Detroit Tigers Cash Strapped Heading Into Free Agency

The Detroit Tigers aren’t likely to be big players in free agency given that their roster is what GM Dave Dombrowski called ‘top heavy’.

If such a thing is possible, it appears the Detroit Tigers won’t be big spenders once the MLB free agency period begins. A recent piece from the Oakland Press examines why the Tigers may already be nearing their budget limit with their current roster plus the retention of big name arbitration-eligible players.

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"“We are a top-heavy team. But I don’t know how that’s going to change,” Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski said via the Oakland Press. “We have the most generous owner in baseball you could possibly have in sports. But we’re in a situation where $200 million payrolls aren’t what is common here.“It’s a situation where we’re really in a spot that if you’re going to have four starters being paid and you’re going to have a couple superstars in the middle of your lineup, that means there’s not as much availability to do some other things. And you have to determine what you’re going to do.”"

While the Tigers have nearly $50 million coming off the books this month, Matt Mowery, who wrote the piece, notes that ‘Roughly 60 percent of it is already spent, though, with the Tigers already allotting $98.5 million to five players: Justin Verlander ($28MM), Miguel Cabrera ($22MM), Anibal Sanchez ($16.8MM), Ian Kinsler ($16MM) and Joe Nathan ($10MM).’

The real money-eater from there is arbitration, where the Tigers will have to shell out big money to David Price, Rick Porcello, Andy Dirks, Don Kelly, Al Alburquerque and J.D. Martinez or watch one of them leave.

The Tigers should still be plenty competitive in 2015, but those expecting the team to go out and spend wildly once more in an effort to get back to the AL playoffs would be wise to temper their expectations. The team already appears to have its budget committed elsewhere.

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