RRosternomics
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Tigers DET

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GM: Dave Dombrowski

Overview

FORCED-SPEND ↘ cooling
expensive & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.36× league · TAB -9.1
-9.1TAB — talent above budget27th/30
-11.4WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)26th/30
6.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars17th/30
-7.2dead WAR — sub-replacement drag24th/30
27%dead money %7th/30
0.460win %22nd/30
28.8roster fWAR19th/30
-74surplus $M (value vs cost)28th/30
$165Mpayroll $M6th/30

Roster

CFAnthony Gose 137GRajai Davis 46G
LFRajai Davis 39GTyler Collins 37GSteven Moya 2G
RFJ.D. Martinez 148GRajai Davis 10GTyler Collins 7G
SSJose Iglesias 119GAndrew Romine 27GDixon Machado 24G
2BIan Kinsler 153GAndrew Romine 13GJosh Wilson 11G
3BNick Castellanos 145GAndrew Romine 59GJosh Wilson 10G
1BMiguel Cabrera 107GAlex Avila 23GJefry Marte 22G
STARTERSJustin Verlander 3.1WARAníbal Sánchez 1.3WARAlfredo Simon 1.3WARDaniel Norris 0.6WARKyle Lobstein 0.5WAR
CJames McCann 112GAlex Avila 44GBryan Holaday 18G
DHVictor Martinez 104GMiguel Cabrera 11GTyler Collins 10G
BULLPEN★ Neftalí Feliz 10svBlaine Hardy 13hAl Alburquerque 7hAlex Wilson 7hBruce Rondón 3hTom Gorzelanny 2hAngel Nesbitt 2hIan Krol 1h
CJames McCann 112 · Alex Avila 44 · Bryan Holaday 18
1BMiguel Cabrera 107 · Alex Avila 23 · Jefry Marte 22
2BIan Kinsler 153 · Andrew Romine 13 · Josh Wilson 11
3BNick Castellanos 145 · Andrew Romine 59 · Josh Wilson 10
SSJose Iglesias 119 · Andrew Romine 27 · Dixon Machado 24
LFRajai Davis 39 · Tyler Collins 37 · Steven Moya 2
CFAnthony Gose 137 · Rajai Davis 46
RFJ.D. Martinez 148 · Rajai Davis 10 · Tyler Collins 7
DHVictor Martinez 104 · Miguel Cabrera 11 · Tyler Collins 10
SPJustin Verlander 3.1 · Aníbal Sánchez 1.3 · Alfredo Simon 1.3 · Daniel Norris 0.6 · Kyle Lobstein 0.5
BP★ Neftalí Feliz 10 · Blaine Hardy 13 · Al Alburquerque 7 · Alex Wilson 7 · Bruce Rondón 3 · Tom Gorzelanny 2 · Angel Nesbitt 2 · Ian Krol 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.

2015 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
J.D. Martinez 27 arb 1585.2 3.0 +13.3
Miguel Cabrera 32 FA-elig 1194.6 22.0 -7.6
David Price↔ TOR 29 FA-elig 214.0 13.0 -0.3
Ian Kinsler 33 FA-elig 1543.9 16.0 -3.7
Yoenis Cespedes↔ NYM 29 arb 1023.3 6.7 +3.6
Justin Verlander 32 FA-elig 203.1 28.0 -18.1
Jose Iglesias 25 arb 1201.5 1.4 +3.4
Alfredo Simon 34 FA-elig 311.3 5.5 -1.4
Aníbal Sánchez 31 FA-elig 251.3 16.8 -12.8
Blaine Hardy 28 pre-arb 701.2 0.5 +3.4
Rajai Davis 34 FA-elig 1121.0 5.0 -1.7
Alex Wilson 28 pre-arb 590.8 0.5 +2.0
Daniel Norris↔ TOR 22 pre-arb 80.6 0.3 +1.7
Anthony Gose 24 arb 1400.6 0.5 +1.4
Kyle Lobstein 25 pre-arb 130.5 0.5 +1.2
Andrew Romine 29 arb 1090.5 0.5 +1.0
Nick Castellanos 23 pre-arb 1540.5 0.5 +1.0
Al Alburquerque 29 arb 670.4 1.7 -0.4
Tyler Collins 25 pre-arb 600.4 0.3 +0.9
Neftalí Feliz↔ TEX 27 FA-elig 300.2 2.6 -1.8
Shane Greene 26 pre-arb 180.2 0.5 +0.2
Randy Wolf 38 FA-elig 80.2 0.1 +0.6
Bruce Rondón 24 pre-arb 350.1 0.5 -0.1
Josh Wilson 34 arb 210.1 0.2 +0.2
Dixon Machado 23 – 240.1 0.1 +0.2
Bryan Holaday 27 pre-arb 240.1 0.2 -0.0
Joe Nathan 40 FA-elig 10.0 10.0 -9.9
Drew VerHagen 24 pre-arb 200.0 0.1 -0.1
Tom Gorzelanny 32 FA-elig 48-0.0 1.0 -1.1
Angel Nesbitt 24 – 24-0.1 0.2 -0.5
Steven Moya 23 pre-arb 9-0.1 0.1 -0.4
Daniel Fields 24 – 1-0.1 0.0 -0.4
Jeff Ferrell 24 – 9-0.1 0.1 -0.6
Ian Krol 24 pre-arb 33-0.2 0.5 -1.1
José A. Váldez 25 – 7-0.2 – –
Matthew Boyd↔ TOR 24 – 11-0.2 0.1 -0.7
Jefry Marte 24 pre-arb 33-0.2 0.2 -0.8
Kyle Ryan 23 pre-arb 16-0.2 0.2 -0.9
Guido Knudson 25 pre-arb 4-0.3 0.1 -1.1
Joakim Soria↔ PIT 31 FA-elig 43-0.3 4.2 -5.2
Joba Chamberlain↔ KCR 29 FA-elig 30-0.3 0.8 -1.8
Marc Krauss↔ ANA 27 – 12-0.5 0.0 -1.6
Alex Avila 28 FA-elig 67-0.5 5.4 -7.0
Buck Farmer 24 pre-arb 14-0.5 0.2 -1.9
James McCann 25 pre-arb 114-0.6 0.5 -2.3
Hernán Pérez↔ MIL 24 arb 22-0.7 0.1 -2.3
Victor Martinez 36 FA-elig 120-2.0 14.0 -20.2

Key additions (new vs 2014)

PlayerfWAR
Yoenis Cespedes3.3
Jose Iglesias1.5
Alfredo Simon1.3
Alex Wilson0.8
Daniel Norris0.6
Anthony Gose0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 2014)

Player2014 fWAR
Max Scherzer5.5
Rick Porcello3.0
Austin Jackson1.7
Torii Hunter1.1
Drew Smyly1.1
Eugenio Suárez0.9

Current & Historical Payroll

2015 payroll
$165.0M
2016 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2015, 2015–2021. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2015; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (11)

PlayerAgeSvc2015201620172018201920202021
Justin Verlander329.002$28.0MFREE AGENT
Miguel Cabrera3211.101$22.0MFREE AGENT
Aníbal Sánchez318.099$16.8MFREE AGENT
Ian Kinsler339.000$16.0MFREE AGENT
Victor Martinez3611.114$14.0MFREE AGENT
Joe Nathan4013.120$10.0MFREE AGENT
Rajai Davis347.167$5.0MFREE AGENT
Joakim Soria318.000$4.2MFREE AGENT
Tom Gorzelanny327.160$1.0MFREE AGENT
Joba Chamberlain297.055$833kFREE AGENT
Randy Wolf3813.151$125kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc2015201620172018201920202021
David Price295.164$13.0MFREE AGENT
Yoenis Cespedes293.000$6.7MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alfredo Simon345.142$5.5MFREE AGENT
Alex Avila285.061$5.4MFREE AGENT
J.D. Martinez273.036$3.0MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Neftalí Feliz274.151$2.6MARB 3FREE AGENT
Al Alburquerque293.147$1.7MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Wilson345.031$166kFREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (28)

PlayerAgeSvc2015201620172018201920202021
Jose Iglesias252.036$1.4MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nick Castellanos231.029$525kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andrew Romine292.049$520kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ian Krol241.082$515kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Shane Greene260.093$515kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Anthony Gose241.082$515kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bruce Rondón241.103$510kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Blaine Hardy280.106$508kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
James McCann250.028$507kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Lobstein250.033$502kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Wilson281.038$455kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Norris221.000$313kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Collins251.080$269kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bryan Holaday271.107$241kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Buck Farmer240.045$222kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Ryan230.029$216kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jefry Marte241.146$202kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Nesbitt240.000$189kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matthew Boyd240.000$141kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Drew VerHagen240.029$136kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Guido Knudson250.015$125kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Ferrell240.000$105kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hernán Pérez240.093$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dixon Machado230.000$97kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steven Moya230.028$72kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Marc Krauss272.108$35kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Fields240.003$6kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
José A. Váldez25–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 2015; 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.