Right now, they can afford to. Cabrera has been productive enough to avoid bogging down an otherwise athletic and aggressive brand of baseball as the Detroit Tigers have been playing.
The money is the money. He gets that either way. So, then, it becomes a question of whether Cabrera can help the Detroit Tigers win. This is a cutthroat business that is revolved around winning baseball games.
More MLB News ». View all MLB Sites. More AL East News ». View all AL East Sites. More AL Central News ». View all AL Central Sites. More AL West News ». View all AL West Sites. Samson is simply making a point that the Tigers are going to want to do right by Cabrera and give him an opportunity to finish out his career on a winning team.
By Nothing Personal with David Samson. May 13, at pm ET 1 min read. MLB rumors: Fast free agent frenzy coming? Watch Now:. Predicting landing spots for top 20 free agents R. Anderson 5 min read. How secure is Rob Manfred's job? Getting out from underneath the majority of Fielder's remaining contract was a huge move for the franchise in the long-term. It should have allowed Detroit to lock up ace Max Scherzer.
Fielder simply wasn't producing up to expectations during the regular season, and especially the playoffs, as he was starting to show slight signs of decline at the plate. Instead, Cabrera's extension comes on the heels of the Tigers publicly embarrassing Cy Young winner Scherzer over his unwillingness to take a deal that Detroit felt was more than fair.
Looking at Detroit's payroll obligations for and beyond, it is hard to see the Tigers retaining Scherzer. It certainly feels like once Scherzer rejected the Tigers' offer, they made the decision to lock up Cabrera long-term. At the same time, Detroit seemed to suddenly pinch pennies, dealing off above-average starter Doug Fister for very little immediate return.
The bullpen and the bench for the Tigers could have clearly stood an infusion of talent. This is nothing against Cabrera the player. The year-old Cabrera is already in the midst of a Hall of Fame career that will likely land him in Cooperstown on the first ballot that he is eligible.
He has won the AL MVP the past two seasons and will likely battle for the crown again this season barring something unforeseen.
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