Lynn Henning: Tigers Insider

Which young gems would Cubs deal for Curtis Granderson?

What the Tigers might get for two players now available to the right off-season bidder is worth exploring.

And maybe laughing at, since the market this off-season already has shown us that nothing is for certain.

Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson are being discussed by clubs interested in having Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers' president and general manager, see the wisdom of their trade packages, which either have already been talked about or are about to be proffered.

The New York Yankees have room for the Tigers center fielder and also for Jackson. The Chicago Cubs would love to have Granderson, particularly if they can find a new home for Milton Bradley, which in any event isn't going to be Detroit.

The Los Angeles Angels will at least ask about Granderson, and maybe ask a lot if they lose Chone Figgins and/or Vladimir Guerrero to free agency. The Texas Rangers might be willing to chase Granderson, as well.

Jackson's skills will be sought by just about any club that has a need for pitching and can make the Tigers a presentable offer. With Jackson, the bidding pool figures to be deeper.

Granderson makes abundant sense for either the Yankees or the Cubs. He would hit 40 home runs for manager Joe Girardi's team. He would be invigorated by New York's stage and world-champion roster. He would hit left-handers because he has hit left-handers before (2008, when he batted .259 against lefties, .280 overall), and because there would be new resolve on the part of an athlete whose batting average, no matter where he plays, figures to rebound in 2010.

The Cubs, too, realize Granderson would break up ballgames galore at Wrigley Field. They also have just hired the famed Rudy Jaramillo as their batting coach. You can bet Jaramillo would be eager to turn Granderson into the elite hitter Jaramillo probably believes a 28-year-old with Granderson's tools yet can be.

Now, the question:

Will the Cubs part with any two of the three players the Tigers would probably want in return?

Would they offer 19-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro, who could be an answer to the Tigers' long-term needs at the most important position on the infield?

Would they consider Josh Vitters, 20, one of the more handsome prospects in the game, a right-hand hitting third baseman the Tigers would look to as Brandon Inge's replacement?

And would they part with a pitcher the Tigers nearly drafted until he was taken one player ahead of Ryan Perry in 2008: Andrew Cashner, 23, a big, hard-throwing right-hander? If not, then is it safe to assume the Cubs would need to hand over right-hand reliever Carlos Marmol, who would help buffer the Tigers against the possible losses of both Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon?

The Yankees would no doubt need to include in any Granderson conversations with the Tigers their center field prospect, Austin Jackson, 22. They would be asked, as well, to package right-hand pitcher Phil Hughes.

Jackson would command at least as much as Granderson and maybe more. His age (he turned 26 in September), his big arm, his reliability, his personal citizenship -- Jackson is an attractive package for a team that would breathe easier with him in the rotation.

He slipped a bit during the season's second half, but only because his slider mysteriously got out of whack. Jackson was still throwing his fastball in the upper 90-mph range. He wasn't fatigued. He had all the horsepower necessary to continue his evolution into a 200-innings pitcher who could win 18-20 games in 2010.

The Tigers would want at least a couple of hotshot prospects for Jackson, which would be the going price for a sturdy starter who made last July's All-Star Game.

So, who gets him? And who makes off with Granderson?

The Tigers have likely talked with too many clubs to pull back from any plans to trade either player. They otherwise would not have listened so widely.

There is a deep belief two trades will occur sooner rather than later. The Tigers have plans in place, and, in all likelihood, it's a matter of time until we learn which of the interested teams won, and at what price.

lynnhenning@detnews.com