Detroit Tigers Clips Thursday, October 20, 2016
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Detroit Tigers Clips Thursday, October 20, 2016 Detroit Free Press Most likely Detroit Tiger to be traded? Probably J.D. Martinez (Fenech) Detroit Tigers' 'long' revamp process will start with trades (Fenech) The Detroit News What's next for Tigers? Here are some thoughts (Paul) Rabelo named manager of West Michigan Whitecaps (Henning) MLive.com Make Comerica Great Again? I'm With Ver? Name the Tigers' new offseason plan (Woodbery) CBSDetroit.com Verlander, Miggy, Kinsler — Which Tigers Most Likely To Be Traded For Younger, Leaner Team? (Burchfield) Daily Transactions 1 Most likely Detroit Tiger to be traded? Probably J.D. Martinez October 20, 2016 By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press The Detroit Tigers aren’t in a position to spend more money. General manager Al Avila said as much on Tuesday afternoon, saying with certainty the team would not be a big player in the free agent market. Avila wants the team to get younger. He wants more financial flexibility. And this off-season, he will approach the trade market with a number of high-priced, uber-productive chips, none more likely to get moved – if a move is made – than rightfielder J.D. Martinez. Martinez is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2017 season. He is due $11.75 million. “I don’t foresee any talks of a long-term contract at this point,” Avila said. “In saying that, we’re going to keep an open mind in what possibilities come across this winter, this coming summer. I’m not going to rule out that we wouldn’t consider a long-term deal, but sitting here today, we’re not thinking that way right now. Can’t say we wouldn’t be thinking about that down the road.” It would seem unlikely the Tigers would be thinking about a Martinez extension much given the fact Avila all but admitted the team’s payroll would be decreasing. Martinez, who has been one of the better hitters in baseball for the past three seasons, will be in line for a contract similar to the six-year, $132.75 million contract that leftfielder Justin Upton signed last off-season. In 2016, Martinez hit .307 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI. He missed seven weeks with a broken elbow in the middle of the season. He has emerged as a heart-of-the-lineup force with major power since the Tigers picked him up off the scrap heaps in 2014. Other players will be written and talked about – like ace righty Justin Verlander or second baseman Ian Kinsler – but simply put, the Tigers do not profile as a postseason-contending team by trading one of the best pitchers and players in the American League. With so much power in a lineup that includes Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Kinsler, Upton and even Nick Castellanos, trading J.D. Martinez could be the easiest way to gain some flexibility on and off the field. If they were to move J.D. Martinez, perhaps Steven Moya or Tyler Collins – who are both out of minor-league options – could get the bulk of time in rightfield. Both would add a left-handed hitter to the Tigers’ righty heavy lineup, but are not nearly the player J.D. Martinez is. “That’s why we’re going to go in with an open mind in the wintertime,” Avila said. “To see what changes you can make that can not hurt you that much.” 2 Detroit Tigers' 'long' revamp process will start with trades October 20, 2016 By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press Last year, Al Avila laid out his off-season plans in plain sight. The general manager wanted the Detroit Tigers to add two starting pitchers and beef up the bullpen. Signing leftfielder Justin Upton to a lucrative, long-term deal was not part of those initial plans. But plans change. “This year is going to be different,” Avila said Tuesday afternoon. “This year, we’re going to go out and talk to 29 other clubs and see how we can start, little by little, making this team leaner, younger, more efficient and, at the same time, staying competitive, trying to get to the playoffs. So that’s where the tightrope is that we’re walking on.” That tightrope will be walked right through the trade market. The Tigers, whose payroll stands around $176 million, will not be adding to it, Avila said. More likely, they will decrease it. Fewer dollars to spend means that the team likely won’t be a big player in this fall's weak free agent market. “Other than the two players that we have options on, every position is set," Avila said. "So I can’t say, ‘Here’s a plan of action, we’re going to get this guy.’” The second-year general manager also can’t say which of his high-priced players could be lost in a bloodletting. “There’s guys you’d prefer not to (trade),” Avila said, "particularly the younger guys that performed well this year, that you have under control, that you figure are going to be part of your future. Most of those guys, we don’t want to trade. But you can’t rule it out.” It would seem unlikely that, with the youth movement that Avila detailed in 48 minutes with the local media, the Tigers would part with prospects. More likely, big names -- perhaps face-of-the-franchise names -- will move if the price is right. “It’s going to be a very difficult situation,” Avila said. Difficult, because the Tigers almost assuredly will not get the kind of immediate impact from the players they would get in return for players like, say, rightfielder J.D. Martinez or second baseman Ian Kinsler. Difficult, too, because the team’s hands are tied when it comes trading players such as ace Justin Verlander, first baseman Miguel Cabrera and designated hitter Victor Martinez, who have earned their 10-and-5 rights -- having played 10 seasons in the big leagues and five with their current team -- which carry no-trade protection. Difficult also because no team will touch the contracts the Tigers really would like to get rid of, such as pitchers Anibal Sanchez, Mike Pelfrey and Mark Lowe. “I can’t sit here and tell you how we’re going to trade so-and-so because, at the end of the day, we might not be able to even accomplish a lot of the things we want to accomplish,” Avila said. “And that’s why I say it’s going to be a long process. It’s not going to be a short process. “It’s really unknown until we get there and really get deep into some talks with other clubs." That could come as soon as the general managers' meetings early next month. Avila said the team’s goal is to reach out to enough opposing GMs that, when they arrive in Arizona, they’re ready to discuss deals. Last year, Avila spent the meetings talking to agents of free agents. This year, he will be tasked with walking the tightrope of the trade market at a crossroads in the organization’s philosophy. “Moving forward, the changes that we want to make are going to be dictated by what’s available on the trade market,” Avila said. “What other clubs may have the needs that we might be able to fill and what certain clubs may have that we might like in return.” 3 What's next for Tigers? Here are some thoughts October 20, 2016 By Tony Paul/ The Detroit News Detroit — After Tigers general manager Al Avila's season-ending debriefing Tuesday, here are some of my takeaways. 1. Can we stop assuming Avila has had conversations with Mike Ilitch? The Tigers are very conveniently using the phrase "Mr. I." or "Mr. Ilitch" these days. My question is: Which Mr. Ilitch? Given the Tigers clearly have an edict to cut the payroll, you have to wonder if it's coming from heir apparent, Christopher Ilitch. Mike Ilitch is 87 and may not be as involved with the team as he has been in the past. Under Mike Ilitch, the Tigers have been aggressive spenders every year since Comerica Park opened in 2000 — from the eight-year, $140-million offer to Juan Gonzalez to last year's six-year, $132.75-million deal for Justin Upton — until, it seems, now. 2. I've been listening to a lot of sports-talk radio this week, and I've heard some so-called experts say they don't necessarily trust Avila to orchestrate this rebuild, or whatever you want to call it. Get real. Ask around, and folks in the know will tell you Avila is one of the best talent evaluators in the game. Yes, he goofed on Mike Pelfrey and Mark Lowe. He also is the guy who identified J.D. Martinez and Michael Fulmer as stars in the making, long before they were Tigers. 3. Avila has warned fans not to expect any significant free-agent signings. Well, this is the offseason to do that, given the free-agent market is mediocre. Outside of position players Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Justin Turner, Neil Walker and Ian Desmond — and closers Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen — there's nothing to write home about. That's right, no good starting pitching to speak about. There's a lot of teams that will sit out this sweepstakes. 4. So, who do you trade? The obvious answers are right fielder J.D. Martinez and second baseman Ian Kinsler.