DeTrOiT TiGeRs BaSeBaLL

Willie · Mar 26, 2014

Verlander beat the Phillies 1-0 today...he pitched 6 innings. No body, no one, no thing, scored on JV this Spring. How about that?

Willie · Mar 27, 2014

Tigers 9, Braves 3: Miguel Cabrera hits three-run home run; Max Scherzer strikes out six. The home run, the fourth of the spring for Cabrera, erased a 3-1 deficit and gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Cabrera is hitting .353 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in Grapefruit League play.
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StlCrtn · Mar 27, 2014

Keep up the great work will. It's always a pleasure to get these updates and to hear your perspective of what's going on with the Tigers.

cutter9394 · Mar 27, 2014

I like the Gonzalez signing. Look for him to make an impact. He was great defensively when he was younger had some.pop too. He can still be productive. I like this signing a lot. If Vizquel recommends you I gotta think this will go well

FortheLulz · Mar 27, 2014

Willthethrill said:

Verlander beat the Phillies 1-0 today...he pitched 6 innings. No body, no one, no thing, scored on JV this Spring. How about that?
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[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3FXCxaPIqE[/video]

StlCrtn · Mar 27, 2014

Two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera has agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a new 10-year contract that will pay him just under $300 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com.

The new contract, which covers the two years remaining on Cabrera's current deal and eight additional years, is expected to become official later this week, the source said.

CBSSports.com earlier reported Detroit and Cabrera were closing in on an agreement that would make the superstar slugger a Tiger for life.
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Found this beautiful news on ESPN. Glad to see he will retire as a Tiger.

Willie · Mar 27, 2014

StlCrtn said:

Two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera has agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a new 10-year contract that will pay him just under $300 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com.

The new contract, which covers the two years remaining on Cabrera's current deal and eight additional years, is expected to become official later this week, the source said.

CBSSports.com earlier reported Detroit and Cabrera were closing in on an agreement that would make the superstar slugger a Tiger for life.
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Found this beautiful news on ESPN. Glad to see he will retire as a Tiger.
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Darn...thats fantastic...and a lot of moola. Good stuff. Ive seen some great baseball players in my time...he's the best.

cutter9394 · Mar 27, 2014

StlCrtn said:

Two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera has agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a new 10-year contract that will pay him just under $300 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com.

The new contract, which covers the two years remaining on Cabrera's current deal and eight additional years, is expected to become official later this week, the source said.

CBSSports.com earlier reported Detroit and Cabrera were closing in on an agreement that would make the superstar slugger a Tiger for life.
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Found this beautiful news on ESPN. Glad to see he will retire as a Tiger.
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*YAHOO*

mlmeng16 · Mar 27, 2014

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...abrera-is-closing-in-on-extension-with-tigers

Miguel Cabrera may be willing to take less cash to remain in Detroit. (USATSI)

Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers are in agreement on an extension for the superstar slugger that will keep him with Detroit the rest of his career, sources told CBSSports.com.

The new Cabrera deal is said to be for $248 million over eight years, according to people familiar with the talks, making it a record $292-million, 10-year commitment including the two years he had to go on his previous deal.

The deal is pending a physical, but that should be no problem for Cabrera who has a remarkable record for durability.

The two-time defending AL MVP and the Tigers have been working on the contract in the last few days.

Cabrera, 30, has been playing on a $152 million, eight-year contract that was to expire after the '15 season. There was $44 million to go on that deal.

People close to him say he loves being a Tiger, and suggested he's willing to take less than top free-agent dollar to stay in Detroit -- although this will turn out to be among the biggest contracts in baseball history.

CBSSports.com first reported the sides were in agreement on a deal, saying it was at least seven years in length. Jon Morosi of Foxsports.com first reported the $248-million figure.

The Tigers traded Prince Fielder in the winter partly to free up money to sign Cabrera and Cy Young-winner Max Scherzer to long-term deals. The Tigers recently announced they were unable to extend Scherzer. They offered the right-hander $144 million over six years, as Foxsports.com originally reported.

Cabrera is the best offensive player in baseball, but he also has a major allegiance to the Tigers and their people, including president and GM Dave Dombrowski and his assistants, Al Avila and John Westhoff, plus several others on the staff that was in Miami when Cabrera was signed by Dombrowski/Avila as a 16-year-old prodigy.
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This is one of the many reasons that I cheer for and greatly respect Miguel Cabrera!

Willie · Mar 28, 2014

Friday 3/28 1:05pm
Joba Chamberlain (R) vs. Rays
1. Rajai Davis (R) LF
2. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) DH Tigers win 6-3...Alex Avila hits his first Spring HR.
4. Victor Martinez (S) 1B
5. Torii Hunter (R) RF
6. Austin Jackson (R) CF
7. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
8. Alex Avila (L) C
9. Alex Gonzalez (R) SS

Willie · Mar 28, 2014

I guess the signing of Cabrera with 2 years left on his deal, and the amount of time and cash committed in it, have created some ripples throughout the MLB executives. Whats Mike Trout going to do next? Personally I dont care, but I do see their point...sorta.

Willie · Mar 28, 2014

StlCrtn said:

Keep up the great work will. It's always a pleasure to get these updates and to hear your perspective of what's going on with the Tigers.
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Thanks. I have a lot of fun on this site. It has a great group of people.

Willie · Mar 28, 2014

Opening Day is just about here, and the rotation is not a surprise. Verlander goes Monday, followed by Scherzer Wednesday and Sanchez Thursday. Chet Lemon, who might be remembered by some of you 'seasoned' fans is scheduled to throw out the first pitch.

mlmeng16 · Mar 28, 2014

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...act-for-292-million-isnt-as-crazy-as-it-seems

The Tigers signed off on a $292 million commitment for Miguel Cabrera, the game's best player, so of course the outrage begins.

Sportswriters doubling as amateur economists immediately panned the deal as too much, apparently neglecting the fact that Cabrera is on a par with Hank Aaron as a hitter.

They say Mike Ilitch, who is estimated to have several billion, is a fool. They say he doesn't know what he's doing.

The man has many billions, he's some sort of fool all right. The sportswriters know better, of course.

I especially enjoyed the one fellow who said the Tigers ?should have given Cabrera a three-year deal,? as if Cabrera doesn't have any say in the matter.

No superstar signs a three-year deal that doesn't have a gun to his head. Cabrera is an all-time great, if not the greatest right-handed hitter of all time, then certainly in the argument.

What was everyone they expecting, the first bargain basement deal for an all-time great? When does that ever happen?

And unlike with other monster deals, the Tigers know what they are getting. They haved lived through the best and less with Cabrera. They know he likes the city, the team, them. And they know the big ballpark doesn't mean a thing to him. Unlike with Albert Pujols and big free agents, there is no adjustment period, and thus less risk.

Now of course I don't know if the Cabrera deal will look like a bargain 10 or even 12 years from now (as reported here, there are two vesting options at $30 million apiece for years 11 and 12 so the deal could reach $352 million in total). But I do know the track record of Ilitch and Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski.

If it isn't immaculate, it's as close as it comes.

No team has done a better job than the Tigers of procuring star talent through trades, and practically no team has done a better job of picking the right players to give the best contracts to, either.

When Ilitch and Co. gave $40 million over four years to Pudge Rodriguez when no one was going to be close to that figure, everyone panned that deal. And it helped turn around the Tigers, cellar dwellers at the time of the deal.

When Ilitch and Co. gave $75 million over five years to Magglio Ordonez, who had questionable knees, and who even went overseas to be operated on, everyone gasped. Ordonez quickly won a batting title and proved to be an excellent investment.

When Ilitch and Dombrowski gave $152 million to Cabrera soon after his arrival in Detroit, folks wondered whether Cabrera would settle down off the field and dedicate himself to make that a worthwhile signing. It turned out to be one of the better long-term deals in baseball history.

When Iltch insisted that the team go the extra few dollars and give Anibal Sanchez $85 million, some believed it to be a little too much money. But Sanchez won an ERA title last year, his first year after that deal, making it look almost like a steal.

Looking at the record of Ilitch, Dombrowski, assistants Al Avila (who originally signed Cabrera for the Marlins) and John Westhoff, there are far more hits and misses. Yet sportswriters keep bashing them for being off base.

In fact, of all their major trades and signings, the only one that looks today like an overpay is the $214 million, nine-year Prince Fielder deal, and that's only because it's proven to be an overpay. The Tigers had to chip in $30 million to trade him for Ian Kinsler. And Fielder still proved worthy lineup protection for the great Cabrera, playing at least some significant role in helping him put up historic and monster numbers two straight years.

It isn't often a hitter wins the Triple Crown, then follows that up by putting together a second comparable season, as Cabrera did.

In a way, Cabrera actually had a quadruple crown last year, finishing first in batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.636) and OPS (1.078). He also gets a pseudo quintuple crown for finishing in the top five in MVP voting an insane five years running.

Yet, sportswriters were so sure the Cabrera contract is a mistake, they said so. Really? What do they think Cabrera is worth? Three years?

Who's to say he isn't a $50-million player as a free agent in two years? Who's to say he couldn't leave Detroit the way other superstars have left their previous teams?

If you are Ilitch, an 84-year-old multi-billionaire, why take that chance? Of course you reward the all-time great who has graced your clubhouse for years, making your team a big story and a perennial American League favorite for many years after it had been a joke a decade ago.

The only reason this contract seems like a surprise is that word was out that Cabrera wanted to stay in Detroit, with the Tigers and the same executive staff that raised him practically from a 16-year-old in Venezuela. While with the Marlins, Avila and his scouts hit the grand slam of a career by beating out the Dodgers and other teams, signing him to a bonus baby contract as a kid, then watching him grow into a man. There was a time or two he had an off-field setback, but they all got through it together.

There's no doubt Cabrera's longtime agents Fern Cuza and Diego Bentz maximized this deal, striking at the right time, off two straight MVPs and getting a record $249 million extension and $292 million commitment, a deal worthy of baseball royalty. They are to be applauded for not leaving a dollar on the table.

There's also little doubt they benefited by the Fielder deal. After all, if Fielder, an excellent player but no Cabrera, gets a nine-year deal, how can Cabrera get less? Cuza and Bentz obviously used everything at their disposal in securing the deal Cabrera deserved.

They also may have benefited a bit by some backlash in Detroit after it failed to lock up Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to a long-term deal. The Tigers, after all, had traded Fielder and Doug Fister to position themselves to extend both Scherzer and Cabrera.

With the Scherzer talks falling through after they offered $144 million over six years, they almost had to lock up Cabrera. Not that that's a bad thing.

He is, after all, an all-time great, in the class of Aaron, Stan Musial, Ted Williams and legends as an offensive force. At times like this, blinded by dollar signs, some of us tend to forget that.

Miguel Cabrera has grown up with the Tigers' front-office and scouting staffs. (USATSI)
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Miguel is an extrodinary talent with a contract to match. Now he has to live up to it. And I believe he will.

P.S. That is a fantastic picture. Look at that determination.

Willie · Mar 29, 2014

Update: Angels and Mike Trout agree on six-year, $144.5 million contract extension
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Well, its nice, but it aint Cabrera territory.

P.S. That is a fantastic picture. Look at that determination.
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...and you know what else. He's in fantastic shape. I like a feller that stays that way all offseason and puts in the effort, time, and work.

Monday afternoon cant get here fast enough!

cutter9394 · Mar 29, 2014

Update: Angels and Mike Trout agree on six-year, $144.5 million contract extension

Well, its nice, but it aint Cabrera territory.
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and it shouldnt be, he hasnt proven himself like Miggy has. Year and year out from day one Cabrera is a model of consistency, hes the best hitter in the game period. Im so glad hes staying and Im sure will retire a Tiger. As long as hes in the lineup we'll be contenders. I kept hearing how he may not do as good this year because fatty is gone. yeah he may have seen more pitches but VMart is no slouch who should fill in just fine for fatty. Miggy is so good he doesnt really even need protection, there was no fatty a few years back and Miggys numbers were still great

Willie · Mar 29, 2014

Your absolutely right. These Trout is better than Cabrera types are way off. Time tells the story. Cool thing about Cabrera was this Spring he didnt miss a beat and put up some decent numbers, with plenty of pop. I think opposing pitchers will learn that you just cant pitch around him anyway, or you run the risk of setting up a longer, extended inning, which, with the Tigers lineup, will be a big no no. I think they will be alright. Ive calmed down a bit with my worries over who hits behind him, because the Tigers were racking in some runs, and in many different ways this Spring.

Cool thing also...the Tigers stole 33 bases all of last year, they stole 35 this Spring. One of the leading steelers was traded away, but the aggressiveness will still be there. Its going to be a blast and a welcome sight to see the Tigers capable of just more than homering their way through games.

Willie · Mar 29, 2014

Saturday 3/29 2:05pm
Anibal Sanchez (R) @ Nationals
1. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
2. Torii Hunter (R) RF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH Rained out.
5. Austin Jackson (R) CF
6. Alex Avila (L) C
7. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
8. Andrew Romine (S) SS
9. Rajai Davis (R) LF

mlmeng16 · Mar 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10688435/miguel-cabrera-thankful-stay-detroit-tigers

Cabrera: Never eyed free agency

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Calling him a player with "a chance to be one of the best hitters in the history of the game," Detroit Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said Friday that the team's eight-year, $248 million contract extension with first baseman Miguel Cabrera is a chance he has no regrets about taking.

"When you're talking about the best player in the game, sure, you feel a little uncertain," Dombrowski said at a news conference announcing the contract. "But ... to get a deal done, you need to take that chance. I'll take the chance on him."

Counting the two years and $44 million remaining on Cabrera's present contract, the deal guarantees the two-time MVP a total of $292 million over the next 10 years. He would be 40 in the final year of the contract, in 2023. There are also two vesting options, for a reported $30 million each, that would become guaranteed if Cabrera finishes in the top 10 of the MVP voting in the previous season, Dombrowski told ESPN.com.

Asked whether the length of the contract concerned him, given the way recent 10-year deals for Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols have gone wrong, Dombrowski acknowledged that "any time you give a long-term contract, you're concerned. That's just the way it is, because anything can happen in this game."

But the GM said he was more comfortable giving a deal of this type to Cabrera because they have known each other for so long, since Dombrowski's days as the general manager of the Marlins.

"I know Albert Pujols. I know Alex Rodriguez. But I don't know them [the way he knows Cabrera]," Dombrowski said. "I'm sure their organizations felt comfortable doing so at the time. But I know [Cabrera]. I know how dedicated he is, and what a hard worker he is, and [how he's] committed to excellence. And he wanted to be here."

Dombrowski said that while he touched base with Cabrera's agents, Fern Cuza and Diego Benz, early in spring training, the deal came together in the past three weeks. And he said that Cabrera and his agents made it clear numerous times that Cabrera wanted to finish his career with the Tigers.

"This is the place I want to be," said Cabrera, who will turn 31 on April 18. "I love to play in Detroit. I want to play in Detroit for a long time."

Asked if he could see himself becoming a designated hitter by the end of the contract, Cabrera said: "I don't know yet. I've got to wait 10 more years. ... Wait 'til I get to 40 and ask me that, and I'll tell you what I'm going to do."

Dombrowski said he felt this was the right time to negotiate an extension, with two years left on Cabrera's current contract, because if the Tigers had waited longer, the "lure of free agency" would have made it more difficult to reach a deal.

"Perhaps if you had something you needed to observe about the player, it would be different," Dombrowski said. "But I don't think we need to observe anything about Miguel's ability. I think he's the best player in baseball."

Although the Tigers have been criticized for not getting a discount by negotiating the contract with two years remaining before Cabrera's free agency, Dombrowski said, "The dollars generally don't go down. ... So it seems to me this was the optimum time."

Dombrowski conceded he had concerns about a contract that would take Cabrera through age 40.

"I'm not so smart to know how any hitter's going to be at 39 or 40," he said. "I know a lot of people will point to individuals that fall off, and I understand that. But I think you also have to look at the other point, that if you go a couple more years [before signing him], I don't think that anybody -- if Miguel puts up the numbers that we think he will in the next couple of years -- is going to think that he's not going to sign an eight-year deal out there ... and maybe longer. There's been a couple of 10-year deals at that [age].

"Do I expect him to win a Triple Crown when he's 40? No. But maybe. He's pretty good."

Cabrera said he never got close enough to free agency to be tempted to explore the market.

"I didn't because there were like two years left to free agency, and you don't think about going to be a free agent," he said. "I was spending a lot of time with my family in the offseason, thinking about how bad I want to stay in Detroit, thinking that if there's any chance we can work out this deal, I told the front office and the Tigers to make it happen.

"I was hoping to do it. I was never thinking about going to free agency and signing with another team. I was thinking I want to be here. I want to stay here. I want to be a Tiger. ... I'm thankful because I want to finish my career here."

The Tigers recently broke off negotiations with pitcher Max Scherzer on an extension that would have kept him from becoming a free agent next winter. But when asked whether the Cabrera deal would affect the Tigers' ability to keep Scherzer long-term, Dombrowski replied, "That's a separate issue."

"We are committed to having a very good baseball club," he said. "And I think you can see that. Where we end up spending our dollars are to be determined. But it's a situation where we will have a very good club. ... We have one of the highest payrolls in baseball now, and the organization is committed to continue doing that."

The Tigers' 2014 payroll is estimated to be approximately $161 million, the fifth-highest in baseball and highest in franchise history. They now employ the highest-paid position player in baseball (Cabrera) and the second-highest-paid pitcher (Justin Verlander). And they are committed to paying $60 million to just those two players in 2016, '17, '18 and '19.

"I don't know if anybody's talked about this, but he's already on the cusp of being a Hall of Famer," Verlander said. "If he quit today, he might be a Hall of Famer. I mean, it's crazy to say, but I've talked about that. Triple Crown. Two MVPs. The numbers that he's put up are just sick.

"If he stays healthy, I don't see any reason why he can't be the best hitter of all time ... or at least in the conversation."

Miguel Cabrera's new deal will help him stay in Detroit, which he called "the place I want to be."
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Max...are you listening? <Pause> Hello Max...are you watching? Cabrera: Never eyed free agency

Miguel Cabrera has conducted himself well and has been rewarded. Cabrera has great year after great year. In contrast, Max had one good year. The Tigers can't invest that money after one year. Max should have just taken the deal. Then after / if several successful seasons, Max would get paid.

Willie · Mar 29, 2014

Tyler Collins has made the club and will start the season on the 25 man roster. I bet he's a happy son of a gun right about now.

In 54 at-bats this spring, Collins hit .241 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and eight RBIs. He's expected to serve as the fourth outfielder for the Tigers, likely spelling Rajai Davis in left field.
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