Tigers Rumors

NL Notes: Cubs, Cards, Fowler, Braves, Marlins

By Connor Byrne | October 2, 2017 at 9:56pm CDT

The reigning World Series champion Cubs stumbled through the early months of the season, which led president Theo Epstein to inform teams in early July that he’d consider selling impending free agents such as Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis, Patrick Mooney of NBC Sports Chicago reports. The Cubs were at their lowest point of the season on July 9, when they dropped to 43-45 with a 14-3 loss to the Pirates in the last game before the All-Star break. Regarding his thought process at the time, Epstein told Mooney: “Not blowing it up. But when you’re five-and-a-half out, if you have a bad road trip and a bad homestand and then you’re 10-and-a-half out, absolutely, we would have sold.” Instead, Epstein swung a blockbuster trade with the White Sox for left-hander Jose Quintana on July 13, the final day of the break. The Cubs proceeded to go 49-25 in the second half of the season to finish 92-70 and run away with the National League Central.

Central Notes: Jaso, Montoyo, Tigers, Carpenter, White Sox

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2017 at 9:50pm CDT

John Jaso may have played his last big league game, he told reporters (including Elizabeth Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MLB.com’s Adam Berry) following the Pirates’ season-ender today. “Honestly, this is probably it for me, as far as baseball goes,” the veteran utilityman said, though he stopped short of entirely confirming his retirement. “We’ll see. I mean I can’t say anything for sure. I can’t really tell you what the future holds or whatever. But if I left now, it would be a really good feeling to leave right now, if I did. These last couple of years with the Pirates were good. It’s just taking that step and being brave enough to do it. For most of us, this is all we know. There’s a lot of those ’what ifs’ and ’buts’ and everything like that. That stuff kind of scares you when you have to make a decision like this. There’s a lot of excitement out there that I’m looking forward to. I feel ready to make that step.”

If this is it for Jaso, the 34-year-old will be hanging up the spikes after 2591 career PA over parts of nine seasons with the Rays, Mariners, A’s and (for the last two seasons) Pirates. Injuries and struggles against left-handed pitching limited Jaso’s usage as an everyday player, though he was very productive in various part-time capacities. Jaso posted good career splits against right-handed pitching and was an above-average run producer overall in six of his eight full seasons, finishing with a 115 wRC+ for his career. If this it for Jaso, we wish him congratulations on a fine career and we tip our hats to his most immediate postseason endeavor — helping with relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

Here’s the latest from both the NL and AL Central…

The Tigers have asked the Rays about third base coach Charlie Montoyo, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links). It’s hard to know where Montoyo sits on the Tigers’ list of managerial candidates due to the sheer number of names in their search; according to Heyman, Detroit began the process with around 50 names under consideration. Montoyo, who has also drawn interest from the Mets, has been Tampa’s third base coach for three seasons and a manager at all rungs of their minor league system from 1997-2014.
Matt Carpenter won’t require surgery on his right shoulder, he tells MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (Twitter link). An MRI revealed only inflammation in the shoulder, which has been a nagging concern for the Cardinals infielder. Possibly due to the injury, Carpenter saw drops in his batting average and slugging percentage from his previous two seasons, though he was still quite productive, hitting .241/.384/.451 with 23 home runs over 622 plate appearances for St. Louis.
The rebuilding process for the White Sox has gone according to plan thus far, though as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes, the team has another long year ahead of it next season. “We know we might be entering a slightly more difficult phase of this rebuild, and that is the phase where we have to allow this talent the time and patience to develop….We’re going to have to remain diligent and realize that this isn’t about any individual player or any individual season, this is about building something for the long term,” GM Rick Hahn said. “For this next phase, that’s going to require player development to play its important role and for us to have patience in Chicago that would allow that to unfold.”
Earlier today on MLBTR, we checked in with more notes from both Central divisions, including items on the Royals, Indians, Cardinals and Tigers.

AL Notes: Orioles, Donaldson, Molitor, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2017 at 2:47pm CDT

Speaking with reporters Sunday, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette confirmed that the team will attempt to return to contention, not rebuild, in 2018. That means neither third baseman Manny Machado nor reliever Zach Britton will be on the trade market in the offseason. Both players are scheduled to become free agents after next season, but Duquette unsurprisingly revealed that the Orioles will consider trying to extend Machado over the winter. Given that Machado’s a year from potentially collecting a record contract on the open market, it’s difficult to imagine the 25-year-old re-signing in the coming months. From a team standpoint, the positive contributions of Machado and other position players largely went to waste this year on account of poor pitching. With that in mind, Duquette said that the Orioles will focus on improving their rotation in the offseason, adding that they’ll have the ability to upgrade via free agency (Twitter links via Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com and Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).

Central Notes: Cain, Royals, Tribe, Cards, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2017 at 11:23am CDT

The Royals will be reluctant to invest significant money in an outfielder who’s on the wrong side of 30 over the winter, which makes a potential Lorenzo Cain exit seem more likely, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes. For his part, the 31-year-old Cain (32 next April) realizes his terrific tenure with the Royals could be on the verge of ending. “They all know where I stand as far as coming back to KC,” the impending free agent said. “They know I would love to come back here. I said it in the spring, and I’ll say it again now. But at the same time, everyone has to do what’s best for themselves. No one knows what’s going to happen.” Cain has been outstanding since debuting in earnest with the Royals in 2011, including this year (.301/.364/.442, 15 home runs, 26 stolen bases across 643 plate appearances), and was a key component of an AL pennant winner in 2014 and a World Series champion the next season.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Ausmus, Gonzalez, Hendricks

By charliewilmoth | September 30, 2017 at 4:22pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video for FOX Sports:

Departing Tigers manager Brad Ausmus says he would be open to managing a new team immediately, although he tells Rosenthal that there don’t seem likely to be many possibilities. Rosenthal, though, points out several, including the Phillies job as well as the Mets job, which is expected to open. The Braves could also be a possibility, and Rosenthal notes that if the Red Sox have a quick playoff exit and opt to part with John Farrell, Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski hired Ausmus while he was an executive in Detroit.
Fredi Gonzalez looks to have many qualifications that could be attractive to the Tigers, including past managerial experience with a rebuilding club (the Marlins) and connections to Tigers GM Al Avila (with whom he worked while both were in the Marlins organization). The Tigers will, however, consider any number of other candidates. One they might not consider too carefully is Giants third base coach Phil Nevin, who the Tigers fired as their Triple-A manager near the end of the 2013 season.
Astros utilityman Marwin Gonzalez could be a free agent to watch in the 2018-19 offseason, Rosenthal argues. Like Ben Zobrist, who received a $56MM deal two years ago, Gonzalez switch-hits and can play several positions in the infield and outfield. Gonzalez is also reaching the end of an outstanding .303/.375/.530 season. I might point out that Gonzalez doesn’t have Zobrist’s overall track record, but Rosenthal notes that Gonzalez will have only recently turned 30 at the start of the 2019 season, and that unlike Zobrist, he can play shortstop.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks’ first-year arbitration case this offseason will be an interesting one, says Rosenthal. Hendricks has a 2.94 ERA over 100 career games, a number that compares favorably to that of Clayton Kershaw in his first few seasons. that isn’t to say Hendricks and Kershaw are similar players, as Rosenthal points out, only that Hendricks’ first arbitration payday could be a hefty one.

Heyman’s Latest: Hosmer, Cain, Mariners, deGrom, Dee, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | September 28, 2017 at 7:32pm CDT

Eric Hosmer and a few other big-name Royals are scheduled to hit free agency after the season, but the team is going to make a concerted effort to retain the first baseman, Jon Heyman of FanRag reports. The Royals may offer the Scott Boras client upward of $100MM, which, depending on the exact amount and length, could be a stunning commitment from a franchise that has never given a player more than $72MM (Alex Gordon in 2016). Gordon’s four-year contract has been disastrous thus far, and considering the up-and-down nature of Hosmer’s career, the Royals could be taking a substantial risk in handing him a big-money pact. Although, to the 27-year-old Hosmer’s credit, he has enjoyed an outstanding platform season, having slashed .319/.385/.496 with with 24 home runs in 660 plate appearances.

More offseason-related highlights from Heyman via his latest American League and National League Notes columns:

While the Royals will attempt to keep Hosmer, it seems they’re resigned to losing center fielder Lorenzo Cain in free agency. The Royals aren’t optimistic they’ll be able to re-sign Cain, 32, as they’re bracing for him to land a lucrative contract of at least four years. The Mariners may be a fit for him, insiders have suggested to Heyman, who adds that Seattle will also take a look at first basemen Lucas Duda and Mitch Moreland if they hit the open market in the offseason.
The Mets will likely try to extend right-hander Jacob deGrom in the coming months, per Heyman. DeGrom has been the only Mets starter to survive their injury onslaught this year, turning in yet another excellent campaign with 201 1/3 innings of 3.53 ERA ball, to go with 10.68 K/9 against 2.64 BB/9. He’s already set to turn 30 next year and still has three arbitration-eligible seasons left, meaning deGrom can’t become a free agent until the age of 32. It could therefore behoove him to get some long-term security over the winter, and Heyman notes that a deal would likely span at least four years. If no agreement comes during the off months, he’ll build on this year’s $4.05MM salary in arbitration.
Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon has bounced back from a suspension-shortened 2016 to increase his trade value this year, Heyman writes. Along with providing top-notch defense, Gordon has hit .305/.339/.369 with 57 stolen bases in 678 PAs, which could put him on second base-needy teams’ radars in the offseason. But with either $38MM or $51MM coming his way over the next four years (depending on a $14MM club option or $1MM buyout in 2021), the Marlins may have to eat some money in order to trade the 29-year-old (30 next April), Heyman opines.
Giants third base coach Phil Nevin is a “strong candidate” to take over for Brad Ausmus as the Tigers’ manager, according to Heyman. Nevin played with the Tigers from 1996-97 and managed at their Double-A and Triple-A levels from 2010-13. Thanks to his work in the latter capacity, he’s already familiar with Tigers general manager Al Avila.

International Signings: 9/27/17

By Mark Polishuk | September 27, 2017 at 4:26pm CDT

Here are the latest signings from the July 2 international class…

Martinez Jr.’s deal with the Tigers includes an $800K signing bonus as well as $300K worth of U.S. scholarship money, tweets Dionisio Soldevila of Grandes en los Deportes.

Earlier Updates

The Tigers have signed Dominican third baseman Pedro Martinez Jr., ESPN.com’s Enrique Rojas reports (via Twitter). The son of the legendary Hall of Fame pitcher, the 16-year-old Martinez is a well-regarded hitting prospect, as detailed in a profile by Scott Miller of the Bleacher Report beck in June. Detroit had a $4.75MM bonus pool for this international period and have made a number of signings, including a $1MM bonus for Venezuelan shortstop Alvaro Gonzalez.
The Diamondbacks have agreed to sign 16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Wilderd Patino. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter link) was the first to report that the two sides were nearing a deal, with Baseball America’s Ben Badler reporting that the agreement had been reached. Patino had been connected to the Rangers well in advance of the July 2 opening date for 2017-18 international prospects, though an elbow injury suffered in the spring seemed to impact his status. (Badler speculates that the Rangers may be saving whatever bonus pool space they have to make a play for Shohei Otani.) MLB.com and BA ranked Patino 25th and 27th in their respective lists of the best prospects within this year’s international class, with both scouting reports praising the youngster’s athletic ability and the likelihood that he becomes a strong defensive center fielder. Arizona has been aggressive in this international signing period, as the club had a maximum bonus pool of $5.75MM and no longer faced the $300K max signing cap it was under for the previous two int’l periods.

Ian Kinsler Reaches Plate Appearance Requirement In Vesting Option

By Steve Adams | September 26, 2017 at 7:55pm CDT

Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler just completed his second plate appearance of the night (an RBI single), meaning he’s now up to 600 on the season — the required threshold to trigger the 2018 vesting option in his contract.

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier this month, Kinsler’s previously known $10MM club option contains a vesting clause that would guarantee the option upon reaching 600 PAs. MLBTR further reported that Kinsler’s option will actually vest at $11MM, although the option won’t formally trigger until the season ends, as his contract stipulates that he cannot be on the disabled list at season’s end. Kinsler’s contract also contains an escalator that’ll boost his 2018 salary by $1MM if he wins a Gold Glove Award this season — a distinct possibility.

In some respects, it’s a fairly moot point. The Tigers always seemed exceptionally likely to exercise Kinsler’s option, especially when considering the fact that he’d be paid $5MM of that sum regardless due to the large nature of the option’s buyout. Kinsler hasn’t had his best year at the plate — the contrary, he’s actually had his worst — but he’s been on fire over the season’s final month and entered play hitting .236/.313/.416 with 22 homers on the season. In addition to the power, Kinsler has swiped 14 bases and provided value both with his baserunning and his characteristically strong glovework at second base.

While the exact amount that Kinsler will earn in 2018 will become clear once Awards voting has concluded, what won’t be clear for quite some time is exactly what uniform the four-time All-Star will be wearing on Opening Day next season. Kinsler recently told MLB.com’s Jon Morosi that he planned to talk directly to GM Al Avila before season’s end to discuss his future with the team. Winning, understandably, is becoming a greater priority for the 35-year-old, and the Tigers look to be embarking on an aggressive rebuild after trading Justin Verlander, Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson, Alex Avila and Cameron Maybin all within the past year.

As such, Kinsler stands out as one of the more obvious — if not the most obvious — trade candidates of the upcoming offseason. While he may or may not return to the star-caliber levels f output he delivered as recently as 2016, Kinsler remains a decidedly above-average regular at a premium infield position that offers above-average pop for his position in addition to high-quality defense. That skill set, paired with a reasonable price tag in 2018 — be it $11MM or $12MM — should generate plenty of trade interest in the offseason. Kinsler does have a partial no-trade clause in his contract, though the second baseman indicated to Morosi that his willingness to waive that provision will be determined by what Avila tells him about the team’s planned offseason trajectory.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Royals

By Steve Adams | September 25, 2017 at 11:27am CDT

With a likely eventful offseason approaching for the Tigers, MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery takes an exhaustive look at the team’s payroll and arbitration class. Woodbery notes that the Tigers will likely shop veterans Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias this offseason, as has been oft-speculated in the past, and he speculates that the team may even eat the remaining $18MM on Victor Martinez’s contract this offseason. Andrew Romine and Alex Presley are both non-tender candidates, and Woodbery points out that Bruce Rondon’s lack of a September call-up makes it all but a foregone conclusion that he’ll be non-tendered this winter as well. The Tigers seem likely to head into the 2018 season with their lowest payroll since 2011, though the combined $54MM that is owed to Miguel Cabrera and Jordan Zimmermann, plus dead-money commitments to Justin Verlander and Prince Fielder (a total of $14MM) ultimately mean they’ll still spend at a relatively notable clip.

More from the American League Central…

Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press opines that prior MLB managerial experience should be prioritized over age or familiarity with analytics as the Tigers search for a new manager. Brad Ausmus’ lack of experience in the dugout “loomed large” over his tenure in Detroit, Fenech writes, before going on to suggest that veteran managers such as Ron Gardenhire or Ron Washington would make sense as candidates to lead what figures to be a young and inexperienced Tigers team in the coming years. Other speculative candidates listed by Fenech include Mike Redmond and Manny Acta.
The Twins cut international scouting director Howard Norsetter loose last week, and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey explains to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that changes to amateur international free agency in the latest collective bargaining agreement played a significant role in the decision. “Historically you did have markets all over the place where you could run independently,” says Falvey. “The way the bonus structures worked, there was no cap, there were no limitations. Now we have it all under one umbrella. Where we devote our time, our resources and otherwise, we’ve revisited that to some degree.” Norsetter was based in Australia and was responsible for scouting virtually everywhere outside of Latin America, where Fred Guerrero was the Twins’ scouting coordinator. Falvey says the Twins will “re-appropriate” resources toward Latin American scouting, and Berardino notes that Guerrero could take on a larger role in the department.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star fields a host of Royals questions in his latest mailbag column, with topics ranging from the 2018 rotation, to a potential reunion with Jarrod Dyson, to the possibility of retaining Jason Vargas and the lack of a September call-up for former first-rounder Hunter Dozier. Notably, Dodd suggests that the Royals could head to Spring Training with a rotation consisting of Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Nate Karns, Jake Junis and Jason Hammel, but the team will still be on the lookout for depth additions to join Sam Gaviglio and Eric Skoglund this winter. “Salary constraints,” however, could limit the Royals’ range of targets. Dodd also adds that the Royals still have a strong relationship with righty Luke Hochevar, who missed 2017 while recovering from thoracic outlet surgery, and they’d be interested in a minor league pact to bring him back to the organization.

Miguel Cabrera Diagnosed With Two Herniated Disks In Back

By Steve Adams | September 25, 2017 at 9:30am CDT

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera has been diagnosed with a pair of herniated disks in his back after undergoing an MRI, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters Sunday (link via MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery). The team doesn’t yet have an exact treatment plan lined up, but Woodbery notes that surgery is not believed to be on the table at this time. Further, Cabrera could still conceivably play again before season’s end.

As Woodbery notes, back issues have been a persistent problem for Cabrera throughout the season, and they could expedite the decision to move the former AL MVP to a full-time designated hitter. That won’t happen in 2018 unless Detroit can find a taker for Victor Martinez and the $18MM he’s owed next season at some point this winter, but the 2018 season is the final remaining year on Martinez’s four-year, $68MM contract.

While the decision of where to play Cabrera down the road won’t be up to Ausmus, who will not return as the team’s manager in 2018, Ausmus wasn’t shy in expressing that he feels Cabrera will eventually have to make that move. “Not only do I think that would benefit him, I think that’s probably going to happen,” said Ausmus of a potential move to DH for Cabrera. He also indicated that treatment options presently include anti-inflammatories, injections and various means of conditioning to alleviate the discomfort Cabrera is feeling.

The 34-year-old Cabrera has had far and away the worst offensive season of his career in 2017, hitting just .249/.329/.399 with 16 home runs in 529 plate appearances. The 2017 season marks the first time that he’s ever been below the league average in terms of offensive production, per OPS+ (92) and wRC+ (91).

Cabrera’s sudden decline and newfound back issues are particularly problematic for a rebuilding Tigers club that has been looking to shed payroll and get younger. While there’s never been any talk of moving Cabrera, his massive contract figures to be somewhat of an impediment to achieving those goals in the coming years. Cabrera inked a mammoth eight-year, $248MM contract extension prior to the 2014 campaign, which added onto a preexisting contract that still had two years and $44MM to go. He’s just wrapping up the second season of that deal and is still owed $192MM over the next six years.

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