Tigers avoid arbitration with Byrdak
They agree to terms on a one-year contract. That’s the first deal so far, and it could well be the only one announced today ahead of tonight’s deadline. Others, like Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, Bobby Seay and Nate Robertson, are expected to be tendered contracts. No read yet on what will happen with Marcus Thames and Chad Durbin.
Jason Beck
I think they would be better off hanging on to Marcus. He won’t cost all that much and who knows if J. Jones will pan out. There has to be a reason the Cubs dealt him away all the while they needed a LHB. Then to quicly deal away the player they got for him (Infante).
Raburn should be able to fill the role of “super-sub” that some have suggested Inge should do. I think they need to honor Inges’s talent and request. He should be playing full-time for someone. They do need to divest somewhat and they will also want to unload Inges’s salary. The irony is that he had such a poor year offensively, that ny team that considers him will want the Tigers to be responsible for some of that salary, and leverage the deal to their advantage. When you see how willing we were to have Inge as a corner infielder and how unwilling other teams are to have him, you can really begin to understand the importance of obtaining Cabrera. No disrepect to Brandon. He is one of the most exciting third basemen I have ever seen play the position. His long swing and reluctance to change were his demise.
I can foresee the Tigers making a minor league deal on catching prospects this year.
Will we see a Durbin/Inge package for a relief pitcher? Dodgers maybe? Wouldn’t Broxton be nice!
Just saw this out of the Cleveland paper:
“No dice:
“The Indians talked briefly about trying to acquire displaced third baseman Brandon Inge after the Tigers acquired Cabrera at the winter meetings, but decided against it. The Pirates are apparently close to acquiring Inge and starting him at third”
I can see some possibility in that one. Bautista could be moved out to pasture to replace Jason Bay or Xavier Nady if either/or is traded.
The Pirates could also be interested in Thames for that matter.