Detroit Tigers Avoid Arbitration with Max Scherzer and Al Alburquerque

Oct 17, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer addresses the media prior to game five of the American League Championship Series baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier today the Detroit Tigers announced that they had avoided arbitration with Andy Dirks, Austin Jackson, and Rick Porcello. Now Jon Heyman is reporting that Max Scherzer has also been signed for 2014.

$15.5 million is nearly $2 million more than was estimated for Max Scherzer, and $8.8 million more than he earned in 2013 as a second-year arbitration eligible player.

We were wondering if the Tigers would come out and announce a multi-year extension, but that apparently either (1) wasn’t in the works or (2) didn’t come together in time. Heyman implies the Tigers will still be pursuing a long-term deal with Max, but Lynn Henning seems to think this could be the beginning of the end for the Tigers and Scherzer. Perhaps those two scenarios aren’t mutually exclusive.

It was previously reported that Al Alburquerque has also agreed to a one-year deal, and now we have the dollar figure associated with that.

That leaves us with one final arbitration eligible player: Alex Avila.