Detroit Tigers Offseason Tracker: Hottest Free Agency News, Trade Rumors
Another division title, another disappointing showing in the playoffs for the Detroit Tigers.
Not even the additions of former AL Cy Young Award winner David Price and All-Star closer Joakim Soria were able to propel Detroit to its first World Series crown in 30 years, and the four-time defending AL Central champions head into the offseason with a number of key players unsigned.
Staff ace Max Scherzer, designated hitter extraordinaire Victor Martinez and veteran outfielder Torii Hunter are among the Tigers set to hit the open market, and it's possible that all three could be wearing different uniforms when spring training gets underway in February.
General manager Dave Dombrowski will have his hands full this winter trying to re-sign some of his own while looking outside the organization for upgrades, especially in the bullpen, which once again proved to be a major weakness.
The rumor mill is sure to be spinning fast and furious when it comes to the Tigers, and right here is where you'll be able to find the latest and most up-to-date news as the offseason rolls along. While the post date will always show October 31, simply click through to see the most recent rumblings and grumblings.
Detroit's Free Agents and Done Deals
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All the juicy rumors and analysis follow, but consider this your one-stop shop for all the comings and goings in Detroit this winter, including the status of the team's free agents.
Done Deals
Oct. 31: OF Andy Dirks claimed off waivers by Toronto
Nov. 12: Traded IF Devon Travis to Toronto for OF Anthony Gose
Dec. 5: Acquired RHP Shane Greene from New York (AL) as part of a three-team deal; sent LHP Robbie Ray and IF Domingo Leyba to Arizona, which sent SS Didi Gregorius to New York (AL)
Dec. 11: Acquired OF Yoenis Cespedes, RHP Alex Wilson and RHP Gabe Speier from Boston in exchange for RHP Rick Porcello (Analysis)
Dec. 11: Acquired RHP Alfredo Simon from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Jonathon Crawford and SS Eugenio Suarez (Analysis)
Tigers Free Agents
C Alex Avila (Nov. 17: Picked up $5.4 million team option)
OF Ezequiel Carrera (Elected free agency on Nov. 26, Dec. 3: Signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays)
RP Phil Coke
RP Joel Hanrahan
OF Torii Hunter (Dec. 2: Signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Minnesota Twins)
RP Jim Johnson (Dec. 3: Signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Atlanta Braves)
DH Victor Martinez (Nov. 12: Re-signed to a four-year, $68 million deal, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman)
SP Max Scherzer
RP Joakim Soria (Oct. 31: Picked up $7 million team option, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press)
Tigers Planning to Make Push for Max?
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Update: Monday, Dec. 29 at 11:00 a.m. ET
The longer Max Scherzer remains unsigned, the louder the speculation gets that he's going to wind up back in Detroit.
Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi tweets that the Tigers have not had talks with David Price about an extension, which, according to his train of thought (and that of some others), leaves the door open for the Tigers to re-sign Scherzer and trade Price, who will be a free agent after the 2015 season.
It's all speculation at this point, but considering that neither Alfredo Simon nor Shane Greene is going to fill the shoes left by a potential Scherzer departure (or those once occupied by Rick Porcello), a reunion makes a whole lot of sense.
--End of Update--
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 8:13 p.m. ET
GM Dave Dombrowski addressed reporters at the winter meetings and vehemently denied Buster Olney's earlier report about their intention to go "all-in" to re-sign Max Scherzer.
His statement, courtesy of MLB.com's Jason Beck:
"I don't know where he got that from. That's not accurate. I know it didn't come from this room. There's not 1 thing that's changed from a Detroit Tigers perspective.
--End of Update--
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 3:07 p.m. ET
Sources tell ESPN's Buster Olney that the Tigers "are prepared to spend big, big dollars" to re-sign Scherzer. Additionally, they have no intention of trading David Price and would like to keep their rotation from last year intact.
--End of Update--
Update: Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:07 p.m. ET
As expected, Scherzer declined the qualifying offer and is now a free agent. Detroit will receive a compensatory draft pick if he signs with another club.
--End of Update--
Friday, Oct. 31 at 8:46 p.m. ET
As expected, the Tigers announced that they have extended a one-year qualifying offer to both Scherzer and Victor Martinez. Neither player is expected to accept it.
It's a win-win situation for the Tigers. If Scherzer shocks the world and accepts, the Tigers will have him for one more year at a $15.3 million salary—which would represent a small decrease in salary from the $15.525 million in 2014.
If he declines, as expected, the Tigers will be guaranteed a compensatory draft pick from whatever team he signs with as a free agent.
Dec. 11: Acquired RHP Alfredo Simon from the Cincinnati Reds
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Detroit needed to add another starter to the rotation after trading Rick Porcello, but is Alfredo Simon really the best they could do?
It's true that the 33-year-old was an All-Star for the National League in 2014, but this is a pitcher that doesn't exactly bring a lengthy track record of success along with him. Simon had been used primarily as a reliever by the Reds in 2012 and 2013 before injuries forced him into the rotation last year.
While his numbers were impressive—15-10 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.21 WHIP—his career numbers (3.86 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.45 FIP, 6.3 K/() aren't exactly what you'd call overwhelming.
That it cost two young pieces with potential—shortstop Eugenio Suarez and RHP Jonathan Crawford, the team's first-round pick in last year's draft—makes the move all the more head-scratching.
A free agent after the season, the Tigers paid a fairly steep price for a pitcher that, realistically, could become the club's fifth starter—or be relegated to the bullpen—before the 2015 season comes to an end.
With so much free agent pitching available, it's surprising the Tigers didn't go that route instead.
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Dec. 11: Tigers Trade Rick Porcello to Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes
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Age: 29
Bats: R
2014 Stats (OAK/BOS): .260/.301/.450, 64 XBH (22 HR), 100 RBI
Contract Status: One year, $10.5 million remaining
It cost the Tigers a quality arm in Rick Porcello, but the club has bolstered both its lineup and outfield defense with the addition of Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes.
Among qualified left fielders in 2014, Cespedes ranked third in both UZR/150 (14.0) and DRS (12)—and he holds the same place among left fielders that have logged at least 2,000 innings at the position since he broke into the major leagues in 2012.
It's unclear where the Tigers plan on batting Cespedes, who realistically, could bat anywhere from second-to-sixth in what has once again become an incredibly deep and talented Tigers lineup. A Cespedes/Miggy/V-Mart/J-Mart heart of the order, two-through-six, could be deadly for the opposition.
He's only had 34 career plate appearances at Comerica Park, where he owns a career .300/.353/.333 slash line with only one double to his credit. Of course, that was when he was facing Detroit's potent rotation. Now he gets to support them.
Per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, Detroit will also receive right-hander Alex Wilson and a minor-league southpaw from Boston.
Alex Avila on the Trade Block
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Update: Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 9:47 p.m. ET
After trading Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs, Arizona is in need of a starting catcher and GM Dave Stewart named Alex Avila as a potential target for his club in a trade, reports MLive's James Schmehl.
At this point, there's no indication that the D-Backs and Tigers have spoken about a potential deal but that could change quickly.
--End of Update--
Update: Monday, Nov. 17 at 11:10 a.m. ET
The Tigers announced via Twitter that they have exercised their $5.4 million team option on Avila for the 2015 season.
It's not a surprising move by any means, though it may make dealing Avila, if that's still something the club is looking to do, a bit more problematic as a number of teams likely view him as a platoon candidate or backup catcher at this point.
--End of Update--
Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:16 a.m. ET
Detroit is listening to offers for long-time catcher Alex Avila, according to The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. Avila, 27, has seen his numbers drop for the third consecutive season and finished 2014 with a career-low .218 batting average to go along with a mediocre .686 OPS.
The Tigers seem to be comfortable moving forward with the tandem of Bryan Holaday and prospect James McCann behind the plate. While there are no guarantees that the pair would ultimately be more productive than Avila, they'd both make significantly less combined than Avila ($5.4 million) in 2015.
Cafardo notes that both Atlanta and Boston are known to be in the hunt for a left-handed bat, though neither club has officially been linked to Avila at this time.
Tigers Interested in Justin Masterson
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Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8:07 p.m. ET
According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, we can add Detroit to the list of teams believed to have interest in free agent starter Justin Masterson,
Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, both Chicago clubs, Detroit, Kansas City,Minnesota and San Francisco have also been linked to the former All-Star.
Command and control were major issues for the 29-year-old, who was ineffective in both Cleveland (5.51 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) and St. Louis (7.04 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), finishing the season walking nearly five batters per nine innings of work.
The Indians chocked his issues up to a balky knee that gave him problems all year long, while the Cardinals believed that Masterson's problems were mechanical, not physical. While Masterson's struggles continued, it's fair to say that both teams may have been correct in their diagnosis.
Yet he's still relatively young and isn't that far removed from a three-year stretch (2011-13) that saw him pitch to a combined 3.86 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while averaging 205 innings a year and make his first All-Star appearance (2013).
Torii Hunter Officially No Longer in Detroit's Plans
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Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12:21 p.m. ET
Tigers fans that were hoping to see Torii Hunter return for a third season in Detroit will be disappointed to hear the following from GM Dave Dombrowksi, who spoke to George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press recently:
"I called (Torii) and said it just didn't look like it was going to fit the way the club was getting put together. Thanked him for everything. Absolutely love him. If something changes where we make some changes for one reason or another, that we're not anticipating, we would still be open. It's just probably not much of a fit right now.
"
After re-signing Victor Martinez and trading for Anthony Gose, it appeared as if Hunter could be the odd-man out in Detroit. The 39-year-old was a solid contributor for the Tigers, hitting .295 with 34 home runs, 167 RBI and a .783 OPS in his two seasons wearing a Tigers uniform.
Nov. 12: Tigers Re-Sign Victor Martinez to 4-Year, $68 Million Deal
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Victor Martinez is returning to Detroit.
Martinez and the Tigers agreed to a four-year, $68 million deal, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, Martinez's new deal does include some sort of trade clause.
As the New York Post's Joel Sherman pointed out, it's the highest annual average ever given to a designated hitter.
Committing tens of millions of dollars to a player late into his 30s is a risky enough proposition, one that most teams tend to shy away from. However, the Tigers have now committed to pay Martinez until he is 39 years old.
Martinez had rejected the team's qualifying offer, but in the end, he wanted to stay in Detroit. Thanks to a strong season, he was able to get the four-year deal that he was seeking.
Coming off the best season of his 12-year career, one that saw him hit .335 with an MLB-best .974 OPS, V-Mart is sure to be one of the most sought-after players on the free-agent market. Without subjecting his body to the daily wear and tear that a position player does, Martinez should be able to stay productive.
Keeping Martinez was the team's top priority this offseason, per Sherman. Now that the Martinez-Miguel Cabrera duo will remain intact, the front office doesn't have to worry about filling a huge hole in the lineup.
Detroit took care of its top priority early in the offseason, so now the club can focus on other areas.
Marlon Byrd to Replace Torii Hunter?
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Monday, Nov. 10 at 11:10 p.m. ET
CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury names Detroit and Cincinnati as the two teams to watch this offseason when it comes to Philadelphia outfielder Marlon Byrd. The Phillies, a rival executive tells Salisbury, are "trying to blow the whole thing up. Everyone is for sale.”
Byrd, 37, appeared in a career-high 154 games last year, hitting .264 with 55 extra-base hits (25 home runs), 85 RBI and a .757 OPS. Due $8 million in 2015, Byrd is 463 plate appearances away from having his option for 2016, also worth $8 million, vest.
Detroit Lacks Significant Financial Flexibility
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Fans expecting the Tigers to be major players on the free-agent market this winter—or to re-sign both Martinez and Scherzer—should probably skip over this slide, because what you're about to read is sure to leave you disappointed.
As Dombrowski told reporters, including The Oakland Press' Matthew B. Mowery, there's a limit to what the club can do financially—and it's nearly at that limit already:
"We are a top-heavy team. But I don’t know how that’s going to change. We have the most generous owner in baseball you could possibly have in sports. But we’re in a situation where $200 million payrolls aren't what is common here. We’re very generous in what we have. It’s a situation where we’re really in a spot that if you’re going to have four starters being paid and you’re going to have a couple superstars in the middle of your lineup, that means there’s not as much availability to do some other things. And you have to determine what you’re going to do.
"
Realistically, the Tigers can probably afford to re-sign either Martinez or Scherzer, not both. And unless Hunter is feeling super generous and willing to take a significant reduction in salary, you can probably kiss him goodbye as well.
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