The Detroit Tigers had their most disappointing season since 2008 and finished last in the AL Central after securing four straight division titles from 2011-2014. New general manager Al Avila will be tweaking some things this offseason, and rumors suggest he has already gotten to work.
Avila told Chris Iott of MLive.com that the team "would have interest" in signing outfielder J.D. Martinez to a contract extension beyond the 2017 season. The 28-year-old will enter his second year of arbitration this offseason and is projected to earn $7.8 million, according to Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com.
A few hours after Iott's report, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press indicated that Avila had told reporters at a season-ending luncheon that the team has "internally discussed a contract extension with Martinez," but also said there is no timetable.
"I would love to play in Detroit the rest of my career," Martinez told Iott. "But I leave the business part to my agent."
The slugger batted .282/.344/.535 with 93 runs scored, 38 home runs and 102 RBIs and earned his first All-Star honors during the Tigers' horrid campaign. He logged career highs in a number of categories, including games played (158), plate appearances (657), runs scored, doubles (33), home runs, RBIs, walks (53) and total bases (319).
An extension would be advantageous for both sides. The Tigers would likely save money in the long run while Martinez would guarantee himself protection in the event of an injury or a poor campaign.
However, the Tigers will need to evaluate their financials before diving into extension talks with Martinez, who is more than likely to receive a sizable deal, whether it's this offseason or when he becomes a free agent after the 2017 season. Detroit has Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Ian Kinsler, Anibal Sanchez and Victor Martinez all under contract at least through 2017, and they'll take up $105 million of the payroll next year and $102 million in 2017.
Martinez and shortstop Jose Iglesias are due for arbitration this offseason and third baseman Nick Castellanos and outfielder Anthony Gose will be after 2016.
Avila has a lot of work to do this offseason, most notably with the starting rotation and bullpen, but Martinez's situation will likely remain at the forefront of the team's plans.
