Offseason Deals and Rumors

[tomdalton22]

I'm sure many teams would love to give him a similar deal, but I'm not sure he'd take that. It's a $26.6mil average annual value, which is comparable to Verlander, Sabathia, Felix, Kershaw, etc. who all are in the $22mil-$30mil/yr average annual value, I believe. The problem with such a deal is that it would result in him being a free agent again at 37 y/o. He'd likely prefer a shorter 3-4yr deal or a longer 7-8yr deal. A longer deal would probably come with a lower average annual value closer to $20-$22mil. So, the market is probably in the 7yrs @ $140mil to 8yrs @ $176mil range.

Teams love to minimize risk, and they've already seen the long contracts turning ugly. So, I could see a team offering him $30mil/yr for 3-4 yrs ($90-$120mil total). I'd guess that market value for his current level of performance would be worth more by the end of the deal... maybe something like $35mil/yr. So, if he could maintain a similar performance level for 3-4yrs, he could be in line to sign another $90-$140mil deal at age 34 or 35. That could mean that he'd get somewhere between 6yrs @ $180mil and 8yrs @ $260mil spread across two contracts if everything worked out. Obviously a HUGE gamble, but also a potentially HUGE return.

I just don't see a Scott Boras client signing a 3 or 4 year deal when they are 30 years old. He is going to push for the longest contract possible. My guess is he will be asking for a 7-8 year contract.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I just don't see a Scott Boras client signing a 3 or 4 year deal when they are 30 years old. He is going to push for the longest contract possible. My guess is he will be asking for a 7-8 year contract.

Boras is still the agent, and it will ultimately be up to Max as to what he's looking for. Max is a sharp guy (NHS member w/ 3.9 in high school, a business major in college, and a stats and sabermetrics geek by all accounts), and I doubt he'll take too much direction from Boras. Instead, I see him using Boras as more of an advertiser and builder of value (AKA snake oil salesman to the owners), rather than and advisor as to which deal is best.

 

[spockmaster]

Someone will give him 8 years and $200 million, probably the dodgers or yankees.

 

[tomdalton22]

Someone will give him 8 years and $200 million, probably the dodgers or yankees.

Nobody would be stupid enough to commit $200M over 8 years to a player that is around 30 years old....would they?


http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...nder-agree-to-contract-extension-through-2019

or even worse...almost $300M

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...one-tigers-sign-off-on-292-million-commitment

 

[kalinecountry]

Nobody would be stupid enough to commit $200M over 8 years to a player that is around 30 years old....would they?


http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...nder-agree-to-contract-extension-through-2019

or even worse...almost $300M

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...one-tigers-sign-off-on-292-million-commitment

Tom, Since the Tigers signed both Verlander and Cabrera to long extensions, you haven't stopped bringing it up every chance you can add it to a thread.
I/We get it.... you don't like the deals for your reasons already stated. Seems like you are completely obsessed with these two extensions.
Do they it give you insomnia at night? lol
Are you going to continue to mention it through the lengths of their contracts?? aarrgghh.

 

[Sbee]

not much went as planned for the Tigers this season!

The best BP addition was Joba only because he had a good first 1/2...overall he was below average and Terrible towards the end of the season.

Nathan was terrible period.

Soria was bad too.

Verlander was terrible.

Sanchez wasn't much of a help since he only pitched 126 innings

Nick, Torii, Rajai and Miggy were all liabilities defensively. Kinsler and Avila were the only plus defenders on the team.

I would have to say the only bright spots for the Tigers this season were the Martinez boys!

Pretty amazing season in that their starting pitching was subpar and their offense was one of the best in the AL. I think all of us thought the exact opposite. Crazy that we ended up with 90 wins, right about where most people predicted but we got there in a completely different manner

 

[masterscorpio77]

They need to re-sign V-Mart and I'll be happy. They can use the money that Max wants and shore up othepositions of need.

 

[Thumb]

They need to re-sign V-Mart and I'll be happy. They can use the money that Max wants and shore up othepositions of need.

I don't know that the money they offered Max is still available. After a really poor season, even though we won the division, and a terrible postseason, it's likely the Tiger ownership and brass might adopt a 'wait and see' policy rather than spending much money. It's probably as clear to them as it is/has been to many of us that the window has closed and a period of rebuilding is necessary. Now plenty of guys on this board have insisted the window is still wide open, and the next championship is still with in our reach, but Yankees fans have been saying that since 2009.

I think they will make Victor a decent offer, after he turns down the QO, but I think other teams are going to offer more money/years. Someone else mentioned it in another thread, and it's not too hard to imagine Victor ending his career in the same uniform he started it in.

The Tigers ownership has to be a little gun shy on offering big contracts, considering how Verlander, Cabrera, and Fielders deals have gone recently. Not to mention Nathan. I just cannot see them making Max a serious offer, or spending any large increase anywhere else yet either. But I have been wrong before. Once or twice.

 

[tomdalton22]

Tom, Since the Tigers signed both Verlander and Cabrera to long extensions, you haven't stopped bringing it up every chance you can add it to a thread.
I/We get it.... you don't like the deals for your reasons already stated. Seems like you are completely obsessed with these two extensions.
Do they it give you insomnia at night? lol
Are you going to continue to mention it through the lengths of their contracts?? aarrgghh.

I sleep fine at night. Some people continue to complain about the manager. Some people continue to argue that Kinsler is over rated. I happen to think that those two signings are main reasons that will bring this team to mediocrity. So yes, I will continue to bring it up if I think it is relevant. I hope I am proven wrong. If so I am sure there will be PLENTY of people here that will throw it in my face...which I am perfectly fine with.

 

[jdeb]

I think Chadd has to go. Lack of organizational depth continues to hurt this team.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

I don't know that the money they offered Max is still available. After a really poor season, even though we won the division, and a terrible postseason, it's likely the Tiger ownership and brass might adopt a 'wait and see' policy rather than spending much money. It's probably as clear to them as it is/has been to many of us that the window has closed and a period of rebuilding is necessary. Now plenty of guys on this board have insisted the window is still wide open, and the next championship is still with in our reach, but Yankees fans have been saying that since 2009.

I think they will make Victor a decent offer, after he turns down the QO, but I think other teams are going to offer more money/years. Someone else mentioned it in another thread, and it's not too hard to imagine Victor ending his career in the same uniform he started it in.

The Tigers ownership has to be a little gun shy on offering big contracts, considering how Verlander, Cabrera, and Fielders deals have gone recently. Not to mention Nathan. I just cannot see them making Max a serious offer, or spending any large increase anywhere else yet either. But I have been wrong before. Once or twice.

I think Mr. I will keep spending until he gets his WS ring or he dies. We're getting nearly 3mil people/yr going to games, and we're making the playoffs pretty consistently. I don't see his approach to spending changing unless we stop winning and/or attendance drops significantly (those are usually tied together). He also likes his superstars and understands that they put butts in the seats, so I'm betting he'll keep spending there too.

 

[thehippo73]

Max walks. He will sign with the Rangers.

Victor signs a 3 yr deal for $45 million with the Tigers.

We pick up the option for Soria. Not making the same mistake two years in a row. (Veras)

Torii, Joba and Coke are gone.

Rajai and Dirks platoon in LF, JD in Right. SS is Iggy if healthy or Romine/Suarez if not. C is Avila/Holaday

That leaves CF, SP and bullpen holes. I don't see big name to fill these spots. It hasn't been our habit to spend after a short playoff run.

CF could be Emilio Bonafacio. Add speed to the lineup. 2 yr deal
SP could be Colby Lewis. Came back from injury in 2014. Innings eating 5th starter. 1 yr deal
Bullpen could be 2 guys. One could be lefy Zach Duke and righty Luke Gregerson.

I'm sure I will be wrong on most of this but I think this would give us another chance to make a WS run.

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

If Scherzer is smart, he's already aware that most players decline quickly in their early to mid 30s. Max is already 30, and will be 31 in the middle of next season. If he signs a 3-4 year deal, there is a high chance that he will not be an elite pitcher by the end of it, so his next (possibly final) contract will be much lower. If a team offers him 6 years at 25 million, he would be a fool to pass it up. Old players very rarely recoup big money at the end of their careers. That's not about confidence in oneself, that's about science (unless he wants to risk juicing like Clemens).

There is little to suggest Max would command a near 25 million average salary at age 34. Almost every team signing prime age players to long term contracts knows from the get-go that the player will not be worth the contract in the last couple years. Max needs to get those last couple years guaranteed now before his production declines (which it will into his 30s).

 

[Thumb]

Max walks. He will sign with the Rangers.

Victor signs a 3 yr deal for $45 million with the Tigers.

We pick up the option for Soria. Not making the same mistake two years in a row. (Veras)

Torii, Joba and Coke are gone.

Rajai and Dirks platoon in LF, JD in Right. SS is Iggy if healthy or Romine/Suarez if not. C is Avila/Holaday

That leaves CF, SP and bullpen holes. I don't see big name to fill these spots. It hasn't been our habit to spend after a short playoff run.

CF could be Emilio Bonafacio. Add speed to the lineup. 2 yr deal
SP could be Colby Lewis. Came back from injury in 2014. Innings eating 5th starter. 1 yr deal
Bullpen could be 2 guys. One could be lefy Zach Duke and righty Luke Gregerson.

I'm sure I will be wrong on most of this but I think this would give us another chance to make a WS run.

I have to LOL at that part.

All anyone talked about in ST was how we now had team speed and how much better it would make us.

mmhmmm

 

[turok]

A local Detroit sports anchorman for WDIV reported that there are rumors swirling that there was a "quiet anger" permeating the Tigers clubhouse after AJax was traded in that 3 way with the Mariners and Rays that netted Price.

 

[swami45]

A local Detroit sports anchorman for WDIV reported that there are rumors swirling that there was a "quiet anger" permeating the Tigers clubhouse after AJax was traded in that 3 way with the Mariners and Rays that netted Price.

I doubt that, any smart player in that clubhouse knows how much more talent Price brings than AJax. If they whine about a average player being traded they are in the wrong business. Besides there is a 75% chance he would have been traded in the offseason anyway, writing was on the wall with him.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

A local Detroit sports anchorman for WDIV reported that there are rumors swirling that there was a "quiet anger" permeating the Tigers clubhouse after AJax was traded in that 3 way with the Mariners and Rays that netted Price.

I think AJax was a popular clubhouse guy by all accounts, so I don't doubt that some of the guys weren't thrilled at first. Pretty much anybody would have pulled the trigger on that deal though.

 

[Rebbiv]

I think AJax was a popular clubhouse guy by all accounts, so I don't doubt that some of the guys weren't thrilled at first. Pretty much anybody would have pulled the trigger on that deal though.

Are we forgetting Smyly and Willy Adames were also part of the trade?

Less than 1.5 years of Price only works if we win the WS. It was a gamble and it didn't pay off.

Jackson aside, we lost a mid-level Starting Pitcher and a highly regarded prospect, who many see as an All Star SS one day.

I don't think as many as you think would pull the trigger, given the knowledge of what happened.

This deal stinks even worse if we don't extend Price. And that is based on the fact that Smyly was cost controlled for a few more years.

 

[dubbsco]

There is absolutely no way to make the call that a prospect is a future All-Star. You trade prospects for proven talent, all day and every day.

Price worked out. The pen did not.

 

[kingofdetroit57]

Are we forgetting Smyly and Willy Adames were also part of the trade?

Less than 1.5 years of Price only works if we win the WS. It was a gamble and it didn't pay off.

Jackson aside, we lost a mid-level Starting Pitcher and a highly regarded prospect, who many see as an All Star SS one day.

I don't think as many as you think would pull the trigger, given the knowledge of what happened.

This deal stinks even worse if we don't extend Price. And that is based on the fact that Smyly was cost controlled for a few more years.

Nope, not forgetting that at all. I haven't seen one single article stating anything but praise for DD in making the deal and several saying other GMs were envious that that's all it took to get Price.

The aftermath of the deal (i.e., Price doing worse than expected, Smyly improving by discovering the high fastball, and our CF mess) is all hindsight and honestly a small sample size. I expect Price to be an ace next season. I think Smyly will settle in as a good middle of the rotation starter. AJax is a good defensive CF who strikes out a lot and was probably going to be gone soon anyhow. Adames is still a prospect, and one who was blocked here by Iggy, Suarez, and Castellanos. The Tigers liked him a lot, but he was expendable because of the return and his position on the field.