Considering the TIgers gave up six prospects to get Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, it's not a huge surprise they're doing their best to keep them in Detroit for the foreseeable future. Willis was taken care of last month when he signed a three-year extension worth $29 million to keep him wearing the Olde English D through 2012, but will Cabrera also sign?The Tigers have some time to convince him -- the team holds his rights for at least two more seasons -- but Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press thinks they'll try to get a deal done this winter. Cabrera should be able to net $11 million through arbitration this year and another $14 million next.
After that, his price will skyrocket. Is he worth $20 million? If so, Morosi thinks the Tigers would have to offer at least $105 million ($25 million for the first two, $20 million per over the next four) to get a deal done. That's a lot of dough for a guy who's not even 25 years old. For Detroit, it'd be a leap of faith that Cabrera continues to improve (and hopefully, doesn't continue to expand his waistline). For Cabrera, it offers a huge amount of security and still leaves him with flexibility to hit the open market for the first time in his career before his 30th birthday.
