Detroit Tigers Links: Miggy and Max extensions & Rondon gets slim

Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Cabrera: Nothing happening on new contract – Jason Beck, Beck’s Blog

"When asked if he has talked with his agents about a contract extension, Cabrera said there hasn’t been anything going on. He also said, though, that he isn’t worried about it right now. With two years left on his deal, he said, they have time. At some point, there will be more urgency than this, but not now. The fact that Cabrera doesn’t seem overly concerned isn’t a bad thing for the Tigers, who have another contract situation they’re trying to handle with Max Scherzer entering his contract year."

A year ago, people were freaking out a bit that Justin Verlander‘s contract was up after the 2014 season. I was urging fellow Tigers’ fans to calm down and that if he hadn’t signed an extension by the end of Spring Training 2014–then it would be time to worry. He signed a contract near the end of Spring Training 2013. So that worked out and I’m sure Miggy’s extension will work out eventually too.

Detroit Tigers’ Dave Dombrowski doesn’t seem to be sweating Max Scherzer contract situation – Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press

"“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Dombrowski said recently regarding Scherzer. “Is there a mutual sentiment from both parties as to where we may go forward? Perhaps there is. But what’s known is that we’ve developed a long reputation of being both fair and appreciative in these discussions.”"

The more pressing extension business on the horizon is Max Scherzer, who has said he wants to stay in Detroit (who, other than Juan Gonzalez, doesn’t say they want to stay in their current city when their deal is ending), but also said he won’t negotiate during the season.

I’m less optimistic a deal will get done with Max than I am for one with Miggy. My personal feeling is that the Tigers are on the fence about signing Max long-term, and if his asking price is too high, they’ll simply move on. If they don’t agree on an extension before the regular season, I really don’t see them signing Max when he hits the open market.

This would not make fans happy, but it may be the reality with the crazy contracts pitchers are currently receiving.

Detroit Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon significantly lighter for this spring training – John Lowe, Free Press

"The 6-foot-3 Rondon was listed at 275 pounds as a rookie last season. Throughout the off-season, he did conditioning work under the guidance of strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett. A player’s weight can be an elusive fact, and also an irrelevant one. The Tigers certainly can’t expect a lighter Rondon to throw harder than he did last season, when he made crowds buzz home and away by reaching 100 m.p.h. and beyond. He was unavailable for the playoffs because of an elbow injury, not a weight-related issue that involved his legs or his mobility."

Slim Fast apparently worked for a couple of Tigers’ relievers this off-season–Rondon and Joba Chamberlain. Unlike Chamberlain, I don’t think Rondon’s weight was really an issue last season. As Lowe points out, it was his elbow that caused the him to miss the playoffs, not anything weight related.