DETROIT TIGERS OFFSEASON COULD BE A BUSY ONE

As we head into the “Hot Stove” part of the baseball year it appears that one team that could be particularly active are the Detroit Tigers. 

After finishing just out of a wild-card berth last season, General Manager Al Avila has made it known that the team will be looking to cut payroll.

The Tigers have been one of the biggest spending teams in recent years as Owner Mike Ilitch has spent a lot of money to try and bring a championship to Detroit. 

During the 2016 season the team’s payroll was over $173 million which was third in all of baseball behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

But those days seem to be over for the Tigers. Avila will be looking for buyers for some of his high-priced talent while also looking to stock the team with a fresh crop of young talent. It’s no secret that the Tigers farm system has been one of the leanest in baseball going back to the Dave Dombrowski era.

Dombrowski’s method of using his young talent was to dangle them as trade bait in order to acquire veteran talent. And that method worked as the team has been extremely competitive during his tenure. Unfortunately it drained the farm system at the same time.

Even before he left, Dombrowski did make a few moves for the future as in 2015 the Tigers became sellers at the trade deadline. They dealt David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria and acquired young players such as Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and JaCoby Jones.

Fulmer has paid immediate dividends as he was named American League Rookie of the Year for 2016. Norris and Boyd will most likely be a part of the team’s starting rotation in 2017 while Jones will challenge for playing time in centerfield.

So what’s ahead for this offseason? Avila has let it be known that no offer or player is off the table. Most likely to go is outfielder J.D. Martinez. Not because he isn’t a good player but because he is entering the last year of his contract and will be owed much more in his next one.

Another player likely to be dealt is second baseman Ian Kinsler. Even at age 34, Kinsler is coming off of one of his best seasons and is a veteran presence and strong competitor. He does have a no-trade clause for 10 teams but Avila will need to try and work around that.

The Tigers would also like to find a buyer for designated hitter Victor Martinez. However he does have a high salary and physically he is not much use in the field or on the basepaths. But he still has that bat which could make him attractive at next year's trade deadline to a contending team.

And don’t forget about Detroit’s two best players, Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. Sure they have big contracts and are getting up there in age, but name me one team that wouldn’t think they were better with either player on their roster. If the right deal came along, I’m pretty sure Avila would pull the trigger.

So to say the Tigers offseason may be a busy one could be an understatement. Only time will tell.