More typically known for their aggressive spending on the free-agent market, the Tigers appear likely to take a very reserved approach to free agency for a second consecutive offseason, reports MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery. General manager Al Avila tells Woodbery that he’ll be “looking for Major League free agents that are maybe bargains” and suggests that Detroit might not make any additions until January or later.
[Related: Detroit Tigers Offseason Outlook | Detroit Tigers Payroll]
A quiet offseason for the Tigers on the free-agent front has long looked likely with the team embarking on an aggressive rebuild and working to pare back its payroll. Detroit has already parted ways with Cameron Maybin, Justin Wilson, Justin Upton and Justin Verlander in the past calendar year, and it seems extremely likely that longtime second baseman Ian Kinsler and the final year of his contract will be on the move this offseason as well. In making those moves, the Tigers have seen their total of guaranteed contracts owed in 2018 fall from $138MM to $97MM — a number that will fall to $86MM if Kinsler is indeed traded.
As Woodbery points out, the fact that the Tigers are looking to be opportunistic doesn’t mean they won’t spend at all. Detroit will have needs in the outfield, the bullpen and at the back of the rotation, after all, and the asking prices of remaining free agents often begin to come down after the New Year. While many Tigers fans will bristle at the notion of a bargain-bin approach after years of contending atop the AL Central, it’d be virtually impossible to patch the holes that permeate the team’s roster in a single trip through free agency.
While the Tigers’ record doesn’t reflect this, they actually had a fair amount of success with a similar approach last winter. Alex Avila was the team’s lone MLB signing, and he was flipped alongside Wilson to the Cubs in the trade that netted a potential cornerstone piece in Jeimer Candelario. The Detroit front office also eschewed free agency entirely when pursuing a center field addition, ultimately acquiring Mikie Mahtook from the Rays for right-hander Drew Smith (now with the Mets following another trade). Mahtook hit .276/.330/.457 with a dozen homers in 379 PAs and can be controlled for another four seasons. The Tigers also received a solid year at the plate from minor league signee Alex Presley in 2017.
There will likely be a dozen or so starting pitchers that sign one-year commitments this offseason, giving the Tigers a number of options to pursue. Some speculative one-year candidates on the 2017-18 free agent market include Chris Tillman, Brett Anderson, Jeremy Hellickson, Hector Santiago, Francisco Liriano and old friend Doug Fister. The bullpen market contains even more options for Detroit to pursue, and that market, in particular, seems to net several late-offseason bargains on an annual basis.
Fristly….
It makes a lot of sense. Low risk to get a few bargain basement players.
If they are bad, cut them.
If they are lightening in a bottle, trade at the deadline for prospects.
Low Risk, Medium maybe High Reward.
… I would go after World Champion Granderson (I hope). Might sell a few tickets that way. He is still enormously popular in Detroit.
Grandy is all but finished. At Comerica park he would have nothing more than warning track power Sadly his bat speed has slowed down. However you are right, he is still enormously popular in Detroit.
It makes a lot of sense. Low risk to get a few bargain basement players.
If they are bad, cut them.
If they are lightening in a bottle, trade at the deadline for prospects.
Low Risk, Medium maybe High Reward.
I wonder if they’ll try and trade Cabrera
They have been. He as negative value. Especially with his personal problems now.
Oh, yeah. A hot mess.
His trade value is really, really down because of his injury and slumped filled 2017, and other personal problems. They couldn’t get too much out of him right now. If he rebuilds his stock next season, they might be able to get an ok return out of him, but even then, age and contract price will still be an issue.
No one wants him. He is still owned a boat load of money and should be a full time DH.
The Tigers would love to rid themselves of Miguel Cabrera. However, he is “Too Heavy.” He demonstrates that he feels entitled.. He’s too fat to play defense or run the bases and he regularly commits acts of problem drinking.
Yea, mainly due to his recent personal problems in Venezuela.
1. He’s been sober for 4 years.
2. Last year was the first year he graded below average at defense at first
3. Being overweight as an athlete doesn’t equate poor work ethic, etc.
Don’t know why you think last year is the first year he graded out poorly. He’s been a below average defender forever. fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1744&posit… Take a look for yourself. Being overweight doesn’t do him any favors on the base paths he constantly clogs up. None of these problems are new though, he just didn’t hit last year. That’s the major problem, he could never run or field.
Everybody shops for bargains.
I like what the Tigers are doing. They seem to have a plan and are sticking to it so far. Part of the issue is cleaning up Dombroskis far-too-long high priced contracts for older players. They seem built now for a middle of the pack perfiormance on pitching and a lower tier hitting club with questionable defence. It is going to take time to rebuild this club.
They were one of the best offensive clubs in baseball this year until they started the salary dump.
Love people piling on the best hitter in baseball… very similar to all the Houston fans that didn’t want JV cause he was washed up.
Miggy was hurt all year. Almost any other player would have been on the DL all season with his injury. He’s chasing rare company with the numbers he could finish his career with and nobody cares or seems to notice. I hope he retires as a Tiger.
3000 hits, 2000 RBIs, 600 HRs and a career 300 hitter. How many in the history of the game can boast those numbers?
Not many. Miggy is an awesome hitter. The only issue is the AAV and length of the contract relative to health and an eventual decline.
1 – Hank Aaron and next year there will be 2 with Albert Pujols.
Yeah I don’t know that many people are hating on him so much as being pragmatic about his current value. He’s 34, coming off an i jury, has a massive contract and provides basically no defensive value. So as an asset he’s quite a liability at this point but he is absolutely one of the best hitters of our lifetimes. Other than Bonds and Pujols, not sure how many people would be ahead of him.
Maybe, just maybe, if he had not tried to play thru it, Cabrera would have gotten healthy, or at least be farther along his recovery. His playing thru did nothing to help the ball club.
Nobody is doubting what he has done, it’s what he’s doing now. With his age, and under-performance this year, along with some injury issues, and a really large contract, that’s a lot of red flags, and moving him would make some sense. The Tigers are not a contender. That’s why they traded stars like Martinez, Verlander, Wilson, along with Avila, who played decently.
He wasn’t under performing this year. He was playing with a herniated disk and oblique problems, not too many people would have even played.
If they cut Victor like they probably will Miggy will move to DH and all will be good. He will be better then Ortiz late in his career.
Now that they are so far under the tax threshold, if they really want to speed up the rebuild they will take on a contract like Ellsbury and some prime prospects from the Yankees which would enable the Yankees to go after a guy like Machado. Tigers send some talented but farther away prospects back.