Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila and Victor Martinez collected MVP votes this year, but none topped the winner of the award, Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander. Here are some updates on the Tigers' top players…
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Tigers aren’t considering moving Cabrera to third base in 2012, though they may consider playing him at the hot corner during interleague play. Doing so would enable the Tigers to keep Martinez in the lineup without subjecting him to the grind of catching (he'd play first).
- Morosi also credits Cabrera for putting together an MVP-caliber season after being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated during Spring Training.
- One veteran baseball executive told Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com that Verlander would be positioned for a deal worth at least $25MM per season if he were a free agent right now. Before the 2010 season, Verlander signed a five-year, $80MM extension that provided the Tigers with three additional years of team control. If he hadn’t signed the deal Verlander would be one of the offseason’s top free agents and might be positioned to eclipse C.C. Sabathia's record $161MM contract (no starting pitcher has obtained more guaranteed money).
Verlander would easily have bested CC’s contract. He would come with better stuff and less concerns regarding health and weight issues.
You’re absolutely right, because Verlander has started 199 games since 2006 while CC has only started 198! What a scrub!
Seriously though, why does the weight thing raise an issue? Shouldn’t durability be the issue, and if it is, then I wouldn’t put any pitcher besides maybe Doc above CC. It’s a foolish argument with no factual evidence behind it. IF CC missed time due to weight issues, or even showed signs of regress due to weight, you would have a valid point.
Right now, you don’t.
Actually, scratch that, I miscounted. Verlander only has 197 GS since 2006! Who’s the scrub now? hahaa
Pretty much Rich Harden 2.0
I missed the part where anyone called CC a scrub. I think he’s just pointing out the fact that GM’s are more wary of heavy-set players like CC and Prince Fielder wearing down quicker in their later years due to the strain of playing with the extra girth. Obviously CC’s been tremendous, and there’s no cause for concern at this moment. But you know darn well it’s in the back of every GM’s mind when committing such a large amount of cash for such a long period of time to a big guy like him.
But that’s exactly my point. It’s all speculation, isn’t it? You’re assuming because CC is heavy set, he will wear down quicker… but given his history, there is no reason for that type of concern. Dude’s been durable as hell. I’d be more wary of someone who has durability issues, like Rich Harden, as previously mentioned, rather than someone’s body type. CC has shown he can be dominant, and his weight has never been an issue, so why would it be in the next five or six years?
Disclaimer, I’m not saying he won’t regress, but it will be natural and average, not some ultra super duper aging mechanism because he has a few more pounds.
If it were just CC’s history then I’d agree…..but the general trend, with exceptions, is that guys who spend 10-15 years putting wear on their bodies and leverage that wear with extra weight, they break down faster…..and that means a less projectable future, which affects contract length and terms…….for CC in specific I would be tracking to see if his h/9 increase this year is fluctuation….
Verlander’s 3 years younger, probably would have got an extra year, only reason the contract would be bested. .
I’m not sure why everyone makes fun of prince, cc, etc.. everyone who comments here must be in some great shape
I’m with you, and Jon, that Verlander would have gotten more… but I just don’t understand why weight is a bigger issue than durability, when both Prince and CC have proven they can stay on the diamond and perform at a high level consistently.
I think some people associate thin with athletic, disciplined, and active, and fat with unathletic, undisciplined, and lazy. That may be true in a lot of cases, although we’ve all seen big guys perform well. David Wells is another I’d add to that category. The real issue to me is long term durability, not short term. All of that extra pressure on the feet, knees and hips means these guys are going to break down sooner or later. The real question is will it be after their careers when the joints give out or during.
The weight issue is the same thing ive been saying about Fielder the whole time. Glad to hear it out of someones mouth other than mine.
I seem to have missed where anyone called CC a scrub?
No one did. I was using it to make a point that CC and Verlander have one game started difference between them, yet no one questions Verlander’s durability. Get it now?
I guess I don’t understand the need for hyperbole to make a point when you don’t need it.
maybe the fat thing with CC is simply to avoid a heart attack on the mound, don´t you think?
Now take a look at pitches thrown. Considering that Verlander throws 120 pitches a game, that’s pretty impressive. And you’re also comparing Verlander from his rookie year to Sabathia’s prime years.
Sabathia isn’t a scrub. But Verlander could get 30 mil a year in this market.
That’s a bit high, but I also believe Verlander would be the highest paid pitcher if he hit free agency. I’m not debating that. At all.
What I am saying is that despite having similar games started and innings pitched and pitches thrown… Sabathia is considered less durable because of his weight. That does not make sense to me, when they’ve practically mirrored each other in the durability department.
I consider Sabathia to be extremely durable. The only question mark is how he’s going to age.
Verlander has some question marks there as well since he relies on a 100 mph heater. But in the past couple years he’s developed his off speed pitches greatly, so I could see him pitching well into his late 30s.
“Suspicion of driving while intoxicated”? The guy had a bottle of scotch in his hand and was slurring at the officers trying to arrest him!
you read my mind
On top of that I’m not really sure we need to be congratulating him for doing well afterwards. Say he had a great season and leave it at that. No need to throw in the “And he did it all despite the fact that he was arrested for driving drunk in Spring Training!”
You forget that there was a ton of talk that the Tigers should find a way to void Cabrera’s contract and release him. That this season was going to be awful for Miguel and he wouldn’t do much. Were you around for the vitriol present in the thread on MLBTR addressing his arrest?
Not really, but I have a hard time believing there was ever “serious” interest in releasing a player of his caliber. I also have a hard time believing the brass ever expected him to suck this season. Those things sound like alarmists freaking out and not the types of things a front office actually thinks.
I doubt they ever would’ve considered releasing him either, but that was what people wanted. They smelled blood and they wanted his head. It was alarmists, alarmists who believed there was no way he would be valuable this season.
Alarmists are silly. Why would a DUI in spring training make him forget how to play baseball for a full 162 games? :p
Alarmists are silly. Why would a DUI in spring training make him forget how to play baseball for a full 162 games? :p
I doubt they ever would’ve considered releasing him either, but that was what people wanted. They smelled blood and they wanted his head. It was alarmists, alarmists who believed there was no way he would be valuable this season.
//You forget that there was a ton of talk that the Tigers should find a way to void Cabrera’s contract and release him.//
cough Drew Sharp cough.
I will never take Jeff Passan seriously again after the article he wrote after that happened. I’m so glad he is eating his words.
Me either.
The officers were also recorded making up lies as to what happened, like needing to club his knees. The whole thing was shady. Tough to pass off accusations for the whole thing.
and I’m so happy JV signed that deal when he did… looked great then and even better now. I hope he spends his entire career here in Motown.
Well I’d hope they weren’t planning on playing Miggy at 3rd full time…
You might as well just have no one at 3B if they are seriously thinking of letting him play the hot corner during interleague play. The only positive is that he has a strong arm, but omg ew, there is a reason why Cabrera doesn’t play 3B anymore.
Better than Inge…
Watching Cabbie play everyday, you realize his defence at first is pretty good.
I’d take Miggy playing 3rd if it meant Fielder or Pujols in the same lineup. Otherwise, nope…
This ain’t fantasy baseball. I promise you don’t want to see Miggy at 3rd full-time, even if it did mean adding one of those 2 guys. We already have an MVP-caliber 1B, no need for another one.
If we could get Pujols or Fielder then the bad defence would be out weighed by the great offensive production. Those are the only two guys that I would even comtimplate moving him over for.
Seeing Cabrera at 3rd again will be.. interesting.
No better option to tell ya the truth. I dont see the problem with Cabby playing some 3rd. Its just like 1st except you have to throw to 1st and he has a great arm. He has become pretty good at 1st though so we will see…
No better option to tell ya the truth. I dont see the problem with Cabby playing some 3rd. Its just like 1st except you have to throw to 1st and he has a great arm. He has become pretty good at 1st though so we will see…
Now just imagine if Pedro completed his 2000 season in the present…and became a free agent. What kind of contract would he get!?!?!?
that is some amazing career Cabrera has going