At End Of Their Contracts, Scherzer, Hunter Address Future
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
COMERICA PARK (CBS DETROIT) - For some in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse Monday, the Game 3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles meant more than elimination from the postseason. For some of those players, the loss marked the end of their time in Detroit.
Who those players are remains to be seen.
One of the most likely candidates to relocate, starting pitcher Max Scherzer, has played for the Tigers since 2010. Scherzer enjoyed a breakout season in 2013, putting up the best numbers of his career, starting the All-Star Game and winning the Cy Young Award.
The Tigers offered Scherzer a contract extension in the offseason, but he declined. Now Scherzer is a free agent. What happens next is anyone's guess.
"I really don't know," Scherzer said after the game. "This is the toughest loss of the year. It's really hard for me to even project what's going to happen in the future. The only thing I know is I love being in this clubhouse, and I hope I'm back.
"I just love the way everybody competed, the way everybody prepared, how hard everybody worked in the weight room," Scherzer added. "Everybody was here early getting every last swing in, every last throw in, doing everything they can to get better, and it was really from everybody in this clubhouse. That's the type of effort, that's the type of ball club you want to be a part of. Guys who care that much, that do everything it takes to get better and to be prepared, I felt like I always did that, but I also felt like I had 24 other guys who did that as well. That's why I absolutely loved – love – playing in this clubhouse."
Scherzer came rather astoundingly close to replicating his stellar 2013 season. He posted a 3.15 ERA over 220 1/3 innings pitched, recorded a 1.175 WHIP and finished the year with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.00. Those numbers earned him another All-Star berth, and his performance this season and last season guarantees Scherzer a monumental payday. Whether Detroit will pay is - again - unknown.
"I know he's a great pitcher," fellow starting pitcher Justin Verlander said, "and we want him here, but he's got a lot of big decisions to make, and we'll see what happens. I hope he wants to stay."
Designated hitter Victor Martinez is another player whom many hope the team finds a way to keep. Martinez fell just short of winning the batting title, recording an average of .335. Martinez also hit 32 home runs, a career high, and had an American League-leading on-base percentage of .409.
"I never thought in my life I was going to hit 30 homers in the big leagues," Martinez said, "but like I always say, I'd rather be lucky than good."
Martinez, of course, is not merely lucky, and his banner season helped the Tigers through various rough stretches this year. Not only able to hit for average and hit for power, Martinez also hit with tremendous discipline. He walked 70 times and struck out only 42 times. If Martinez leaves, the Detroit lineup would miss him sorely.
Another venerable veteran the Tigers may have seen the last of is outfielder Torii Hunter. Even at 39, Hunter batted .286 and smacked 17 home runs. He often came through for Detroit in critical situations, and teammates and manager Brad Ausmus often praised his clubhouse presence. However, his defense has regressed noticeably from the Gold Glove level that wowed fans for many years earlier in his career.
The Tigers may want to go a different direction, and if they do, Hunter might just retire.
"It's Detroit. It's Detroit or nothing," Hunter said. "If Detroit don't do it, maybe Minnesota or Anaheim where I played before. If they don't have anything, I'm done. I'm not going anywhere else."
Hunter spoke highly of Detroit's clubhouse atmosphere. He could do without the grueling travel and schedule, he said, but he does not know whether he can leave behind the team dynamic that he enjoys so much.
"This right here, this is awesome," Hunter said, smiling. "I come here early just to see what's going to happen next. These dudes are crazy. I don't think I'm ready to leave that. If anything I don't want to leave the chemistry, the camaraderie we have in the clubhouse, all that. For all my years, that's what I love. I love baseball. I love the game. It's grinding, and travel and all that stuff, unpacking bags, living in hotels - that sucks, mentally, so that's where I'm gone, mentally, but here, I'm good."
Relievers Joba Chamberlain and Phil Coke also become free agents now that the 2014 season has ended for the Tigers. Coke finished the season with a 3.88 ERA, making this season his best statistically since 2010. Chamberlain recorded a 3.57 ERA. Though Chamberlain struggled in the second half and had an awful time in the American League Division Series, he was one of Detroit's steadier relievers throughout the season.
The 2014 contracts of Scherzer, Martinez, Hunter, Chamberlain and Coke total more than $45 million, according to Spotrac.
Verlander expressed belief that the Tigers will remain contenders going forward no matter what happens in free agency.
"[General manager] Dave Dombrowski, the management, those guys are committed to putting a World Series-caliber team on the field," Verlander said. "They've shown that time and time again since I've been here, and I don't think this is time to look at it and say, 'Oh gosh, we missed our window the last few years.'
"I think there's going to be a bit of a retooling," Verlander continued. "Obviously I don't think we can keep everybody, but we'll see what happens. I'm confident we'll go into spring training with a chance to win it all again."
