Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila was aggressive this offseason in upgrading the team's MLB roster for the 2016 season. However, he still has to settle one more situation.
Outfielder J.D. Martinez still remains unsigned for next year. Rumors throughout the offseason found the two sides were working on a long-term deal, but that may no longer be the case.
FOX Sports' Jon Morosi is reporting the Tigers and Martinez are discussing one- and two-year contracts. Martinez, 28, is in his second year of arbitration eligibility. If the Tigers don't work out a deal with the slugger soon, he'll be their first arbitration hearing since 2001.
The former Houston Astro has only been with Detroit for two seasons, but he's already made his mark. In just 281 games with the Tigers, Martinez is batting .296/.350/.543 with 150 runs scored, 61 home runs and 178 RBI.
Martinez has expressed interest in signing a long-term deal with the Tigers and the team has said they feel the same, but Detroit's payroll situation is complicated for the foreseeable future. Signing Martinez to a lucrative multi-year contract simply may not be in their best financial interests.
Back in December it appeared as if the two sides were making progress on a long-term pact, but then the Tigers signed outfielder Justin Upton to a $132.75 million contract, which leaves the team with payrolls approaching the $200 million figure from 2016-2018 (depending on arbitration salaries and whether or not contract options are exercised).
Martinez is certainly worthy of a generous extension after his work in Detroit, but a number of the team's onerous commitments may prevent that from happening.
MLBTradeRumors.com predicts Martinez will earn $7.8 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility. At this point it seems as if the Tigers would at least like to get the slugger under contract through 2017, which will be his final season before he can become a free agent for the first time.
