Detroit Tigers: Miggy 50% for Opening Day, Moya sent down, Price contract

The Detroit Tigers received a breath of fresh air over the weekend as Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez participated in minor league and Spring Training games on Saturday and Sunday.

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Miggy seemed the better of the two hitters. In multiple at-bats on both days, Cabrera tallied a number of hits while V-Mart had one. Happy to be back on the field, Miggy said he’d go “back to vacation” during tomorrow’s off day for the entire team and get back to work on Tuesday.

Just because both players are back on the field doesn’t necessarily mean they will be in the Opening Day lineup, though Miggy figures to be about 50 percent to play so stay tuned for that number to hopefully increase in the final two weeks of Spring Training.

After a terrific year at the Double-A level and in the Arizona Fall League in 2014, it seemed that Steven Moya had a very good shot at making the team out of Spring Training this year. When the Tigers added Yoenis Cespedes in December, those hopes faded a bit but Moya seemingly was in the running for an reserve outfielder spot, but a poor spring cost him that. Credit Moya for standing up and understanding he was not good and is ready to make an impact at Toledo to come up to Detroit at some point in 2015.

Dave Dombrowski spoke on SiriusXM over the weekend and said he wanted to keep negotiations with David Price quiet. He could mean “if” there are negotiations because Price once again said he was unaware of any negotiations. Perhaps DD wants to tread lightly and learned a valuable lesson after publicly issuing a terse statement after Max Scherzer rejected an extension just about a year ago.

‘Better than 50 percent’ chance Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera will be ready by opener – Shawn Krest, CBS Sports

Afterward, manager Brad Ausmus said that Cabrera had a “better than 50 percent chance” of being ready by Opening Day, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.

Minor moves: Tigers send down top prospect Moya – Brett D’Angelo, Detroit Sports Nation

The Detroit Tigers made another roster move today after their split squad game today against the Washington Nationals when they sent Steven Moya down to the minors. Moya is considered one of the Tigers top prospects, and many thought he had the possibility to make the team out of camp this season as the Tigers fifth outfielder.

Detroit Tigers, David Price ‘quietly’ negotiating a long-term contract – Rob Rogacki, Bless You Boys

But with Dombrowski leaking the current negotiations with Price to the media, he is doing anything but keeping them quiet, and it could be a sign that the Tigers aren’t willing to hand out another nine-figure contract. Price, the top pitcher in what looks to be a loaded group of free agent starters next offseason, will likely command a contract in the neighborhood of the seven-year, $210 million contract Max Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals last offseason.

Next: Tigers disappoint in split squad on Sunday