RRosternomics
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Tigers DET

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GM: Al Avila

Overview

REBUILD ↘ cooling
cheap & losing · year 2 in this regime · payroll 0.78× league · TAB -20.8
-20.8TAB — talent above budget30th/30
-31.2WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)30th/30
3.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars28th/30
-10.5dead WAR — sub-replacement drag26th/30
61%dead money %27th/30
0.292win %30th/30
10.3roster fWAR29th/30
-67surplus $M (value vs cost)23rd/30
$101Mpayroll $M21st/30

Roster

CFJaCoby Jones 85GVictor Reyes 37GHarold Castro 30G
LFChristin Stewart 89GBrandon Dixon 26GVictor Reyes 21G
RFTravis Demeritte 47GVictor Reyes 9GBrandon Dixon 7G
SSJordy Mercer 59GNiko Goodrum 38GWilli Castro 29G
2BGordon Beckham 39GJosh Harrison 34GHarold Castro 34G
3BDawel Lugo 73GJeimer Candelario 69GHarold Castro 10G
1BBrandon Dixon 61GJohn Hicks 29GMiguel Cabrera 26G
STARTERSMatthew Boyd 3.2WARSpencer Turnbull 2.7WARDaniel Norris 1.8WARJordan Zimmermann 1.2WARTyler Alexander 0.9WAR
CJohn Hicks 60GGrayson Greiner 58GJake Rogers 34G
DHMiguel Cabrera 107GBrandon Dixon 15GChristin Stewart 12G
BULLPEN★ Joe Jiménez 9svBuck Farmer 15hVictor Alcántara 10hBlaine Hardy 7hDaniel Stumpf 5hJosé Cisnero 4hNick Ramirez 1hDavid McKay 1h
CJohn Hicks 60 · Grayson Greiner 58 · Jake Rogers 34
1BBrandon Dixon 61 · John Hicks 29 · Miguel Cabrera 26
2BGordon Beckham 39 · Josh Harrison 34 · Harold Castro 34
3BDawel Lugo 73 · Jeimer Candelario 69 · Harold Castro 10
SSJordy Mercer 59 · Niko Goodrum 38 · Willi Castro 29
LFChristin Stewart 89 · Brandon Dixon 26 · Victor Reyes 21
CFJaCoby Jones 85 · Victor Reyes 37 · Harold Castro 30
RFTravis Demeritte 47 · Victor Reyes 9 · Brandon Dixon 7
DHMiguel Cabrera 107 · Brandon Dixon 15 · Christin Stewart 12
SPMatthew Boyd 3.2 · Spencer Turnbull 2.7 · Daniel Norris 1.8 · Jordan Zimmermann 1.2 · Tyler Alexander 0.9
BP★ Joe Jiménez 9 · Buck Farmer 15 · Victor Alcántara 10 · Blaine Hardy 7 · Daniel Stumpf 5 · José Cisnero 4 · Nick Ramirez 1 · David McKay 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.

2019 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Matthew Boyd 28 arb 323.2 2.6 +8.0
Niko Goodrum 27 pre-arb 1122.8 0.7 +8.4
Spencer Turnbull 26 pre-arb 302.7 0.6 +8.3
Daniel Norris 26 arb 331.8 1.3 +4.7
Victor Reyes 24 pre-arb 691.7 0.3 +5.2
Jordan Zimmermann 33 FA-elig 231.2 25.0 -20.9
JaCoby Jones 27 arb 881.0 0.6 +2.6
Jordy Mercer 32 FA-elig 741.0 5.2 -2.1
Tyler Alexander 24 – 130.9 0.2 +2.8
Buck Farmer 28 arb 730.9 0.6 +2.2
Shane Greene↔ ATL 30 arb 380.7 2.3 +0.1
Nick Castellanos↔ CHC 27 FA-elig 1000.5 6.6 -5.0
Matt Moore 30 FA-elig 20.5 2.5 -1.0
Nick Ramirez 29 – 460.4 0.4 +0.8
David McKay↔ SEA 24 – 180.3 0.1 +1.0
Joe Jiménez 24 pre-arb 660.3 0.6 +0.3
Jeimer Candelario 25 pre-arb 940.2 0.5 +0.3
Brandon Dixon 27 pre-arb 1180.2 0.5 +0.2
Drew VerHagen 28 arb 220.2 0.6 +0.1
José Cisnero 30 pre-arb 350.2 0.3 +0.3
Eduardo Jiménez 24 pre-arb 80.1 0.1 +0.1
Trevor Rosenthal↔ WSN 29 FA-elig 100.0 3.2 -3.0
John Schreiber 25 – 130.0 0.1 +0.0
Gregory Soto 24 – 330.0 0.3 -0.2
Ronny Rodríguez 27 pre-arb 840.0 0.4 -0.3
Sandy Báez 25 – 10.0 0.0 +0.0
Matt Hall 25 pre-arb 16-0.0 0.2 -0.3
Carlos Torres 36 – 4-0.0 0.0 -0.2
Bryan Garcia 24 – 7-0.0 0.1 -0.2
Tyson Ross 32 FA-elig 7-0.1 5.8 -5.9
Daniel Stumpf 28 arb 48-0.1 0.6 -0.7
Austin Adams↔ MIN 32 pre-arb 13-0.1 0.1 -0.4
Harold Castro 25 pre-arb 97-0.1 0.4 -0.8
Dustin Peterson 24 pre-arb 17-0.2 0.6 -1.1
José Manuel Fernández 26 – 4-0.2 – –
Willi Castro 22 – 30-0.2 0.1 -0.7
Dawel Lugo 24 pre-arb 77-0.2 0.3 -0.9
Reed Garrett 26 pre-arb 13-0.3 0.6 -1.4
Miguel Cabrera 36 FA-elig 136-0.3 30.0 -30.9
Edwin Jackson↔ TOR 35 FA-elig 10-0.3 0.1 -1.1
Blaine Hardy 32 arb 39-0.3 1.3 -2.4
Victor Alcántara 26 pre-arb 46-0.4 0.6 -1.7
Mikie Mahtook 29 arb 9-0.4 0.6 -2.0
Ryan Carpenter 28 – 9-0.4 0.1 -1.6
Bobby Wilson 36 FA-elig 15-0.5 0.1 -1.6
Gordon Beckham 32 FA-elig 83-0.6 0.1 -2.0
Grayson Greiner 26 pre-arb 58-0.7 0.6 -2.8
Jake Rogers 24 – 35-0.7 0.2 -2.5
Travis Demeritte 24 – 48-0.7 0.2 -2.5
Christin Stewart 25 pre-arb 104-0.8 0.6 -3.1
Zac Reininger 26 pre-arb 25-0.9 0.2 -3.1
Josh Harrison 31 FA-elig 36-0.9 2.0 -4.9
John Hicks 29 arb 95-1.2 0.6 -4.6

Key additions (new vs 2018)

PlayerfWAR
Jordy Mercer1.0
Tyler Alexander0.9
Matt Moore0.5
Nick Ramirez0.4
David McKay0.3
Brandon Dixon0.2

Key subtractions (gone from 2018)

Player2018 fWAR
Jose Iglesias1.6
Mike Fiers1.3
Leonys Martin1.3
Francisco Liriano0.4
Artie Lewicki0.4
Alex Wilson0.2

Current & Historical Payroll

2019 payroll
$101.0M
2020 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2019, 2019–2025. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2019; 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)

PlayerAgeSvc2019202020212022202320242025
Miguel Cabrera3615.101$30.0MFREE AGENT
Jordan Zimmermann339.154$25.0MFREE AGENT
Tyson Ross327.118$5.8MFREE AGENT
Jordy Mercer326.095$5.2MFREE AGENT
Trevor Rosenthal297.000$3.2MFREE AGENT
Matt Moore307.000$2.5MFREE AGENT
Josh Harrison318.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Edwin Jackson3512.040$103kFREE AGENT
Gordon Beckham328.023$100kFREE AGENT
Bobby Wilson366.035$100kFREE AGENT
Carlos Torres366.114$39kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (6)

PlayerAgeSvc2019202020212022202320242025
Nick Castellanos275.029$6.6MFREE AGENT
Shane Greene304.075$2.3MARB 3FREE AGENT
Blaine Hardy323.108$1.3MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Norris263.073$1.3MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Stumpf283.037$567kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Austin Adams325.000$129kFREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (36)

PlayerAgeSvc2019202020212022202320242025
Matthew Boyd282.136$2.6MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Niko Goodrum271.031$670kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mikie Mahtook292.109$574kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Buck Farmer282.083$571kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Jiménez241.077$569kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Drew VerHagen282.125$567kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
JaCoby Jones271.125$567kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Hicks292.001$567kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Victor Alcántara260.107$559kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Grayson Greiner260.102$559kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Christin Stewart250.022$556kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Spencer Turnbull260.020$556kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dustin Peterson240.003$555kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Reed Garrett260.000$555kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brandon Dixon270.116$492kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeimer Candelario251.056$460kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nick Ramirez290.000$427kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Harold Castro250.010$391kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ronny Rodríguez270.105$379kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gregory Soto240.000$313kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dawel Lugo240.034$283kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
José Cisnero301.092$275kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Victor Reyes241.000$251kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Zac Reininger260.088$218kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jake Rogers240.000$185kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Demeritte240.000$179kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Alexander240.000$173kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Hall250.020$164kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Willi Castro220.000$110kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Schreiber250.000$104kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David McKay240.000$101kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Carpenter28–$87k
Bryan Garcia240.000$87kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eduardo Jiménez240.021$57kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sandy Báez251.031$24kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
José Manuel Fernández26–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 2019; 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.