GM: Dave Dombrowski
2012: won pennant · 88–74. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.
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.
| Player | Age | Service | G | fWAR | Salary $M | Surplus $M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera | 29 | FA-elig | 161 | 7.3 | 21.0 | -2.2 |
| Justin Verlander | 29 | FA-elig | 33 | 6.8 | 20.0 | -2.4 |
| Austin Jackson | 25 | pre-arb | 137 | 5.1 | 0.5 | +12.7 |
| Prince Fielder | 28 | FA-elig | 162 | 5.0 | 23.0 | -10.0 |
| Max Scherzer | 27 | arb | 32 | 4.5 | 3.8 | +7.8 |
| Doug Fister | 28 | arb | 26 | 3.5 | 0.5 | +8.5 |
| Alex Avila | 25 | arb | 116 | 3.0 | 0.5 | +7.1 |
| Rick Porcello | 23 | arb | 31 | 2.9 | 3.1 | +4.5 |
| Jhonny Peralta | 30 | FA-elig | 150 | 2.0 | 5.5 | -0.4 |
| Andy Dirks | 26 | pre-arb | 88 | 1.8 | 0.5 | +4.2 |
| Drew Smyly | 23 | – | 23 | 1.8 | 0.4 | +4.2 |
| Octavio Dotel | 38 | FA-elig | 57 | 1.5 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
| Aníbal Sánchez↔ MIA | 28 | FA-elig | 12 | 1.3 | 3.1 | +0.3 |
| Quintin Berry | 27 | – | 94 | 1.0 | 0.5 | +2.1 |
| Brayan Villarreal | 25 | pre-arb | 50 | 1.0 | 0.5 | +2.0 |
| Jose Valverde | 34 | FA-elig | 71 | 0.9 | 9.0 | -6.6 |
| Brandon Inge↔ OAK | 35 | FA-elig | 9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | +1.5 |
| Phil Coke | 29 | arb | 66 | 0.7 | 1.1 | +0.7 |
| Al Alburquerque | 26 | pre-arb | 8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | +0.7 |
| Omar Infante↔ MIA | 30 | FA-elig | 64 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -0.9 |
| Darin Downs | 27 | pre-arb | 18 | 0.2 | 0.5 | +0.1 |
| Luke Putkonen | 26 | pre-arb | 12 | 0.2 | 0.5 | +0.0 |
| Duane Below | 26 | pre-arb | 27 | 0.2 | 0.5 | +0.0 |
| Joaquín Benoit | 34 | FA-elig | 73 | 0.1 | 5.5 | -5.2 |
| Avisaíl García | 21 | – | 23 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| Hernán Pérez | 21 | – | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | -0.4 |
| Bryan Holaday | 24 | – | 6 | 0.0 | 0.5 | -0.4 |
| Thad Weber | 27 | – | 2 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Matt Young | 29 | – | 5 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Clete Thomas↔ MIN | 28 | arb | 3 | -0.0 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Brad Eldred | 31 | – | 5 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Jose Ortega | 23 | pre-arb | 2 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.7 |
| Danny Worth | 26 | pre-arb | 43 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.9 |
| Casey Crosby | 23 | – | 3 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.9 |
| Luis Marte | 25 | pre-arb | 13 | -0.2 | 0.5 | -0.9 |
| Adam Wilk | 24 | pre-arb | 3 | -0.2 | 0.5 | -1.1 |
| Omir Santos | 31 | – | 3 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Ramon Santiago | 32 | FA-elig | 93 | -0.3 | 2.1 | -2.8 |
| Jeff Baker↔ ATL | 31 | FA-elig | 15 | -0.3 | 0.2 | -1.0 |
| Jacob Turner↔ MIA | 21 | pre-arb | 3 | -0.3 | 0.4 | -1.2 |
| Daniel Schlereth | 26 | arb | 6 | -0.4 | 0.5 | -1.6 |
| Collin Balester | 26 | arb | 11 | -0.5 | 0.5 | -1.8 |
| Gerald Laird | 32 | FA-elig | 63 | -0.6 | 1.0 | -2.7 |
| Brennan Boesch | 27 | pre-arb | 132 | -0.7 | 0.5 | -2.3 |
| Don Kelly | 32 | arb | 75 | -0.8 | 0.9 | -2.9 |
| Delmon Young | 26 | FA-elig | 151 | -1.2 | 6.8 | -9.7 |
| Ryan Raburn | 31 | FA-elig | 66 | -1.4 | 2.1 | -5.8 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Prince Fielder | 5.0 |
| Drew Smyly | 1.8 |
| Octavio Dotel | 1.5 |
| Aníbal Sánchez | 1.3 |
| Quintin Berry | 1.0 |
| Omar Infante | 0.3 |
| Player | 2011 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Casper Wells | 0.9 |
| Wilson Betemit | 0.5 |
| Brad Penny | 0.2 |
| Ryan Perry | 0.2 |
| Scott Sizemore | 0.2 |
| Lester Oliveros | 0.0 |
What the front office was committed to as of 2012, 2012–2018. 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.
| Player | Age | Svc | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Fielder | 28 | 6.068 | $23.0M | $23.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Miguel Cabrera | 29 | 8.101 | $21.0M | $21.0M | $22.0M | $22.0M | $28.0M | $28.0M | $30.0M |
| Justin Verlander | 29 | 6.001 | $20.0M | $20.0M | $20.0M | $28.0M | $28.0M | $23.8M | FREE AGENT |
| Jose Valverde | 34 | 8.090 | $9.0M | $2.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Joaquín Benoit | 34 | 15.040 | $5.5M | $5.5M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Jhonny Peralta | 30 | 7.118 | $5.5M | $6.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Octavio Dotel | 38 | 12.113 | $3.0M | $3.5M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Ramon Santiago | 32 | 7.095 | $2.1M | $2.1M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Omar Infante | 30 | 14.020 | $1.7M | $4.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Gerald Laird | 32 | 7.007 | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Brandon Inge | 35 | 10.095 | $596k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Brad Eldred | 31 | 7.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmon Young | 26 | 5.034 | $6.8M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Max Scherzer | 27 | 3.079 | $3.8M | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Aníbal Sánchez | 28 | 5.099 | $3.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ryan Raburn | 31 | 4.109 | $2.1M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Phil Coke | 29 | 3.028 | $1.1M | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jeff Baker | 31 | 5.049 | $248k | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Porcello | 23 | 2.170 | $3.1M | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Don Kelly | 32 | 2.149 | $900k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Alex Avila | 25 | 2.061 | $510k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Doug Fister | 28 | 2.058 | $507k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Brennan Boesch | 27 | 2.000 | $502k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Austin Jackson | 25 | 2.000 | $500k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Al Alburquerque | 26 | 1.000 | $495k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Daniel Schlereth | 26 | 1.111 | $490k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Andy Dirks | 26 | 0.127 | $485k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Collin Balester | 26 | 2.016 | $485k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Casey Crosby | 23 | – | $482k | ||||||
| Danny Worth | 26 | 2.049 | $482k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Duane Below | 26 | 1.050 | $482k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Bryan Holaday | 24 | 0.000 | $480k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Luke Putkonen | 26 | 2.018 | $480k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Jose Ortega | 23 | 0.049 | $480k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Quintin Berry | 27 | 2.080 | $480k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Darin Downs | 27 | 2.044 | $480k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Brayan Villarreal | 25 | 1.084 | $480k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Hernán Pérez | 21 | 0.000 | $480k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Luis Marte | 25 | 1.000 | $480k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Adam Wilk | 24 | 0.056 | $480k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Drew Smyly | 23 | 0.000 | $391k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Jacob Turner | 21 | 0.029 | $353k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Clete Thomas | 28 | 1.027 | $96k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Avisaíl García | 21 | 0.000 | $89k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Omir Santos | 31 | – | — | ||||||
| Matt Young | 29 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Thad Weber | 27 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 2012; 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.
| Regime | Seasons | Win % | Playoff % | Pennant % | WS % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINDOW | 289 | 52.2 | 30.1 | 4.8 | 1.0 |
| CONTEND | 311 | 56.8 | 63.0 | 19.3 | 10.3 |
| FORCED-SPEND | 260 | 47.9 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| REBUILD | 328 | 43.3 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Not enough history to chart.
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