Report: Tigers Taking Calls On Availability Of Cabrera, Verlander
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
The Detroit Tigers are looking to take a new course to success from here on out.
The days of loose spending on free agents and trading away valuable youngsters seem to be over after seeing division rivals the Kansas City Royal and Cleveland Indians in the World Series over the past three seasons.
General manager Al Avila spoke after the season ended, saying that the team was going to look to cut costs from the MLB's fourth-highest payroll. Trading outfielder Cameron Maybin and his $9 million contract last week was just the start.
"(The payroll) is not going to go up, I don't think," Avila said in October, before adding, "Usually it will be the opposite."
Now, baseball insider Jon Heyman is saying that the Tigers are fielding calls on the availability of the team's two highest-paid players -- Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander.
"With the Tigers signaling they are open for business and willing to discuss just about anything in trades, a number of teams have checked in on superstar hitter Miguel Cabrera and superstar pitcher Justin Verlander."
Both are due to make $28 million each next season. Cabrera, 33, signed an eight-year, $248 million extension to stay with the Tigers back in 2014. Verlander, 33, signed for six years and $162 million in 2013.
Heyman said that the Tigers would much rather trade Justin Upton, Victor Martinez or Jordan Zimmermann instead.
"The Tigers would be interested in discussing outfielder Justin Upton, pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and DH Victor Martinez, but it won't be easy to trade Upton off his up-and-down first year in Detroit or Martinez even off a decent year, and may not be possible to trade Zimmermann until he gets back on the mound and shows he's healthy."
The contracts of those three players will account for nearly $60 million next season.
"Changes that we want to make are going to be dictated by what's available on the trade market," Avila said. "It's going to be a process, and at some points it may be painful. It's not going to be easy, but it has to be done."