DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers announced on Saturday the tendering of seven players for the purpose of offering them salary arbitration.
The only arbitration-eligible player on the 40-man roster the club did not tender was Aquilino Lopez, who was 4-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 48 games last year but allowed the second-highest percentage of inherited runners (50.9) to score in the American League. He is now a free agent. The Tigers did not want to risk him getting a significant raise from the $400,000 he made last year.
Left fielder Marcus Thames earned $2.75 million last year, and made the most of any Tiger on the tendered list that includes recently acquired catcher Gerald Laird ($1.6 million in 2008) and starting pitcher Edwin Jackson ($412,700), reliever Fernando Rodney ($1.7 million), starting pitcher Justin Verlander ($1,130,000), reliever Bobby Seay ($805,000 after bonus), and reliever Joel Zumaya ($420,000).
Infielder Ramon Santiago avoided arbitration by agreeing Friday to an $825,000 contract with performance bonuses that assure him a $250,000 raise. Santiago hit .282 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 58 games.
Players will file for arbitration in early January, with teams and player agents exchanging salary arbitration figures Jan. 19-20, and arbitration hearings taking place Feb. 1-21 in Phoenix.
