The Tigers‘ signing of Victor Martinez to a four-year, $68MM contract last offseason was a decision that was largely driven by owner Mike Ilitch rather than former GM Dave Dombrowski, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Dombrowski wasn’t in favor of such a lofty number for the aging DH. Heyman adds that the Mariners were outbid on Martinez, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Seattle was comfortable going to three years and $45MM for V-Mart but turned its focus to Nelson Cruz after Martinez returned to the Tigers. While it’s unlikely that Cruz’s production will hold up to its current level through the final year of his four-year, $57MM deal, he was brilliant in his first season with the Mariners.
A few more notes from around the American League…
- The Orioles will “at least kick the tires” on Ben Zobrist this winter, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, although I’d imagine they’ll be joined by about 20 teams in that pursuit. Nonetheless, Kubatko notes that manager Buck Showalter has long admired Zobrist’s versatility and would love to add him to the fold, and he has fans in the front office as well. The Orioles could find plenty of playing time for Zobrist in the corner outfield.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun writes that the Orioles will probably look to add a left-handed starter, if not two, to the mix this winter. Baltimore stands to lose Wei-Yin Chen and has no lefty replacements in the waiting, save for perhaps T.J. McFarland, who has made only seven starts (five in the minors and two in the Majors) since 2012. Connolly adds that while there’s interest in retaining Chen, the Orioles aren’t likely to retain him if he receives a five-year offer elsewhere.
- The Mariners interviewed Padres bench coach Dave Roberts for their managerial opening, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Roberts received a pair of interviews and was considered a finalist for the job. However, Angels AGM Scott Servais will reportedly be announced as Seattle’s new skipper later today. Rosenthal adds that Roberts could be a fit for the Dodgers, though that suggestion seems at least partially speculative in nature.
- The Athletics announced on Thursday that lefty Drew Pomeranz underwent clavicle resection surgery, as MLB.com’s Jane Lee writes. The recovery timetable for Pomeranz is set for roughly six weeks, and he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training. As Lee notes, Pomeranz pitched through shoulder troubles for much of the season, and this operation will hopefully alleviate those woes next year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $1.3MM salary for Pomeranz in his first run through the arbitration process.
I feel like Zobrist is going to end up getting a well above-market deal in the end just based on how many suitors he’ll have
That means the Orioles won’t sign him. And if they do, they’ll still hang on to Ryan Flaherty and play him every day. Because.
Whatever he gets is a market deal. That is the way a market works.
The moral of the VMart story here is don’t sign 35 year old MVP runners up to one year deals. At least the Tigers have 3 more years to recoup their money.
Victor was hurt all year… He’s still a very good player on a rather reasonable contract. Only a year ago he hit .330/30hr/100rbis
Reasonable, that was way too much money for vmart at that age
The fact that he was hurt for most of the season doesn’t really dispel any of the flak the deal caught. The main reason people knocked the deal was because $68MM for a 36-year-old DH with a recent history of knee injuries was excessively risky. Martinez requiring knee surgery and being ineffective nearly all season even when on the field just illustrates that risk.
He’s always going to be a talented hitter — no one’s questioning that fact. The question surrounding him is how regularly his body will allow him to demonstrate that fact over the rest of his career.
Point of order. He was 35 when he signed the contract and will be 39 when it is over. When you add a year it makes it seem worse than it is.
The concerns are valid but are reflected in the AAV. If he wasn’t 35 at the time and didn’t have recent knee surgery he would be getting $28MM.
Both you and Steve made excellent points. I would also add that DD may have thought V Mart would have taken less with a 4 year deal when it seems that was too long for other teams. His frustration with Mr. Illich’s hands on dealings with inflated $$$ figures like this one and Fielder’s contract, may have started the ball rolling for his desire to look at other GM openings.
You definitely make some good points. The deal is risky because of his injury history, but if he is healthy the way he was in ’13 and ’14, I still hold that it was a good deal. I just think that it’s a little early to judge the contract off only the first year, especially when he was so good last year. He’s no ordinary 36 (37) year old.
Thanks for adding your input Steve, that was pretty cool. Really appreciate everything you guys do for the site.
I know Victor was hurt, but that’s kinda the point… he was hurt.
TJ “Spanky” McFarland has matured and possesses the temperament and work ethic to make an impact next year in the starting rotation. Oh, by the way he also has the talent and athleticism to make a difference. He’s been experimenting with different deliveries and is on the cusp of a breakout year as a starting pitcher. You heard it here! All the rants and chants here sound like a bunch of media types who really don’t say a thing but spit out meaningless metrics. Sometimes baseball is gut and mine is for Mcfarland.