Tigers avoid arbitration with all nine eligible players

Detroit — You have to hand it to general manager Al Avila and his lieutenants Sam Menzin and Jay Sartori. As the 1 p.m. deadline approached Friday, it didn't seem possible that they'd get all nine arbitration-eligible players signed.

But that's exactly what they did.

After signing pitcher Michael Fulmer for one-year at $3.1 million on Thursday, they came to terms with:

►Left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd ($6.5 million)

►Left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris ($3.475 million)

►Right-handed pitcher Buck Farmer ($1.85 million)

►Right-handed pitcher Jose Cisnero ($970,000)

►Right-handed pitcher Joe Jimenez ($1.5 million)

►Utility player Niko Goodrum ($2.1 million)

►First-baseman/third baseman Jeimer Candelario ($2.85 million).

►Center fielder JaCoby Jones ($2.65 million).

All nine of those players are expected to play key roles for the club in 2021.

Since 2001, only once have the Tigers had to go through the arbitration process with a player. That was Fulmer in 2019, when the arbitrator sided with the Tigers.

League-wide, there were 13 players who opted to take their teams to arbitration, including Angels Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Walker Buehler and Astros Carlos Correa. 

chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @cmccosky