Great Expectations

Magglio Ordonez is tired of talking about his troublesome knee and the Chicago White Sox, his former team.

During the first two weeks of spring training, those have been the hot topics at Ordonez’s locker. He’s politely answered questions about both issues.

But the four-time All-Star outfielder would much rather discuss how his bat and glove will help the Detroit Tigers after signing a complicated contract that could be worth $105 million over seven seasons.

“It motivates me when people keep asking about my knee,” Ordonez said. “I don’t feel like I have to prove anything to critics, but I want to show the Tigers they made a good decision bringing me here.

“The White Sox know what they did to me. I took a beating because they told people I was done, but I want to leave that alone.”

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen lashed back at Ordonez last week, telling him to move on. Chicago general manager Ken Williams said the team was rebuffed during the offseason when it wanted to evaluate Ordonez’s knee before declining to offer him arbitration.

Before problems with Ordonez’s left knee limited him to just 52 games last season, he had established himself as one of the American League’s top hitters.

“I don’t think he ever got the credit he deserved in Chicago, if you look at his numbers, and maybe that’s because he’s kind of a quiet guy,” said Dmitri Young, whose locker is next to Ordonez’s in Lakeland. “We really needed a big bat in our lineup, and he’s got one.”

Ordonez averaged 32 homers and 118 RBIs while batting better than .300 for the White Sox from 1999-2003, and played between 153 and 160 games each season.

“Losing Magglio, he’s one of the best players in the game, there’s no doubt that hurts,” former teammate Paul Konerko said.

Though Ordonez is ahead of schedule rehabbing his knee, which required two surgeries last year, Tigers manager Alan Trammell said the team doesn’t expect him to play during the first week of spring training games.

“I think he could play, but there’s just no need,” Trammell said. “We’re just being cautious.”

Ordonez hit .292 last season with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 202 at-bats. He missed 36 games after hurting his knee May 19 -- then went on the disabled list for good July 22.

“He’s a guy who usually plays about 150 games and he was only able to play 52 last year, so obviously it was a significant injury,” said Detroit’s head athletic trainer, Kevin Rand.

Rand said a similar condition ended Terrell Davis’ career in the NFL, but he’s pleased with Ordonez’s progress and expects him to be ready when the season starts.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Rand said. “Our goal is to have him in the lineup on opening day on April 4, and I think he’ll be ready for that.”

The 31-year-old Ordonez said last month he didn’t expect to be 100 percent healthy until the middle of spring training, but he’s been encouraged by how he feels when running, hitting and fielding during workouts.

“I’m doing everything that everybody else is doing and I feel great,” he said. “I’m ahead of schedule. I know I can do more right now, but this is not the time to go crazy.”

Some baseball analysts said it was foolish for the Tigers to offer Ordonez the contract they did because other teams weren’t wooing him with similar deals.

Ordonez signed a $75 million, five-year contract, but could make as much as $105 million over seven seasons or as little as $6 million for one year.

Detroit can void the rest of his contract after this season if Ordonez is on the disabled list for 25 days or more because of a left knee injury.

“Our doctors said he should be OK,” said Tigers vice president John Westhoff, who negotiates contracts for the team. “But they said until he goes out and plays games, we’re never going to know for sure.”

As for Ordonez’s future, Detroit has a $15 million option for 2010 with a $3 million buyout, and a $15 million option for 2011 with no buyout.

The Tigers gambled last year with another star free agent, Ivan Rodriguez, who also had a history of injury problems, and it paid off.

Rodriguez led Detroit to a 72-90 record -- a 29-win improvement, the second-best one-season turnaround in the AL since it expanded in 1961.

The Tigers are hoping Ordonez can help them take another step this season. Detroit hasn’t had a winning record since 1993 and its last postseason appearance was 18 years ago.

“That was the intent [in signing him],” Trammell said. “If healthy, which he appears to be, he’s an impact guy, like Pudge.”