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Jan.17 was the date that major league baseball clubs and arbitration eligible players were due to submit their figures for arbitration. The Tigers have settled seven of the eight remaining possible arbitration cases. One case, with Doug Fister, was settled when he was traded to the Washington Nationals.
As shown in the chart below, most of the arbitration eligible Tigers fared a bit better than projected. The lone exception thus far was Andy Dirks, who came up $75,000 shy of his projected arbitration salary. In all likelihood, the club decided to make offers to all the players that were more than reasonable, and the players decided to accept, rather than try to get more through arbitration.
With Fister gone, and Avila to go, the club is $7.1 million ahead of projections. If Avila were to get the expected $3.7 million, the total would be $3.4 million below estimates, due mainly to the trade of Fister. With Fister in the mix, the club would be on target for about $3.5 million above projections.
Scherzer and Coke are in their final seasons of arbitration eligibility. Dirks and Alburquerque are in their first. Only Alex Avila remains unsettled. The figures proposed by the teams and players are usually published, informally, within a day or so of the date that they are submitted. If it goes to a hearing, the arbitration panel must choose one figure or the other. Dave Dombrowski has a perfect track record of avoiding arbitration, and it looks like his streak will remain in tact.
| Player | Arbitration Year | 2012 Salary | 2013 Salary | 2014 Estimate | Status |
| Max Scherzer | 3 of 3 | $3.75 million | $6.725 million | $13.6 million | Signed; $ 15.525 million |
| Rick Porcello | 3 of 4 | $3.1 million | $5.1 million | $ 7.7 million | Signed; $ 8.5 million |
| Doug Fister | 2 of 3 | $500,000 | $4.0 million | $6.9 million | Traded |
| Austin Jackson | 2 of 3 | $500,000 | $3.5 million | $5.3 million | Signed: $ 6 million |
| Alex Avila | 2 of 3 | $500,000 | $2.95 million | $3.7 million | To be determined |
| Andy Dirks | 1 of 4 | $485,000 | $ 505,000 | $1.7 million | Signed; $ 1.625 million |
| Al Alburquerque | 1 of 4 | $495,000 | $ 500,000 | $0.7 million | Signed: $ 837,500 |
| Don Kelly | 3 of 4 | $900,000 | $ 900,000 | $1.0 million | Signed: $ 1 million |
| Phil Coke | 3 of 3 | $1.1 million | $1,850,000 | $ 1.9 million | Signed: $ 1.9 million |
| TOTAL | -- | $11.35 | $27.6 million | $42.5 million | Subtotal: 35,387,500* |
.* Note that Subtotal does not include salary for Alex Avila nor Doug Fister (nor Fister's replacement on the roster)