Everything you need to know about the Detroit Tigers plans for the MLB offseason
The World Series is underway.
The offseason is next on the schedule.
The Detroit Tigers wrapped up their 2023 season nearly one month ago with the final game of Miguel Cabrera's career. The Tigers posted a 78-84 record, good for second place in the American League Central.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris enters his second offseason with the Tigers.
In Year 1, his team had a 39-34 record after the All-Star break but still finished nine games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the weakest division in baseball. On Sept. 21, Harris hired Jeff Greenberg as his general manager.
Here is a detailed look at the key offseason dates for the Tigers.
First day after World Series
The 2023 World Series — featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers, tied at a game apiece entering Monday's Game 3 — will end sometime between Wednesday and Saturday, depending on how many games are necessary.
The next day, two players from the Tigers will officially become free agents: left-hander Matthew Boyd and right-handed reliever José Cisnero. The Tigers get exclusive negotiating rights with those two free agents for five days.
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The trade market reopens the day after the World Series, too.
Two offseasons ago, the Tigers (under former general manager Al Avila) acquired catcher Tucker Barnhart from the Cincinnati Reds on the day after the World Series.
GM Meetings: Nov. 6-9
The meeting of general managers, and presidents of baseball operations, is the first noteworthy event of the offseason. This offseason, the general manager meetings take place in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Harris is scheduled to speak with reporters on Nov. 7.
Free-agent signings and trades don't typically happen, but the general managers discuss league issues, offseason plans and player availability in potential trades. Some agents attend to gauge the interest level in their players on the open market.
It's all about setting the groundwork for future acquisitions.
Five days after World Series
A lot happens on this day.
There are numerous deadlines: Free agents are allowed to negotiate (and sign) with any team, teams or players must accept or decline options for the 2024 season, players on the 60-day injured list need to be reinstated to the 40-man roster, and teams can give the qualifying offer — worth approximately $20.5 million — to eligible free agents.
The Tigers don't have any candidates for the qualifying offer, but everything else is important to know.
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Two players — shortstop Javier Báez and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez — have player options attached to their respective contracts. If accepted, they will return to the Tigers, and if declined, they will enter free agency. Báez has four years, $98 remaining; Rodriguez has three years, $49 million remaining.
One player — catcher Carson Kelly — has a one-year club option attached to his contract. If the Tigers accept the $3.5 million option, he will return for the 2024 season.
Designated hitter Miguel Cabrera, now retired from his playing career, also has a $32 million club option for 2024, but the Tigers will buy out his option for $8 million.
The Tigers have five players on the 60-day injured list who need to be reinstatement to the 40-man roster: left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander, right-hander Casey Mize, right-handed reliever Freddy Pacheco, outfielder Riley Greene and outfielder Austin Meadows.
Rule 5 Draft protection: Nov. 14
By 6 p.m., the Tigers need to protect players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. Players signed at age 19 or older must be added within four seasons; players signed at age 18 or younger must be added within five seasons.
Eligible players include catcher Dillon Dingler, infielder Gage Workman, infielder/outfielder Trei Cruz, outfielder Daniel Cabrera, outfielder Roberto Campos, outfielder Jose De La Cruz, right-hander Wilmer Flores, right-hander Keider Montero, left-hander Andrew Magno, left-hander Jake Higginbotham, right-hander Wilkel Hernandez and left-hander Carlos Pena.
Dingler, Flores and Montero seem like locks to be protected.
Non-tender deadline: Nov. 17
This is the first step in the salary arbitration process. All players on the 40-man roster with fewer than six years of MLB service time must be tendered contracts each winter.
Players with fewer than three years of service time will receive the $740,000 minimum salary, but players between three and six years of service time — as well as qualifiers for Super Two status — can negotiate raises as arbitration-eligible players.
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The Tigers have eight players eligible for arbitration, listed by MLB service time with their projected salaries based on calculations from MLB Trade Rumors in parentheses:
Outfielder Austin Meadows ($4.3 million)
Right-hander Spencer Turnbull ($2.4 million)
Left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander ($2 million)
Right-handed reliever Trey Wingenter ($1.1 million)
Left-hander Tarik Skubal ($2.6 million)
Right-hander Casey Mize ($1.2 million)
Catcher Jake Rogers ($2 million)
Outfielder Akil Baddoo ($1.7 million)
The Tigers will decide whether to tender or non-tender those eight arbitration-eligible players. Retaining all eight players would cost the Tigers around $17.3 million.
If tendered, the player will receive a to-be-negotiated contract for the 2024 season, but if non-tendered, the player will be removed from the 40-man roster and immediately enter free agency. Meadows, Alexander and Wingenter might be in jeopardy of getting non-tendered.
Last offseason, the Tigers non-tendered Jeimer Candelario, Harold Castro and Willi Castro.
Winter Meetings: Dec. 4-7
This offseason, the winter meetings take place in Nashville, Tennessee. There will be plenty of activity, at least compared to the GM meetings, as teams actively build their rosters for the 2024 season through trades and free agency.
The Tigers could be more active on the trade market than the free-agent market for upgrades on offense, considering the lack of elite position players in free agency. Still, the Tigers will probably dip into free agency for pitching upgrades.
Harris doesn't want to block three prospects — infielder Colt Keith, outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy and infielder Jace Jung — from consistent playing time. Manager A.J. Hinch doesn't want a designated hitter-only player, such as free-agent and former Tiger J.D. Martinez, on his roster.
Last offseason, the Tigers acquired Malloy and left-handed reliever Jake Higginbotham from the Atlanta Braves for reliever Joe Jiméñez, then acquired outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder Nick Maton and catcher Donny Sands from the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever Gregory Soto and utility player Kody Clemens.
Two events — the MLB draft lottery and the Rule 5 draft — happen during the Winter Meetings. The draft lottery is Dec. 5, in which the top six positions are determined, and the Rule 5 draft is Dec. 6.
The Tigers have a 1.6% chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, behind the Oakland Athletics (18.3%), Kansas City Royals (18.3%), Chicago White Sox (14.7%), St. Louis Cardinals (8.3%), Los Angeles Angels (6.1%), New York Mets (4.3%), Pittsburgh Pirates (3%) and Cleveland Guardians (2%).
The Tigers entered last offseason's draft lottery, the first in MLB history, in the No. 6 spot and moved up to No. 3, where they selected Indiana high school outfielder Max Clark in July.
In the Rule 5 draft, the Tigers can choose to select an eligible unprotected player from another team for a $100,000 fee. A player picked in the Rule 5 draft needs to stay on the 26-man roster (or injured list) for the entire 2024 season. If removed, the player will be placed on waivers and offered back to their original team for $50,000.
Last offseason, the Tigers picked right-hander Mason Englert from the Texas Rangers. The Tigers kept him on their roster for the entire 2023 season, meaning Englert can start the 2024 campaign in Triple-A Toledo to continue his development.
Arbitration figures exchanged: Jan. 12
This is the second (and often final) step in the salary arbitration process.
If the Tigers and any tendered arbitration-eligible player don't agree on a salary by this date, both sides must exchange figures and an arbitration hearing will be scheduled for February. If they can't settle on a salary before the hearing, a panel of independent arbitrators decides which side wins the case.
The Tigers haven't had an arbitration hearing since reliever Michael Fulmer in February 2019. (In that case, Fulmer filed for $3.4 million and the Tigers filed for $2.8 million; the Tigers won.)
Spring training: Mid-February
Pitchers and catchers report in mid-February.
The Tigers begin their 33-game spring training schedule Feb. 24 against the New York Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida. The spring slate concludes March 26 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Keith and Malloy don't need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft because they aren't eligible, so look for them to be added to the 40-man roster (and potentially the 26-man roster) towards the end of spring training before Opening Day, slated for March 28 against the White Sox in Chicago.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What to know about the Detroit Tigers plans for the MLB offseason
