Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.The Detroit Tigers are in a unique position this offseason. They missed the playoffs in 2009 after blowing their division lead during the final weeks, and then losing a one-game playoff against the Twins in Minneapolis, but they remain one of the most talented teams in the AL Central. The question is how much of that talent will be back in 2010?
Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers are usually one of the more aggressive teams during the offseason in both the free agent market and with trades, and have no problem paying top dollar for players. Still, there's a lot of speculation that things will change this winter as the economy in Detroit is still causing problems. Some are saying that the Tigers are going to be selling off a lot of that talent this winter. So odds are that, either way, the team Tigers fans see on Opening Day in April could look a lot different than the one they saw in the Metrodome last October.
Who Might Leave
Placido Polanco, 2B; Jarrod Washburn, SP; Fernando Rodney, RP; Brandon Lyon, RP
Shopping List
One of the biggest reasons the Tigers division lead disappeared last season was their bullpen's inability to hold leads, so there's no doubt they'll be looking to bolster that area of the roster. Still, with the rumors that they may be trying to shed payroll, don't expect them to break the bank doing so. It's possible they bring back Fernando Rodney to close or set up, and it's easy to see the Tigers showing interest in someone like Billy Wagner or maybe even John Smoltz. After all, Smoltz began his professional career as a Tiger.
They'll also be looking to add to their starting rotation as odds are Jarrod Washburn -- a mid-season acquisition -- won't be coming back next year, and there's even talk that the team is looking to move Edwin Jackson. They're going to need arms behind Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. While there haven't been any hints at the team making such a move, the Tigers are likely to look for a pitcher who they can get relatively cheap and has a high ceiling. Think someone like Justin Duchscherer, who won't be able to get a long-term deal this winter due to injury concerns, but is a very good pitcher when healthy. They could also toy with the idea of Smoltz as a fifth starter if they bring him to town.
Money Matters
This is where things get tricky. If the Tigers are serious about shedding payroll, then all those rumors you've heard in recent weeks about the team possibly moving Curtis Granderson could come true. It also seems that the Tigers are serious when you hear they're willing to move Jackson in return for younger, cheaper pitching.
It may seem odd that the team would want to trade a player like Granderson, but let's remember that any money saved could be used to sign Verlander to an extension this winter rather than going to arbitration with him.
Even if the Tigers don't start dumping salaries, the odds are that the 2010 payroll will come in below 2009's number of $115 million, which means that they team will likely have to let Placido Polanco walk whether they want to or not. They'll also likely be looking around to see if anybody is interested in Dontrelle Willis, who is in the last season of his deal and is due $12 million in 2010.
No matter how badly the team is looking to shed salary, don't believe the rumors that they're willing to trade Miguel Cabrera. The quickest way to help lose a fanbase that the organization has only recently won back would be to dump the team's best player.
Offseason Goals
The main goal for the Tigers this season is to find a way to keep the team as competitive and talented as they have been in recent years, but at the same time, to spend less money doing so. Any time you have a talented young trio like Verlander, Porcello and Cabrera to build around, you are going to be competitive, so the Tigers need to find the smaller pieces to surround those parts. If they do, they'll be fighting for a division title again next October.
