Sources: Tigers open to trading All-Star Jackson

CHICAGO

Edwin Jackson was an All-Star pitcher for the Tigers this year. He looked like one of the great acquisitions in baseball for most of the season — a starter who pitched deep into games and wouldn't become a free agent until 2011. Now? The Tigers have made Jackson available on the trade market as part of an effort to alleviate their payroll crunch, multiple major league sources told FOXSports.com. Meanwhile, one executive within the industry confirmed Wednesday that the Tigers are also open to trade proposals for All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson — a notion that would have seemed far-fetched several months ago. It's not clear if club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski is engaged in serious talks with other clubs about Jackson. There is no indication that a deal is close. But it's telling that the team is considering trade scenarios involving Jackson at all. The Dodgers, who originally drafted Jackson, are intrigued by the possibility of reacquiring him, one major-league source said. But it's not clear if there is a fit between the teams, the source added. Jackson would be a good fit for the Dodgers — who don't yet have a payroll figure — because he's a starting pitcher who earns a reasonable salary. The Tigers' Opening Day payroll this year was roughly $132 million, among the highest in baseball. Even if that figure stays the same, Dombrowski will need to shift resources in order to make upgrades. Why? It's simple: Escalating contracts signed during better economic times are causing a squeeze. Dombrowski declined to provide specifics about his discussions with other GMs. "We're listening to a lot of different things," he said. "People are talking to us about different stuff. I think we're open-minded, based on the fact that we didn't win a championship." When asked if teams have been inquiring about Jackson in particular, Dombrowski replied, "I wouldn't get into talking about specific players." Jackson went 13-9 with a career-best 3.62 ERA and 214 innings. But he faded in August and September, compiling a 5.83 ERA over his last 11 starts as Detroit's seemingly insurmountable lead in the American League Central whittled away.

Industry sources also indicated that the Tigers are willing to consider offers for catcher Gerald Laird, who batted .225 this year. Laird is a terrific defender, but it may be difficult for Detroit to justify a salary near $3.5 million for someone who was so inconsistent offensively. The Tigers maintained a robust payroll throughout the 2009 season, increasing it with the in-season acquisitions of Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff. That was somewhat surprising, given that Michigan's economy has been severely impacted by the recession. Dombrowski said the team hasn't "officially established" a 2010 payroll but added, "We're all aware that the economy is not the same all over the country. We've been hit hard in our area." Dombrowski generally hasn't had to make cost-cutting moves, thanks in large part to team owner Mike Ilitch's perpetual desire to win a championship. The Tigers' strong start this year gave Ilitch reason to expect his team would reach the playoffs, and he authorized trades for Washburn and Huff to help them get there. "There's no question he's very committed," Dombrowski said. "I don't think anybody would doubt that. We'll just wait and see (about the payroll figure)." In theory, the team was going to gain additional revenue by hosting postseason games at Comerica Park. But that never happened. The Tigers blew a seven-game September lead and lost an epic one-game playoff to the Twins. Home attendance — a major source of revenue — also fell. The average home crowd this year was 31,694, down roughly 20 percent from the record figure of 39,538 in 2008. But the Tigers still ranked fourth in the AL, behind the big-market Yankees, Angels and Red Sox. At a time when gate receipts are down, payroll commitments are going up. That's not an encouraging trend for the Tigers. Nearly $100 million is owed to nine players for 2010: Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, Curtis Granderson, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis and Rick Porcello. Aside from Porcello, every player in that group caused frustration or disappointment for the Tigers at one point or another in 2009. Bonderman, Robertson and Willis were paid a combined $30 million, the sort of investment a team makes in reliable 200-inning starters. But they combined for three wins. Including Jackson and Laird, the raises to arbitration-eligible players (including ace Justin Verlander) could total roughly $20 million, according to an estimate by one person in the industry. Under that scenario, if the Tigers are indeed operating on a $132 million budget, they will have only $12 million to improve the club. And that won't be enough to buy frontline players at shortstop, second base, setup man and closer, all of which are needs right now. (Dombrowski said he's not looking to add a full-time designated hitter, preferring instead to rotate Guillen, Ordonez and Cabrera through the position.) If the Tigers don't re-sign second baseman Placido Polanco, Dombrowski said Scott Sizemore is the strongest internal candidate to take the job. Sizemore, 24, is a highly-regarded prospect. But he has no major league experience and has missed time with injuries in each of the past two years. Shortstop Adam Everett enjoyed his season in Detroit and would like to return. But he also wants a raise on his $1 million salary, one source told FOXSports.com. It's unclear if the Tigers will be able to oblige. Despite coming within one victory of a division title, the Tigers may have a long, tumultuous off-season ahead. As one rival executive put it, after reviewing Detroit's payroll obligations: "For a team in that situation, they should be listening to offers for anyone making money. Anyone ."