The Tigers decision to not offer Placido Polanco arbitration is pretty telling and rather worrisome.  Basically it looks like the Tigers are maxed out and they don’t even want to take the chance at picking up Placido Polanco’s contract in the event he took arbitration.  This, when you take it with all of the trade rumors, is a little troubling and my bet is, a lot of people who have been sitting on the fence with regards to their season tickets are going to step off.  I know having those draft picks looming hurts Polanco’s signability but still.

It’s also the first REAL sign that the Tigers are more worried about cutting costs then they are about winning.  I know there’s high hopes for Scott Sizemore, but Polanco brought both a reliable bat and glove at a pretty key spot.  Sizemore’s had one good season and a couple of decent ones and while I think his glove is there, you have guys like Jeff Larish who could rake and who still struggled at the plate at the big league level.

Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon were both offered arbitration.  My guess is Lyon takes it and Rodney tests the market.  Of course I was wrong about Polanco so who knows.

Jason Beck also answered some emails.  He talked about all of the money coming off of the Tigers books at the end of 2011.  I also liked the one about what the Tigers do on their off days between road series.

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