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Detroit Tigers Clips

Friday, November 4, 2016

Detroit Free Press

Tigers trade Cameron Maybin to Angels for minor league pitcher (Fenech)

Tigers pick up $6 million option on Francisco Rodriguez for 2017 (Fenech)

The Detroit News

Henning: Maybin trade starts Tigers’ cost-cutting (Henning)

Tigers ’68 hero Lolich relives Series magic via Cubs (Henning)

Mike Rojas will manage Tigers affiliate Toledo Mud Hens (Henning)

MLive.com

Cameron Maybin: 'Detroit will always hold a special place in my heart' (Woodbery)

Who is Victor Alcantara? New Tigers pitcher brings heat, but lacks control (Woodbery)

With Cameron Maybin gone, who will be Tigers' center fielder in 2017? (Woodbery)

Tigers bringing back Francisco Rodriguez, pick up option for 2017 (Woodbery)

Tigers trade Cameron Maybin to Angels (Woodbery)

3 Tigers among 139 players who file for free agency after World Series (Woodbery)

Mike Rojas named manager of Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (Woodbery)

MLB.com

Tigers trade Maybin to Halos, land Alcantara (Beck)

Tigers tab Rojas to return as Triple-A manager (Beck)

Tigers in AFL: Stewart wrapping exciting first full season (Mayo)

Associated Press

Tigers trade Maybin to Angels, pick up option on K-Rod (Staff)

Maybin on trade to Angels: 'I think I fit in' (Beacham)

Oakland Press

Five ways the Detroit Tigers can replace Cameron Maybin in center field (Mowery)

Tigers pick up K-Rod’s 2017 option, dump Maybin’s salary in trade to Angels (Mowery)

CBSSports.com

Tigers send Cameron Maybin to Angels in the offseason's first trade (Perry)

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Daily Transactions

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Tigers trade Cameron Maybin to Angels for minor league pitcher

November 4, 2016

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers’ off-season of trading has begun.

For their first move today, they traded centerfielder Cameron Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels for minor-

league right-handed pitcher Victor Alcantara.

The Angels will exercise Maybin’s $9 million option for 2017.

Alcantara, 23, posted a 4.30 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 29 games – 20 starts – for Double-A Arkansas this season.

He is not considered a top prospect.

In essence, the Tigers simply decided not to pick up Maybin’s option. This was not an unsurprising move, given

the team’s plan to trim payroll this off-season in an attempt to become more flexible on and off the field.

In 2016, Maybin posted a career-best offensive season, hitting .315 with an on-base percentage of .383. He hit

four home runs and drove in 43 runs. After returning from a broken wrist and bum shoulder in mid-May,

Maybin sparked the team at the top of the batting order with an energizing brand of play mixed with clubhouse

leadership.

It showed in the standings: The Tigers were 51-38 when he started this season and 34-9 when he scored a run.

But with a payroll over $200 million, the Tigers needed to trim money somewhere and they decided Maybin,

who has been oft-injured throughout his career – including this past season, when he played in just 94 games –

was the first move to start the trimming.

Incoming is Alcantara, a lottery pick of sorts.

“We’re going to see him as a reliever as well,” assistant general manager David Chadd said. “He’s got a power

arm, 95 m.p.h. to 100 m.p.h. Power slider. Trouble throwing strikes at times. He’s gotta get that figured out.

He’s still young at 23.”

A briefing from a scout who has seen Alcantara: “Mid-to-upper 90 m.p.h. fastball, slider flashes plus, lacks

command, lacks mechanical/delivery consistency, upside guy who likely ends up as a reliever.”

Now, they will sort through a number of internal and external candidates in what general manager Al Avila

termed a “wide open competition.”

“We will weigh our options as far as centerfield is concerned for next season,” Avila said. “There will be a wide

open competition starting in the spring and we’ll see how it plays out.”

Among the in-house contestants in that competition: Outfielder Tyler Collins, who hit .235 in 56 games last

season; rookie JaCoby Jones, who is playing in the Arizona Fall League and likely not ready to be counted on

for a full-time major league job; and Anthony Gose, who was demoted to Double-A Erie last season after a

disappointing year on and off the field.

The team could also elect to add a cheap veteran option to the mix in free agency, one that wouldn’t hamper

their payroll but also provide some stability in centerfield.

Maybin was acquired last off-season in a trade with the Braves for left-handed reliever Ian Krol. He gave the

Tigers more than they could have expected, filling an important role on their team. But in a year’s time, the

financial dynamics have changed, and his contract option was the first casualty.

The team likely did not have many other suitors for Maybin, so they went with an unproven minor league arm

that carries potential, to get something instead of nothing.

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Tigers pick up $6 million option on Francisco Rodriguez for 2017

November 4, 2016

By Anthony Fenech/ Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers have exercised one of its two contract options for 2017.

And the player they chose to keep is, not surprisingly, closer Francisco Rodriguez. Shortly after announcing the

trade of centerfielder Cameron Maybin to the Angels for a minor-league pitching prospect, the team announced

they would be retaining their future Hall-of-Fame closer.

The decision makes sense: Rodriguez is owed $6 million next season, a very reasonable number for a closer of

his caliber. The Tigers don’t have any immediate in-house options at closer and to thrust a pitcher like right-

hander Bruce Rondon or Shane Greene into that role would thin out the bullpen. And should they have passed

on picking up Rodriguez’s option, they would have been on the hook for a buyout of $2 million.

“We liked the job K-Rod did last season and the numbers show he was a reliable closer for us,” general

manager Al Avila said in a release. “He stabilizes the back end of our bullpen and provides veteran leadership

to our younger bullpen arms.

Rodriguez, who will pitch next season at age 35, recorded 44 saves in 49 opportunities in 2016. He posted a

3.24 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 52 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. While his stuff has certainly diminished from his

All-Star days of yesteryear, he was still steady at the back-end of the bullpen and provided leadership for the

Tigers’ young relievers throughout the season.

Rodriguez has 430 career saves, which ranks fourth all-time.

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Henning: Maybin trade starts Tigers’ cost-cutting

November 4, 2016

By Lynn Henning/ The Detroit News

What stood as a potentially furious offseason for the Tigers ignited Thursday when they shipped starting center-

fielder Cameron Maybin to the Angels in a swap for high-heat, right-handed pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.

Maybin, a first-round pick in 2005 who became part of the trade ransom for Miguel Cabrera, had a second stint

with the Tigers in 2016 and was one of the pluses during a so-so season at Comerica Park.

Maybin batted .315 in 94 games and had speed that made him shine in a Tigers lineup carrying its share of

plodders. He batted far beyond his career average of .259 and, while light on power, Maybin, who turned 29 last

April, brought to the Tigers vigor that pleased fans and made him an apparent starter heading into 2017.

But the Tigers were also carrying a $9-million option on Maybin for 2017 and had viewed him as a definite, and

perhaps necessary, trade chip. The team is trying mightily to lighten its $200-million-plus payroll and, at the

same time, stock its roster with younger talent.

“We’re just trying to be more efficient,” Al Avila, the Tigers general manager, said Thursday evening. “And

we’re not averse to adding a young power arm with upside.”

Maybin’s exit helps finances that in 2016 saw the Tigers pay a luxury tax of more than $2 million when they

overstepped the $189-million threshold.

But his exit means the Tigers are on safari for help at a vital up-the-middle position.

The Tigers could find a replacement during the coming shopping season, during which the Tigers are expected

to be heavy dealers. They otherwise are looking at in-house replacements that begin with JaCoby Jones, 24, a

right-handed batter with splendid range and a bat that’s being developed.

Jones is playing this autumn in the Arizona Fall League and has pleased his bosses, batting .313 in 18 games,

with an .819 OPS and a .389 on-base percentage — key for a player trying to refine his strike zone.

The Tigers also have as an option Tyler Collins, a left-handed hitter who can play center field, and who has

power in greater supply than defensive range. But the Tigers feel reasonably comfortable with Collins among

their choices.

They also, officially, retain former starter Anthony Gose as a potential part-timer. But after a season in which

Gose played his way out of the lineup in Detroit and had issues in the minors the Tigers have made clear Gose

is probably headed elsewhere.

The Tigers are expected to hunt for help in center during the coming weeks and might find a center fielder as

part of trade packages yet to be discussed. But they are more likely to chase humbler help in center as they

allow Jones, should he have a big spring training, to win the job or become part of their center-field solution in

the near future.

Center field’s fate in 2017 is no greater mystery than what the Tigers got in Alcantara, who might have been as

good as the Tigers were to receive when the market for Maybin and his contract was likely thin.

Alcantara, 23, is from a familiar classification of pitchers: big arm, with control issues. He has walked 250

batters in 503 innings during five years in the Angels system. He has struck out 446, and has allowed only 35

home runs.

Although he had been a starter in his time on the Angels farm, he was moved late in 2016 to the bullpen in a bid

to boost his command. In nine games, he held batters to a .159 batting average, compared with .266 as a starter.

But he still walked a batter per inning, numbers the Tigers were aware of when Thursday’s deal was made.

The Tigers likewise believe Alcantara’s best chance is as a reliever. He throws a mid-90-mph fastball that can

climb to the high 90s, as well as a strong slider and a lukewarm change-up.

The Angels were spurred to move for Maybin as a troubled American League West team works to upgrade its

personnel, in any manner, ahead of 2017. Maybin’s contract option is of little issue to the Angels, a team of

comfortable means that will view his tool kit as helpful.

The Tigers, however, faced a different mission Thursday. They need to lose payroll weight. Even had they

decided against picking up Maybin’s option, the Tigers would have been obliged to offer a $1 million buyout.

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Rather than write a check either way, the Tigers — who are all but praying for a pleasant surprise in center field

in 2017 — decided to take what they could get for a player who simply had become unaffordable.

It is all but certain more Tigers trades are in the offing. How big, and how many, remains to be seen.

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Tigers ’68 hero Lolich relives Series magic via Cubs

November 4, 2016

By Lynn Henning/ The Detroit News

People forget. Big-league baseball players double as big-league baseball fans.

They’re even human beings. They have favorite teams. They drive to sports bars to watch games, as Mickey

Lolich did Wednesday night in joining close friends for Game 7 of the World Series, which in Lolich’s case

came 48 years after he started for the Tigers in a Game 7 against the Cardinals that delivered Detroit’s 1968

world championship.

This dilly of a 2016 Series ended Wednesday when 40 million viewers watched the Cubs, who had last played

in a World Series in 1945 against the Tigers, finally put away the Indians for a championship that seemed to

make all of baseball a winner.

“As we went into the Series,” Lolich said Thursday, “people would ask, ‘Who are you pulling for?’ I’d say to

them that it was a tough one for me to figure out. Here we have Cleveland, which is in our division, and we

(Tigers) finished in second place to them.

“Being an American Leaguer all my life, I always pull for the American League. But knowing it was 108 years

without winning a World Series, I could pull for the Cubs real easy, too.”

It got easier as this 2016 grand finale, which seemed to be a blessed antidote to election-year toxins, became

steadily a modern-era baseball treasure. The Indians were an unpretentious gang with a manager, Terry

Francona, whom fans found spellbinding as he slotted pitchers into games and innings as if they were chess

pieces.

The Cubs, well, they were the Cubs. But no longer baseball’s version of Charlie Brown’s All-Stars. They were

regal with their oodles of young, charismatic talent steered by a white-bearded skipper, Joe Maddon.

“I’d say that I really didn’t care who wins, that either team would be OK,” said Lolich, one of the grandest

Tigers pitchers in history, with 207 victories in his 13 seasons and a basket full of Cy Young and MVP votes.

“But when they got down to that seventh game, I have to admit I was pulling for the Cubs.

“For the first time, I had to say it: ‘I’m going to switch allegiance and pull for the Cubs.’”

But again. Those common threads between a hallowed Tigers team and this year’s Cubs were unmistakable.

The 1968 Tigers, like this year’s Cubs, were down three 3-1 in the Series before winning Game 5 at home,

followed by the improbable: two victories on the road in Games 6 and 7.

Only one team in the interim, the 1979 Pirates, was able to pull off the same three-game sweep with the last two

games of a seven-game set at the enemy’s park.

Lolich won three times in that 1968 Series, all complete games, including a storybook Game 7 when he and the

Tigers whipped Bob Gibson and the Cardinals, 3-1.

The Tigers, like the Cubs in the 3-2 squeaker at Wrigley Field, also won a tight Game 5, which in Detroit’s case

featured a three-run seventh and a heaven-sent, two-run single from Al Kaline that helped it stay alive and pack

for St. Louis by way of a 5-3 victory.

Game 6, for those with long memories, was almost spookily similar to the Tigers road blowout in Game 6. The

Cubs romped 9-3, and got a grand slam from Addison Russell, just as the Tigers had gotten a grand slam from

Jim Northrup in their 14-1 drubbing of the Cardinals.

The only common chords in each team’s Game 7 was: Victory.

The Tigers got nine more impeccable innings from Lolich and won 3-1. The Indians and Cubs went extra

innings before the Cubs sent much of Chicago, if not the baseball cosmos, into delirium with an 8-7 conquest

that ended your basic 108-year championship drought.

For all the alignment between two championship teams separated by 48 years, differences were also

pronounced. In 1968 there was no designated hitter, which was five years from birth.

Also, as Lolich confirmed nobly and historically, starting pitchers of his time might throw nine innings. He did

it regularly for the Tigers. But it’s a different game now. Late innings belong to bullpens and relievers, as

embodied by Indians maestro Andrew Miller and the 100-mph Cubs man, Aroldis Chapman, who, with their

reliever buddies, might enter games early and often.

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Lolich’s personal Tigers lore got an extra splash of gold dust when he pitched Game 7 on two days of rest. Yes:

A two-day break between nine-inning starts.

It is unfathomable today. It was viewed as nearly maniacal then.

Lolich remembers Game 6 in St. Louis, when Detroit put its 14-run billy club on the Cardinals. Mayo Smith,

the Tigers manager, all but tip-toed over to Lolich and asked if he might be able to pitch the next day.

“Yeah, I can go a couple of innings of relief,” said Lolich, who learned Smith was more interested in a start.

“All I want is five innings,” Smith said.

It was fine with Lolich, who the next day was in a 0-0 tie with the great Gibson that lasted until the seventh

when the Tigers got three runs.

Lolich, who was unacquainted with the term “pitch-count,” turned to Smith, shrugged, and said: “I’ll finish it

for you.”

Smith, with a wee smile, nodded.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Lolich was such a lock the Tigers didn’t even warm a reliever in the ninth. Their world championship was iced.

There was no such economy Wednesday night at Progressive Field. These great teams, the Indians and Cubs,

built heavily around strong arms, used 10 pitchers. It’s the way baseball is played in 2016.

And as Lolich had to acknowledge Wednesday night, sitting with his buddies, watching 2016’s for-the-ages

drama unfurl, that’s not a bad tradeoff.

Not when baseball becomes the real winner, as even those grand champion Cubs, after their 108 years in the

desert, might well agree.

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Mike Rojas will manage Tigers affiliate Toledo Mud Hens

November 4, 2016

By Lynn Henning/ The Detroit News

Mike Rojas, who was Tigers bullpen coach from 2011-13, is back with his old bosses. Rojas will manage Triple

A Toledo in 2017, a job he filled in 2007 when former Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish was sidelined by ankle

surgery.

A longtime coach and player-development guru in the Tigers farm system, Rojas, 53, last worked as Mariners

bullpen coach in 2014-15 as part of former Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon’s staff.

McClendon was manager at Toledo in 2016 ahead of his return last month to the big-league Tigers as hitting

coach. Also promoted to Detroit as McClendon’s assistant was longtime Mud Hens hitting coach Bull Durham,

who will be succeeded at Toledo by Brian Harper.

Harper played 16 seasons in the big leagues, including 19 games with the Tigers in 1986, and batted .295. For

the past 10 years, Harper has been a minor-league manager and hitting coach in farm systems headed by the

Angels, Giants, and Cubs. Most recently, he was hitting coach at the Cubs’ Triple A affiliate at Des Moines,

Iowa.

Rojas has a long history with the Tigers and with general manager Al Avila, dating to their time together as

assistant coaches at St. Thomas University in Miami. The son of former big-league infielder Cookie Rojas, he

worked with the Tigers in a variety of minor league positions, including as manager at Toledo and at assorted

Single A stops.

He also managed in the farm systems of the Reds, Astros, and White Sox.

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Cameron Maybin: 'Detroit will always hold a special place in my heart' November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- Cameron Maybin said goodbye to Detroit for a second time on Thursday.

Almost nine years after the Detroit Tigers sent Maybin to the Florida Marlins in a deal that landed Miguel

Cabrera, Maybin was traded away again.

This time, the circumstances were much different.

In 2007, Maybin was one of the game's elite prospects. When the Tigers reacquired him last November from the

Atlanta Braves, he was in the midst of a largely unremarkable career.

But Maybin excelled in 2016, reaching full-season career highs in batting average (.315), on-base percentage

(.383) and slugging (.418).

His bat was potent enough that the Angels were willing to trade for him, exercise his $9 million contract option

and install him as their everyday left fielder.

Maybin has played only 10 games in left field in his career. They all came in 2007 when he was a rookie with

the Tigers.

"I look forward to playing left field besides Mike Trout, one of the best center fielders in the game," Maybin

told Los Angeles media, according to MLB.com. "I think you if put two center fielders out there, I think I'll be

able to make his job a lot easier, and vice versa.

"I know it's a business, and I knew there was a chance that I might have been on the move, but the one thing

that I do believe about myself is I'm an everyday player no matter where I go. I think I proved that the last two

seasons."

The Angels are the fifth MLB organization for Maybin, who referred to the trade as part of a "journeyman's

journey" on his Instagram page.

"Special thanks to the Tigers fans, the city of Detroit and my teammates," he wrote. "I truly enjoyed the Love

and Energy sent my way all season. Detroit will always hold a special place in my heart."

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Who is Victor Alcantara? New Tigers pitcher brings heat, but lacks control November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers hope that Victor Alcantara, the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher acquired

Thursday in the Cameron Maybin trade, will one day help out in the bullpen at Comerica Park.

For that to happen, the Tigers will need to build up his strong arm while improving his erratic control.

Alcantara, 23, has been alluring prospect since signing with the Anaheim Angels out of the Dominican Republic

in 2011. His fastball was at 95-98 mph and routinely hit 100 mph, according to Baseball America's scouting

report.

But like many young pitchers with a live arm, harnessing that power has proved difficult. Control problems

have shadowed Alcantara as he's moved up with the minor league ladder in the Angels system.

He was converted to a reliever at Double-A Arkansas in 2016, and that's where he's expected to stay with the

Tigers.

Although his ERA went down in 2016, there were other troubling signs, including a slight dip in velocity. His

strikeout rate went down (from 8.27 K's per nine innings to 6.41) while his walk-rate rose (3.84 to 4.62). He's

continued to struggle with control in the Arizona Fall League.

The Angels thought enough of Alcantara that they added him to the 40-man roster last November to prevent

him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. (Whether they planned to protect him in 2016 is uncertain.)

The Angels used Alcantara's first option year in 2016, meaning he still has two remaining and there's no rush to

get him to Detroit. The Tigers assigned him to Triple-A Toledo, continuing Alcantara's steady advancement

through the minor leagues.

"The Tigers," wrote Baseball America, "are making an upside play in the hope they can rebuild his arm strength

and get him control the Angels never could."

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With Cameron Maybin gone, who will be Tigers' center fielder in 2017?

November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- Internal options to replace center fielder Cameron Maybin are plentiful. Not all of them are

appealing.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila said Thursday that there would be a "wide-open competition starting in

the spring" for the center field spot that was vacated when Maybin was shipped to the Los Angeles Angels for a

minor league pitcher.

Avila's comments, combined with the Tigers' new frugality, suggest that there is no grand plan to sign or trade

for an expensive, sought-after replacement.

The team saved $9 million in the trade, but the Tigers also created a hole that will be difficult to fill.

Here are some of the options:

INTERNAL

One of the reasons this money-saving deal was probably palatable to the Tigers is that they have three potential

internal replacements, including two players who are out of options and must make the team or risk being lost

on waivers.

Of those two, Tyler Collins seems like a far better bet than Anthony Gose to be with the club in 2017.

Collins, 26, has played in 134 games with the big-league club over the last three years. He's hit .253 with nine

home runs and 44 RBIs (.709 OPS).

His career numbers, when projected over a 162-game season, are actually slightly better than Maybin's. He

provides a bit more pop, but fewer stolen bases. Collins can also play all three outfield positions competently.

A left-handed batter, Collins hits better against right-handed pitchers, suggesting he might be a good candidate

for a platoon.

Right-handed hitting JaCoby Jones could be that platoon partner. The 24-year-old made his debut in 2016,

playing in 13 games at center field and third base down the stretch.

In a perfect world, the Tigers would probably like to get Jones more seasoning at Triple-A Toledo, but he's hit

well in the Arizona Fall League. If he follows that up with a strong performance in spring training, he may be

tough to keep off the roster.

Jones plays good defense and is an outstanding base runner. He could also be used to spell Nick Castellanos at

third base occasionally.

The odd man out could be Anthony Gose, who is out of options. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter was the

Tigers' primary center fielder in 2015, playing 140 games, but lost the job last season and had a miserable year

in the minor leagues. He was even demoted to Double-A Erie for a change of scenery after clashing with Toledo

manager Lloyd McClendon.

McClendon is now the Tigers' hitting coach, making an awkward reunion even less likely.

EXTERNAL

There are plenty of options on the free-agent market, but those in the Tigers' price range won't get many fans

excited.

It seems unlikely that the Tigers would spend the money they just saved on a big-name free agent.

Ian Desmond is the cream of the crop, but would bust the budget. Likewise, Yoenis Cespedes and Dexter

Fowler are expected to opt out of their current deals to cash in on the free-agent market.

The cheap options are generally veterans who are on the tail end of their careers, like Michael Bourn, 34, Rajai

Davis, 36, or Coco Crisp, 37.

If the Tigers want a veteran option just in case one of their younger players doesn't pan out, Austin Jackson

could be an attractive reclamation project. The former Tiger is only 29, but his power and speed numbers have

plummeted and he suffered an injury-riddled 2016.

Someone like Jon Jay, 32, will probably be more expensive, but he could be a middle option between the

clearance aisle and the high-priced free agents who are out of the Tigers' budget.

WHAT ABOUT A TRADE?

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The Maybin trade was the first of the offseason for the Tigers, but it won't be the last.

If the Tigers are, in fact, shopping many of their high-priced veterans, they could look for a young center fielder

in return.

Much of their strategy could depend on their internal assessments of Collins and Jones.

Do they see Collins as a corner outfielder, a center fielder or a fourth outfielder? As a one-year stop-gap or a

long-term solution?

Is Jones the center fielder or the future, or does he still have more to prove before they're willing to think of him

in those terms?

The trade market may be more promising than free agency, but even if the Tigers dangle a big fish like J.D.

Martinez, it will still be tough to land a high-level, low-cost center fielder. There simply aren't many of them.

THE VERDICT

The Tigers don't have to make their decision now. There are still five months until Opening Day.

Assuming the Tigers don't acquire a clear-cut starter between now and then, they could always go to spring and

let the battle play out between Collins, Jones, Gose and perhaps a low-cost veteran free agent.

Will the combined production of that group match Maybin's performance in 2016? Perhaps not.

But the Tigers are betting that the difference between Maybin and his replacements in 2017 won't be worth $9

million. Time will tell if they are correct.

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Tigers bringing back Francisco Rodriguez, pick up option for 2017

November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have picked up their 2017 contract option on closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Rodriguez will make $6 million in 2017. The Tigers could have bought out the final year of the contract for $2

million.

Rodriguez was one of two players for whom the team held a 2017 option. The team opted against bringing back

center fielder Cameron Maybin, instead trading him to the Anaheim Angels for a minor-league pitcher. The

Angels will now exercise Maybin's $9 million option.

Rodriguez, 34, was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers a year ago and served as the Tigers closer in 2016.

He went 3-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 44 saves, striking out 52 and walking 21 in 58 innings.

"We like the job K-Rod did last season and the numbers show he was a reliable closer for us," Tigers general

manager Al Avila said in a release. "He stabilizes the back end of our bullpen and provides veteran leadership

to our younger bullpen arms."

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Tigers trade Cameron Maybin to Angels

November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have traded center fielder Cameron Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels for

minor-league pitcher Victor Alcantara.

Maybin has a $9 million club option for 2017 that the Angels plan to exercise.

The teams confirmed the deal, first reported by MLB.com, on Thursday night.

Maybin, 29, is coming off the best season of his career. But injuries limited him to 94 games.

He hit .315 with four home runs and 43 RBIs this season for the Tigers.

Detroit general manager Al Avila said last month that the Tigers are looking to get younger and more cost-

efficient in the offseason and would be active on the trade market.

The Tigers could have bought out Maybin's option for $1 million. By trading him now, they avoid paying the

buyout.

The Tigers have three internal options to replace him in Tyler Collins, JaCoby Jones and Anthony Gose,

although all three have drawbacks. Avila said in a release that "we will weigh our options" for center field in

2017.

"There will be a wide-open competition starting in the spring and we'll see how it plays out," Avila said.

Alcantara, a 23-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic, is the No. 8 prospect in the Angels' system,

according to MLB Pipeline. He spent 2016 at Double-A Arkansas, striking out 79 and walking 57 in 111

innings. He was 3-7 with a 4.30 ERA.

Maybin was one of two players for whom the Tigers had 2017 club options. The Tigers announced Thursday

night that they were exercising their $6 million option on reliever Francisco Rodriguez.

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3 Tigers among 139 players who file for free agency after World Series

November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Erick Aybar and Casey McGehee are officially free agents.

The Detroit Tigers trio is among the 139 players who elected free agency on Thursday, according to the MLB

Players Association.

Only Saltalmacchia, who served as backup catcher, spent the entire 2016 season with the Tigers.

Aybar, a shortstop was acquired in August from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for utility man Mike Aviles.

McGehee was signed to a minor-league contract before spring training and was added to the roster after third

baseman Nick Castellanos was injured in August.

Aybar, 32, will probably be seeking a starting job rather than a utility position. That means he won't be back

unless March arrives and he still needs a job and the Tigers are looking for a versatile infielder.

It would be a surprise if McGehee, 34, signs a big-league deal. He's more likely to land another minor-league

contract with an invitation to spring training.

Saltalamacchia, 31, slumped offensively down the stretch, but could be among the options the Tigers consider

for backup catcher in 2017. He might be a fallback option if other targets don't work out or are too costly.

The Tigers now have 36 players on their 40-man roster, plus injured pitcher Drew VerHagen, who is on the 60-

day disabled list.

The MLBPA posted a complete list of free agents here. An easier-to-read format is here.

Minor league free agents can elect free agency starting next week.

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Mike Rojas named manager of Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens

November 4, 2016

By Evan Woodbery/ MLive.com

DETROIT -- Mike Rojas is returning to the Detroit Tigers organization to manage the Triple-A Toledo Mud

Hens.

Rojas, 53, replaces Lloyd McClendon, who was named hitting coach for the Tigers last month.

Rojas was the bullpen coach for the Tigers from 2011-2013, but his links to the organization go back farther

than that.

The native of Miami and the son of longtime MLB player and manager Cookie Rojas was an assistant coach at

St. Thomas University with current Tigers general manager Al Avila from 1987-1991.

He later worked as a minor league manager in the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds

organizations. Before being named bullpen coach at Detroit, he was the Tigers' minor league field coordinator

and managed affiliates at Class A Oneonta (2004) Class A (Advanced) Lakeland (2005-06) and Toledo (2007).

In 2013, Rojas went to Seattle to serve as McClendon's bullpen coach. The Mariners fired McClendon after the

2015 season. A year later, Rojas is replacing his old boss in Toledo.

The Mud Hens went 82-61 record and won an International League West title in Rojas' previous stint, when he

served as a replacement for Lance Parrish, who had injured his ankle.

"He brings with him a great deal of knowledge from both the major and minor league levels and with the

Detroit Tigers organization," said Dave Littlefield, the Tigers' vice president of player development. "This,

along with his experience in player development, will help bring back a winning culture to Toledo."

Brian Harper, who most recently served as hitting coach for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, is taking the same position

with the Mud Hens, the team said.

Pitching coach Jeff Pico and third base coach Basilio Cabrera will return in 2017, the team said.

18

Tigers trade Maybin to Halos, land Alcantara

November 4, 2016

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers and Angels pulled off the first trade of the Hot Stove season less than 24 hours after

the World Series ended, with Detroit sending outfielder Cameron Maybin to Anaheim in exchange for Minor

League right-hander Victor Alcantara.

The Tigers held a $9 million option on Maybin for next season, an option that now goes to the Angels, who will

exercise it. Essentially, the Tigers traded the option rather than declining it, which would have made Maybin a

free agent.

Though Maybin has been a center fielder for all but 10 games of his 10-year Major League career, the Angels

are expected to use him in left field alongside center fielder Mike Trout.

It's the second time in 10 years the Tigers have traded Maybin, their first-round pick in 2005 and their starting

center fielder for much of 2016. Unlike in 2007, when the Tigers included a 20-year-old Maybin in a prospect-

laden package to the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera, Maybin is now the veteran being dealt for younger talent.

Given the Tigers' desire to build a younger, leaner club, as well as get their payroll under control, it was the first

move of what could be a busy offseason in Detroit.

The Tigers had until Saturday to make a decision on Maybin, who hit .315 with 14 doubles, five triples, four

home runs and 43 RBIs this past season. Though a broken wrist and a sprained thumb combined to hold him

under 100 games for the third time in four years, his work while healthy helped keep the Tigers in postseason

contention until the final day of the regular season.

After the season, general manager Al Avila was noncommittal as to whether the Tigers would keep Maybin and

closer Francisco Rodriguez, who has a $6 million option for next season. The Tigers picked up Rodriguez's

option on Thursday.

Alcantara, the Angels' eighth-ranked prospect per MLBPipeline.com, enters the Tigers' rankings at 23. He

boasts an upper-90s fastball and lower-90s power slider, but he has struggled to command the strike zone. He

posted a 3-7 record and 4.30 ERA in 29 appearances, 20 of them starts, at Double-A Arkansas before giving up

nine earned runs on nine hits and seven walks in six innings in the Arizona Fall League.

Though Alcantara has been a starter for most of his career, assistant GM David Chadd said Detroit will likely

use him as a reliever.

As for replacing Maybin, the Tigers believe they have their future center fielder in JaCoby Jones, who split last

season between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, but they don't know whether Jones can replace Maybin

right away.

"We will weigh our options as far as center field is concerned for next season," Avila said in a release

announcing the trade. "There will be a wide-open competition starting in the spring, and we'll see how it plays

out."

Other options in the organization are Tyler Collins, who batted .235 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 56 games

in a utility outfield role last season, and Anthony Gose, who opened last season as the Tigers' center fielder

while Maybin was injured but ended the season at Erie. Avila said last month that the Tigers could also end up

acquiring a center fielder to either fill the spot short-term or platoon with Jones, a right-handed hitter.

The Tigers appear more committed to keeping Rodriguez, who finished second in the American League with 44

saves in 49 opportunities. He allowed 45 hits over 58 1/3 innings, striking out 52 and walking 21. He blew two

saves in September, including allowing a five-run ninth inning against the Royals, but gave up only one run

over his other 15 outings from Aug. 13 on.

Ironically, the development of young relievers such as Alcantara and potential future closer Joe Jimenez

presented a case for keeping Rodriguez.

"We liked the job K-Rod did last season, and the numbers show he was a reliable closer for us," Avila said. "He

stabilizes the back end of our bullpen and provides veteran leadership to our younger bullpen arms."

19

Tigers tab Rojas to return as Triple-A manager

November 4, 2016

By Jason Beck/ MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers are turning back to a familiar face to manage their top-level farm team. Mike Rojas,

who managed Triple-A Toledo to its last division title in 2007, is returning to manage the Mud Hens in '17, the

team announced on Thursday.

Rojas, whose Toledo tenure was part of a 10-year stint in the Tigers organization, replaces Lloyd McClendon,

who managed the Mud Hens this year before becoming Detroit's hitting coach last month.

Rojas, the son of former Major League manager Cookie Rojas, knows plenty about the Tigers' system, having

served as Minor League field coordinator from 2008-11 before spending two-and-a-half seasons as Detroit's

bullpen coach under manager Jim Leyland. He started his Tigers career as a Class A manager at short-season

Oneonta in '04 and then Lakeland in '05 and '06.

"He brings with him a great deal of knowledge from both the Major and Minor League levels and with the

Detroit Tigers organization," Tigers vice president of player development Dave Littlefield said in a statement.

"This, along with his experience in player development, will help bring back a winning culture to Toledo."

Rojas filled in at Toledo when then-manager Larry Parrish missed the '07 season recovering from an ankle

injury. The Mud Hens went 82-61 that season and won their third consecutive International League Western

Division title behind veterans Mike Hessman and Timo Perez and then-prospect Ryan Raburn.

Parrish returned to the job in '08, and Rojas took an administrative role until joining the Tigers' coaching staff.

When Leyland retired, Rojas followed McClendon to Seattle, serving as the Mariners' bullpen coach in '14 and

'15.

Rojas also has a long history with Tigers general manager Al Avila, having coached alongside Avila at St.

Thomas University in Miami during the 1980s.

Rojas will be the third manager in as many seasons -- and fourth in five years -- for the Mud Hens, once a

model of stability with Parrish as manager. Toledo has the potential for young talent in 2017 with center-field

prospect JaCoby Jones, future Tigers closer Joe Jimenez, catcher Grayson Greiner and outfielders Mike Gerber

and, eventually, Christin Stewart.

Joining Rojas at Toledo will be hitting coach Brian Harper, who replaces Leon Durham, the newly promoted

Tigers assistant hitting coach. Harper, a former catcher turned outfielder whose 16-year Major League career

included a brief stint in Detroit, spent last season as the Cubs' Triple-A hitting coach at Iowa.

20

Tigers in AFL: Stewart wrapping exciting first full season

November 4, 2016

By Jonathan Mayo/ MLB.com

Back in June, Tigers outfield prospect Christin Stewart was having a fine first full season as a pro after the

Tigers took him the first round of the 2015 Draft when he got a phone call from the front office telling him to

prepare for a trip to San Diego. He would be representing the organization in the Sirius XM All-Star Futures

Game in July, but he couldn't share the news right away.

"I was on the bus going to a road game, then [Tigers farm director] Dave Owen called me and told me," Stewart

said. "I was ecstatic. I was so pumped, but it didn't come out publicly for a little while, so I had to keep it to

myself."

He didn't have to be as secretive when he found out he'd be playing in the Arizona Fall League. Even after 128

games and 443 at-bats, reaching Double-A in his first full season, the Tigers' No. 3 prospect was nearly as

excited about being informed of that news as he was about the Futures Game.

"I was like, 'Wow, this is pretty awesome!' when I got that call," Stewart said. "This is the spot to be for up-and-

coming prospects. Being here is a blessing, being able to compete with these guys. Coming out here every day

and learning from teammates who have had success in the Minor Leagues, some of them have big league time

… feeding off of them and learning from them is awesome."

They can likely learn from him as well, at the very least about power. Stewart hit 30 home runs combined in

2016, leading the Tigers organization and tying him for fifth among all Minor League sluggers. His .517

slugging percentage also topped his system, and while he did strike out 131 times, his 86 walks led to an

impressive .386 on-base percentage.

"It was a great experience," Stewart said of his first full season. "I loved it. Great teammates, I had fun playing

with the guys."

Most of that experience came in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, typically known as a pitching-

friendly circuit. Yet Stewart hit 24 homers and slugged .534 in 104 games before his promotion to Double-A

Erie. He led the FSL in both of those categories even though he played nearly all of August up a level.

Stewart, who will play in Saturday's Fall Stars Game -- the AFL's version of the Futures Game -- did struggle a

bit following that promotion. He's taking that experience and using it to learn while in Arizona, continuing to

refine his approach at the plate while working on his outfield defense. But even with his struggles in Erie,

Stewart can look at his first full season -- Fall League included -- as a huge positive moving forward.

"It gave you some confidence, coming here and then going into next year and Spring Training," Stewart said.

"Just being able to compete at this level, you can't really beat that."

Tigers hitters in the Fall League

A 6-foot-6 catcher taken out of the University of South Carolina in the third round of the 2014 Draft, Greiner

suffered through a miserable first full season in 2015. But he erased it with a strong 2016 campaign, reaching

Double-A while hitting a combined .293 with a .763 OPS. The Tigers' No. 26 prospect also threw out 33

percent of would-be basestealers, 44 percent after his promotion up to the Eastern League.

Jones was playing in the AFL a year ago, just a few months after being traded from the Pirates to the Tigers in a

deadline deal, when he was suspended for testing positive for a "drug of abuse." It cost him the chance to play

in both the Fall Stars and the Championship Game. He did return and played well enough to earn his first big

league callup. Detroit's No. 9 prospect played third base in the AFL last year, but this time around, he's seeing a

lot of time in center field.

Tigers pitchers in the Fall League

A right-hander taken from the University of Virginia in the eighth round of the 2014 Draft, Lewicki has had a

hard time staying healthy. He had Tommy John surgery in 2013, while in college, then missed two months in

2015 with a pectoral injury. He did reach Double-A this past season, but he also missed more than a month with

another pectoral strain. Detroit's No. 23 prospect has been pitching out of the bullpen for Salt River, perhaps a

sign of a role change.

21

The Tigers nabbed Ravenelle from Vanderbilt in the fourth round of that 2014 Draft, and the reliever split the

2016 season between Lakeland and Erie. The Tigers' No. 20 prospect seems to have put finger tendon and

blister issues behind him, striking out nearly a batter per inning this past year. A strong AFL could catapult him

into big league bullpen plans at some point in 2017.

Thompson slipped off the radar when he missed nearly all of the 2014 season with shoulder problems. The big

right-hander has returned with relatively solid, and healthy, seasons in 2015 and 2016. Now 25, he's working

out of the bullpen in the AFL, with that possibly being his best chance at impacting a Maor League staff.

Turnbull was arguably the most consistent starting pitching prospect in the Tigers system in 2015, but a

shoulder impingement in 2016 allowed him to accrue just 44 1/3 innings. Another 2014 draftee in the Fall

League, Detroit's No. 12 is trying to make up for some lost innings and is the lone Tiger pitcher who is starting

this fall.

22

Tigers trade Maybin to Angels, pick up option on K-Rod

November 4, 2016

By Associated Press Staff/ Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Cameron Maybin will need some time to get used to playing left field for the Los

Angeles Angels after a big league career spent in center.

Maybin thinks he'll require no time at all to get comfortable hitting in front of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.

The Angels acquired the 29-year-old outfielder from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in a trade for right-hander

Victor Alcantara. Los Angeles also announced it will exercise Maybin's $9 million contract option for 2017.

Maybin batted a career-best .315 with four homers, 43 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 94 games for the Tigers.

Despite a late start due to a broken wrist from getting hit by a pitch in spring training, he also hit .380 with

runners in scoring position, one of the majors' best marks.

After Maybin learned he had been traded for the fifth time in less than nine years, he immediately warmed to

the idea of hitting a lineup featuring two of the game's top sluggers.

"Being on this team, with the way they play baseball and constantly have guys moving, whether it's hit-and-run

or stealing bases or bunting, I think I fit in with this style of play really well," Maybin said. "I'm looking

forward to playing for Mike Scioscia. I've enjoyed watching how he manages from afar. I look forward to being

part of that poetry in motion."

Maybin will have to make two moves with this trade, however: Along with relocation to Orange County, he'll

have to slide over to left field.

Maybin primarily has played center for his entire career, but general manager Billy Eppler expects Maybin to be

the Angels' everyday left fielder alongside Trout and right fielder Kole Calhoun. Maybin hasn't played in left

since a five-game stint during his first big league season in 2007 with Detroit.

"I am attached to (center), but anybody who's been around me (knows) I always put the team first," Maybin

said. "With the athletic ability I've been given, I think I can probably go out there and be one of the best left

fielders in the game. ... I look forward to playing left field alongside Mike Trout. You put two center fielders

out there, I think I'll be able to make his job a lot easier, and vice versa."

The 23-year-old Alcantara has spent five years in the Angels' minor league system. He went 3-7 with a 4.30

ERA in 29 appearances for Double-A Arkansas last season, yet the alarmingly shallow depth of the Angels'

farm system made him one of their better prospects.

The Angels got minimal production out of left field in 2016, the team's worst season since 1999. Los Angeles

finished fourth in the AL West at 74-88, a steep decline from the 2014 team that won 98 games with the best

record in baseball.

Eppler swung the first trade of the baseball offseason to shore up a position of seemingly perpetual need for Los

Angeles. While an MVP candidate and an above-average major leaguer occupy the other two outfield spots at

the Big A, left field has been a problem in recent years.

The Angels also have a dismaying recent history of acquiring veterans who underperformed once they joined

the outfield, including Josh Hamilton, Gary Matthews Jr., Vernon Wells, Matt Joyce, Daniel Nava and Craig

Gentry.

Eppler was particularly interested in Maybin after getting an endorsement from Bud Black, Maybin's manager

in San Diego and Eppler's current special assistant.

"This was something that clearly was an objective of ours heading into the winter," Eppler said. "We've been

able to acquire a guy that we are happy to put in left field and give him an opportunity to play every day."

The Tigers also exercised their $6 million option for 2017 on closer Francisco Rodriguez, who finished second

in the AL with 44 saves in a remarkable season for the former Angels right-hander known as "K-Rod." The

option contained a $2 million buyout.

23

Maybin on trade to Angels: 'I think I fit in' November 4, 2016

By Greg Beacham/ Associated Press

Anaheim, Calif. — Cameron Maybin will need some time to get used to playing left field for the Los Angeles

Angels after a big league career spent in center.

Maybin thinks he’ll require no time at all to get comfortable hitting in front of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.

The Angels acquired the 29-year-old outfielder from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in a trade for right-hander

Victor Alcantara. Los Angeles also announced it will exercise Maybin’s $9 million contract option for 2017.

Maybin batted a career-best .315 with four homers, 43 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 94 games for the Tigers.

Despite a late start due to a broken wrist from getting hit by a pitch in spring training, he also hit .380 with

runners in scoring position, one of the majors’ best marks.

After Maybin learned he had been traded for the fifth time in less than nine years, he immediately warmed to

the idea of hitting a lineup featuring two of the game’s top sluggers.

“Being on this team, with the way they play baseball and constantly have guys moving, whether it’s hit-and-run

or stealing bases or bunting, I think I fit in with this style of play really well,” Maybin said. “I’m looking

forward to playing for Mike Scioscia. I’ve enjoyed watching how he manages from afar. I look forward to being

part of that poetry in motion.”

Maybin will have to make two moves with this trade, however: Along with relocation to Orange County, he’ll

have to slide over to left field.

Maybin primarily has played center for his entire career, but general manager Billy Eppler expects Maybin to be

the Angels’ everyday left fielder alongside Trout and right fielder Kole Calhoun. Maybin hasn’t played in left

since a five-game stint during his first big league season in 2007 with Detroit.

“I am attached to (center), but anybody who’s been around me (knows) I always put the team first,” Maybin

said. “With the athletic ability I’ve been given, I think I can probably go out there and be one of the best left

fielders in the game. … I look forward to playing left field alongside Mike Trout. You put two center fielders

out there, I think I’ll be able to make his job a lot easier, and vice versa.”

The 23-year-old Alcantara has spent five years in the Angels’ minor league system. He went 3-7 with a 4.30

ERA in 29 appearances for Double-A Arkansas last season, yet the alarmingly shallow depth of the Angels’

farm system made him one of their better prospects.

The Angels got minimal production out of left field in 2016, the team’s worst season since 1999. Los Angeles

finished fourth in the AL West at 74-88, a steep decline from the 2014 team that won 98 games with the best

record in baseball.

Eppler swung the first trade of the baseball offseason to shore up a position of seemingly perpetual need for Los

Angeles. While an MVP candidate and an above-average major leaguer occupy the other two outfield spots at

the Big A, left field has been a problem in recent years.

The Angels also have a dismaying recent history of acquiring veterans who underperformed once they joined

the outfield, including Josh Hamilton, Gary Matthews Jr., Vernon Wells, Matt Joyce, Daniel Nava and Craig

Gentry.

Eppler was particularly interested in Maybin after getting an endorsement from Bud Black, Maybin’s manager

in San Diego and Eppler’s current special assistant.

“This was something that clearly was an objective of ours heading into the winter,” Eppler said. “We’ve been

able to acquire a guy that we are happy to put in left field and give him an opportunity to play every day.”

The Tigers also exercised their $6 million option for 2017 on closer Francisco Rodriguez, who finished second

in the AL with 44 saves in a remarkable season for the former Angels right-hander known as “K-Rod.” The

option contained a $2 million buyout.

24

Five ways the Detroit Tigers can replace Cameron Maybin in center field

November 4, 2016

By Matt Mowery/ Oakland Press

DETROIT >> It was sort of like show-and-tell.

Much as his old boss, Dave Dombrowski had brought his now-infamous list of pitching prospects to a press

conference as a visual aid, new Tigers general manager and vice president of baseball operations Al Avila

showed off his own prop at the most recent gathering with the media.

In his end-of-season news conference, Avila plopped down an inches-thick binder of information on the table in

front of him, referring to the work from every member of the front office that had gone into putting it together a

week earlier.

While he didn’t show off the contents — as Dombrowski hadn’t, when displaying the list of prospects he’d

inquired about, when shopping Doug Fister for trade a few offseasons back — Avila did explain, in general,

what the binder contained. It was a comprehensive listing of all MLB personnel and prospects, much of it aimed

at figuruing out which teams might be willing to match up with Tigers in deals.

And who they might offer up.

Now that the Tigers have made one foray into the trade market, unloading Cameron Maybin’s salary on the

Angels, after picking up his $9 million club option for 2017, that binder comes into play even more.

Now, the Tigers have to figure out what they’re going to do with the vacant center field position — just as they

would have had to do with the closer spot, if they’d declined the option on Francisco Rodriguez. (They didn’t,

picking up his option on Thursday, as well.)

Here are the ways the Tigers could fill center field:

LOOK INTERNALLY

Maybin wasn’t the only center fielder the Tigers used in 2016, since he was limited to just 94 games by injuries

to his wrist, thumb and quadriceps.

Anthony Gose, who was the Opening Day starter in center, when Maybin’s wrist kept him on the shelf, started

27 games there, before eventually being demoted two rungs on the organizational ladder.

Tyler Collins started 29 games there, utility man Andrew Romine started 22, left fielder Justin Upton started six

games, JaCoby Jones started three games, and Mike Aviles started one. Alex Presley played in two single

innings in center, but didn’t start either game.

There are options, albeit none great.

“We will weigh our options as far as center field is concerned for next season,” Tigers general manager Al

Avila said in the news release announcing the Maybin trade. “There will be a wide-open competition starting in

the spring and we’ll see how it plays out.”

GOSE COULD BE BACK

It seemed far-fetched, when a struggling Anthony Gose got into a spat with Triple-A Toledo manager Lloyd

McClendon, earning him a suspension and a demotion to Double-A Erie, then proceeded to hit .224 against

Eastern League competition, that his name would be in the discussion to start in center field for a third straight

season.

Very far-fetched.

Yet, it’s not really that out of the realm of likelihood for a couple of reasons: The Tigers already hold his rights,

they didn’t give up on him for a reason (i.e. they wanted to give him a chance to reclaim himself), and he’s

cheap.

“Right now, he’s coming to spring training, as we sit there today, and will be competing for a job,” Avila said at

the end-of-season news conference.

Gose made just over the MLB minimum ($525,000 in 2016) last season, and isn’t even arbitration-eligible until

after next season.

So it’s not going to cost them anything to run him out there again for another try.

And it would work better if they could pair him up with a right-handed hitter.

JONES MAY GET A SHOT

25

A right-handed hitter is exactly what JaCoby Jones is.

The return on the 2015 deadline deal that sent Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jones finished last season

as the Tigers’ No. 9 prospect, after starting it on the suspended list for a failed drug test during last year’s stint

in the Arizona Fall League.

This year in the AFL, he’s hitting .313 with one home run and three doubles in 13 games. He’s stolen five

bases, as well.

At his end-of-season news conference, Avila admitted Jones would be an option in center, if Maybin did not

return.

“JaCoby Jones is a viable option. I think there’s people in the organization that feel that he could use more time

in Toledo. I’m of the opinion that he could use more time in Toledo,” Avila said at the end-of-season news

conference. “But if he has a strong Arizona Fall League, comes in spring training and really has a good spring, I

can’t rule out that he might not be the guy. Particularly if you can match him up with another guy that hits from

the left side and can give him some days off on some tough right-handed pitchers. That’s one option.”

Considering his struggles in Detroit in September — he hit .100 (2-for-20) in his final 10 games, after a 4-for-8

start in his first two — it would seem more likely that they might get Jones more seasoning in Toledo, at least to

start the season, then bring him up later.

That would require them to get someone to hold the fort.

COLLINS IS AN OPTION-LESS OPTION

The definition of a hold-the-fort guy would be Collins. Normally a corner outfielder by trade, he acquitted

himself fairly well in fill-in duty in center last season, when called upon, and could do it again, if need be.

Another complicating issue with Collins? He’s out of options, so the Tigers are faced with another keep-him-or-

lose-him scenario in spring training with him — along with outfielder Steven Moya and infielder Dixon

Machado.

“There’s going to be guys that we have to make decisions on because their options are up. Collins, Moya and

Machado, those guys are either going to have to make the club or not. You can’t option them out anymore,”

Avila said at the end-of-season news conference. “So we’re going to have to make some tough decisions there.

They might be contributors at the end of the day but going into where we’re at right now, I couldn’t tell you

what we’re going to do with them at this point.”

Could the Tigers roll with an outfield of Upton-Collins-J.D. Martinez, with Moya on the bench? Possible.

Wouldn’t be great defensively, that’s for sure, but it’s an option.

SIGN SOMEONE ON THE CHEAP

Since they didn’t want to pay $9 million for Maybin, it wouldn’t seem likely that the Tigers would go out and

lavish someone else with free-agent money, but there are always fringe guys hanging around that could operate

as a stop-gap.

Guys like Presley or Nate Schierholtz can be had on minimum deals, to fill out a roster, and could play their

way into a role in the spring, much like Matt Tuiasosopo did a few years back.

Not ideal, either, but still an option.

FILL IT WITH ANOTHER TRADE

The final option would be to get someone (preferably a longer-term solution) back in trade.

The Tigers got an arm in the Maybin deal, but that’s hardly the end of their dealing this winter, and there’s

every possibility they could try to get a younger, controllable outfielder back in return for one of the others they

ship out.

“There may be another option where a trade brings you back another outfielder that you can put out there. Until

we get into those discussions I don’t know,” Avila said at the end-of-season news conference, referencing his

binder. “In this book, there’s several center fielders, there’s several outfielders. There’s a lot of guys in here that

can play outfielder real well but don’t hit as well, and there’s a few guys that hit pretty good but maybe they’re

not the best fielders. It’s all kinds, you know.

“It’s hard to say you’re going to put the perfect team all in one shot, because you have to consider what’s

available, what you can acquire and then going through that process ...is trying to put the best team forward.

26

You may not have the perfect team, but hopefully you have a team that can compete and can continue to

compete in the future.”

27

Tigers pick up K-Rod’s 2017 option, dump Maybin’s salary in trade to Angels

November 4, 2016

By Matt Mowery/ Oakland Press

DETROIT >> The promised changes have begun to come.

The Detroit Tigers chose to pick up the 2017 options on the contracts of both center fielder Cameron Maybin

and closer Francisco Rodriguez, but then chose to swap Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels in what appears to

be mostly a salary dump move.

The Tigers got 23-year-old minor-league pitcher Victor Alcantara in return for Maybin.

“We will weigh our options as far as center field is concerned for next season,” Tigers general manager Al

Avila said in a news release. “There will be a wide open competition starting in the spring and we’ll see how it

plays out.”

In that mix could be Tyler Collins, Anthony Gose and JaCoby Jones.

Even if Alcantara — a starter in the minors who hasn’t pitched above Double A — makes the MLB minimum

($480,000), the Tigers will save $8.52 million on the transaction, getting rid of Maybin’s $9 million salary for

2017. They also could have bought out his option for $1 million.

Detroit had the same decision to make with Rodriguez, who had a $6 million option for 2017, and a $2 million

buyout.

“We liked the job K-Rod did last season and the numbers show he was a reliable closer for us,” Avila said. “He

stabilizes the back end of our bullpen and provides veteran leadership to our younger bullpen arms.

They’ll keep him around to mentor the younger relievers in the bullpen, but truth be told, closer becomes a

luxury item, should the Tigers go into full rebuilding mode, and he could be traded down the road.

While Rodriguez, at 34, is unlikely to draw a ton in trade, theoretically Maybin was in a position to bring back

more, since he was coming off the best offensive season of his 10-year career.

Unlikely to give him a qualifying offer at the end of 2017 (if that compensation system is still in place under the

new CBA, when it comes into effect), the Tigers at least got something in return for Maybin by trading him

now.

What remains to be seen.

Alcantara was ranked as the Angels’ eighth-best prospect — in a system nearly as sparse as the Tigers’ —

largely on his big, mid 90-mph fastball. He is 24-34 with a 4.60 ERA (1.450 WHIP) and 446 strikeouts in 114

career minor league games.

28

Tigers send Cameron Maybin to Angels in the offseason's first trade

November 4, 2016

By Dayn Perry/ CBSSports.com

It didn't take long for us to witness the first significant trade of the offseason. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was

the first to report that the Tigers had dealt outfielder Cameron Maybin to the Angels in exchange for minor-

league right-hander Victor Alcantara. The Angels have since announced the trade as being official.

Maybin, 29, is coming off a 2016 season for Detroit in which he batted .315/.383/.418 (120 OPS+) with 15

stolen bases in 94 games. When healthy, he was the Tigers' regular center fielder. For his career, Maybin owns

an OPS+ of 93 across parts of 10 big-league seasons. In 2011, Maybin stole 40 bases as a member of the Padres.

As for his future role with the Angels, here's more from Rosenthal:

Maybin is eligble for free agency following the 2017 season.

As for Alcantara, the 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has a 4.60 ERA and 1.78 K/BB ratio across

parts of five minor-league seasons. In 2016, he pitched to a 4.30 ERA and 1.39 K/BB ratio in 29 games, 20 of

which were starts, for Double-A Arkansas in the Texas League.

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LAST UPDATED: FRI, NOVEMBER 4, 2016, 01:27 EDT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Arizona Diamondbacks Daniel Hudson Declared Free Agency

Arizona Diamondbacks Rickie Weeks Declared Free Agency

Atlanta Braves Emilio Bonifacio Declared Free Agency

Atlanta Braves A.J. Pierzynski Removed From 60-Day DL, (Strained left hamstring)

Atlanta Braves Eric O'Flaherty Declared Free Agency

Atlanta Braves Eric O'Flaherty Removed From 60-Day DL, (Left elbow neuritis - out for season)

Atlanta Braves A.J. Pierzynski Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Matt Wieters Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Mark Trumbo Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Drew Stubbs Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Nolan Reimold Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Steve Pearce Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Steve Pearce Removed From 60-Day DL, (Strained right flexor mass)

Baltimore Orioles Tommy Hunter Declared Free Agency

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Baltimore Orioles Brian Duensing Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Michael Bourn Declared Free Agency

Baltimore Orioles Pedro Alvarez Declared Free Agency

Boston Red Sox Carson Smith Removed From 60-Day DL, (Right elbow surgery - out for season)

Boston Red Sox Junichi Tazawa Declared Free Agency

Boston Red Sox Blake Swihart Removed From 60-Day DL, (Sprained left ankle)

Boston Red Sox David Ortiz Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Boston Red Sox Koji Uehara Declared Free Agency

Boston Red Sox Brad Ziegler Declared Free Agency

Boston Red Sox Pablo Sandoval Removed From 60-Day DL, (Left shoulder surgery)

Boston Red Sox Clay Buchholz Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Boston Red Sox Josh Rutledge Removed From 60-Day DL, (Left knee surgery - out for season)

Boston Red Sox Brandon Workman Removed From 60-Day DL, (Recovery from right elbow surgery)

Boston Red Sox Josh Rutledge Outrighted to Minors

Boston Red Sox Aaron Hill Declared Free Agency

Chicago Cubs Travis Wood Declared Free Agency

Chicago Cubs Trevor Cahill Declared Free Agency

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Chicago Cubs Aroldis Chapman Declared Free Agency

Chicago Cubs Chris Coghlan Declared Free Agency

Chicago Cubs David Ross Declared Free Agency

Chicago Cubs David Ross Retired

Chicago White Sox Daniel Webb Released

Chicago White Sox Justin Morneau Declared Free Agency

Chicago White Sox Jake Petricka Removed From 60-Day DL, (Right hip impingement)

Chicago White Sox Daniel Webb Removed From 60-Day DL, (Right elbow flexor inflammation)

Chicago White Sox Austin Jackson Declared Free Agency

Chicago White Sox Matt Davidson Removed From 60-Day DL, (Fractured right foot)

Chicago White Sox Alex Avila Declared Free Agency

Cincinnati Reds Ross Ohlendorf Declared Free Agency

Cincinnati Reds Alfredo Simón Declared Free Agency

Cincinnati Reds Alfredo Simón Removed From 60-Day DL, (Right shoulder surgery - out for season)

Cleveland Indians Marlon Byrd Declared Free Agency

Cleveland Indians Rajai Davis Declared Free Agency

Cleveland Indians Mike Napoli Declared Free Agency

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Cleveland Indians Carlos Santana Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Detroit Tigers Francisco Rodriguez Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Detroit Tigers Victor Alcántara Traded From from Angels, Los Angeles (for OF Cameron Maybin)

Houston Astros Norichika Aoki Acquired Off Waivers From from Mariners, Seattle

Houston Astros Jason Castro Declared Free Agency

Houston Astros Luis Valbuena Declared Free Agency

Houston Astros Colby Rasmus Declared Free Agency

Houston Astros Doug Fister Declared Free Agency

Kansas City Royals Wade Davis Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Kansas City Royals Alcides Escobar Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Los Angeles Angels Cameron Maybin Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Los Angeles Angels Cameron Maybin Traded From from Tigers, Detroit (for RHP Victor Alcantara)

New York Mets Jose Reyes Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

New York Mets Jay Bruce Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Philadelphia Phillies Matt Harrison Removed From 60-Day DL, (Lower back inflammation)

Philadelphia Phillies Aaron Nola Removed From 60-Day DL, (Strained right elbow)

Philadelphia Phillies Zach Eflin Removed From 60-Day DL, (Patellar tendinitis, both knees)

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San Francisco Giants Matt Moore Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Seattle Mariners Adam Lind Declared Free Agency

Seattle Mariners Dae-Ho Lee Declared Free Agency

Seattle Mariners Nathan Karns Removed From 60-Day DL, (Lower back strain)

Seattle Mariners Franklin Gutierrez Declared Free Agency

Seattle Mariners Seth Smith Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Seattle Mariners Drew Storen Declared Free Agency

St. Louis Cardinals Jaime Garcia Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Texas Rangers Jonathan Lucroy Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

Texas Rangers Colby Lewis Declared Free Agency

Texas Rangers Carlos Gomez Declared Free Agency

Texas Rangers Ian Desmond Declared Free Agency

Texas Rangers Carlos Beltran Declared Free Agency

Texas Rangers Mitch Moreland Declared Free Agency

Washington Nationals Gio Gonzalez Signed, ( 2017)(team option exercised)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

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Atlanta Braves Casey Kelly Outrighted to Minors

Atlanta Braves Brandon Cunniff Outrighted to Minors

Chicago Cubs Conor Mullee Acquired Off Waivers From from Yankees, NY Yankees

Chicago White Sox J.B. Shuck Outrighted to Minors

Los Angeles Angels Brett Oberholtzer Outrighted to Minors

New York Mets Jim Henderson Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent

Pittsburgh Pirates Pedro Florimon Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent

Pittsburgh Pirates Pedro Florimon Outrighted to Minors

Pittsburgh Pirates Jacob Stallings Outrighted to Minors

Pittsburgh Pirates Zach Phillips Outrighted to Minors

San Francisco Giants Josh Johnson Signed to a Minor League Contract

Seattle Mariners Ryan Cook Removed From 60-Day DL, (Back strain)

Seattle Mariners Ryan Cook Outrighted to Minors

Seattle Mariners Steve Clevenger Removed From 60-Day DL, (Fractured right hand)

Seattle Mariners Charlie Furbush Outrighted to Minors

Seattle Mariners Steve Clevenger Outrighted to Minors

Seattle Mariners Charlie Furbush Removed From 60-Day DL, (Left biceps/shoulder tendinitis)

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Seattle Mariners Ryan Weber Acquired Off Waivers From from Braves, Atlanta

Seattle Mariners Steven Baron Designated for Assignment

Tampa Bay Rays John Lamb Traded From from Reds, Cincinnati (for cash considerations)

Texas Rangers Adrian Sampson Acquired Off Waivers From from Mariners, Seattle

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Minnesota Twins Phil Hughes Removed From 60-Day DL, (Fractured left knee)

Minnesota Twins Glen Perkins Removed From 60-Day DL, (Strained left shoulder)

Minnesota Twins Danny Santana Removed From 60-Day DL, (Sprained left shoulder - out for season)

New York Mets Jim Henderson Outrighted to Minors

New York Mets Eric Campbell Outrighted to Minors

San Francisco Giants Tony Sanchez Outrighted to Minors