Six Detroit Tigers Players File For Salary Arbitration

Aug 29, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (37) pitches in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday was the deadline for eligible players to file for arbitration, but we didn’t learn anything we didn’t already know. The more interesting day came back in December when teams had to decide who they were tendering with offers and who they were cutting loose, and the most interesting day comes on Friday which is the deadline for teams and players to exchange their arbitration figures.

The Tigers’ history has been largely to come to an agreement before figures are exchanged, but if they were to go all the way to an arbitration hearing, the arbiter would have to choose one number or the other (he/she cannot select anything in the middle) after hearing both sides make their argument.

The Tigers already came to terms with potential arbitration eligible Don Kelly and Phil Coke earlier in the offseason, but yesterday six more Detroit Tigers declared that they wanted to earn six, seven, or even eight figures to play baseball in 2014. Shocker, I know.

Those players were: Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Austin Jackson, Alex Avila, Andy Dirks, and Al Alburquerque.

The arbitration players are the final piece to the 2014 payroll puzzle (assuming another free agent signing really isn’t coming).

MLB Trade Rumors estimates that these six players will combine to earn $36.6 million when this process is said and done, which would bump the Tigers’ 2014 opening day payroll to $157.2 million according to my calculations (up from $148.7 million a year ago).