Will Tigers be stingy spenders?

[redsrbetter]

By Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Baseball's payroll private eyes, at least those in Detroit, have been savoring thoughts of what the Tigers might do this fall with all those extra bucks assumed from expiring contracts.

Calculators have been burning. Let us count the salaries due to be lopped:

• Bobby Higginson, $8.85 million.

• Jason Johnson, $4 million.

• Rondell White, $3.25 million.

• Fernando Vina, $3 million.

Add Carlos Pena, who at $2.595 million is likely to be non-tendered, and that's more than $20 million lost from this year's $69 million payroll, all of which undoubtedly will be reinvested in Grade-A prime free-agent talent due to hit the market in November.

Uh, not to spit on a shopping spree, but folks, forget the flip side of baseball salaries.

Existing contracts tend to go up. And the more arbitration-eligible players a team has, the more expensive those offseason raises become.

The Tigers are headed for an unusually crowded waiting room at the arbiter's office this offseason. Even if they tie up deals ahead of time, the settlements figure to be costly.

Examples:

• Jeremy Bonderman is making $400,000 this season, which isn't bad if you're a typical 22-year-old pitcher fresh to the big leagues. But a 22-year-old completing his third full season in the majors with a shot at winning 20 games is going to be thinking more in terms of $400,000 a month when his agent formulates a contract offer.

• Craig Monroe, likewise, is hauling home $400,000 this season. Not bad money for a guy who in previous years was more of a fourth outfielder. But now that he is a regular on the verge of driving in 100 runs, $400,000 is what Monroe figures should be his down payment on a new pad made possible by his new contract.

• Mike Maroth? Nice young man. He also has some nice performance numbers the past three seasons, even if you consider the 21 games he lost during a 2003 season when any player wearing a Tigers uniform was more accurately participating in a human sacrifice. Maroth will make $405,000 this season. He'll be seeking another digit ahead of those numbers for 2006.

• Brandon Inge has been slumping of late. His agent, however, hasn't been. Inge's $1.35 million salary this season will be perceived as money way too low for a third baseman and key contributor who is one of baseball's most coveted trade commodities. Cha-ching!

• Then there's the matter of Chris Spurling ($325,000) and the Tigers' brand new closer (somewhere, an agent is chortling), Fernando Rodney, who will agree with his negotiator that a successful big-league bullpen ace is worth mountains more than the $318,500 he was paid this season.

We're not finished.

• Magglio Ordonez goes from $12 million this season to a more Ordonez-like $15 million in 2006.

• Carlos Guillen climbs from $4 million to $5 million.

• Troy Percival is due to make $6 million whether he pitches or not, and even if he doesn't, the insurance agent picks up only one-half of that $6 million.

So there doesn't figure to be a bank vault begging the Tigers to tap into it when free agency begins. There will, however, be tempting players for owner Mike Ilitch to ponder adding to his team.

Heading the list:

• A.J. Burnett, a hard-throwing right-hander for Florida who was a favorite of Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski. In 1998, when Dombrowski was with the Marlins, he insisted Burnett be part of a multi-player trade with the Mets.

• Jacque Jones, a Minnesota outfielder, and a terrific left-handed hitter who would help counter the Tigers' right-handed-heavy lineup. The Tigers know Jones well and likely would anoint him as their new left fielder if Jones would say yes to Motown.

• Hideki Matsui? Yes, we're joking, but only because the Yankees will offer Matsui a blank check and merely ask him and his representative to fill in the area next to the dollar sign.

• Johnny Damon: Hey, we're on a roll. The Tigers need a center fielder. The Tigers also need a long-haired, moustache-wearing, left-handed hitter and leadoff man awash in charisma and fan allure. The Tigers only wish they played in Hollywood, which is about the only way they would attract Damon.

There will be scads of free agents this offseason, some of whom will be of interest to the Tigers. But it's a long way until November. Needs must be assessed. Payroll latitude must be granted.

Free agents-to-be must decide if they're going to hit the open market or tie up deals with their old employers.

The Tigers only hope they can get involved where a free-agent addition or two might make for a sturdier product in 2006 and beyond. But the idea that there will be loads of extra payroll following the farewells to Higginson, White, Johnson, etc., isn't the case.

These are more than cost-of-living raises due various Tigers. And when it comes to annual pay raises, nothing quite matches baseball for making that check stub glisten.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/tigers/0...C08-272331.htm

[Fishercat]

Simply from the money Bonderman should get in arby, the Tigers may be a bit limited considering all the other raises. I hope the best for them, the Tigers being a good teams should reward some of the fans for being loyal.

I don't see them getting any major players, but perhaps a better SS to add to Polanco/Shelton/Inge in the infield.

[RockSports17]

A better SS? Carlos Guillen isn't good enough for you?

They'll most likely try to go after a big name SP, somebody like AJ Burnett to help shore up the rotation. OF? Tigers really don't need an OF when they have players like Maggs, Rondell White, and Craig Monroe starting in the OF w/ players like Nook Logan, Marcus Thames, and Curtis Granderson backing up the OFers.

Tigers main priority is to help out the rotation, add some bullpen, and add some depth.

[redsrbetter]

Looks like the Tigers are in the same situation as the Reds. Pitching is the key to end all suffering. LOL.

[awefullspellare]

However pitching is quite the comodity it seems .

[redsrbetter]

Yeah, as long as they stay healthy.