As the MLB offseason progresses toward its final month, teams are typically on the lookout for bargains. Sometimes, those bargains can take unexpected shapes. Top free agents, holding out for the ideal contract, sometimes overplay their hands and end up settling for deals that don’t quite live up to their initial estimations.
One team that hopes to benefit from such a situation is the Detroit Tigers. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the club is monitoring some of the most prominent names still on the market:
Tigers have discussed yoenis, j-up, davis, fowler, desmond. Depends on $. may just go for platooner for LF tho (ie raburn)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 11, 2016
The idea of getting Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes or Chris Davis on a discount seems like a pipe dream, but the longer they go unsigned, the greater the uncertainty.
There had been some buzz in recent days that Upton might agree to a one-year contract in hopes of finding more luck on the market next year, but his agent quickly downplayed that talk. That was always probably a little too far-fetched to be true.
But even a deal in the neighborhood of three or four years would represent a significant savings over the hypothetical seven- or eight-year pacts many envisioned for players of this magnitude. If any of them are willing to take less, they could suddenly become much more affordable for teams with budgetary concerns.
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The Tigers are looking to solidify their situation in left field, and their search could perhaps lead them back to an old friend. Yoenis Cespedes was traded from Detroit to the New York Mets on July 31, quickly becoming a sensation with his new club as he helped it capture the NL East title and march all the way to the World Series.
Many forget, however, that Cespedes’ season didn’t just spring to life as soon as he swapped uniforms. He was already putting up the best numbers since his rookie campaign through 102 games with the Tigers: a .293/.323/.506 slash line, 18 home runs and 61 RBIs in 427 plate appearances.
Detroit surely wouldn’t mind adding that production back into its lineup for 2016, and at a far more manageable contract than the one it imagined last July.
Chris Davis is another intriguing possibility, although probably the least likely. Agent Scott Boras recently expressed the first baseman’s willingness to play the outfield as well (where he has 71 games of experience during his career) in an effort to broaden his appeal.
Heyman notes the appeal of putting Davis’ big left-handed bat between righties Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez, and the designated hitter spot would give them some added flexibility. But it’s hard not to see Davis going somewhere to be a primary first baseman. And push comes to shove, the Orioles would still probably be willing to re-sign him at the seven-year, $150 million rate they offered last month.
Of course, if a star free agent is willing to take a lesser deal, that also opens up the possibility of many other teams joining the fray to vie for his services. The Tigers are definitely a club to keep in mind if such a situation presents itself, though. A cheaper option like Dexter Fowler or Ian Desmond could also be a fallback plan, as Heyman describes.
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Detroit is looking to bounce back quickly from a disappointing 74-87 finish in the basement of the AL Central. Full, healthy seasons from Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez, along with strong showings from newcomers like Jordan Zimmermann, would go a long way toward getting the franchise back on track.