A half-dozen Tigers can become free agents, and Detroit may end up watching them all leave.
Detroit's list includes Brandon Lyon, Fernando Rodney, Placido Polanco, Adam Everett, Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff.
General manager Dave Dombrowski is likely to make a determined effort to retain either Lyon or Rodney, but not both. Lyon is seen as more probable because he could end up costing less. Lyon turned down a multiyear deal last winter to sign a one-year deal with Detroit specifically to see if he could get more with a good season.
Lyon had a good season, just not as the closer he was envisioned to be. Whether that would drive him back to the Tigers on another one-year contract will play itself out.
Rodney muffed only one save chance in 38 last year, and even though it was his first year as a closer, he enters a high-demand segment of the market that's not crowded with candidates. He'll draw a big-money, multiyear deal from somebody -- something Detroit is a year away from being in a position to offer.
Polanco may not even draw an offer from Detroit, which has a rookie, Scott Sizemore, it deems is ready to play in the majors. Sizemore has double-digit power but isn't nearly as good a fielder as Polanco, who is on the back side of his career.
Further, Sizemore will play for the major league minimum, a factor on a Detroit payroll bloated with unproductive long-term deals, several of which are due to expire after one more season.
The monetary factor may induce Detroit to decline an offer for Everett, who has in-laws in the area and liked playing for the Tigers.
The club may decide to make Ramon Santiago its de facto regular shortstop and relieve him with another minimum-wage rookie, Brent Dlugach, who played well in the minors last year and was brought up for a cameo in September. Dlugach is believed able to field at the major league level and might have more sock than Everett.
Washburn, if his surgically repaired left knee is fine, would fill a hole in the Detroit rotation, but the Tigers aren't expected to make him an offer. Again, money is the major factor.
Huff won't draw an offer from the Tigers, either. Money and his lack of productivity during September are factors, but the biggest reason is the club already has too many outfielder/DH types on the roster.
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