Cabrera Central figure

** Second in a division-by-division look at the offseason plans of the Red Sox' competitors. Two AL Central teams might end up figuring prominently in the future of the Red Sox - the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. The Black Friday sales are expected to last all offseason for the Tigers, who have told rival teams that virtually everyone outside of ace Justin Verlander is available. The list includes impact first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who might have some maturity issues but is coming off a fourth-place finish in the MVP race. As for the Twins, how they handle the next couple of months could have a profound impact on the 2010 offseason. Minnesota is in the midst of negotiations with MVP Joe Mauer, maybe the single most desirable player in the game, and if the sides don't agree to a contract extension, the catcher will become a free agent after the season, when the Red Sox would be among the first in line for his services. Of more immediate interest is Cabrera, a 26-year-old right-handed slugger whom the Detroit News yesterday strongly suggested was on the block. Because he has $126 million remaining on the eight-year, $152.3 million contract he signed two years ago, Cabrera would be the quickest way for the Tigers to pare the largest portion of their payroll. It's no secret that the recession has hit Detroit particularly hard, and when the Tigers signed Cabrera to his extension in March 2008, they did so on the assumption that the economy had bottomed out. Little did they know that the auto industry was about to implode, devastating the largest sector of Detroit's economy. Attendance at Comerica Park plummeted nearly 20 percent from 2008 and the Tigers hemorrhaged money in '09 despite holding first place in the AL Central for virtually the entire season. With financial projections even worse for 2010, the Tigers are preparing to shed payroll. All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson and right-hander Edwin Jackson were the first big names to hit the block, but Cabrera is a game-changer. He is a statistical carbon copy of New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira at the plate, except three years younger. Cabrera is coming off a season (.324, 34 home runs, 103 RBI) that earned him the lone first-place vote in the MVP balloting that didn't go to Mauer. He has driven in 100 runs in each of the past six seasons and blasted 30 homers five times. His lifetime on-base percentage of .383 ranks higher than every member of the Red Sox except Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew. There are two catches that could discourage potential suitors, including the Red Sox . For one, Cabrera was involved in a highly publicized domestic dispute during the regular-season's final weekend when the Tigers were in the midst of blowing the division to the Twins. After a night of drinking, he returned home at 6:30 a.m. and argued with his wife, who called police. Cabrera's blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.26, more than triple the legal limit, and it came on the heels of another drinking incident five weeks earlier. There is also the issue of compensation. The Tigers want a young, cost-effective starter, which makes Clay Buchholz a likely starting point with the Red Sox . Detroit would also discuss the usual minor league suspects - shortstop/pitcher Casey Kelly, outfielder Ryan Westmoreland, et AL. However, if history has taught us anything, it's that the Red Sox are willing to be aggressive when trying to land a young star on the cusp of his prime. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Teixeira and Mariners ace Felix Hernandez are three examples, and Cabrera certainly fits that bill, so stay tuned. The same goes for Mauer. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported yesterday that the Twins hope to reach an extension with their all-world catcher by Christmas. His next deal is expected to start at $20 million a year, though, which is rich by the Twins' blood, even as they move into a new stadium next year that should push the team's payroll from $65 million to $90 million. If Mauer hits the market next winter, the Red Sox and Yankees would attack with a vengeance that makes the Alex Rodriguez and Teixeira nuclear winters downright quaint by comparison. - jtomase@bostonherald.com