The Tigers’ last title came in 1984, when they opened with a remarkable surge.

“The 35-5 start might be in trouble from ’84,” Jones wrote in his e-mail.

Also Wednesday, the Tigers traded first baseman Chris Shelton to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Freddy Guzman.

Shelton hit .326 with a team-record 19 extra-base hits in April of 2006, including 10 homers, to help Detroit to a 16-9 record. But he hit only six homers after April 30 and his average slid to .277 by the time he was sent down at the trading deadline.

He spent all of ’07 in the minors, batting .269 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs.

Guzman hit .269 with 92 runs in Triple-A Oklahoma, leading the Pacific Coast League with 56 stolen bases.

Cabrera and Willis were the last players left from Florida’s 2003 championship team, both called up from the minors during the season.

Unable to secure a new ballpark, the Marlins keep shedding players when they are due to earn huge salaries. Cabrera made $7.4 million this year and Willis $6.45 million. Both were eligible for arbitration and likely to receive raises.

“We received some terrific players in this trade, and we’re confident they will make a positive impact,” Florida owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. “Although we cannot ignore the economic realities we face, which will change the moment we are in a new facility, our determination to win on the field remains as steadfast as ever.”

The Marlins had been shopping Cabrera since the general managers’ meetings last month. The Los Angeles Angels pursued him, but Angels owner Arte Moreno expressed frustration about the negotiations, saying he twice thought the teams reached a deal before they fell through.

“To talk about it publicly I think is unprofessional and unnecessary,” Beinfest said. “If people thought we were kicking the tires, I think we kicked the tires today sufficiently.”

At $1,325,000 next year, Miller immediately became the highest-paid player on the Marlins.

“This is not woe is the Marlins,” Beinfest said, mentioning Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and others still on the roster. “We have really good players.”

Beinfest sounded happy with the package of prospects his team received.

“We’ve built some pitching depth,” he said. “These guys are all legitimate.”

It was Dombrowski who was running the Marlins when they jettisoned many of their high-priced stars after winning the 1997 World Series. Now, Beinfest is in a similar situation.

“I did have some flashbacks to those time periods,” Dombrowski said Wednesday.

“Nightmares or flashbacks?” Beinfest chimed in.

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