The Tigers have looked the situation over and are doing what any sensible team would do.
The deal would likely be for three or four years.
The motivation for Willis, who arrived in a blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins two weeks ago, is clear: He would receive a substantial sum of guaranteed money - likely between $25 million and $30 million in the three-year scenario - while preserving the right to become a free agent before his 30th birthday.
I understand the Marlins financial situation but I still find it hard to believe that they couldn't have done a similar deal with Willis and Cabrera in the past.
I think Dontrelle and his agent would've been agreeable to buying out the remainder of his arbitration years. And given the fact the Marlins finally re-signed a pitching coach who is actually worth his salt, signing Willis would've been the way to go.
The Tigers figured it out and the Marlins may have known it too. But the long standing directive of not buying out a player's arbitration years was a mistake.
In Cabrera's case, I have no idea whether he or his agent would have been agreeable to buying out the remainder of his arbitration years. But it would've been worth a shot.
It is true that the Marlins don't generate as much revenue as most other clubs, but they could've afforded this.
I promise there won't be many, if any, other posts about Dontrelle and Cabrera in the future.