A year after finishing with a disappointing .500 record, the Tigers won 95 regular season games and have advanced to the American League Championship Series. With an aggressive approach in free agency and some successful midseason trades, GM Dave Dombrowski turned the the Tigers into a playoff team.
MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker offers a chronological look at the players Detroit has acquired in the last calendar year. The Tigers have acquired dozens of players since them, but we’re limiting our focus to those who made the ALDS roster:
New Additions
- Joaquin Benoit, three-year, $16.5MM signing, November 2010
- Al Alburquerque, minor league signing, November 2010
- Victor Martinez, four-year, $50MM signing, November 2010
- Brad Penny, one-year, $3MM signing, January 2011
- Wilson Betemit, acquired from Royals for Antonio Cruz and Julio Rodriguez, July 2011
- Doug Fister, acquired from Mariners with David Pauley for Francisco Martinez, Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells and Chance Ruffin, July 2011
- Delmon Young, acquired from Twins for Cole Nelson and Lester Oliveros, August 2011
Free Agents Who Re-signed
- Brandon Inge, two-year, $11.5MM signing, October 2010
- Jhonny Peralta, two-year, $11.25MM signing, November 2010
- Omir Santos, minor league signing, December 2010
- Magglio Ordonez, one-year, $10MM signing, December 2010
Dombrowski was one of the most pro-active general managers in baseball last offseason and had signed Benoit, Martinez, Peralta and Inge before many teams had started their winter shopping. Though the Tigers had to demote Inge to Triple-A Toledo earlier in the season, the three other deals could hardly be going better.
The Tigers’ midseason trades have also been critical to their success and there is no better example than last night. Fister allowed just one run in five innings and Young picked up two hits, including his third home run of the series. Without Fister’s emergence and Young’s late-season hot streak, it's doubtful that the Tigers would have advanced this far.
Here’s a look back at how the Rangers, the Tigers' ALCS opponents, adapted last year’s team.
