RRosternomics
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Tigers DET

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GM: Dave Dombrowski

Overview

CONTEND ↗ rising
expensive & winning · year 2 in this regime · payroll 1.17× league · TAB +4.1
+4.1TAB — talent above budget12th/30
+11.0WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)6th/30
8.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars9th/30
-5.1dead WAR — sub-replacement drag18th/30
37%dead money %16th/30
0.586win %5th/30
40.3roster fWAR9th/30
-12surplus $M (value vs cost)14th/30
$112Mpayroll $M10th/30

2011: made playoffs · 95–67. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFAustin Jackson 152GAndy Dirks 16GDon Kelly 4G
LFDelmon Young 115GBrennan Boesch 57GRyan Raburn 52G
RFMagglio Ordonez 69GBrennan Boesch 51GDon Kelly 39G
SSJhonny Peralta 145GRamon Santiago 27G
2BRamon Santiago 75GRyan Raburn 56GCarlos Guillén 25G
3BBrandon Inge 99GWilson Betemit 87GDon Kelly 45G
1BMiguel Cabrera 152GDon Kelly 15GVictor Martinez 6G
STARTERSJustin Verlander 6.4WARDoug Fister 2.3WARRick Porcello 2.3WARMax Scherzer 2.2WARPhil Coke 1.7WAR
CAlex Avila 133GVictor Martinez 26GOmir Santos 10G
DHVictor Martinez 112GMagglio Ordonez 21GBrennan Boesch 10G
BULLPEN★ Jose Valverde 49svJoaquín Benoit 29hDavid Pauley 8hDaniel Schlereth 8hAl Alburquerque 6hRyan Perry 5hDavid Purcey 3hBrayan Villarreal 1h
CAlex Avila 133 · Victor Martinez 26 · Omir Santos 10
1BMiguel Cabrera 152 · Don Kelly 15 · Victor Martinez 6
2BRamon Santiago 75 · Ryan Raburn 56 · Carlos Guillén 25
3BBrandon Inge 99 · Wilson Betemit 87 · Don Kelly 45
SSJhonny Peralta 145 · Ramon Santiago 27
LFDelmon Young 115 · Brennan Boesch 57 · Ryan Raburn 52
CFAustin Jackson 152 · Andy Dirks 16 · Don Kelly 4
RFMagglio Ordonez 69 · Brennan Boesch 51 · Don Kelly 39
DHVictor Martinez 112 · Magglio Ordonez 21 · Brennan Boesch 10
SPJustin Verlander 6.4 · Doug Fister 2.3 · Rick Porcello 2.3 · Max Scherzer 2.2 · Phil Coke 1.7
BP★ Jose Valverde 49 · Joaquín Benoit 29 · David Pauley 8 · Daniel Schlereth 8 · Al Alburquerque 6 · Ryan Perry 5 · David Purcey 3 · Brayan Villarreal 1

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2011 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Miguel Cabrera 28 FA-elig 1616.6 20.0 -4.0
Justin Verlander 28 FA-elig 346.4 12.8 +2.9
Alex Avila 24 pre-arb 1415.0 0.4 +11.9
Jhonny Peralta 29 FA-elig 1464.8 5.2 +6.5
Austin Jackson 24 pre-arb 1532.5 0.4 +5.6
Rick Porcello 22 pre-arb 312.3 1.5 +4.1
Doug Fister↔ SEA 27 pre-arb 112.3 0.2 +5.4
Max Scherzer 26 arb 332.2 0.6 +4.9
Victor Martinez 32 FA-elig 1451.8 12.0 -7.5
Phil Coke 28 arb 481.7 0.4 +3.6
Brennan Boesch 26 pre-arb 1151.6 0.4 +3.4
Ramon Santiago 31 FA-elig 1011.3 1.4 +1.7
Al Alburquerque 25 – 411.2 0.4 +2.6
Joaquín Benoit 33 FA-elig 661.2 5.5 -2.7
Ryan Raburn 30 FA-elig 1211.0 1.3 +1.3
Jose Valverde 33 FA-elig 750.9 7.0 -4.7
Casper Wells↔ SEA 26 pre-arb 640.9 0.3 +1.9
Wilson Betemit↔ KCR 29 FA-elig 400.5 0.4 +0.8
Don Kelly 31 arb 1130.4 0.4 +0.5
Brad Penny 33 FA-elig 310.2 3.0 -2.5
Andy Dirks 25 – 780.2 0.4 +0.1
Ryan Perry 24 pre-arb 360.2 0.4 -0.0
Scott Sizemore↔ OAK 26 arb 170.2 0.1 +0.3
Duane Below 25 pre-arb 140.1 0.4 -0.1
Luis Marte 24 pre-arb 40.1 0.4 -0.2
Lester Oliveros↔ MIN 23 – 90.0 0.2 -0.1
Robbie Weinhardt 25 – 20.0 – –
Delmon Young↔ MIN 25 arb 40-0.0 1.7 -1.7
Brad Thomas 33 FA-elig 12-0.1 0.8 -0.9
Adam Wilk 23 pre-arb 5-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Enrique Gonzalez 28 arb 8-0.1 0.4 -0.7
Jacob Turner 20 pre-arb 3-0.1 1.2 -1.5
Danny Worth 25 pre-arb 30-0.2 0.4 -0.8
Omir Santos 30 – 11-0.2 – –
Brayan Villarreal 24 pre-arb 16-0.2 0.4 -1.0
David Purcey↔ OAK 29 arb 19-0.2 0.3 -0.8
Charlie Furbush↔ SEA 25 – 17-0.2 0.3 -0.8
Chance Ruffin↔ SEA 22 – 2-0.3 0.1 -0.7
Will Rhymes 28 pre-arb 29-0.3 0.4 -1.1
Carlos Guillén 35 FA-elig 28-0.3 12.9 -13.6
Andy Oliver 23 pre-arb 2-0.3 0.4 -1.2
David Pauley↔ SEA 28 arb 14-0.3 0.1 -0.9
Daniel Schlereth 25 pre-arb 49-0.4 0.4 -1.3
Brandon Inge 34 FA-elig 102-0.6 5.5 -6.9
Magglio Ordonez 37 FA-elig 92-1.3 10.0 -13.1

Key additions (new vs 2010)

PlayerfWAR
Doug Fister2.3
Victor Martinez1.8
Al Alburquerque1.2
Joaquín Benoit1.2
Wilson Betemit0.5
Brad Penny0.2

Key subtractions (gone from 2010)

Player2010 fWAR
Johnny Damon2.3
Jeremy Bonderman0.9
Armando Galarraga0.6
Dontrelle Willis0.4
Jeff Frazier0.1
Alfredo Figaro0.1

Current & Historical Payroll

2011 payroll
$111.5M

What the front office was committed to as of 2011, 2011–2017. Pre-2015 has no contract-terms data — forward italic $ are realized actuals (hindsight, not commitments known then). Control labels (ARB/FA) are point-in-time.

current $ guaranteed $ actual $ (hindsight) arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent

Guaranteed / signed (10)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Miguel Cabrera287.101$20.0M$21.0M$21.0M$22.0M$22.0M$28.0M$28.0M
Carlos Guillén3512.000$12.9MFREE AGENT
Victor Martinez327.114$12.0MFREE AGENT$13.0M$12.0M$14.0M$18.0M$18.0M
Magglio Ordonez3713.032$10.0MFREE AGENT
Jose Valverde337.090$7.0M$9.0M$2.0MFREE AGENT
Joaquín Benoit3315.040$5.5M$5.5M$5.5MFREE AGENT
Brandon Inge349.109$5.5M$4.9MFREE AGENT
Jhonny Peralta296.118$5.2M$5.5M$6.0MFREE AGENT
Brad Penny3311.000$3.0MFREE AGENT
Ramon Santiago316.095$1.4M$2.1M$2.1MFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Justin Verlander285.001$12.8MFREE AGENT
Delmon Young254.034$1.7MARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Raburn303.109$1.3MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brad Thomas333.056$800kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Enrique Gonzalez285.000$435kFREE AGENT
Wilson Betemit295.107$412kFREE AGENT
Casper Wells263.040$282kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Purcey293.000$251kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Sizemore263.055$64kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (26)

PlayerAgeSvc2011201220132014201520162017
Rick Porcello221.170$1.5MPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jacob Turner200.000$1.2MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Max Scherzer262.079$600kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Austin Jackson241.000$440kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Coke282.028$440kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brennan Boesch261.000$430kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Perry242.147$430kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Avila241.061$425kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Don Kelly311.149$423kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Will Rhymes280.134$419kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Schlereth250.130$418kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andy Dirks250.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Marte240.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Worth252.049$414kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Wilk230.056$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Al Alburquerque250.000$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Duane Below251.050$414kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brayan Villarreal241.084$414kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andy Oliver230.025$414kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Charlie Furbush250.000$251kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lester Oliveros230.091$196kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Fister271.058$150kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Pauley281.011$111kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chance Ruffin220.066$55kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Omir Santos30–—
Robbie Weinhardt25–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 2011; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.