a crucial RBI situation because the run can be driven in by an out -- a sacrifice fly or a grounder, especially if the infield is playing back. (Did you see the Tampa Bay-Boston ninth inning the other night? The potential tying run got to third with none out. With the infield back, Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon fanned Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton when contact by either one could have meant a tie.)

Everett broke in with Houston, and one of his teammates was one of the best hitters of his era.

"I learned from Jeff Bagwell that on the days you don't feel good, try to do two things: walk, and if there's a guy on third with fewer than two out, try to get him in any way you can," Everett said. "You're not going to feel good every day throughout the year."

Stuck at work? Free Press special writer Anthony Fenech will live-blog the Tigers-Twins matinee on Thursday at freep.com/sports.

Shortstop Adam Everett considers Detroit his second hometown

BY JO-ANN BARNAS • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • May 24, 2009

Adam Everett rises from his chair and extends his arm across the table, reaching over a bowl of potato salad and a basket of Italian rolls purchased warm from the oven -- Grandma Thaxton is quick to mention -- from Randazzo's that morning.

A visitor has arrived through the side door to say hello to Everett, who plays shortstop for the Tigers. Everett is spending the day before that night's game at the Sterling Heights home of Betty Thaxton, grandmother of Everett's wife, Jennifer, and great-grandma to Everett's two daughters, Peyton, 4, and Paisley, who turns 2 in September.

"Adam, you've met Dave, our neighbor?" Thaxton asks.

"Yes," says Everett, shaking his hand with a smile.

"Good game Sunday," the neighbor says, referring to Everett's three hits in the Tigers' 11-7 win over Oakland on May 17.

The neighbor can't stay for lunch -- just visiting -- but he slips Thaxton a note on his way out. She nods at the request.

The Red Sox are coming to town next month; any chance of scoring a few tickets?

His wife's hometown team

When Everett learned late last year that the Tigers were interested in signing him to a one-year contract, the infielder embraced the news for reasons both professional and personal -- and not necessarily in that order.

Although eager to prove he could return to being a regular contributor after appearing in just 114 games over the last two years (with Houston and then Minnesota) because of injuries, Everett, 32, knew hitching up with the Tigers offered something extra: a chance to play for the hometown team.

Not Everett's; his wife's.

"Growing up in Atlanta, I always dreamed about playing for the Braves," said Everett, who spent seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2001-07) and is known as one of the game's best defensive players despite never having won a Gold Glove. "But playing here for Detroit, it's everything I could have imagined as far as playing in front of your hometown -- and I really consider Detroit as my second hometown.

"It's been a dream come true. Jennifer's grandparents (both sets) are within 20 minutes. Then we've got aunts, uncles, cousins -- you name it -- all within, like, 30 to 40 minutes."

Everett pauses. He catches himself: "Well, Uncle Paul is from Grand Rapids. He's the furthest."

In 1998 -- after playing baseball at North Carolina State (for one season) and then South Carolina -- he was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 12th pick of the draft.

That December he flew to Detroit for the first time to meet Jennifer's relatives for Christmas Eve. He and Jennifer were dating at the time.

Jennifer was born in Birmingham but moved with her parents, Richard and Sue Thaxton, to suburban Atlanta when she was 6 months old. She and Everett had been going out since high school; they married in January 2001.

Everett said of his first trip to Michigan: "Got that stamp of approval from everybody. We went to Grandma Thaxton's house, then to Aunt Carol's to meet Jennifer's mother's side -- the Lewandowskis. So obviously, all these years later when I signed to come here, you can imagine how excited everybody was."

For Everett, there has been no downside to being among so much family. His wife tries to accommodate as many ticket requests as she can ("Call me Ticketmaster," Jennifer Everett, 31, joked).

Shortly after the Everetts moved to Michigan -- they're renting a house in Bloomfield Hills -- one of his first commitments was to accompany Thaxton to a Meijer in Fraser where she shops. She wanted to introduce him to the store manager.

"The manager wasn't in that day, but he got to meet Julie, the cashier manager, and Sue and Marsha -- and everyone else working that day," Thaxton said with a smile.

Thaxton, who declines to reveal her age, is sitting with her sister, Babe Maroon, 74, at her kitchen table while Adam and Jennifer play with the kids on the front lawn.

Peyton, who had a tumor removed from her spine when she was 8 months old, is on her tiptoes on the front porch, dancing in a pink ballerina outfit. Thaxton and Maroon -- the sisters live together -- keep a stash of costumes for the kids.

"We've just been so happy this year because they're finally close now, and we get to see them."

Thaxton turns to her sister.

"Remember when Adam hit that grand slam?"

"Oh, yes," Maroon said, recalling the Tigers' 9-7 victory over Cleveland on May 2 at Comerica Park.

"When Adam hit it, everyone cheered," Thaxton said. "But we jumped higher than anybody."

A new family with the Tigers

The Texas Rangers were in town this past week. An hour before the first game of their three-game series -- which the Tigers would sweep -- Everett emerged from the clubhouse sipping a cup of coffee.

"It's been fun so far; a great group," Everett said. "We all mesh, just all get along well together. I think more than anything, that's been the biggest part of us playing well."

Before batting practice earlier that afternoon, Brandon Inge gushed over his new teammate. Everett has gotten the majority of starts at shortstop over utility infielder Ramon Santiago. There's no doubt in Inge's mind that Everett -- along with Inge's move to third base -- has strengthened the left side of the infield for the Tigers.

"He's such a great addition to this ballclub, and it's showing," Inge said.

Everett and his family will return in the off-season to their home near Acworth, Ga. One of their neighbors is acclaimed artist Thomas Arvid, a native Detroiter.

But for now, Everett is steadfast in his commitment to make what might be his only season with the Tigers a memorable experience for his wife, his daughters and his wife's family.

"Not many players have an opportunity to do what I've done," he said. "It's been one of those life experiences for all of us."

Inge said: "I'd certainly love to see him stay here a lot longer than one year."

He's not alone.

Contact JO-ANN BARNAS: 313-222-2037 or jbarnas@freepress.com.

Coming up clutch: Everett showing poise
Infielder displaying propensity for driving in needed tallies

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

06/11/09 4:18 PM ET

CHICAGO -- Adam Everett doesn't claim to get a lot of hits. But they sure seem to be big ones.

Wednesday, it was a sixth-inning homer to break up a scoreless duel between Justin Verlander and John Danks. A day earlier, it was two-run double in the fifth inning that briefly put Detroit and Dontrelle Willis ahead. Sunday's hit was a two-run single to put Detroit ahead early.

Add up the damage, and five of Everett's seven hits over the past two weeks have driven in runs, including six RBIs since Sunday. His 24 RBIs on the season entering Thursday tied him for fourth on the team behind Brandon Inge, Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson.

That doesn't mean Everett's producing every time he has a chance to drive in runs. An inning after his home run Wednesday, he struck out with the bases loaded and a chance to break the game open.

Everett's .289 average with runners in scoring position entering Thursday is 26 points above his career clip, though he's hitting just .241 with runners on base in general. He's 2-for-13 in the late innings of close games -- coming in the seventh inning or later with Detroit tied, up one or with the would-be tying run on deck -- but he's batting .301 with 16 RBIs in situations where the game is two runs or closer, and he has hit both his home runs in such situations.

At times, Everett's production has been an example of how Detroit's bigger-name hitters have struggled to drive in runs. Now, there's an appreciation for what he does at the bottom of the Tigers' order.

"What a good player he is," manager Jim Leyland said. "Just a real good, steady player."

That steadiness, so far, hasn't just been with the glove. It's to the point where, as Everett talked with reporters after his home run Wednesday, an unidentified teammate ribbed him with the nickname "Hammerin' Hank."

Everett takes it in stride. He says he doesn't do anything different in key situations, but he credits work with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon on his approach as well as his mechanics.

"I think, more than anything, they've just shown a lot of confidence in me," Everett said. "From Day 1 of Spring Training, they've said, 'Hey, you're going to hit. It's not an automatic out.' We've been working on the same thing since Spring Training, getting ready in the right position. So I owe him a lot, and he's really, really helped me come along."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I sure am glad we have Adam, I hope the re-sign him next year!

Great glove, better clutch batting than we expected, and still young enough for more decent years!

Leyland on Everett
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on August 11, 2009 at 1:46 AM

Noticed a lot of questions after the game about why Leyland didn't go with a pinch-hitter for Adam Everett with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Leyland pointed to Everett being 1-for-2 lifetime off Ramon Ramirez, and the fact that he felt Everett had the best chance to make contact off Ramirez.

"I thought he'd put it play," Leyland said after the game. "I thought the worst-case scenario would be a ground ball to second maybe, get one run in. Like I said, he's 1-for-2 off him, and there's really no other track records. Santiago and Raburn were 0-for-1. Like I said, I thought he'd put it in play, but he didn't."

When asked whether he considered using Santiago as a pinch-hitter for Everett, Leyland said, "No. That guy's stuff is not susceptible to the way he hits, in my opinion."

Leyland said over the weekend that he didn't consider rookie catcher Alex Avila a pinch-hitting option, because he's the only catching option off the bench. If Avila was used up a pinch-hitter and Laird had to leave a game with an injury, that would force the Tigers to go with an emergency catcher. That would be either Ryan Raburn or Brandon Inge, and Inge has no chance of catching with his knee acting up.

Raburn is 1-for-9 as a pinch-hitter this year, but that one hit, of course, was a homer. He's 5-for-27 with three pinch-hit homers for his career.

Report: Boston Red Sox target free agent shortstop Adam Everett
By Scott Warheit
December 01, 2009, 2:36PM

The Detroit Tigers said they would like Adam Everett to return to the team next season.

And, Everett has indicated he enjoyed his time in Detroit and would be open to a return engagement.

The Boston Red Sox might have other ideas for the free agent shortstop.

Needing a defensive upgrade at shortstop, the Red Sox have reportedly contacted the free agent, and may be willing to pay Everett more than he could make in Detroit.

As first reported by MLBTradeRumors.com, Boston is looking strongly at Everett.

December 1, WEEI Radio Boston: According to a baseball source, the Red Sox have contacted Everett to express some preliminary interest in the shortstop. The Sox have not made an offer to Everett, nor have they made a conditional offer along the lines of the one they made to Alex Gonzalez (who was told the Sox would offer him a $3 million deal for 2010 at the Winter Meetings if they hadn’t signed anyone else by then) before he signed with the Blue Jays last week.

Everett, who was a first-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 1998, played 118 games for the Tigers in 2009, hitting .238 with a .288 OBP, .325 slugging mark and .613 OPS. Though his offense is limited, he is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. He has been contacted by a handful of teams that have discussed, in general terms, the possibility of signing him as a starter.

Tigers, Everett agree on one-year deal
Shortstop to return for second season in Detroit

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

12/07/09 6:53 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS -- What had been negotiations on hold for Adam Everett quickly became a deal Monday evening. The two sides agreed to terms on a one-year contract, bringing back the shortstop credited with helping improve Detroit's infield defense.

The $1.55 million deal came together quickly, just hours after negotiations seemed to be in a holding pattern and Everett was drawing some interest from the Pirates. The Tigers, meanwhile, had been talking with the agent for fellow free-agent shortstop Bobby Crosby. No meeting between the Tigers and Everett's agent, Keith Grunewald, had been scheduled Monday, though the two sides were expected to talk this week.

The deal came together minutes before team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski was scheduled to meet with local beat writers to discuss the opening day of the Winter Meetings. In the end, Everett decided to stay with a situation he liked.

It was around the first day of last year's Winter Meetings that the Tigers reached an agreement with Everett, then coming off an injury-shortened campaign with the Twins. He rebounded in 2009 by retaking his role among the better defensive shortstops in baseball.

Everett's 8.9 Ultimate Zone Rating, a measure of balls hit into a position player's area that he should get, ranked fourth among Major League shortstops. He committed 14 errors out of 457 total chances over 118 games for a .969 fielding percentage.

Everett's offense, never his strength, still ended up better than many expected when he signed. He batted .238 with 21 doubles, three home runs and 44 RBIs, while batting .270 with runners in scoring position. He hit .364 (8-for-22) with a runner on third and two out.

Everett's return, or some sort of veteran shortstop, became all the more important once the Tigers officially lost free agent second baseman Placido Polanco to the Phillies last week.

"Basically, we have our infield back except for the change at second base," said team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski, whose team now will count on rookie Scott Sizemore to take over at second.

Everett will continue to take the bulk of the duty at shortstop, with Ramon Santiago being mixed in.

The sudden deal might all but ensure that the Tigers will not be getting a Major League-ready shortstop in return in a trade, whether it's in a much-rumored package for Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson or both. Detroit has been linked with interest in Cubs prospect Starlin Castro, but every indication suggests Chicago will not give him up in any deal. Considering it's a one-year deal, the Tigers could still pursue shortstop prospects who might be further away from being ready.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Everett pushing through rough spring
Tigers shortstop hitting ball hard, but isn't seeing the results

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

03/23/10 11:40 PM ET

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Adam Everett is going to make his living playing solid defense. That doesn't make him take a rough spring at the plate any easier.

It's definitely not easier when he's actually hitting the ball pretty well on his way to an .069 average. Believe it or not, it's actually a hard-hitting 2-for-29 performance he's wearing.

"It's been bittersweet," Everett said Tuesday afternoon before going 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in the Tigers' 6-2 win over the Nationals that evening. "It's been one of the best springs I think I've ever had swinging the bat and hitting the ball hard, but one of the worst numbers-wise."

Nobody else in the Grapefruit League had that few hits in that many plate appearances as of Tuesday night. The only Major Leaguer who can compare numbers is Oakland's Jake Fox, 2-for-32 over in the Cactus League.

Fox is known for his hitting after tearing up Triple-A ball with the Cubs. Everett is not. But that doesn't mean he takes it any better.

It started with a pair of hard-hit liners to left field early in the spring and has snowballed from there. He has had a slew of hard-hit balls to his credit, but they don't go into the scorebook that way.

"I've kind of grown accustomed to it," Everett said. "The other day [against] Atlanta, I hit three balls right on the screws, and all three of them were caught. It is a little frustrating, but again, you have to say it is Spring Training. That's why we're here."

Everett says he keeps talking with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, who keeps telling him not to change a thing. If Everett was popping up more balls in the infield, that would be another thing. He's hitting mostly line drives, which is what he's trying for, and he's hitting them to both sides of the field. He thinks his work with McClendon last year is now paying off.

Everett has been around the league far too long to panic, but that doesn't mean he can't grumble a little bit. His defense, fittingly, has been his release, and he's helping wear in a new second baseman in Scott Sizemore.

If Everett can go into the regular season feeling like this, he'll be pretty happy. So will the Tigers. Brandon Inge, in particular, recalled the annual Spring Training swoons of ex-outfielder Bobby Higginson, who always seemed to turn spring outs into regular-season hits.

"He's hit the ball very well all spring," manager Jim Leyland said. "With the exception of a couple at-bats, he's hit the ball all spring pretty hard and had little to show for it. He's stronger.

"Adam Everett's a good player. He's not gonna hit .300 or knock in 75 runs, but he's a good player. He's good on the team, good on defense. He's really a solid shortstop."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

OFFICIAL_TIGERS

6/6/10


The club has announced on Tuesday it will designate Everett for assignment and it will recall Worth from Toledo. #mlb

Tigers designate shortstop Adam Everett for assignment, recall Danny Worth
By Steve Kornacki
June 06, 2010, 5:33PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Losing 7-2 on Sunday to the Kansas City Royals wasn’t the toughest thing about Sunday for Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland.

Afterward, he had to call shortstop Adam Everett into his office to tell him that on Tuesday he was being designated for assignment. Danny Worth, the rookie infielder Everett took under his wing this season while realizing he could take his job, will be called up to play shortstop. He batted .333 and played second base during eight games earlier this season.

Everett, 33, was batting .185 without a home run and only four RBIs in 81 at-bats. He was up to the major leagues for good in 2003, and was the starting shortstop in the 2005 World Series for the Houston Astros.

“This is a sad day,” Leyland said. “I never wanted to be the guy to tell Adam Everett. He’s the classiest guy I’ve ever managed.

“And he was totally understandable. It just seemed like nothing was happening. We felt that it was time. We kept trying to buy time. But we felt like, ‘Let’s give this kid a chance.’ ”

Everett was second among American League shortstops with a .992 fielding position and instrumental in developing Worth, center fielder Austin Jackson, second baseman Scott Sizemore and others this year.

That Leyland called him the “classiest” player he’d managed in 30 years touched Everett.

“That’s a great compliment coming from him,” Everett said.

“Hopefully this will jump-start the team. We need a kick in the pants. I know I haven’t played well.”

Detroit has 10 days to trade, release or put him on waivers.

“I’ll go home to clear my mind and have the rest of my life to look forward to,” Everett said. “I don’t want this game to define me.”

Everett said he’d like to spend more time with his young daughters, and his wife is expecting a third child later this year. But Leyland said he would like to see Everett stay in baseball, and there is a likelihood the Tigers would be interested in keeping him in the organization.

Leyland would not detail the playing time he anticipated for the Worth and Ramon Santiago combination at shortstop.

Everett gets designated for assignment
Worth called up from Triple-A Toledo for Tuesday in Chicago

By Samuel Zuba / MLB.com

06/06/10 7:21 PM ET

KANSAS CITY -- After a 7-2 loss to the Royals on Sunday, the Tigers clubhouse was met with more bad news.

Manager Jim Leyland announced that 10-year veteran Adam Everett would be designated for assignment effective Tuesday.

Everett, who hit .248 with 48 RBIs in 1 1/2 seasons with the Tigers, will either be traded, or, if he clears waivers, will be free to sign with any team. The Tigers called up Danny Worth from Triple-A Toledo and he will join the team Tuesday in Chicago.

The Tigers offered their well-wishes for Everett and goodbyes between close friends.

"This is a sad day, because I never wanted to be the guy to tell Adam Everett this," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "There is nobody that's classier -- nobody -- that's ever played for me than Adam Everett. That's exactly the way he handled it."

Leyland said Everett was understanding when told the news and upheld the classy reputation he has built over the past 10 seasons.

"He's just full of dignity and character and charisma," Leyland said. "He's been an excellent, excellent player for a long time. He's a much better hitter than what he's shown."

Everett's struggles at the plate were eventually his downfall. In 31 games this season, Everett hit .185 with four RBIs to go along with four walks and 18 strikeouts.

"The writing was on the wall, but it's just part of the game," Everett said. "If you don't produce, that's the way it goes. I don't think, managerially, it was a tough decision. I think it was more of a tough decision personally [for Leyland]."

Everett was unsure as to what he plans to do in the future, but would still like to play baseball if the opportunity presents itself.

"I can't foresee the future, but I'm sure it's going to take a little while," he said. "I'm just going to see where things go from here. If somebody gives me a chance, then they do, but if not, then I guess I had a good career."

Everett's replacement, Worth, was batting .287 with two homers and 18 RBIs for Toledo.

"I think he's going to be good," Everett said of Worth. "I think he's going to be good for a long time. He's got a great demeanor. He obviously did a lot of work in the offseason to turn his swing around and he looks great. I wish him nothing but the best. This is what it takes sometimes for a guy to get a break, and hopefully he'll make the most of it. Everybody needs one."

Samuel Zuba is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers release shortstop Everett

By Alex DiFilippo / MLB.com

06/15/10 8:13 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers formally released shortstop Adam Everett on Tuesday. Everett was designated for assignment on June 8, giving the club 10 days to try and make a trade before having to release him.

The Tigers were unable to hash out a deal in that time span, making Everett a free agent. Any team that decides to sign Everett will only have to pay him the Major League minimum, while the Tigers will be responsible for what's left of his contract this year.

Everett was best known for his glove, not his bat. He hit only .185 for the Tigers before being designated for assignment, but turned 24 double plays and only committed one error in 31 games this season.

"This is a sad day, because I never wanted to be the guy to tell Adam Everett this," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said when the announcement was made to designate Everett for assignment. "There is nobody that's classier -- nobody -- that's ever played for me than Adam Everett. That's exactly the way he handled it."

Indians ink infielder Everett to Minors deal
Veteran could serve in utility role for Cleveland next season
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | 12/16/10 2:51 PM EST

Infielder Adam Everett and the Indians have come to an agreement on a Minor League deal, which includes a non-roster invite to 2011 Spring Training, the team announced on Thursday.

Everett, 33, has appeared in 846 Major League games over the past 10 seasons, with 823 of them coming at shortstop. Everett previously played with the Astros (2001-07), Twins (2008) and most recently the Tigers (2009-10). He batted .238 (82-for-345) with 21 doubles, three home runs and 44 RBIs in 118 games for Detroit in 2009, on a team that finished the regular season in a first-place tie with the Twins in the American League Central.

With a .976 fielding percentage and a career .243 batting average, Everett is known primarily for his glove work. He figures to compete for the utility-infield spot, behind starting shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and second baseman Jason Donald, while Everett also will get a game or two behind third baseman Jayson Nix.

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Being Ozzie Guillen and follow him on twitter at @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.