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With solid core, Tigers eye deep run in ’17
- Updated: October 4, 2016
DETROIT — As the Tigers smarted from their disappointing loss on Sunday, Ian Kinsler’s mind was already turning to what could’ve been done differently.
“We have some time to think about it and figure out what we need to do next year to stop that from happening, to be more of a consistent team,” Kinsler said. “Right now I don’t have an answer for you. …
“We have a lot of talent in this room, and we have a lot of young talent. We’re going to be fine. We have some time for next year, and we need to figure out how to get better. We’re not a playoff team right now, so we need to figure out how to get better.”
• Verlander, Miggy powered late-season surge
The Tigers have a history of responding to end-of-season disappointment with offseason bolstering. The last time they finished second to the Indians in the AL Central, they traded for Miguel Cabrera. When they missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010, they signed Victor Martinez and Joaquin Benoit. Last year, new GM Al Avila signed Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton, and he swung a handful of other deals.
This year, there might not be much maneuvering to do. Nearly all the Tigers’ heavy payroll remains locked in for next season, save for contract options on Cameron Maybin and Francisco Rodriguez. And with Detroit already into luxury tax territory, adding to that is virtually out of the question. If anything, the bigger suspense is whether Avila might have to reduce payroll to avoid another tax bill.
The reality is that the Tigers set up their roster last offseason to contend for two years. J.D. Martinez, Kinsler and a handful of others are up for free agency next winter. Unless the Tigers try to take advantage of a thin free-agent market and trade veterans in an effort to get younger, the group they have will be intact for one more run, leaving it up to the manager — whether it’s Brad Ausmus or someone else — to figure out how to get more out of it.
Arbitration eligible: SS Jose Iglesias, RP Justin Wilson, IF Andrew Romine, 3B Nick Castellanos, RP Alex Wilson, RP Bruce Rondon.
Free agents: C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, IF Erick Aybar
Contract options: OF Maybin ( $9 million club option or $1 million buyout), RP Rodriguez ($6 million club option or $2 million buyout)
Rotation: The Tigers contended this season with …
