2020 salary terms are set to be hammered out in the coming days. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.
Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.
We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Tigers … whose list features just one man but a fair bit of money:
(click to expand/view detail list)
Tigers Total Future Cash Obligation: $102MM
*includes buyout of 2024 club option over Miguel Cabrera
*2024-25 club options over Cabrera ($30MM apiece) vest with top-10 finish in 2023 MVP voting
I know this might be crazy, but I feel like miggy will have an OPS over 800 next year. Just a gut feeling but probably nothing lol
Maybe that feeling is gas?
I can see that.
The “S” part of that equation might get in the way.
Wow that’s pretty shocking that the Tigers don’t have any long term commitments on their books other than Cabrera. I know obviously they’ve got some guys who will be obvious Arb-Eligible extension candidates but wow – otherwise they’ve got a pretty clean slate. Of course Cabrera’s contract alone is quite a burden, especially if he continues to decline at the plate. But all in all they seem to be in pretty solid financial shape to be able to supplement their roster via free-agency if indeed the can develop some of their younger players and actually start to turn things around as a franchise.
Yes I agree, I had no idea they had that good of financial shape going forward. If their pitching prospects work out they will have the money to bring in some talent in free agency to speed up this awful rebuild.
We need our next Pudge.
Time will tell tho they seem to have squat in the minors besides pitching prospects.
Don’t kid yourself, Cabrera’s contract has not and will not be a burden except it prevents trading him. The Tigers are choosing to pursue a longer term rebuild and won’t start spending until that rebuild has progressed to a point where adding FA talent makes sense to them, regardless of what contracts are or are not on the books. That won’t likely be for another couple of off seasons.
The Miggy deal (among others) certainly impacted their decision to pursue a long rebuild and it also delays when they start spending and how much.
The biggest reason for the long rebuild is the passing of Mr. I; son Chris wants to build his own team, minors are looking good. David Chadd will be the GM by the time they’re competitive again.
Nobody pursued a ‘long rebuild’. They had minimal trade capital aside from JV (expiring contracts ain’t what they used to be) and a farm left bare with win now trades. What delayed any spending was Zimm’s boat anchor contract and the remaining $12 million for Prince & JV. All that is gone & they signed some solid FAs this year. They won’t sign any big FA contracts until they clearly understand the gaps they need to fill when prospects either perform or flop. No different than the 2000-2006 rebuild.
It’s sad to see Miggy’s power decline in the past three seasons. I wonder if he retires after he collects his 3,000 hit.
no way he gives up 100 million dollers.
Depends on how his knees feel
Not really. He would just ride it out on the DL and keep getting paid.
The MLBPA would go nuts if Miggy turned down all that money. If he’s at the point where they can’t justify him being rostered, the Tigers’ best hope is an injury settlement.
The MLBPA would have no right to be upset at Miggy after the monster contracts he’s signed as a FA.
That’s a huge contract and it was completely avoidable. I didn’t understand the need to extend him that long when he was years from free agency. Face of the franchise, sure, but a his value was strictly at the plate and the moment that slipped he’d be replacement level or worse.
2 time MVP. Miggy still is a super star. Illich paid for that…
I guess they would have to put them selves in the shoes of a billionaire dying owner who was willing to spend whatever he wanted and locking up Cabrera is what he wanted. To him it was money well spent.
It’s clearly not crippling to someone who’s already on the other side of the lawn. .
Exactly. The price only increases every year. This was a lesson from the Max Scherzer negotiation. Max wanted the next biggest pitcher contract $210 million, 7yrs, $30 million AAV. Miggy would have been more expensive in 2015 and possibly left like Max. He had a history of staying healthy & playing amazingly well thru injury. His swing & approach projected to age very well. Unfortunately injuries caught up with him.
This whole article tells me that if they really have faith in Casey Mize (which they should) they can sign him to a pretty lofty contract buying out his arbitration years and still have room for other signings. I got friends that have been following him from high school and he hasn’t really disappointed yet.
How hilarious would it be if Miggy just came out of nowhere an finished top 10 in the AL MVP voting in 2023?
As eyebrow-raising as when Bonds hit 49 home runs in 2000
Clean
I feel bad for Cabrera and the Tigers because this is going to be a terrible way for a franchise icon to go out.
He’s too expensive to do anything with, playing a 37 year old during a scorched Earth rebuild isn’t a great idea, eating $100 million isn’t a great idea, benching him isn’t a great idea either. Not going to end well regardless of what the Tigers do.
Miggy has plenty to play for and the Tigers benefit from him hitting key milestones like 3,000 hits, 500 HRs, etc. A couple things go there way they could be a fun team to watch and finish upper middle of the pack instead of bottom.
The Tigers won’t spend lavishly until 2022, at the earliest. Sustainable success means they will continue their losing ways not only until they have a solid core of cost controlled players producing at the major league level, but also 1-2 other “waves” of prospects to sustain the anticipated success well into the future.
Al Avila has 2 jobs right now. Lose, to get top draft picks, and to make good draft picks. I can tell you for certain he’s doing an outstanding job in the former. On the latter, only time will tell.
Al has built a system where they have little future commitment and they have a stocked farm; he can’t make them mature faster and it’s unwise to do anything other than just hold the course. If Chris Illitch is willing to spend when the time is right like he said the future is exciting for Detroit.
Stocked????
Pitching looks good to great, but there is no one on the offense…
There’s Riley Greene, and Isaac Paredes is pretty good for his position. And, dont get down on Jake Rogers! So, there’s SOME.
Torkelson is coming.
The tigers have a bright future.