(Update 5:30 p.m.) (Update 8 p.m. to add poll)
According to Yahoo! Sports' Tim Brown, the Tigers and Jose Valverde have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. The cost of the first two years is $14 million and the Tigers' 19th-overall draft pick. The third year could cost $9 million.
Needless to say for those who read my earlier story, I dislike this deal. And based on reactions on my Twitter feed, I'm not alone with those feelings. Someday, I hope to understand the operating philosophy behind this offseason.
My second thought? The casual fan will probably like this. They don't care about draft picks, I'm sure. But they do care about closing out the ninth inning with a win. And the reputation Valverde has is being the top closer on the market. So the casual fan will likely look at this, say, "See, the Tigers are going for it in 2010. This is great news" and be happy. I can respect that line of view.
But as a baseball move fitting into a long-term plan for the Tigers, I hate it.
This story will be updated as we learn more.
[Note by Kurt Mensching, 01/14/10 9:28 PM EST ] The SB Nation blog for the Houston Astros -- The Crawfish Boxes -- shared these thoughts on Jose Valverde with us. Also, you can check our their view on the deal.